How old is your car?

[This'nThat]

With talk of the poor economy, I always look for signs of improvement or stress. For example, I think restaurants are one signal -- and restaurants seem to be quite full. Air traffic is another -- and I see full flights everywhere. A big one, though, is new vs. old cars. So, how old is your car, and are you currently looking to buy a new one soon? And how many miles do you have on your car?

[Island Life]

5 1/2 years old with 100,740 miles on it. I keep my cars for 10 years regardless of whether I can afford a new one but since I'm putting 500+ miles a week on my medium-sized SUV, I'm thinking of breaking the 10-year rule and getting something much more fuel-efficient. Problem is I often have 3 or 4 kids, a dog, several backpacks and sometimes a spouse. Can anyone suggest something with enough room but also fuel-efficient?

[brk-lnt]

2002 120K
2004 70K
2006 20K

Am planning on buying a 4th vehicle, probably in the spring of '09.

BTW, the flights are full because the routes have been cut by 40%, not because more people are flying. Used to be you had several options between any major Point A and Point B in the US, now you have to plan carefully to make sure you don't miss the 1 flight of the afternoon out.

[Argie's Wife]

We are a Mopar family....

1997 Dodge Intrepid - 190K (and still running strong) (it's my winter beatah)
2005 Chrysler T&C - 35K (the mom taxi)
2006 Jeep Liberty - 40K (Argie's commuter vehicle to Bristol)

[wildwoodfam]

2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
and
2008 Saturn Vue

[cee65]

14 years old - 1994 Toyota Camry V6 XLE - - 149,000 miles - -change oil & filter each 3,000 miles, rotate tires each 5,000 miles.
On interstate get 30-30.5 mpg - - around town 19 - 20 mpg.
Am thinking about a new Camry - - either Prius or a Camry hybrid or just another Camry V6 XLE.
An outstanding car and it's a love, too.
Now is surely the time to buy a new car if someone needs it.

[WinnDixie]

Have a 2002 Mercury with 58K...lasting well...but about to buy our third golf cart in 10 years, tomorrow. Miles racking up in those!

[VitaBene]

99 F250 diesel, 6 speed, 155K- semi retired (15 K a year)
04 tahoe, 88K primary work car now
07 Maxima, wife's wheels, 29K

I will put 150K or so on the Tahoe before it is ready to be passed on to my son. My wife gets a new car every 3-4 years, generally I take her old one and drive it into the ground.

The pickup should hit 300K easy. We started a little business moving bikes to motorcylce rallies- it pulls 8 bikes in an aluminum enclosed trailer like a dream.

Cars are an expense, not an investment-IMHO

[Sunrise Point]

I am currently driving a 1998 Ford Ranger pickup purchased used 2 years ago with 124,000 miles on it. It currently has 138,000 miles and going strong. I have no plans to purchase a newer car, I am hoping to keep this one 'til it dies. I'll put new tires on it this fall and hope for several more years of driving.

I agree with Cee65...changing the oil every 3000 miles adds years to the life of a car.

[Cal]

Wife drives a 99 Yukon just turned 30,000
Tow with a 99 F350 PSD and daily beater for a few years 89,000
I now drive an '00 Jeep Cherokee as my daily beater about to turn 99,000 and considering getting an '08 Trailblazer.
And last but not least one of my toys. A 75 Corvette convertible with 86k original

[Sunset Bob]

1974 Firebird retired drag racer. 2 gal.per mile Only driven 1/4 mile at a time.
2000 Corvette 123827 miles driven year round on good days. 24-28 miles per gal.
2005 GMC Sierra 52280 driven year round on bad days. 18 miles per gal.
I need a new plastic toy. Vette or Boat

[TomC]

2008 Prius (commuter)
2004 Passat Wagon (family car)
2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 (tow vehicle)
1992 Miata (wife's toy)
1956 Chevy Pickup (undergoing restoration)

[fatlazyless]

Well good golly....talk about a personal question. I've been driving a '99 Ford Contour w/ a 4cyl-5speed that I bought from a NH seacoast police officer on craigslist last January for $1500...and it now has about 134k miles. Removed the Clarion compact disk player-radio and replaced it with a real radio....one that plays tape cassettes and has an old fashioned analog am-fm tuner...ala 1973!

Other vehicle is a '97 Ford f150 manual with 205k miles which has been placed into mothball status for over a year now. Is waiting for some money to show up for a few needed repairs to pass inspection. Plus, it's a gas guzzler, and I'm in no rush to get it fixed so it doubles as a storage shed what with the fiberglass cap..

As I understand it, Town of Meredith ordinance allows for storage of one unregistered motor vehicle on your property.

While it can be ok to drive an older car, what's not too cool is to drive any car without some good insurance coverage.....accidents can happen! Why do I mention this? Because, here in New Hampshire it is legal (but very risky) to drive with no insurance coverage.

In case you were wondering....if Barack Obama was asked this question....he would probably say that his wife Michelle and him & two daughters share a late model Ford Escape hybrid suv which supposedly gets about 34mpg-highway.

John McCain likes to drive that Arizona golden road in a Cadillac, and wife, Cyndi, has a Lexus.

And, for working the ranch down in Crawford, Texas, George W Bush drives a Ford f250, 4-door club cab, pickup truck.

[SteveA]

Traveling Salesguy -- 99,373 in 25 months.. (Glad to have the car allowance and a company gas card! )

2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 61,000 - The bosses car... ALSO KNOWN AS - "She who must be obeyed" (55 month's old and all paid for.)

[jetskier]

I have a 1993 Infiniti G20 5 speed. It has 220,000 miles on it; I am trying to make the moon club. This is the distance from the earth to the moon (237,674 miles).

I find that as I get older and can afford a nice new car, I actually become more and more attached to my existing car. Go figure.

