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I'm buying a car (pg. 6)
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| Soundwerks |
Its true what was said about the Vibe/Matrix. They are both EXACTLY the same cars, and they're both more Toyota than anything else (if not ALL Toyota). So yeah, the Vibe is *technically* a Japanese car, with the Pontiac name on it.
Seconldy, the Vibe/Matrix GT (or whatever theyre called) use the Celicas 180hp 4-cyl engine/6spd tranny combo...which is pretty sweet! Although, its a very rev-happy engine, so you gotta keep it above 5000 rpm to get any juice.
Also, since the Vibe is essentially a Matrix, you may as well buy the Vibe version from a GM dealership...as they offer more discounts, better lease/finance rates and are much easier to haggle with than Toyota dealers, so you'll get a sweet deal for essentially the same car.
As for VW's....theyre sweet cars, on paper. But theyre not very reliable, and I personally dont like how they drive...especially their tranny's! UGH!
If you want a good car, Honda's are always a good choice, but theyre unoriginal and boring.
I have a Mazda 6 myself, but the Mazda 3 is a sweet car, I like it alot.
I'm also a HUGE Subaru fan, so you may wanna look at the Impreza 2.5RS (I used to have one). Theyre great cars, you'll love the AWD! |
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| RobbyG. |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mandrick_v
lol, when you guys are saying that you love Japaneese cars like Honda, all I can do is lauph. 90% (including engine and tranny)of parts you see in every 'Japaneese' car is produced either in Ontario or Michigan.
My dad is a truck driver and the company he works for is a carrier of car parts. All the cars that we see on the roads are produced domesticly. So how is Civic more Japaneese then Cavalier. Both of them made by Americans from American parts.
Lets take Ford for example. Mazda 6 is produced on the ford plant in michigan that produces Tauruses. Ford owns Mazda and Mazda is a great way for them to make money. Mazda is considered non domestic vehicle there fore they can boost up the price on it dramatically.
Another downside on Japaneese cars is lack of hp and tourqe at normal rpm. Supped up civic can be 190hp at what, 9000 rpm. LMAO, who is going to drive the car at 9000 rpm at this gas prices and how long will that engine last. Ya they are easier to fix (some you say), well, how many of us fix the cars themselves. If you take a car to mechanic for some reason domestic cars are cheaper to fix then Japaneese, why is that? Aren't Japaneese cars easier to fix?
I drove regular civic si (I own Z24, 2002) and what a contrast compared to cavalier. If you are going uphill, you have to press that pedal in order for the car to move. You have to floor it to feel some power.
I think Japaneese cars are in such a demand only cos it is part of culture. It is just cool to have Japaneese car "Hands Down". Oh yeah, don't forget the Type R sticker and huge and loud exaust, that will give you another 25 hp at 9000 rpm. |
Japanese cars are BETTER engineered....period....AND If I own an "American" car then I don't want to waste my time at the dealer for every dumb rattle/recall that comes along.I rarely see recalls anounced on TV for Honda/Toyota but it seems the "Big 3" are prone to more recalls...
I will say that I am IN LOVE with the new mustang & the new Dodge 300:) BUT I would be nervous owning a Dodge.
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| malek |
all that american cars bashing is uncessary.
american interiors suck, but the japanes are even more sucky.
Yes Japanese are more reliable but cost way more to repair. Plus when you buy your car, its covered by a warranty which you can extend for cheap.
If you want a small car, well equipped and good looking, I suggest to get the Focus, you can't go wrong. |
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| ChemEnhanced |
| I am getting the new Pontiac Solstice....it is a sweet looking two seat roadster....can't wait till the summer when it finally gets here |
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| muzzybear |
Cognrats, Amb_! That means we'll see more of you again! Yay!
I love my Suzuki. Make sure you get 4 wheel drive for the winter. Best thing I ever did. SUVs are bad on gas, tho. I fill up at least once a week, and I only drive 20+ mins on the DVP twice a week!
Subarus are great cars. I loved my roller skate... the Justy. |
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| amb_ |
| quote: | Originally posted by muzzybear
Cognrats, Amb_! That means we'll see more of you again! Yay! |
Yeah, that's the plan :)
| quote: | | I love my Suzuki. Make sure you get 4 wheel drive for the winter. Best thing I ever did. |
I don't know if I can afford 4WD but it is high on my list... |
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| VERTiG0 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mandrick_v
lol, when you guys are saying that you love Japaneese cars like Honda, all I can do is lauph. 90% (including engine and tranny)of parts you see in every 'Japaneese' car is produced either in Ontario or Michigan. |
If I remember correctly, only Accords, Civics, and Elements are made in North America. American parts count totals just over 40% for each vehicle, respectively.
| quote: |
My dad is a truck driver and the company he works for is a carrier of car parts. All the cars that we see on the roads are produced domesticly. So how is Civic more Japaneese then Cavalier. Both of them made by Americans from American parts. |
Maybe a little over half of most mundane cars you see on the road are produced domestically. Go find a Honda S2000 and look on the drivers' side door jamb. "MADE IN JAPAN." Did you know that Toyota builds and sells Chevrolet Cavaliers in Japan, badged as Toyota Cavaliers?
