Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Rondar on March 29, 2011, 02:30:39 PM
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Head gaskets went out this last weekend on wife's van. It is a 1999 Olds Silohette van. I have been putting in antifreeze and stopleak stuff for the last year or so, she only drives it to work, which is 5 miles one way. So it finally gave way and now has about 6" of water/oil above the full mark on the oil dipstick. Its parked and probably will be scrapped for junk, as it has 200k miles on it. It will need tires by summer if it would have lasted that long, and we got it from her parents years ago, and they used it to put their boat in saltwater all winter long down at the gulf of Mexico. So it seemed we always had rusty brake problems also amongst other problems. So I assume it probably is not worth doing head gaskets, as the water in crankcase might make us do a complete overhaul now. We farm, and were hoping to make it last until this summer after wheat harvest, alas it didnt make it as hoped.
So now, we are looking to buy a 2007 and up smaller car that will get good/great gas mileage and might have a good repair record. What cars do you guys recommend for a good car and also what cars/engines to stay away from? We dont need a BMW, or Cadillac, as it will be a work vehicle, and also we would like to be able to take it on road trips too. She likes the looks of Chevy Malibu, Chrysler Sebring, Ford Fusion kinda. Are these good cars or should we be looking at something else?
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you live on a farm you say....little on the pricey side as its brand spankin new...and no gaurentees about anything, but Ford has a brand new eco tech engine in their F150. being brand new as i said, its going to be expensive... while reading a review about the ngine in a magazine, the author got 19.2 mpg around town. that was the january edition of the magazine before Ford released the MPG for it. here where i live in Massachusetts with the EcoBoost engine and the standard F150 XL the base price is $28,040. just a litte bit pricey.
of course, you could always do a Toyota Prius and "Go Green" :P
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Toyota Corolla...we have one and the things runs solid, very solid...high mileage on it not sure the exact number.
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Ronny,
You look into an engine overhaul? ESP if it's still got life in it.
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Honda civic for a sedan, but consider one of the micro wagon versions of the civic. Or even the honda fit.
They are pricey for used cars but that's because they hold their value, and THAT is because they run darn near forever. I have a 2008 civic with the navigation system and it's a great car, economical and versatile. The hatchback or small wagon or whatever they call them now versions are even better since you can put bigger boxes in the trunk. If you think you will ever take the car on trips, the honda navigation system is in my opinion the most user friendly one on the market. I've tried several, and the honda nav system is very good and easy to use, even when driving.
Or even a base model civic... They are generally reliable and economical, with tons of nice features like optional split rear folding seatbacks (worth looking for if you get one used), and various other little nice to have features. My only gripe about the civic is that 4-wheel disc brakes were not even an option except on the top of the line most expensive model... That sort of drove my decision to spring for the navigation system too, and we haven't regretted spending the extra money since the nav system has bailed us out of bad trouble a few times.
So... civic or fit, either sedan or hatch/wagon models.
I saw the recommendation for the toyota corolla, but make sure you test drive one. I have fairly short legs so I'm that guy who always has to pull the seat forward, but in every toyota I've ever driven including a corolla my wife owned, the pedals were waaaay too close to the driver. In order to have a comfortable position for my feet/legs, I had to have the seat far enough back that my arms were stretched waaay out straight to get to the steering wheel even with the seat fully upright. Maybe they're better now but even a 2010 sienna I test drove had the same problem, pedals too close to the driver, so I couldn't find a comfortable driving position. The hondas I've driven, including my civic and odyssey, both feel much better and feel fine to my wife as well. So test drive it to see if you fit in the car first, and pay attention to how far you have to reach for the steering wheel after adjusting the seat position for your feet and the pedals. If you have to stretch or lean your upper back off of the seat to reach the top of the steering wheel after adjusting the seat for the leg/feet position like I had to do with the toyotas I test drove, then you might want to try another car.
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Saturn Vue AWD V6....I like it because it is functional for me and can carry all five members of the family plus whatever is needed for small kids and sports...plus its paid for!
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:lol it is like now one read his post. The what car do you like thread is next door fools :lol
Rondar, what is your price range?
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Unless you go with a used vehicle you can't get a sebring. It has been replaced with the Chrysler 200 which starts new in the low 20s. Just because I sell Chrysler has no bearing on my opinion... :noid
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Toyota Corolla...we have one and the things runs solid, very solid...high mileage on it not sure the exact number.