Jetskier

[Bobe]

I have a 1986 Colt Vista wagon with 58k miles and I love this vehicle. It is the perfect 2nd car for all sorts of around town missions. It is the minimum in cost for registering and insurance and has never let us down.

[Sunset Bob]

Originally Posted by cee65

14 years old - 1994 Toyota Camry V6 XLE - - 149,000 miles - -change oil & filter each 3,000 miles, rotate tires each 5,000 miles.
On interstate get 30-30.5 mpg - - around town 19 - 20 mpg.
Am thinking about a new Camry - - either Prius or a Camry hybrid or just another Camry V6 XLE.
An outstanding car and it's a love, too.
Now is surely the time to buy a new car if someone needs it.

Buy American save the American auto industry.
Or don't cry when this country goes broke!

[Just Sold]

2000 Olds Intrigue 121K and going strong. Just put brakes and tires on it so I am set for a while. Now putting 25 to 30K/year on it too. 24 to 28 MPG on a V6!

[MAXUM]

1992 Toyota 4Runner 4X4 3.0L V6 5 Speed Limited Ed. Just rolled 250K, owned for 10 years.

1998 Toyota T100 XCab 4X4 3.4L V6 5 Speed 189K, owned for 8 years.

1996 Toyota Camry LE 4 cyl Auto 185K, owned for 4 years.

Love 'em, all in MINT showroom condition and have no desire to sell any of them. All these vehicles represent Toyota in their prime, the newer ones are not made nearly as well and far as I'm concerned are ugly and full of expensive gadgets I have no interest in.

[dpg]

'02 Ford SUV...84,000 (mine) Wife leases an '07 Maxima.

[codeman671]

05 Hummer H2- 77k miles
08 Volvo XC90 V8- 14k miles
Powerwheels 12 volt Kawasaki 4 wheeler
Powerwheels 6 volt Police motorcycle

The gas prices these day are certainly helping since we have 2 V8 guzzlers. The market on the Hummers has completely bottomed out. I have been looking into trading it towards a new Suburban (we need the space) but the trade value is so bad compared to payoff I will probably keep it until the wheels fall off. I'd probably take a $10k hit if I wanted out right now, and that is not in the cards...

The XC90 is nice but the boss misses her Cayenne S. I think when her lease is up we will probably pick up an 04 or 05 Cayenne.

The other two are great on gas

[Dave R]

05 Toyota Matrix, 75,000 miles or so
99 Dodge Durango 117,000 miles or so
01 Kawasaki ZX9R 69,000 miles or so (I know, not a car, but it is my primary transport, weather permitting).

Bought the Matrix is 2006 when I sold my 92 Jetta with 185,000 miles. I tend to keep stuff a long time.

[chipj29]

2004 Chevy Trailblazer, 55k miles. Wifes daily driver, my tow vehicle
2007 Nissan Altima, 44k miles. My daily driver (100 mile RT commute).
1990 Yamaha Virago, 24k miles. Currently off the road, as it won't start.

That long commute (I average 25k+ miles/year) not only wears out my cars fast, but it makes me dislike my cars just as fast. The Trailblazer is paid for, but I make the monthly payments on the Altima. It ain't cheap, but for me is a necessary evil.

[nicole]

We just purchased a 2009 Toyota Corolla to replace my husband's 2001 Corolla that had about 155,000 miles on it. We took advantage of Toyota's zero percent financing loan.

We also have a 2007 Toyota Camry that has about 30,000 miles on it.


Nicole

[riverat]

1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 201,000 mi.
In need of replacement but fixed incomes will not allow. So we drive and fix to get to our appointments and shopping, It has been good to us, though.

[Pineedles]

2001 Lincoln Continental 104K

Bought it in 2003 used at half the new price. Its been a terrific car except for needing high test gasoline.

[Rufus]

2001 Dodge Ram 1500 with 31,000 miles bought new in 2001
2001 Dodge Grande Caravan 119,000 bougt in 2002 with 46,000 miles
2001 Buick Century with 78,000-bought this summer when the 1996 Sable would not pass inspection.
1998 Toyota Carolla witn 186,000 miles

No plans to replace any at this time. We use the Carolla as much as possible as with the stanadard transmission, I average between 42-44 mpg traveling from western MA to Meredith.

[gtxrider]

2001 S10 Crew Cab 4x4 125,000 Miles
2004 S10 Blazer XTREME 74,000 Miles

They both run well.

Toying with buying a new Camaro since I cannot afford a Z-06 Vette.

[kchace]

2002 Jeep Liberty that rolled off the assembly line on 9-11-2001. 161k miles so far and still going strong.

Ken

[jkjoshuatree]

Originally Posted by Island Life

5 1/2 years old with 100,740 miles on it. I keep my cars for 10 years regardless of whether I can afford a new one but since I'm putting 500+ miles a week on my medium-sized SUV, I'm thinking of breaking the 10-year rule and getting something much more fuel-efficient. Problem is I often have 3 or 4 kids, a dog, several backpacks and sometimes a spouse. Can anyone suggest something with enough room but also fuel-efficient?

3 or 4 kids? Do you lose one evey once in a while? Lol!!

I'm in the same boat. I had a Dodge Ram Quad Cab but with three kids and the recent addition of two puppies I had to go even bigger and get a 2007 Chevy Suburban. It's actually better on gas than my Dodge was. It has a FlexFuel engine that shifts from eight cylinders down to four when the RPM's are low enough. I average 20 mpg on the highway. Not bad.

Plus it has room for all of us (luggage included). Not so sure about ski season though (with four of us snowboarding plus boots and helmets, not sure if we'll be able to fit everything). I guess I could use the roof rack but those things make me nervous. I'm always afraid something will blow off as we're driving down the highway.