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Lets take Ford for example. Mazda 6 is produced on the ford plant in michigan that produces Tauruses. Ford owns Mazda and Mazda is a great way for them to make money. Mazda is considered non domestic vehicle there fore they can boost up the price on it dramatically. |
Ford owns 33.4% stake in Mazda. The thing with the assembly line for the 6 is that it is controlled by Mazda folks and uses the Japanese Kaizen philosphy - very very strict quality control. Not sure if the 6 is like the previous 626 in that the 626 had enough domestic parts in it to be qualified in insurance circles as a domestic vehicle.
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Another downside on Japaneese cars is lack of hp and tourqe at normal rpm. Supped up civic can be 190hp at what, 9000 rpm. LMAO, who is going to drive the car at 9000 rpm at this gas prices and how long will that engine last. Ya they are easier to fix (some you say), well, how many of us fix the cars themselves. If you take a car to mechanic for some reason domestic cars are cheaper to fix then Japaneese, why is that? Aren't Japaneese cars easier to fix? |
I for one love high revving engines. They're great for the twisties. Obviously you don't drive the car at 9000rpm if you're going around town. However, you could keep the engine at 9000rpm forever if you like - Honda engineers them to be able to do so. This isn't a big ol' pushrod V8, dude. The reason they cost more to fix is of course the mounds of technology that go into them, and smaller, higher tolerance components. eg. Honda B18C5 4-banger vs. Chevy LS1 V8.
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I drove regular civic si (I own Z24, 2002) and what a contrast compared to cavalier. If you are going uphill, you have to press that pedal in order for the car to move. You have to floor it to feel some power. |
A regular Civic Si here in Canada is equivalent to the Civic EX in the US. 127hp borefest. It is also a 1.7L DOHC engine, where your Cavalier's engine is a 2.2L OHV engine. OHV pushrod designs inherently produce much more torque down low than DOHC engines, but aren't quite as efficient. Power be damned, the Civic is 10 times the car a Cavalier is. I firmly believe the GM J-Body cars (Sunfire, Sunbird, Cimmaron, Cavalier) to be the absolute tiest, most disposable vehicles ever produced.
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I think Japaneese cars are in such a demand only cos it is part of culture. It is just cool to have Japaneese car "Hands Down". Oh yeah, don't forget the Type R sticker and huge and loud exaust, that will give you another 25 hp at 9000 rpm. |
There's a reason why the Accord and Camry are the #1 selling cars in North America. They simply feel better. They're engineered better. They're built better. They are an overall far superior product to any domestic brand offering for the price. |
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| Soundwerks |
I'm not a big fan of american cars myself. I used to be a huge Chevy fan...but nowadays, GM is going downhill. Their interiors are UGLY as hell, their engines, while reliable, use 50 year old technology. Not to mention their soft suspensions, sloppy steering and crappy transmissions. I used to drive a Saturn...ugh!
But, there are some good American cars these days. Chrysler products are looking good....mostly because of their MB influences and parts.
Ford, again, is sharing parts with Mazda/Volvo....so each car is like a mix of Ford, Mazda and Volvo. My Mazda 6 is a great car, but its got a Ford Duratec engine from a Taurus :nervous: . Its still a great engine, but it sucks gas like a mofo.
And GM...well, I'd only buy their Cadillac products, the Corvette or maybe their trucks (if I ever needed a damn truck).
Otherwise, I'll stick with Japanese or Euro cars. :D |
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| malek |
| quote: | Originally posted by Soundwerks
Ford, again, is sharing parts with Mazda/Volvo....so each car is like a mix of Ford, Mazda and Volvo. My Mazda 6 is a great car, but its got a Ford Duratec engine from a Taurus :nervous: . Its still a great engine, but it sucks gas like a mofo.
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is it the 24V version?
I have the 12V and its alright ~155hp/~180 torque, the only mishap i had with it, is that I broke a valve spring when i was going at 143kmh and then pushing it even further to accelerate like a mad man... i push the car like no other. It had 82K km on it. On warranty, no problems. |
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| MarkT |
Someone mentioned Subaru...I forgot that a base Imprezza TS could be had for under 25k...that's another car to consider. Subaru's AWD system is superior to the "AWD" most manufactures offer and Sube's have good quality and safety ratings.
Mazda3 or Imprezza TS... |
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| VERTiG0 |
| Chris - you should go drive a Subaru Impreza WRX STi just for s and giggles. You'll never be so scared in your life with your level of driving experience. |
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| Soundwerks |
Ha! They'll never let you test drive the STi unless youre super-serious. :(
The Impreza TS or RS sedan (same , the RS has better seats, a spoiler etc...no mechanical difference) are great cars...you can get a TS for like $22K. Theyre not as nice looking as the Mazda 3, but mechanically, there sweet rides. Like I said, I used to have a 2000 2.5 RS, man, I loved that thing.
The engine is ALL torque...you can drive around in 5th gear all day if you wanted to. The shifter is great, and the car handles nicely. AND, its nicely moddable :D
You'll LOVE doing 4 wheel drifts in the winter too! :D |
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