My '96 has about 30-31 mpg in the city.
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Have a 98 Honda CR-V 24 mpg city 175,000 on it and runs tops.
Have a 2001 Jetta 1.9l diesel 42 mpg 200,000 on it and runs great.
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Watch out for the Malibu with the 3.5 engine. They're notorious for lower main seals going out, even at low mileage.
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look for a certified used toyota or subaru...a lot is going to depend on what you can afford to spend.
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Have a 98 Honda CR-V 24 mpg city 175,000 on it and runs tops.
Have a 2001 Jetta 1.9l diesel 42 mpg 200,000 on it and runs great.
I have a 2004 Honda CRV and I love it.
My dad had a 1990 honda accord and had it for 20 years. Nothing serious ever broke on it until it was ran into on the side of the road while it was parked. So he had to get a new car so he got another Honda Accord.
Hondas are extremely reliable.(<---period)
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I have a 2004 Honda CRV and I love it.
My dad had a 1990 honda accord and had it for 20 years. Nothing serious ever broke on it until it was ran into on the side of the road while it was parked. So he had to get a new car so he got another Honda Accord.
Hondas are extremely reliable.(<---period)
can't argue with that...with regular maintenance 200k is easy mode for most hondas
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Price range for what we are looking for is around 15k, + or - a couple up to 18k max. We just dont need a new one, but want something that will run nice and inexpensive a few years. This is a travel to work car for my wife who works in a school lunch room, and an ocasional out of town road trip.
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I have a 2000 Mazda Protege with a 1.8 litre engine in it. gettin about 30 around town, give or take 2 or 3. 35ish on the highway..until 70 then God only knows.
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Price range for what we are looking for is around 15k, + or - a couple up to 18k max. We just dont need a new one, but want something that will run nice and inexpensive a few years. This is a travel to work car for my wife who works in a school lunch room, and an ocasional out of town road trip.
When I retired a couple of years ago, the wife and I were looking for a car with good fuel economy and fairly comfortable for the traveling we planned to do. I looked at everything from the Civics to the Sentra's.
We ended up going with the KIA Forte. It has plenty of room for my big arse, the trunk is huge for luggage, and with the added 10 year 100,000 bumper to bumper warranty it lessens my worries. I get on average 32 to 35 miles per gallon on the road, and upper 20's in the city. In nearly two years, and 20 plus thousand of miles we have not had any problems.
The down side is KIA's do not hold their value well, but that doesn't matter to me since I drive the wheels off a vehicle before I get rid of it. The best part was I got the 2010 model with leather package including extended warranty, taxes and other crap for $21,000 drive out.
Might be a vehicle you want to take a look at. If you do take a look at them, do not go with the Fuel Economy Model, I understand they have had some issues.
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Kia_Forte/ (http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Kia_Forte/)
My Opinion
Fred
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Price range for what we are looking for is around 15k, + or - a couple up to 18k max. We just dont need a new one, but want something that will run nice and inexpensive a few years. This is a travel to work car for my wife who works in a school lunch room, and an ocasional out of town road trip.
Heh, at that price range you can pretty much have any used car you want. A C230 with 70K milles will give you close to 30mpg. A VW passat T2.0 will give you over 30mpg etc. Really way to many choices but that is what I would go for given mpg, power, safety, etc.
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I have a 2004 Honda CRV and I love it.
My dad had a 1990 honda accord and had it for 20 years. Nothing serious ever broke on it until it was ran into on the side of the road while it was parked. So he had to get a new car so he got another Honda Accord.
Hondas are extremely reliable.(<---period)
Quoted for truth. I drive a 2000 Honda Accord with the 2.0L V6. The people who owned it the first 9 years had NO problems with it. I've only had one minor problem with it since I've had it and it was a quick fix that I did myself (Throttle Position Sensor went bad and it wouldn't shift). It's got 128,000 miles on it to which is nothing for a Honda. I like to joke and say it's just now completely broke in :D
Anyways my point is you CAN'T go wrong with a Honda.