[jkjoshuatree]

Originally Posted by Cal

Wife drives a 99 Yukon just turned 30,000
Tow with a 99 F350 PSD and daily beater for a few years 89,000
I now drive an '00 Jeep Cherokee as my daily beater about to turn 99,000 and considering getting an '08 Trailblazer.
And last but not least one of my toys. A 75 Corvette convertible with 86k original

...if you're ever looking to get rid of that Vette, keep me in mind. After all, we both love Chevy's and Winni; what more do you need to have in common.

That car is sweet!!!

[quagmire]

1996 Subaru Outback wagon. 146k and still going strong.

[Toyorelle]

Originally Posted by nicole

We just purchased a 2009 Toyota Corolla to replace my husband's 2001 Corolla that had about 155,000 miles on it. We took advantage of Toyota's zero percent financing loan.

We also have a 2007 Toyota Camry that has about 30,000 miles on it.


Nicole

"saved by zero, saved by zero" now i have that song stuck in my head...

07 Toyota 4Runner - 25K

[Seeker]

2006 Vette 3000 miles (my toy) 27 - 30 mpg
2005 Honda Pilot 30,000 25 mpg
2004 Chevy Avalanche 33,000 16 mpg
2002 Toyota MR2 20,000 (wife's toy) 30+mpg
2001 HD Sportster 6,500 lots of mpg
1962 Vette 150 miles (shared toy) don't care about mpg

[Loony Singer]

...3 vehicles, each serving a different need (or want):

2000 Toyota Tacoma (68,000 miles). Bought when 5 years old. Our utility vehicle at the Lake for trips to the dump, hauling bulky or dirty stuff, towing boats, etc.

2001 Toyota Highlander (96,000 miles). Bought new. Spouse's primary car, and the one we take when we need a comfortable vehicle that carries a good deal of stuff (ski trips, vacations to FL, etc.).

2004 BMW 330CI drop top (25,000 miles). Bought when 2 years old with 8K miles on it. Obviously, the "fun" car for nice weather. Doesn't hurt that we can nurse it up to 35 mpg (premium, though) on the highway.

All get oil changed frequently. All get waxed twice a year. No plans to replace any of 'em.

We do miss "Helga," though. Our 1991 Toyota Previa minivan. Good for 13 years and 231,585 miles. Great family car when the kids were growing up, and reliable as a rock.

[ghfromaltonbay]

Present vehicle will be 5 years old on 11/18:

2004 Chevy Malibu - 67,000 miles Gets 30-32 mpg on my 300 mile trek to the lake. Commuting from May to Oct. from NJ to Lake Winni. accounts for at least 5,000 miles each year. I think I'll keep it for a while, it's got lots of bells and whistles, and the seats are so comfy I can drive the 5 hours to the lake and hop out without any aches and pains.

[Island Girl]

Not sure of the mileage.. 65-70k maybe. I will drive this car for 10 years. Nothing has ever gone wrong on it. Drives like a car, but can tow and haul lots of stuff. The splurge was the Navigation system, which saves me all the time. I can get 23-25 mpg going to the lake from MA.

IG

[Ropetow]

03 Buick Century, 40,000 miles. My commuting car.
01 Ford Mustang convertible, 80,000 miles, the fun car
02 Dodge Ram quad Cab 4x4, 80,000 miles, the hauling, towing, bad-weather truck

[callmeD]

'04 Mercedes Benz E320 4Matic (for all that snow) with 48,000. Love it.

[Mee-n-Mac]

Let's see Mee's luxocruiser A6 is a 2000 and about 105K I think. My Mini is a 2002 with about 70K. I don't anticipate a new car arriving anytime soon.

[upthesaukee]

2002 Chev blazer, back and forth to work, carry the golf clubs, do the boating things, fishing things, and can tow the boat.
2005 Trailblazer, wife's back and forth to work, carry the golf clubs, do the boating things, fishing things, and really does a nice job towing the boat.

[Formula260SS]

08 Chevy HD Crew Cab for me, 07 Camry XLE V6 for the wife. I don't see any new cars for a while.

[billhurley]

2004 Toyota Highlander 4 cyl. AWD (70,000 miles) for me and my wife drives a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE 4cyl. (41,000 miles). No new cars in our future.

[Pricestavern]

Great thread! People love to talk about their cars as much as they talk about their kids, and almost as much as talking about their boat.

2000 Toyota Corolla - 187K (wife's car)
2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara - 125K (mine)
2004 F-150 (for serious stuff)

Thinking of replacing the Corolla with a Honda Fit.
Grand Vitara's great for hauling the wife, dog, kayak, and skis.
F-150 (my dream vehicle) for getting everything up and back from the Lake.

[Mink Islander]

2004 Toyota Sienna AWD Minivan -- 85K. Family car. Awesome 4 season people/pets hauler. We'll drive this for many years to come.

2008 BMW M3 Sedan. 4K. My stealthy sportscar.... And it's got BMW's new 7 speed Dual Clutch Transmission so it purrs in the city in automatic mode but will shift flawlessly in manual mode when you want to wind out the gears....

[fatlazyless]

If the Meredith Fire Dept wanted to comment, they would probably be very proud of their new $725,000 fire truck It was just recently ordered; a made-to-order, 2009 model, aerial tower, being built by Pierce Fire Equipment in Wisconsin, www.piercemfg.com.

Probably, fighting fires in buildings that are higher than normal residential buildings is its' purpose. Probably, it can direct maybe two streams of water at one time, when compared to a high ladder truck. I don't know much about fire trucks, but maybe an aerial tower is more effective than a high rise ladder in different ways?

Meredith has the four, white, waterfront, hotels that range from about four to six stories high, and possibly some other high buildings as well. Probably, they all have sprinkler systems?

