Buying a forgin car????

[kberg]

Well as the title states I am considering buying a forgin car for my first time. I really like Subaru impreza's and legacy's or to be more informative I like the idea of sedans and wagons that are awd turbo 4cyl's great handling on and off road. I really wish the US car makers had satisfied this need in the US. So what do I do? I will end up taking a bunch of flak from many of my friends because I have been so adamant about buying American. But since my TV, stereo, speakers and, computers are all forgin made so why should not my auto be right? Well at least that is what I have heard in the past. Opinions are very welcome. BTW I would be buying used not new. The other thing that scares me about forgin cars is that I work on all of my own cars and I do not know much about part cost and repair procedures on forgin cars. ???

[Boris859]

if you buy a used one I see no problem with it,once it hits the used market it becomes an american car,but repair cost can be very pricey,but everything is pricey these days,I work at a GM dealer and drive a Honda,although I bought the car very used at a Honda/GM dealer I worked at the time, never would consider buying a new import though,even if it was built here.

[Mr.B]

I bought a new hyundai 5 years ago. Anyways Ill never buy another new car. But its a great car & has treated me well.

-B

[kberg]

if you buy a used one I see no problem with it,once it hits the used market it becomes an american car,but repair cost can be very pricey,but everything is pricey these days,I work at a GM dealer and drive a Honda,although I bought the car very used at a Honda/GM dealer I worked at the time, never would consider buying a new import though,even if it was built here.

I have kind of thought of it that way myself when I buy from a private party it's now American as the money now stays in country.

[johnny]

I am partial to their Outbacks. Dont own one but if I chose to then it would be for my individual needs and desires so friends or whatever could either like it or lump it--ha. Suburu's are very good and reliable vehicles and long lasting also.
Also--check as many Suburus are made here--in Indiana if memory serves me right. I wouldnt worry to much about that old wives tale of money staying here because I drive a Ford truck and love it but much of it comes from elsewhere so where the money goes is a crap shoot nowdays so--buy what you will and be happy. LOL!

[BooniesBound]

Buy what makes you happy , I have two american cars and most of the parts on them come from china or mexico , same thing when I go to buy parts same thing china or mexico I'm a mechanic to seems every part you install on anything these days comes from some other country, its a shame we can't make more stuff here

[Winston_Smith]

I drive a 99 subaru impreza wagon and have been by and large happy with it. No problems in the snow and get around 27 mpg. You are right these are the cars that the big three should be making and the fact that they are just now starting to come around and offer awd on a few select models shows their ignorance to consumers needs. Next year Subaru will release it's Impreza's with an available turbo-diesel boxer motor- that will be a sweet ride.

[MooseToo]

I drive a 99 subaru impreza wagon and have been by and large happy with it. *No problems in the snow and get around 27 mpg. *You are right these are the cars that the big three should be making and the fact that they are just now starting to come around and offer awd on a few select models shows their ignorance to consumers needs. *Next year Subaru will release it's Impreza's with an available turbo-diesel boxer motor- that will be a sweet ride.
i can well remember when, model for model, subaru cost considerably less than nissan or toyota - unfortunately, expense-wise, subaru became the japanese bmw -

[Boris859]

Johnny,yes alot of the Subarus are built in Indiana now,and I guess it's supposed to be an almost zero waste,enviromentally friendly plant,and as Moosetoo pointed out they passed the cost of doing that to the consumer,
Booniesbound,heres a funny little story for ya,I bought a hub bearing for my 2000 GMC Sierra,made in China,as the original only lasted about 78,000 miles,I replced the wheel bearing on my 96 Honda Accord at 287,000 miles and it was made in the USA,and it replaced the original bearing,(I had every bit of paperwork of service performed since new from original owner)just an ironic expierence I thought I would pass along. 8)

[Len_Torney]

I replaced a brake master cylinder on a Ford Ranger not too long ago, and the box said "Remanufactured in China". I found it hard to believe that it could actually be cheaper to ship a worn out part all the way to China, rebuild it, and then ship it back to the USA cheaper than paying someone to actually do it here in the states.