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Head gaskets went out this last weekend on wife's van. It is a 1999 Olds Silohette van. I have been putting in antifreeze and stopleak stuff for the last year or so, she only drives it to work, which is 5 miles one way. So it finally gave way and now has about 6" of water/oil above the full mark on the oil dipstick. Its parked and probably will be scrapped for junk, as it has 200k miles on it. It will need tires by summer if it would have lasted that long, and we got it from her parents years ago, and they used it to put their boat in salavacadoer all winter long down at the gulf of Mexico. So it seemed we always had rusty brake problems also amongst other problems. So I assume it probably is not worth doing head gaskets, as the water in crankcase might make us do a complete overhaul now. We farm, and were hoping to make it last until this summer after wheat harvest, alas it didnt make it as hoped.
So now, we are looking to buy a 2007 and up smaller car that will get good/great gas mileage and might have a good repair record. What cars do you guys recommend for a good car and also what cars/engines to stay away from? We dont need a BMW, or Cadillac, as it will be a work vehicle, and also we would like to be able to take it on road trips too. She likes the looks of Chevy Malibu, Chrysler Sebring, Ford Fusion kinda. Are these good cars or should we be looking at something else?
honda, or toyota.
hondas are a little expensive to fix though, as they've had a good rep for awhile.
toyota corolla, or camry.....you almost can't go wrong with these.
i forgot about subaru. if you want her to have a little performance with her car, go with a subaru outback....i think you can get them with a turbo, and awd. good mileage, great bad weather cars....and reliable as all get out......
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Heh, at that price range you can pretty much have any used car you want. A C230 with 70K milles will give you close to 30mpg. A VW passat T2.0 will give you over 30mpg etc. Really way to many choices but that is what I would go for given mpg, power, safety, etc.
a passat will also give him serious fits......and he will then understand why people like me constantly berate vw.
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whatever you decide on, do a little parts shopping on the side to see what replacement parts would cost in the event something does go wrong...like an alternator, struts, brake calipers/cylinders, steering pump, ac compressor...some parts people take for granted as "rarely fail" end up being one of the most expensive repairs, even if they do it themselves.
i found that out the hard way...$300 for a belt tensioner arm assembly, dealer item only...and the funny thing is if i had bought the more expensive high performance version of the car i owned, the same component would have cost $85 at a retail parts shop.
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whatever you decide on, do a little parts shopping on the side to see what replacement parts would cost in the event something does go wrong...like an alternator, struts, brake calipers/cylinders, steering pump, ac compressor...some parts people take for granted as "rarely fail" end up being one of the most expensive repairs, even if they do it themselves.
i found that out the hard way...$300 for a belt tensioner arm assembly, dealer item only...and the funny thing is if i had bought the more expensive high performance version of the car i owned, the same component would have cost $85 at a retail parts shop.
07 and newer, figure in the ballpark of $200+ labor for an alternator, don't worry about calipers unless you drive with the brakes grinding for a long enough period to over-extend the piston. struts figure anywhere from $120 or so for cheapos to about $190 for decent ones......plus labor.
a front brake job on most things in the price range you mentioned should only run around $150 tops....unless you need rotors. the a/c compressor....that's a biggie. should it go bad, most shops will have you replace the reciever/drier with it....it's the only way they can guarantee it......you're generally in the ballpark of $1100 for that, including labor.
the thing is.......most unexpected expenses on cars that look big, aren't actually that big......but they're a very big inconvenience.
excellent advice gyrene...... :aok
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I looked at what I first posted.. lol and I certainly dont know what " and they used it to put their boat in salavacadoer all winter long down at the gulf of Mexico" means or how it got there. I typed in Salavacadoer. Jeez Salt Water
Ok seems like the Japanese cars are getting the nod here. If it matters, there is not a Toyota dealer any closer to me than 150 miles. Are European cars reliable nowdays? I like the looks of Volvo's and BMW's but honestly, If a person drives one of them to work how do you complain about wages too low lmao? I had a 300E Mercedes I bought off of ebay a few years ago, it didnt just nickel and dime me, it dollared and ten dollared me to death til I got rid of it. Might have just been a crappy ebay car tho.
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I looked at what I first posted.. lol and I certainly dont know what " and they used it to put their boat in salavacadoer all winter long down at the gulf of Mexico" means or how it got there. I typed in Salavacadoer. Jeez Salt Water
Ok seems like the Japanese cars are getting the nod here. If it matters, there is not a Toyota dealer any closer to me than 150 miles. Are European cars reliable nowdays? I like the looks of Volvo's and BMW's but honestly, If a person drives one of them to work how do you complain about wages too low lmao? I had a 300E Mercedes I bought off of ebay a few years ago, it didnt just nickel and dime me, it dollared and ten dollared me to death til I got rid of it. Might have just been a crappy ebay car tho.