$725,000. sure sounds like a lot of money for a single fire truck, but who knows, maybe it has become 'standard procedure' for a town the size of Meredith?

[wifi]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

...Probably, fighting fires in buildings that are higher than normal residential buildings is its' purpose.

AAhhhh... yaahh..

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

...Probably, it can direct maybe two streams of water at one time, when compared to a high ladder truck.

Not very likely, you would end up bending the ladder from the force of two streams.

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

...I don't know much about fire trucks, but maybe an aerial tower is more effective than a high rise ladder?.

If you are going to buy a ladder truck, why not also have the ability for a master stream from it as well being able to use it for rescue? Downtown Meredith is jam packed with buildings.

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

...Meredith has the four, white, waterfront, hotels that range from about four to six stories high, and possibly some other high buildings as well. Probably, they all have sprinkler systems?

Ohh... lets not forget the Horne Block, as one other example (of many) that are not up to modern standards. Laconia's ladder is automatic from downtown Laconia on any reported structure fires in downtown Meredith. Now, imagine yourself on the top floor of the Horne Block, with fire licking your...errr.. pants, waiting for the ladder out of Laconia, or conversely, trying to operate an extention ladder on the ground to reach someone at the top. Not a likely pleasant outcome.

Meredith has allowed itself to grow into almost a small city, it needs to improve its infrastructure to keep up with it. If growth is not what Meredith residents wanted, they should have put the brakes on long before this...

[SLI]

I drive a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 68,000 miles. Hubby has 2003 Jeep Rubicon with 62,000 miles. Plan to hang onto both for as long as possible!!

[sa meredith]

Wow. This thread. I could go on and on.
Been making my living in this industry for 22 years now. I'm lucky enough to have a company car, so I never have an auto with more than 6K on the odoeter. Seen the good times and the bad. Right now, bad would be an upgrade. Industry is truly in shambles. People that are buying, are not buying American...I can tell you that.
In the market for a truck or SUV???? Shop a bit, and you will not believe the deal you will find for yourself. 7,8,9,10K discounts very common.
But your trade in, if it is a 2 or 3 year old truck or SUV...leave it at home. There is no market for it. None.

[M/V_Bear_II]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

People that are buying, are not buying American...I can tell you that.

What would your guess be, as to the reason for this?

[Shore Driver]

98 VW Passat 5 sp with 240K and still going strong. A stick shift will always outlast a slush box.

2002 Toyota Sienna with just over 100K.

No plans to buy anything in the next 12 mos.

[WINNOCTURN]

I just retired my 95 Ford Explorer with 348,000 miles on it, was shooting for 500,000. They were basically all Highway miles back and forth to MA. It was averaging 23 mpg @ 70mph. Every thing in it was still functional. What made me retire it was a catastrophic failure of the transmission. The estimate to repair it was around $1800. My wife decided it was time to move up to a newer vehicle. Reluctantly I did. We found what appeared to be a very "CLEAN" looking 2003 Explorer at a local FORD dealership. We took a test ride, went home, talked it over and called our Credit Union on financing. We went back two days later and purchased it.

I have had the vehicle now for some six weeks. So far in that period of time we have had to replace a front wheel bearing and Hub, two Lower Ball Joints(should have been caught when State Inspection was done) and a complete re-build of the Rear End (Ring and Pinion). I think with the cost of these repairs I could have fixed the trany in my "95" and still be heading to the 500,000 mark.

Every thing is running well now the "2003" now but I am just waiting for some thing else to go wrong.

Oh one other problem is the no one recognizes me any more as the cars are of totally different colors.

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by WINNOCTURN

I just retired my 95 Ford Explorer with 348,000 miles on it, was shooting for 500,000. They were basically all Highway miles back and forth to MA. It was averaging 23 mpg @ 70mph. Every thing in it was still functional. What made me retire it was a catastrophic failure of the transmission. The estimate to repair it was around $1800. My wife decided it was time to move up to a newer vehicle. Reluctantly I did. We found what appeared to be a very "CLEAN" looking 2003 Explorer at a local FORD dealership. We took a test ride, went home, talked it over and called our Credit Union on financing. We went back two days later and purchased it.

I have had the vehicle now for some six weeks. So far in that period of time we have had to replace a front wheel bearing and Hub, two Lower Ball Joints(should have been caught when State Inspection was done) and a complete re-build of the Rear End (Ring and Pinion). I think with the cost of these repairs I could have fixed the trany in my "95" and still be heading to the 500,000 mark.

Every thing is running well now the "2003" now but I am just waiting for some thing else to go wrong.

Oh one other problem is the no one recognizes me any more as the cars are of totally different colors.

While I certainly would not question your post...I do find it interesting (and curious). I have driven back and forth from exit 1 to exit 23 hundreds of times in brand new 01,02,03,04,06,07, and 08 Explorers and just could never, ever, get better than 18 to 19 mile per. Never. Both 6 and 8 cyl. In fact, I have only driven Ford Explorers since 1997 (probably 20/22 of them...so a good sample) but could never break the 20 MPG. I finally caved this past July, and grabbed a 4cyl. Fusion...and saved my self close to $80 per week in gas. I just could not take it anymore.
You did well to get the 300,000 ++ on your 1995 Explorer. I seldom encounter a 94,95,96,97 that is nothing more than a nightmare. Most are just worthless, so you did well.
Question....why were the repairs made to your 03 not covered under dealer warranty? As you live in NH, I hope you did not waive your right to warrany, and buy As Is/ As Shown. In MA, the law does not permit the customer to waive that right. Dealer must provide warranty...no questions.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

2000 Volvo S70
2007 Volvo XC70

[gtxrider]

Originally Posted by M/V_Bear_II

What would your guess be, as to the reason for this?