[Michigan Steve]

I have a 2005 Forester, I bought it used and consider it a great car. I have not had it to long, however, I have done a lot of research on Subaru's. Check out this website http://www.subaruhighmileageclub.com/.

The awd is the best I have ever driven, it just works.

[Oblio13]

I drive a 99 subaru impreza wagon and have been by and large happy with it. No problems in the snow and get around 27 mpg. ... Next year Subaru will release it's Impreza's with an available turbo-diesel boxer motor- that will be a sweet ride.

(I clicked on this link to find out what a forgin car was.)

My wife drives a Subaru Outback. Great car, except for the mediocre MPG's. I guess that's the trade-off for AWD. It's worth it here in the winter, there are days when nothing else would even get out of our driveway. Subaru's newest cars are available with a "CVT" (Continuously Variable Transmission) that improves mileage, among other things. If they come out with a wagon that has a CVT and a diesel engine, it'll be my dream car.

I drive a pair of diesel VW's now, a Jetta that gets 50 MPG and a Passat wagon that gets 36.

Anyway, back to foreign vs. domestic: I'll never buy another GM car, even though I have a GM credit card with 3,000 points so far, simply because they took taxpayer bailout money. If I ever buy American again, it'll be a Ford, because they're the only American company who didn't.

[ktm rider]

We are on our second Subbie and love them. I am with you that if one of the big three made a 4wd sedan that was worth a crap I would have already bought it.
We currently have a 2009 Legacy and love it. it gets around 27 MPG which is pretty good i think for a AWD vehicle. We live up a 2.5 mile dirt road this winds its way up over a mountain. I am the sole snow plow guy so the all wheel drive REALLY gets a workout. :sad:
These cars acutally go up over the snowy mountain BETTER than my Dodge diesel pickup. ( Unless the snow is just too darn deep. ) I have also routinely driven on the snow covered interstate at 50-55mph and thought nothing of it , Although I would'nt recommend that :eek:
IMO you can't go wrong with a Subaru, especially if you live in a snowy area.

[DM]

In years past, i've owned a few foreign cars, (including a Subaru) but i haven't bought one in many years now. The reason why is, i keep my cars until they die, and that means i will have to buy a few parts before they are that far gone. Older foreign cars are just too expensive to keep running, and everything breaks sooner or later. They have waaaaaaaay too many "dealer only" parts in them, and many times they have to go back to the "dealer" to even be fixed! (read EXPENSIVE) I'm just not willing to set myself up for those problems that will come along later on.

OK, your driving down the road and need an alternator for a Chevy, pretty much EVERY auto parts store will have one, Now, try that for a Subaru! Then check the price difference between them!

DM

[MotherCharlotte]

I live in an auto manufacturing town, and my husband worked in that industry for many years. Let me tell you, there is no such thing as a "made in America" car anymore. A good deal of the parts in "American" cars were made in China. Even for the manufacturing that does go on here, the machines in the factories were put together with parts from China.

My husband used to work as a millwright/machine builder, and was disgusted at how bad it has gotten. He used to have to put together machines for auto manufacturing with Chinese parts that didn't fit, it was a very frustrating job. Everything started getting outsourced about 5-6 years ago, and I'm sure it's only gotten worse since then.

In our city, there are strips of road with one factory after another where auto parts used to be made for the minivan plant. Now, they are all sitting empty because the parts come from China. It's sad.

My point is, every single company, even those who pretend to be American, get parts made in China even if the finished car is assembled here. So buy whatever car you like without guilt.

[randallhilton]

Re: buying American - you could buy U.S. treasury notes and still not be buying American. China owns a big chunk of us, you know. Re: cars -- Americans should buy based upon the best value for the quality and function they seek, not because of who built it. This is the only way to ensure better quality, better value regardless of origin. Personally, our family has done very well with Toyota due to ready parts availability (we drive old ones). We have a pickup, Camry and Corolla. I also like our F350 diesel truck. We've done well with all these.

[Roots_Farm]

Communist.:)



Seriously though, Subaru’s are real good cars. They run forever and through everything. Don’t worry about the guy in the Australian Pontiac calling you un-American.

