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Okay, normally I don't really care about this type of thing, but I feel compelled to share. My family has a long history with the American automotive industry. Many of my relatives worked for GM back in the day, from factory workers who lost their lives on the job to businessmen so high up the ladder that they had two company cars at all times, just in case one had a flat tire. My dad spent most of his life working for Chrysler and was deemed the black sheep of the family because he broke out of the GM legacy. Many Christmases were spent listening to my dad and uncle trash talk the other's company's cars. When I hear about factories closing in Michigan and across the country, it makes me sad because I know how many families are connected to the big US auto makers. And it's because I know how much so many people rely on companies like GM and Ford to keep them going (not just get where they're going) that I want to share this article.
It seems that for all the talk you hear about Japanese cars being so much better than American cars, being so much more reliable, JD Power & Associates seem to find the exact opposite when you look at the overall reliability of the cars. American luxury cars (Lincoln, Buick, Cadillac) rank better than Infinitis and Acuras. It's stated that even the "worst" American cars rank better than most of the Japanese imports. Consumer Reports, however, still sees the imports as more reliable than American cars, but readily admits that the quality of American cars continues to improve, and that they're much better than they were just a few years ago. (Personally, I'm more likely to listen to JD Power than Consumer Reports when it comes to auto rankings, but that's just me.) A lot of the attitude that Japanese imports are more reliable is based off the reputations of years ago, when the American cars sucked. But honestly, I know just as many people with Hondas or Volkswagens who have problems as I do people with Chrysler or GM cars. I may complain about my car a lot, but seeing as how it's taken 100,000 miles for me to start having problems that's pretty damn good.
So yeah, I just wanted to bring this to the attention of anyone who's thinking about getting a new car. I'm not saying that if you have a Japanese or other kind of import that your car SUXOMG! What I am saying is that if you're considering a new car, please consider an American model. They're just as reliable, if not moreso, than Japanese imports according to the latest numbers. And I'm not one to be all "Buy American!" but in this situation I am. Too many people are losing jobs because people aren't giving American cars a chance. And with our illustrious President saying that Ford and GM should just build better cars, the situation isn't being helped. Thanks for the bad spin, Dubya. (And for someone pushing for cars with alternative fuel systems, you certainly don't seem to care about alternative fuels outside of what we find in the Middle East or may find in the Alaskan Wildlife Preserves. Up yours, pal. Whoa, where did that come from?)
It seems that for all the talk you hear about Japanese cars being so much better than American cars, being so much more reliable, JD Power & Associates seem to find the exact opposite when you look at the overall reliability of the cars. American luxury cars (Lincoln, Buick, Cadillac) rank better than Infinitis and Acuras. It's stated that even the "worst" American cars rank better than most of the Japanese imports. Consumer Reports, however, still sees the imports as more reliable than American cars, but readily admits that the quality of American cars continues to improve, and that they're much better than they were just a few years ago. (Personally, I'm more likely to listen to JD Power than Consumer Reports when it comes to auto rankings, but that's just me.) A lot of the attitude that Japanese imports are more reliable is based off the reputations of years ago, when the American cars sucked. But honestly, I know just as many people with Hondas or Volkswagens who have problems as I do people with Chrysler or GM cars. I may complain about my car a lot, but seeing as how it's taken 100,000 miles for me to start having problems that's pretty damn good.
So yeah, I just wanted to bring this to the attention of anyone who's thinking about getting a new car. I'm not saying that if you have a Japanese or other kind of import that your car SUXOMG! What I am saying is that if you're considering a new car, please consider an American model. They're just as reliable, if not moreso, than Japanese imports according to the latest numbers. And I'm not one to be all "Buy American!" but in this situation I am. Too many people are losing jobs because people aren't giving American cars a chance. And with our illustrious President saying that Ford and GM should just build better cars, the situation isn't being helped. Thanks for the bad spin, Dubya. (And for someone pushing for cars with alternative fuel systems, you certainly don't seem to care about alternative fuels outside of what we find in the Middle East or may find in the Alaskan Wildlife Preserves. Up yours, pal. Whoa, where did that come from?)