My guess is that people listen to the hype that foreign cars are better. Not always true!

[M/V_Bear_II]

Originally Posted by gtxrider

My guess is that people listen to the hype that foreign cars are better. Not always true!

Not always, certainly. My entire family have been Chrysler owners since before the flood, but we have all been having major problems. We have had axle problems at 10k, transmissions needing to be replaced at 75k, and a host of other problems hitting right at the end of the warranty. We're all seriously replacing with foreign makes.

I was just wondering what someone in the industry might be hearing.

[fatlazyless]

Comparing the Ford Focus and the Toyota Corolla, I like the two door, Ford Focus coupe w/5-speed. Better quality paint, sportier looking dashboard, good overall handling and gas mileage.

Hey, I drive a nine year old Ford Contour-5 speed-4 cyl and it drives ok.

Detroit has a big hospital named Ford Hospital. The United States has the Ford Foundation. Japan has Toyota Hospital.

So when you buy a car, where does the money go?

People used to say 'Remember Pearl Harbor,' and never consider even a Japanese toaster, much less a car. And now they say.....T-o-y-o-t-a.....oh....waht a feeling!

I understand there is no market for Japanese cars in China. China will not buy Japanese, period! The Chinese like Chevrolet or a very expensive Buick.

[nicole]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Comparing the Ford Focus and the Toyota Corolla, I like the two door, Ford Focus coupe w/5-speed. Better quality paint, sportier looking dashboard, good overall handling and gas mileage.

Hey, I drive a nine year old Ford Contour-5 speed-4 cyl and it drives ok.

Detroit has a big hospital named Ford Hospital. The United States has the Ford Foundation. Japan has Toyota Hospital.

So when you buy a car, where does the money go?

People used to say 'Remember Pearl Harbor,' and never consider even a Japanese toaster, much less a car.

I understand there is no market for Japanese cars in China. China will not buy Japanese, period! The Chinese like Chevrolet or a very expensive Buick.

Where does the $$ go? Both of our Toyotas were made in the USA, so they provided Americans jobs and helped add to the local economies. Our prior Corolla that we traded in recently was made in the USA as well. Just curious if you know where your Ford was made? I know a lot of American cars are now made in Mexico. I know some are still made in the USA but that number is dropping.

It is kind of disturbing-at least to me- that American car companies-who have a lot of manufacturing plants in Mexico now are asking for a bailout. So, won't that taxpayer bailout $$ be indirectly making it's way to other countries?

I guess I am different than most people, but I try to seek out American made whenever possible. I know most people don't care about that anymore-but I do. I would rather purchase an American made product-regardless if it is an "American" company than a product made in Mexico, China or elsewhere just because it happens to be by an American owned company.

[Argie's Wife]

1. Ford F-Series - Dearborn, Mich.; Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; Norfolk, Va.
2. Chevrolet Silverado - Fort Wayne, Ind.; Pontiac, Mich.
3. Toyota Camry/Camry Solara - Georgetown, Ky.
4. Ford E-Series - Lorain, Ohio
5. Chevrolet Cobalt - Lordstown, Ohio
6. Ford Explorer - Explorer Sport Trac Louisville, Ky.; St. Louis
7. Chevrolet Malibu/Malibu Maxx - Kansas City, Kan.
8. Ford Escape - Kansas City, Mo.
9. Toyota Sienna - Princeton, Ind.
10. Chevrolet TrailBlazer - Moraine, Ohio

[sa meredith]

Without going on a long rant, with the reasons, and specifics, understand that Fords are being built in Mexico for ONE reason....the company could no longer deal with unions foolish demands! So, in short, they said, "well, let's finish out this current contract, and then, well, good luck finding jobs."
I mean, how can someone possibly be expected to work somewhere without 5 weeks vaca, 27 sick days, 47 personal days, full paid medical, guaranteed overtime...doesn't everyone get this?

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

In the market for a truck or SUV???? Shop a bit, and you will not believe the deal you will find for yourself. 7,8,9,10K discounts very common.
.

Yup.I just bought a new GMC Envoy Denali and got almost $13,000 off the MSRP.

[nicole]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

Without going on a long rant, with the reasons, and specifics, understand that Fords are being built in Mexico for ONE reason....the company could no longer deal with unions foolish demands! So, in short, they said, "well, let's finish out this current contract, and then, well, good luck finding jobs."
I mean, how can someone possibly be expected to work somewhere without 5 weeks vaca, 27 sick days, 47 personal days, full paid medical, guaranteed overtime...doesn't everyone get this?

Absolutely. That plus some help from NAFTA is what has driven these American auto companies to go south.

Why is Toyota able to make-at least in my opinion-a superior product and operate factories in the USA where-union or not the operating expenses are more than Mexico?

Just curious- the Toyota factories in the USA-are they not union? If so-bravo for them.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by nicole

Just curious- the Toyota factories in the USA-are they not union? If so-bravo for them.

Toyota, BMW, etc factories in the US are not Union. Without the UAW burden, those companies can employ American workers, build a good product, and turn a profit.

[nicole]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Toyota, BMW, etc factories in the US are not Union. Without the UAW burden, those companies can employ American workers, build a good product, and turn a profit.

That is what I thought-thank you for answering my question

[chipj29]

I am not sure of the exact number, but I read not too long ago that roughly $3k of the price of every new car (American made) goes to pay pensions/benefits to retired employees. If that is true, that is a staggering number. No wonder they can't make any $$.

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

Originally Posted by Sunset Bob

Buy American save the American auto industry.
Or don't cry when this country goes broke!

I will when they make something I like style- and feature-wise and with GOOD quality!! The only American cars I would consider owning at this time are the new Camaro and the Ford Mustang; I would definitely take the Mustang over most anything!! Unfortunately, the prices are outrageous!