[Prairie]

A buddy's wife drives a beat up '98 Chevy Cavalier. All he had done to it is the brakes. He went and bought a 2004 Chevy (Daewoo) Epica, still with warrantee, and it has been nothing but problems. GM won't honor the warrantee, and parts are hard to get. Even the oil filter is a special order part. I think that Daewoo only made them for 4 or 5 years. From a backyard mechanic's point of view, I don't think that I would buy from Korea or Germany.

[ktm rider]

OK, your driving down the road and need an alternator for a Chevy, pretty much EVERY auto parts store will have one, Now, try that for a Subaru! Then check the price difference between them!

DM


But if that road is snow covered and slick as all get out, I feel much more comfortable with my wife and kids in the AWD Subaru. Once you are upside down in the ditch the alternator problem becomes secondary... ;)

[Roots_Farm]

A buddy's wife drives a beat up '98 Chevy Cavalier. All he had done to it is the brakes. He went and bought a 2004 Chevy (Daewoo) Epica, still with warrantee, and it has been nothing but problems. GM won't honor the warrantee, and parts are hard to get. Even the oil filter is a special order part. I think that Daewoo only made them for 4 or 5 years. From a backyard mechanic's point of view, I don't think that I would buy from Korea or Germany.



Autozone

99 Subaru Legacy Outback: $130.99 with life time warranty

98 Cav: $119.99 with life time warranty or $99.99 with a 1 year warranty.

And yes they stock the parts.

I'll take the Outback. The Daewoo's were overwhelming pieces of sh!t though.

[cinok]

Is till believe in the buy American but I'm old school i guess. I know many foreign cars are assembled here and alot of parts for American cars come from foreign countries but I still like the principal of buy American

[Oblio13]

Is till believe in the buy American but I'm old school i guess. I know many foreign cars are assembled here and alot of parts for American cars come from foreign countries but I still like the principal of buy American

Is a Toyota made in Ohio American? How about a Ford made in Mexico?

[DM]

My friend is an auto mech. One day i went there to talk with him, and he had a Honda Accord on the rack. To replace the alternator, he had to get to it from under, and drop the front end out of the way! Cost to replace the alt? $350.00.

Around here you can get a good alt for my Chevy for $35.00, and almost anyone can replace it.

I'll take the Chevy, thankyou.

DM

[DM]

Autozone

99 Subaru Legacy Outback: $130.99 with life time warranty

98 Cav: $119.99 with life time warranty or $99.99 with a 1 year warranty.

And yes they stock the parts.

I'll take the Outback. The Daewoo's were overwhelming pieces of sh!t though.

Did you check those on line? My AZ will have the Chevy one right then, but i'm not sure how long it will be before they get the Subaru one to me. I don't make this stuff up, i see what my mech. friend goes through. Many times he has to drive to a dealer to get foreign car parts.

DM

[Roots_Farm]

I’m not bashing you for owning a Chevy as I myself own one. On my way home from work I had to pick up a new muffler for my Dakota and while there I asked for the prices. Both in stock. If you’re finding a new alternator for $35 then you are the man. Hondas are expensive but then the original poster was inquiring about a Subaru. I owned a little Justy years ago and it just wouldn’t die. Great mileage with 4X4 and A/C. I’ve also owned a 4 banger Corsica that (No 4X4 :sad:) easily went over 200,000 miles and was just as dependable.

It boils down to this, kberg was looking for a specific type of automobile that Subaru builds and Chevy doesn’t.

[Oblio13]

If Chevy's were good cars, they wouldn't have needed a taxpayer bailout to stay in business.

[Laura]

We have a Honda van (2002) with almost 300,000 miles on it........(built in Canada).

We have a 1987 Toyota truck, with 500,000 miles on it....and it's immaculate. Drives like new.(Made in Japan)

My 1993 accord has 300,000+ miles on it (needs a new battery) it runs a little rough.....but I drove it to death.(Built in Ohio)

If I had to buy a car today.....It would be a toyota or honda.
If I HAD to buy an "American" car......it would be Ford because they didn't take any bail out money, but I would get a second job and start saving for the repairs that come at 50k miles :-)

[DM]

Above, i was using Chevy as an example... I've owned a Subaru too, i sold it when a main bearing started hammering. I had other things i had to repair on it too, like a front hub stripped, i had to go to a dealer to get that. NOW, i'm not picking on Subaru at all, and i'm NOT saying they are junk.

