Car shopping....opinions?

[Declaration Day]

I love popping people's "Domestic v. Import" bubbles

Your post brings up a good point, that not all cars are what they seem.  The line between import and domestic autos is so blurred now.

There was once a time when the badge on the hood told you the origin and manufacturer of a car.  Now, in many cases, it is just a marketing tool.

Think the Pontiac Vibe is a nice looking American car?  I'd agree with you, if it weren't a Toyota.

Remember the Ford Probe?  It was really a Mazda.

Saab 9-2X?  Looks strangely like a Subaru WRX.

How about that neat little Chevy, the Aveo?  It's a Daewoo.

Isuzu Ascender?  It's a GMC Envoy.

New Suzuki Grand Vitara?  Based on the Chevy Equinox and Saturn Vue.

These are just a few examples.

[mfree]

Daewoos are all over the place now, Chevy's Aveo, Suzuki has the Verona, Forenza, Reno... But guess what? With the exception of the XK6 engine in the Verona (Daewoo Magnus, aka Leganza II), the engines were all GM sourced to start with

Most Fords are Mazdas nowadays... and have been for a while. Well, they're cooperative mixes... Ford worked with nissan for a bit too to get the Villager/Quest.

Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai were cooperating for a common engine for a *long* time and it's gotten results, but no motor... it fell apart at the behest of Daimler, really.  Chrysler was using Mitsu sourced engines for the longest time, since 1981 or so.... the 2.6 four, 3.0 six... Hyundai's Sirius engine family from the 80's and early 90's is *real* close to a Mitsubishi 4G63. Oddly, those were the *worst* motors you could get for longevity :-D

How about the BMW 4.0V8 living in some (Ford)Range Rovers?

[Art Eatman]

Years ago I bought a Honda Civic that some little gal had never changed oil on.  Lunched the motor.  One thing I noticed during the rebuild:  Those things are bult like watches!  By the time I had it back on the road, I had almost a thousand bucks in it.  The silly little thing would run an honest top end of 108.  40 mpg highway, at 70+.

I did some buyers' checks on three Honda Accords.  Same quality.  The only thing that needed doing at around 30K miles was adjust the parking brake.  Valves were dead on.

Any Toyota with the 22R motor will live forever.  That motor began life as a forklift motor.  Bulletproof.  And they make a ton of after-market go-fast goodies.

Toyota made a sexed-up version of the Celica in the early '90s.  Supra?  I still want one of those; it looks like just the place to stick in a small block Bowtie and a six-speed.

, Art

[...has left the building.]

Art,

I'm glad to hear that someone that has your knowledge of cars respects Honda's build quality so much. The mid-90's Supra is still a holy grail for tuners...they're still running north of $20K for a decent twin turbo example.

[Guest]

Have you looked at anything volvo?? i'm not sure what they are making now, but i've got a 97 (actually, its SWMBO's car..)  its real nice.  little inline 2.5 is a peppy motor and gets awesome gas miliage to boot.  not sure what the new sporty thing they make now is, but i hear the turbo version is cat's ass.

[Art Eatman]

Daniel, find me one with a blown-up motor!

Art

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Volvo_200_V-8.html

Something like this, Art?


Bah...you're talking about Supras...I thought you were on Volvos.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[...has left the building.]

Daniel, find me one with a blown-up motor!

Art

I'm sure there are those who have been tinkered with or driven by people that couldn't handle them. You definitely need a 600+ hp Supra!

[Art Eatman]

Syl, Volvos are just too ugly.  Not something in which I'd wish to be seen in public.  One of the shocks of my life was a Tennessee vanity plate on a Volvo:  "URPNXTC".  European Ecstasy?  A Volvo?  God bless us and save us!  Some people just flat-out have no soul...

Yeah, Daniel, somewhere around 600 sounds about right.  A buddy of mine down the hill has a Yates Nascar motor; all alloy.  Detune it to 600.  Truly amazing, though, what's available nowadays from over-the-counter, from what I see of the ads in Hot Rod magazine.  My era, we had to build stuff from scratch, whether engines or mounts or any adapters.  Try welding up a set of headers for a V8.  My first Chev-Healey took a bit of work.

, Art

[...has left the building.]

Art,

That would be sick running that Yates motor in a Supra. I like it!

There is indeed an impressive amount of over the counter aftermarket parts now. I'm planning on running the D17 engine for the next 5 years then replacing it with a turbocharged K20. When I replace it, I'll just literally bolt everything on.

[XLMiguel]

Mini?
Big downside is that you'll be getting it serviced at your local BMW (Batter My Wallet) dealer.  Don't get me wrong, I'm on my 6th Bimmer, but like most European cars, they are expen$ive to maintain.  They great little cars, but I suspect that it too, will be expensive to maintain, and how do you feel about staring into the hubcaps of buses and 18-wheelers?

+1 on the Mazda6 - they're well made, very fun, good value, and reasonable to maintain.

Have you considered a 2 year old CPO Honda or Toyota.  In some cases the warranty is better than a new car's.

[Greg Levy]

I have heard nothing good, and quite alot bad about the Saturn Ion.  Of course, none of those were the Red Line, but....I think I would steer clear of it.

+1 on the Mazda 6.

My wife and I are looking right now, and, while it's a little bigger than you seem to be looking for, you might want to take a look at the Dodge Magnum.  I'm not even talking the Hemi model...we went and looked at the SXT, with the 250HP V-6...that is one nice car, and decently powered with the bigger V-6.  

greg

[mfree]

"how do you feel about staring into the hubcaps of buses and 18-wheelers?"

I don't, because I don't drive in their blind spots where I could stare :p

[w turner]

another vote for Honda's here.  My in-laws 89 Accord had over 300K miles on it before my BIL totaled it the first time.  They sold it to a salvager who rebuilt it and the aforementioned BIL bought it back and drove it for another 20K miles or so before totatling it again.  

The 97 AWD CRV that my wife and I bought in '01 has been dead nuts reliable.  Only issue was the AC compressor, but I beleive that was a fluke at 150K.  Other than that, fuel, oil, tires, and brakes.  Right now it is right around 185K and still going strong.  25mpg, quick enough to be interstate safe, and everything works.

Best of all, the CRV is paid for......lol.

When we buy a newer vehicle in a few years, we will probably look at a Civic or Accord.  Hard to get past the routine stories of 300K+ life spans.



W