Originally Posted by gtxrider

My guess is that people listen to the hype that foreign cars are better. Not always true!

They may be near equal in quality now but in the past, Toyotas were superior in quality and they designed something I actually wanted to drive!

Originally Posted by nicole

Where does the $$ go? Both of our Toyotas were made in the USA, so they provided Americans jobs and helped add to the local economies. Our prior Corolla that we traded in recently was made in the USA as well. Just curious if you know where your Ford was made? I know a lot of American cars are now made in Mexico. I know some are still made in the USA but that number is dropping.

It is kind of disturbing-at least to me- that American car companies-who have a lot of manufacturing plants in Mexico now are asking for a bailout. So, won't that taxpayer bailout $$ be indirectly making it's way to other countries?

I guess I am different than most people, but I try to seek out American made whenever possible. I know most people don't care about that anymore-but I do. I would rather purchase an American made product-regardless if it is an "American" company than a product made in Mexico, China or elsewhere just because it happens to be by an American owned company.

I know my 2001 Ford F-250 Super Duty 4X4 was made in Kentucky. But I am APPALLED by the design and build quality!!

Going back to Sunset Bob's quote above, you buy a 3/4 ton truck thinking it can handle some work! I bought this one to tow my boat and that's pretty much the only "work" it's had to do. This truck will be 8 yrs old in December; it only has 48,000 miles on it and yet, this summer, the fuel pump failed ($713 repair bill), broken studs attaching the exhaust manifold to the head (causing an exhaust leak) had to be replaced ($1200 repair bill) and lastly, 2 ball joints are failing and will not pass my next inspection so THOSE have to be replaced (replacing all 4 ball joints, approx. $800 repair bill); imagine, a heavy duty truck WITHOUT greaseable ball joints!! These things should NOT be failing at 48,000 miles; this is NOT what I expect from a so-called "heavy duty" truck!!!!!!! The really frustrating thing is, Ford KNEW about the exhaust manifold and ball joint problems (they have TSB's out for them but no recalls)!!!! Sorry for the rant but I'm not going to continue throwing money away on "American" if the quality isn't there!!

Will I keep the truck? Yes, because after all this repair work, I can't afford to replace it!! Besides, now that I've fixed these problem areas (and I did NOT let the dealer fix them!!), the truck will hopefully last another 8 yrs!! That's assuming the body doesn't rust out from underneath me!!

Our other cars; a 1990 Ford Thunderbird SuperCoupe (125,000 miles) and a 2000 Toyota Celica GT-S (99,000 miles). No new or used cars in our immediate future. The F-250 and Celica are year-round daily drivers; the T-Bird is driven in the summer only (it's NEVER seen winter).

[kaj]

1996 Accura runs good
1994 Tbird runs great
1970 Chevelle runs the best of the bunch!

[GrandmaBig6]

2008 Ford Taurus - 9,000 miles on it!

Mary

[PaulH]

Mercedes 500SE - 28 years and 247,000 miles. No plan of replacing it, as there are no newer cars that I like as much.

Paul

[wMw]

99 dodge Grand Caravan - 221,000 miles - 22 to 24 mpg

Hope to get through the winter with it. If it doesn't make it I will have to trade my Harley 1200XL

[jeffk]

1998 Toyota Sienna 185,000 miles
2000 Volvo C70 75,000 miles

I usually hang on to my cars until they are unreliable, need major expensive repair, or they rust out.

As to the question of why not American cars; I bought a Chevy Citation back in 1980. It was supposed to be the American answer to foreign competition and I was happy to "buy American". The car was junk. Transmission failed at 30,000 and 80,000 miles. Lots of pollution control device problems EVERY YEAR ($$$). Cam shaft wore out. Coil spring snapped. Finally the floor rusted out and I had a Flintstone mobile which I had towed to the junk yard. All this under 100,000 miles. BTW, I was in school at the time and could ill afford an unreliable car or could afford to replace it. The Detroit companies didn't care about providing me a good product. I came to realize that the American solution to quality was to advertise that their cars had quality, not to actually build it in. Maybe it's actually more cost efficient that way?

And it's NOT an American workforce problem either. Toyota has high quality in their cars built in the US. The US companies have had over 30 years to fix these problems and the have made a conscious choice NOT to. Their workforce is more interested in excessive wages and benefits than building a quality product. They deserve what happens to them.

[LakeSnake]

07 Mustang GT - 30K on it already (bought end of '06)- but a fun ride
05 Honda CRV - the winter car - 50K - not so fun but defenitly comes in handy in the snow.

MRS has 05 Nissan Altima - 40K

[JPC]

2001 Altima and a 2005 Chevy Colorado pickup. Both vehicle were bought used. I replaced a 96 Siverado with the Colorado. Its a smaller pickup with better gas mileage (3.5L 5cyl). Had nearly 150K on the Silverado but the clincher was the rust on the bottom of the doors and tailgate. The Altima is the first non-american car since my 84 Toyota van which I kept for 10yrs.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

"...Over at Heath's in Center Harbor, there's a late model BMW suv with {a NH vanity plate}. No clue here who owns that one either? It must be nice...poor me....a '99 Ford Contour...!"

I've got an even older vehicle—a little '95 Japanese pickup truck which has required only a generator, brakes, tires, and wipers in its long life: it does all the heavy lifting for this family.

But my vehicles get even older: my BMW is a heavily modified '91 M318is. Photos and the rest on this BMW-for-the-street-and-track, I'll put in the blog area later.

My oldest vehicle is a '71 VW camper—also "souped-up" with HD swaybars, oil coolers, Koni shocks, and a modified engine.