If you trade every few years to keep something newer around, then it really doesn't matter much you drive. But, if you keep them until they die, i prefer to buy something that's cheaper to have around when it's older.

As for bammie money, do you not drive on the hiways that the state took bammie money to fix? We have a new 14 million dollar round-a-bout intersection that came from that. Shall i drive out of my way to get around it?

Do you NOT shop at any store got got some of it through trickle down?

How about the banks that took it?

Did you know that John Deere took some? NO MORE "John Deere" anything for you!

Not buying a product because of bammie money, just hurts -------> "Americans" even more. Some of those folks are my neighbors, my friends and even my realitives. They are struggleing in life, just like i am, to better themselves, to feed their kids, and try to keep a roof over their heads.

I don't care what you buy, i was just relateing "my" experiences.

DM

"I live in America by choise, but i was born an "American" by the grace of God!"

[kawalekm]

My friend is an auto mech. One day i went there to talk with him, and he had a Honda Accord on the rack. To replace the alternator, he had to get to it from under, and drop the front end out of the way! Cost to replace the alt? $350.00.

Around here you can get a good alt for my Chevy for $35.00, and almost anyone can replace it.

I'll take the Chevy, thankyou.
DM
On my American made Saturn I also had to replace the alternator (myself) and I also had to go under the car because it was located on the bottom of the engine near the firewall. Talk about a nightmare. Took me 4 hours to get the old alternator out and 3 more to put it back in! I also changed the alternator on my VW rabbit. It was located in the front, on the top of the engine and took about 20 minutes to replace, start to finish. It's all about engine design, and has nothing to do with whether its domestic or foreign. I'd rather own and repair a well designed foreign car than an American one where everything is shoehorned in!

For whatever car you want to buy, take a long hard look under the hood first, to determine how hard it will be to replace components if you plan on doing any of the work yourself. Let that be part of your decision making process.

[Str8laced]

Living in and around the motor city my whole life I am very familiar with the "Buy an American car or die" Attitude. I have never understood this either. I have seen people threatened with violence or ordered not to park their car in a given place because it is foreign. Hell, a family member was who works for Chrysler was told by the plant she worked for that she could not park her FORD truck on the property and thus had to park on adjacent lot and walk to work, or buy one of their vehicles. Total BS! Also being from here it is hilarious that this attitude of "buy American" only seems to apply to automobiles. No-one seeems to beintereted if your clothing, appliances, electronics, food, or anything else comes from outside the country.

With that being said, I tend to think outside the box when compared to the average american consumer and this is certainly one area upon I will not budge. I work hard for my money, as I am sure you all do and I will personally buy whatever I want. It is yet another right we have in this country. If it happens to be an American product of high quality and reasonable price so be it, but I buy becasue of those reasons and not the place of manufacture.

Buy what you want with the money YOU earned and don't feel guilty. Your loyalty to your family to spend money wisely is more important than your loyalty to any company.

[Country_Mike]

My next car will be foreign most definitely. The only good thing about my dodge stratus is the japanese engine.

[Prairie]

My next car will be foreign most definitely. The only good thing about my dodge stratus is the japanese engine.

I have a Plymouth Breeze (Stratus/Cirrus/Breeze are the same car with different trim) with 235k miles and I am very pleased with it's Mexican 2.4ℓ inliner. I don't know about your V6, but my car back when it only had 186k it got around 40mpg.

[MotherCharlotte]

Yesterday when I was driving home I saw a billboard that said "I KNOW my Toyota was built in Ontario!" It reminded me of this thread. Really, there isn't much difference between domestic and foreign vehicles anymore, except perhaps that in my province Japanese companies have been building new plants the past few years, while the Big 3 have been shutting them down. So realistically, buying a "foreign" car is more likely to support the home province's workforce.