I LIKE BMW'S, but i've had a couple of customers that got nickel and dimed big time with them at around 100k miles.
avoid audis. they suck. you'll hate them from day 1.
volvos are good reliable cars.
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Do yourself a favor and drive 150 miles for a corolla...you will thank me later.
I just got a 11' tacoma and I'm lovin it
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not sure if that is good advice belial...considering toyota's warranty requirements...pretty strict about time lines, with a 300 mile round trip day just to keep it in warranty...not worth it....and i absolutely would not use toyota finance if you plan on financing.
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Cap works on cars for a living and most always gives sound advice concerning them. Use caution if he gives advice on flying in Ah though. :rofl
I can't make any suggestion on those small cars though..... I have never had any use for one.
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a passat will also give him serious fits......and he will then understand why people like me constantly berate vw.
Yes, I know, everyone knows about those cars except the people that owned them :lol Although, I do admit, I did hear some whining from the oil changing place about needing a special wrench. But other than that, I have no clue what you are talking about. I did say the the 2.0T so I don;t know if the other engines are having problems.
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not sure if that is good advice belial...considering toyota's warranty requirements...pretty strict about time lines, with a 300 mile round trip day just to keep it in warranty...not worth it....and i absolutely would not use toyota finance if you plan on financing.
maintenance can be done anywhere, and keep the warranty in effect. the only time he'd really have to go to the dealer would be if he needed warranty work done.
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Yes, I know, everyone knows about those cars except the people that owned them :lol Although, I do admit, I did hear some whining from the oil changing place about needing a special wrench. But other than that, I have no clue what you are talking about. I did say the the 2.0T so I don;t know if the other engines are having problems.
$1200 for the right cat. plus labor
3 months later(i had warned the customer though) same thing for the left cat. it wasn't because the cats were bad....it was because the flex-pipe broke.
thermostats and waterpumps tend to go bad around 50k-60k miles. overheat one of them, and you're probably looking at a cylinder head.
broken radiator tanks with less than 70k miles. they take purple(G12) antifreeze. stuff's nearly $50 a gallon.
i could go on if i wanted to go to the turbo ones.
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If you want economy you can't beat a Volkwagon Golf with the TDI diesel. It'll do 60+ mpg if you drive conservatively.
However it is true that may people hate working on VWs.
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Yes, I know, everyone knows about those cars except the people that owned them :lol Although, I do admit, I did hear some whining from the oil changing place about needing a special wrench. But other than that, I have no clue what you are talking about. I did say the the 2.0T so I don;t know if the other engines are having problems.
HA The guys where I get my oil changed wince when I drive up. My 2500 crew has the Duramax Diesel/Allison combo. The oil change is easy enough, 10 quarts of Rotella. The wincing comes from the fact that I get my fuel filter changed at each oil change. It's a beast on the Duramax. hehe
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If you want economy you can't beat a Volkwagon Golf with the TDI diesel. It'll do 60+ mpg if you drive conservatively.
However it is true that may people hate working on VWs.
i don't hate working on vw's. i hate replacing things that go bad long before they should. which i do a lot of on vw's and audis.
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HA The guys where I get my oil changed wince when I drive up. My 2500 crew has the Duramax Diesel/Allison combo. The oil change is easy enough, 10 quarts of Rotella. The wincing comes from the fact that I get my fuel filter changed at each oil change. It's a beast on the Duramax. hehe
have a customer has an older ford....with the 7.3 turbo. fuel filter on that one is on the frame rail right under the driver. he had it towed in, after another shop told him he needed a fuel pump.
i put the new filter on(the guy working for him hit a chunk of ice, piercing the filter), andshipped him on his way.
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have a customer has an older ford....with the 7.3 turbo. fuel filter on that one is on the frame rail right under the driver. he had it towed in, after another shop told him he needed a fuel pump.
i put the new filter on(the guy working for him hit a chunk of ice, piercing the filter), andshipped him on his way.
The difference between a shop guy who looks (and is honest) and one who just wants money. The honest one has a long future in the business, the other won't be around that long.
My Father-in-law's ford.... the filter is right on top of the engine. Unscrew cap pull old wet filter and drop in a new one.... screw on cap.
OOPS sorry OP for getting off the original idea on this thread. Hope you get the info your looking for and good luck on the hunt for a good vehicle.