The original two steel ignition keys—and a few brass ones—have worn out. Three ignition switches also eventually worn through. But it's seen nearly 400,000 miles, towed boats, trailers and cars, and carried me through 40 states. (So I'm attached to it still).

Oh yeah...two speedometers worn out, too How many drivers own their car for so many miles that they're on their third speedometer?

Below, the Florida BMW (in "street" mode), with an unaccustomed cover of Winnipesaukee-region snow.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless
"...Over at Heath's in Center Harbor, there's a late model BMW suv with {a NH vanity plate}. No clue here who owns that one either? It must be nice...poor me....a '99 Ford Contour...!"

FLL is playing the poor me card again.This despite he owning Winni lakefront property in which he keeps his self listed 12 boats.Yup,12.It must be really tough FLL.How about poor me?I don't own any Winni property and only have 1 small PWC and 1 motor vehicle.

[sa meredith]

[
FLL is playing the poor me card again.This despite he owning Winni lakefront property in which he keeps his self listed 12 boats.Yup,12.It must be really tough FLL.How about poor me?I don't own any Winni property and only have 1 small PWC and 1 motor vehicle.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but it is a Denali...not exactly a poor man's ride. And at 15 to 18 MPG, feul must set you back a bit, regardless of price.
And, of course, you need to have a few bucks put aside for some brews over at the Bone Yard.
Not really sure what this has to do with the price of tea....

[SIKSUKR]

Got me.Although it was a good buy at $29,000 and change.12 boats though.

[robmac]

I drive a 2006 Z-71 Tahoe,51000 miles,a 2000 S-10 P/U 4x4 ext cab for hauling items that I don't want in the Tahoe and a 1991 S-10 P/U w/a 502 big block for fun.

[fatlazyless]

My purchase prices here for my mostly used boat purchases, which will probably surprise you. And no, nothing is for sale.

12' rowboat - $125.

17' canoe - $100

17' canoe - $175
w/rowing rig 125


16' kayak - $250

12' kayak - $550

12' kayak - $150

9' kayak - $285

14' sailboat - $700 (w/ trailer)

12' sailboat - $300

18' motorboat$4600 (w/trailer)

16'motorboat $8500 (w/ trailer)

15' motorboat $700

hmmm, did I miss one?

So, it's not like it all adds up to a big number, especially when compared to what a single motorboat can easily cost. Plus, I bought them over about 16 years.. Finding bargain boats is all I can afford.......poor me!

craigslist new hampshire is a good place to look for a bargain boat but certainly not the only place.

And, the '99 Ford Contour was purchase last January for $1500. from a NH seacoast police officer through craigslist. Does that sound like a rich guy's car?

...hey...all things considered, the best social and mental health program for anyone is a good paying job! And yes, I am looking for one.
........

off-topic question - How does craigslist make any money when they charge zero for their ads? off-topic answer - big volume?
......
Hey siksukr....just wondering...are you the same guy who sold me the used green Sunbrella 18' cover for about $75 over at the Y-landing a couple years back?

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

craigslist new hampshire is a good place to look for a bargain boat but certainly not the only place.

off-topic question - How does craigslist make any money when they charge zero for their ads? off-topic answer - big volume?

They charge a fee for employment ads. That is how craigslist got started.

[SIKSUKR]

No FLL,that was not me.I'm just busting your poor me posts because we all know you can't be that down in the dumps right?Hey those boats add up to $15,860 which is still 50% more than mine.Poor me.

[fatlazyless]

Looks like it could be better to put the money into boats than into the boat maker's stocks. BC, Brunswick Co; maker of Searay, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Lund, MerCruiser & Mercury has definately deep-sixed from about 30bucks down to about three dollars in the past three years.. What's ten percent of 15k...talk about an overboard price. Is that a barometer on the boating biz today?

Oh well, people will always be needing to do winter storage....correct?

[Paugus Bay Lake Girl]

We should support the unions at least they are providing health insurance to retirees and pensions well earned for service. How could you bash the union for helping the little guy who worked hard for years? When the CEO and suits can show up in a private jet to ask for a 70 billion dollar loan from the goverment and bring home hundreds of thousands dollars per month?

Auto Makers CEO bring home over 10 million dollars a years... plus bonus money. That is what is wrong with this picture.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Paugus Bay Lake Girl

Auto Makers CEO bring home over 10 million dollars a years... plus bonus money. That is what is wrong with this picture.

And why do you suppose they are able to demand such high salaries? If the job is so easy, why aren't there people offering to do it for "only" $1M/year?

The unions as a whole chew up far more in terms of excessive pay than any CEO, it's just spread over 50,000 workers.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by This'nThat

How old is your car, and are you currently looking to buy a new one soon? And how many miles do you have on your car?

My pick'em up truck is 3 months old and plan to buy a new car in January.

I did and it's in the garage right now.

[Paugus Bay Lake Girl]

DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. will tell Congress that it plans to return to a pretax profit or break even in 2011 when its CEO appears before two legislative committees this week.

Also, CEO Alan Mulally said he'll work for $1 per year if the automaker has to take any government loan money.

The plans Ford submitted to Congress on Tuesday also say the company will cancel all management employees' 2009 bonuses and will not pay any merit increases for its North American salaried employees next year.

The company also said it will sell its five corporate aircraft. The CEOs of all three Detroit automakers were harshly criticized during congressional hearings last month for flying to Washington in separate corporate jets while seeking loan money.

Mulally said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday that Ford will emphasize its cost cutting efforts with the United Auto Workers union and will give much more detail to Congress than it did when lawmakers grilled the automakers' CEOs last month.

[Paugus Bay Lake Girl]

Anyone check out the New England Auto Show at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston this week? Should be a good place to check out the new 09 models.

