GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda...Who will sell you your next car?

gagrice

I had a 48 Caddie flathead V8 that used 2 gallons of Raylube to every tank of gas. Carried it in the trunk and filled it daily. I've not opened the hood on my 15 month old GMC Sierra PU. Had oil changed at about 4000 miles.

jeffyscott

I've not opened the hood on my 15 month old GMC Sierra PU.

I recently read a post from a Mazda owner who apparently also never opened his hood. Dealer told him there were only 2 quarts of oil in the engine, when they did the change.

gagrice

That's a Mazda this is a GMC man. If I planned to keep it I would be running synthetic oil. I am about to sell it off. If it was a crew cab I would probably keep it. I just do not like the rear door arrangement. I am skeptical of the hybrid complexity. It is nice having a 14KW generator for those rolling black outs. I just don't worry about oil in a GM engine. I have not had an engine use oil in over 30 years. That was a 1974 Dodge 318 V8. Used about a quart every 700 miles. That is what you pay the dealer to do, check all the fluids.

derrado1

Yes, address the one point I wasn't very sure on, and ignore the rest of what I said...

jeffyscott

That's a Mazda this is a GMC

PF_Flyer

To take this one in a new direction, head over to the new What Keeps You Loyal To A Brand? discussion.

I'll be shutting this one down to save it for future generations to study :P

the_big_al

Okay - here is my whole thought on who will sell me my next car... It depends on what happens between now and when I am ready to buy another vehicle. I just bought an Impala a year ago because I am a GM fan. It has been a good car and trouble free. I plan on keeping it until the wheels fall off or we need a bigger car due to a bigger family. Since we have had it 1 1/2 years and only 14K miles, and only 1 child so far, I would say that the time of a new family vehicle is pretty far off.

On the other end of the spectrum, my '01 S-10 has 90K miles on it and since I do 4K miles a month, while I plan on driving it till the wheels fall off as well, it looks probable that I will replace it in the not so distant future. I hope however that it will make it another year or so. At least long enough so that GM can redesign the Colorado to be a little more competitive with Toyota and the Tacoma. Otherwise I may end up with a Taco in my driveway. If GM can come out with a Colorado anywhere near what they have done with the Tahoe, than I will stick with GM. If not than Toyota is a solid albiet more expensive choice.

Same goes for the Impala. While it it a few years off, I am constantly watching what it up a coming. I am hoping that GM's next line of family cars is rear-drive based. I also hope that the quality that I have noticed in their mainstream cars like the Impala continues. I would actually like to see them produce a wagon like the Magnum. It looks like the Magnum is turning into a flop especially since the Charger and the 300 have come out, but I would be interested in a wagon-like vehicle that is not an "SUV". But since a "wagon" doesn't appear to sell well, that hope might just be a glimmer. "SUV's" are over-hyped and do not get the gas mileage I am looking for, although I do like the space they provide. The only "SUV" I would consider is a Suburban becuase of it's space and the vehiclular capabilities but unless I go used it may be too far out of my price range. If we have more than 2 kids when it is time to upgrade, I will be more inclined to go the mini-van route with 3 rows of actual seats. It's just to practical to go any other way. It's too bad GM no longer has the Astro - that was a GREAT vehicle. I would prefer a vehicle like the Astro because of the ride hieght, and truck like capabilities while still maintaining "decent" fuel economy for the time, but those days are past and now I will have to settle for a front-driving Uplander, which isn't that fantastic, so there again, unless GM can generate a mini-van that is more in league with Toyota or even Honda, I will feel more inclined to go with a Sienna and just bite the price bullet.

I would love to have a Suburban, and the fuel economy is getting better; by the time I am ready to buy again, the Burb's economy might actually be comparable to the old Astro or even better, which would make it sellable to me, but there again it would take a small fortune to own one and on my working man's salary I don't want to afford much over the 30K range. Although I could go used, which is not a bad option and then the price might be managable, but who knows? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

So in short - who will sell me there next car? GM will if they continue as they are redesigning their vehicles they way they are. If not Toyota will and I will just bite the price bullet - just to save a little I might even buy a used Toyota. I'm not worried about resale value as much as I plan on driving anything I own to it's last limit. Not into changing cars every 2-3 years just to change cars or because style dictates I need to, but I change when circimstances dicatate I need to change, such as a change in family status - I.E. more kids, or the wheels fall off and it is more econimical to buy a different vehicle, than pay the repair costs.

the_big_al

I have bought both used and new. The truck I drive now I bought used with 26K on it 3 years ago. It now has almost 100K on it and it has had but a few problems. The most serious was a radiator tank busting and and alternator, but since I have a 100K service contract the cost was minimal to me. Also, in 2004 we bought a car to replace our 100K 10yr old vehicle. I should have kept it as it we had never had a problem with it and it was paid for. Our current car while it hasn't had any problems, it only has 15K on it. With the few number of miles we go it would have been worth it for us to have driven the 10 yr old car into the ground and then bought a used car only a couple years old and a few thousand miles. I would have saved more money and would have gotten the same amount, or more car for less.

I was looking at ads the other day and I could have gotten a used BMW 5 series that was a few years old with minimal miles for the same price I paid for my domestic car brand new. But that is hindsight and isn't hindsight always 20/20?

Anyway, I have bought a bum used car in the past, but that was my fault since I should have known what I was buying but in the future I would have no problem buying used - especially certified used since the warranties are generally better than on new cars and they cost less and are generally in like-new condidtion.