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and i absolutely would not use toyota finance if you plan on financing.
:rofl :rofl :rofl Yeah, they are out to repo your car, especially if you are military :noid
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:rofl :rofl :rofl Yeah, they are out to repo your car, especially if you are military :noid
well, not so sure about the repo or the military...more like just shady practices.
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Head gaskets went out this last weekend on wife's van. It is a 1999 Olds Silohette van. I have been putting in antifreeze and stopleak stuff for the last year or so, she only drives it to work, which is 5 miles one way. So it finally gave way and now has about 6" of water/oil above the full mark on the oil dipstick. Its parked and probably will be scrapped for junk, as it has 200k miles on it. It will need tires by summer if it would have lasted that long, and we got it from her parents years ago, and they used it to put their boat in salavacadoer all winter long down at the gulf of Mexico. So it seemed we always had rusty brake problems also amongst other problems. So I assume it probably is not worth doing head gaskets, as the water in crankcase might make us do a complete overhaul now. We farm, and were hoping to make it last until this summer after wheat harvest, alas it didnt make it as hoped.
So now, we are looking to buy a 2007 and up smaller car that will get good/great gas mileage and might have a good repair record. What cars do you guys recommend for a good car and also what cars/engines to stay away from? We dont need a BMW, or Cadillac, as it will be a work vehicle, and also we would like to be able to take it on road trips too. She likes the looks of Chevy Malibu, Chrysler Sebring, Ford Fusion kinda. Are these good cars or should we be looking at something else?
Is the "Most Reliable car" you listed. I had an 07 Milan with zero recalls/service needs (the Fusion's, nor MKZ's had any that I am aware of). I have friends with older Accords/Camry and they do NOT get the MPG of my 2010 Milan. I enjoy the almost 16 gallon gas tank, 4 cyl and 6 speed auto, the car is almost perfect. You can get 4 adults in the vehicle with plenty of leg and knee room.
Honda and Toyota do NOT have an answer for the Fusion at this time. My brothers 08 Camry has had four Recalls so far. Honda and Toyota used to be Quality driven, but they are now guilty of what the US was guilty of in the 80'/90's.
I wouldn't even go near a Sebring/New 200. The 2.7L engine is a POS. In fact, the 2.7, 3.7, 4.7 and 5.7 family are piles of chit. The Sebring started out as a direct copy of the Lexus SC300, just "touched up" in areas.
As for GM, I'd stay away from anything containing a 3.1L. If you get even 80k out of it, which is rare, you should be awarded something.
IMO, you two could get a smoking deal on a possible 2010 Milan that might still be in some dealers Inventory and come away with a steal.
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i found 4 recalls on an 08 camry. 2 were the accelerator pedal thing...which we all know is/was bs, and 2 were forgotten decals.
9 tsb's.
2 accelerator pedal.......note above.....
1 for an all weather floor mat possibly interfering with the accelerator if not placed properly......see note above again....
2 concerning the missing decals noted in the recalls above.....
1 for grilles sold as parts, or the sport grille option on the scion which could cause the safety catch to fail(this came up 'cause it has the same engine)
3 for flash reprogramming procedures.
all in all not bad.
that being said, i've got 2 customers that've bought milans.....and they both love them.
07 milan with a 4 cylinder i found 10 tsb's on. whoops....make that 12. no recalls though.
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We ended up buying a 2010 Ford Fusion SE.
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We ended up buying a 2010 Ford Fusion SE.
i've not worked on a fusion yet......but i have a couple of customers that've bought them,a nd they love them.
:aok
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We ended up buying a 2010 Ford Fusion SE.
You made a smart choice and grats! :rock
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i don't hate working on vw's. i hate replacing things that go bad long before they should. which i do a lot of on vw's and audis.
Here ya go. Now here is a classic example of a business that gives a damn about his customers.
He could have just as easily said "I love VW's because things wear out or break sooner then they should" Which would mean more business for him.
Instead he's complaining about stuff that potentially brings his customers back more often or guaranteeing him more work. Instead he'd rather see his customers have something with higher longer lasting quality.
Its the same mindset I have and why I refuse to use most of the paints from you large "home improvement" chain stores.
You know. The ones that must pay that "leading consumer magazine" to say they have such a great product because anyone worth anything as a professional knows for a fact otherwise through experience.
But thats another subject entirely.
Point is. Cap1 obviously gives a damn.