Anyfeed back before I take the trip?

www.bostonautoshow.com.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Paugus Bay Lake Girl

"...We should support the unions at least they are providing health insurance to retirees and pensions well earned for service..."

Yesterday, I heard GM described as a "Health-care company that makes automobiles on the side".

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Yesterday, I heard GM described as a "Health-care company that makes automobiles on the side".

Health care seems to be the big question for most retirees.

If they were paid a decent wage, it would be of much less concern.

Corporate America cares more about stockholders than employees.

It has finally visited their backside.

Why not ask the stockholders for a bailout? They benefit directly.

P.S.- You do realize that minimun wage is up to $25.00 an hour, in the real world; not the world of our politicians, the best that money can buy...

[ApS]

Originally Posted by GWC...

"...You do realize that minimum wage is up to $25.00 an hour, in the real world; not the world of our politicians, the best that money can buy...

1) No disagreement there...
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-149379

2) The minimum wage was just raised from $9.14 to $9.79 in San Francisco, and California is starting to look for a US taxpayer bailout for the whole state!

Originally Posted by GWC...

"...It has finally visited their backside..."

In a manner of speaking, it's not restricted to their backside, but nearly $2000 in healthcare costs is added to the price of each new car rolling off the production line.

[Jack]

1968 Barracuda 138k....not the best gas mileage!!
1996 Chevy Blazer 125k...20mpg+-
1990 Honda Prelude 247k 30 mpg...and still running strong.

Had a 89 Honda Accord..sold it but heard it has 334k on it before it got rear ended!!! Should have kept that car!!!!

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by Paugus Bay Lake Girl

We should support the unions at least they are providing health insurance to retirees and pensions well earned for service. How could you bash the union for helping the little guy who worked hard for years? When the CEO and suits can show up in a private jet to ask for a 70 billion dollar loan from the goverment and bring home hundreds of thousands dollars per month?

Auto Makers CEO bring home over 10 million dollars a years... plus bonus money. That is what is wrong with this picture.

Support the unions? SUPPORT THE UNIONS??!! How can you say that.
You have driven nothing but high line foriegn cars (German, Jap) for years and years. How can you "wax poetic" about supporting the unions?
Sorry, but I had to call you on that.

[Paugus Bay Lake Girl]

Guess I feel that Teachers, police officers, firemen, autoworkers and anyone else should be paid well enough take care of a family if they worked for a company long enough.

BTW I drive a Volvo owned by Ford, bought it on-line, did my cost/printed the real dealer invoice through edmunds.com and had it delivered to a local dealer where I have it serviced.

We recently went to the auto show and checked out the new Lincoln MKS and they are priced similar to the Toyota Avalon. It's all relative.

[AB_Monterey]

2002 Sebring ragtop
2001 Pt Cruiser
2000 Dakota 4x4
1967 Dodge Charger
1966 Plymouth Valiant ragtop

[corollaman]

I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla.It has 130,000 miles,and I plan on keeping it after it's paid off,and I will keep it till it's dead.It's still worth $5,500 private party! Has no rust,no major problems.Only had a few things done,like a new A/C compressor,which cost over $1,000,a new front crankshaft seal,and new muffler.Everything else done to it was just basic wear and tear stuff(brakes,tires,struts,oil,etc.).I'm very happy with the car and I should get at least another 5 or 6 years out of it before I MIGHT trade it in,but I might as well keep it till it's dead so I get every last cent of my money's worth out of it.

[corollaman]

Originally Posted by Sunset Bob

Buy American save the American auto industry.
Or don't cry when this country goes broke!

The American auto industry isn't suffering cause of people buying foreign cars,but it's cause of the greedy CEO's running the Big 3.I think it's unamerican to buy from a company with these types of ethics,and besides,every American car I've had has always been in the shop.They're over-priced too,so I also think it's unamerican to buy from a company that steals from its customers by overcharging.I know,some foreign makes are more expensive,but you get more car for the money.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by corollaman

The American auto industry isn't suffering cause of people buying foreign cars,but it's cause of the greedy CEO's running the Big 3.I think it's unamerican to buy from a company with these types of ethics,and besides,every American car I've had has always been in the shop.They're over-priced too,so I also think it's unamerican to buy from a company that steals from its customers by overcharging.I know,some foreign makes are more expensive,but you get more car for the money.

I think you missed a couple of stereotypes in there.

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by corollaman

I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla.It has 130,000 miles,and I plan on keeping it after it's paid off,and I will keep it till it's dead.It's still worth $5,500 private party! Has no rust,no major problems.Only had a few things done,like a new A/C compressor,which cost over $1,000,a new front crankshaft seal,and new muffler.Everything else done to it was just basic wear and tear stuff(brakes,tires,struts,oil,etc.).I'm very happy with the car and I should get at least another 5 or 6 years out of it before I MIGHT trade it in,but I might as well keep it till it's dead so I get every last cent of my money's worth out of it.

I am not an auto expert and wouldn't know how to change them even if I had a book like changing struts for Dummys, but is a strut change a normal wear and tear item that any auto owner should expect to replace, say at 100K?

I know it's off topic, but I figured one little question wouldn't set the world tilting off balance.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

I am not an auto expert and wouldn't know how to change them even if I had a book like changing struts for Dummys, but is a strut change a normal wear and tear item that any auto owner should expect to replace, say at 100K?
I know it's off topic, but I figured one little question wouldn't set the world tilting off balance.

Yes they are. They are the same thing as shock absorbers but built differently and a lot more expansive. They maybe last 100k? or less.

[sa meredith]

Perfectly normal, replacing struts...and, if at 100K, you plan on keeping her for a while,consider tie rods, sway bar links (sway bars, themselves, as well), as well as any other moving parts related to handling/steering. All safety items. Very important with 100+ K.