Have you ever bought a new American Car or Truck? (Poll)

[DeanCollins]

I was just thinking about trying to take advantage of the slashed prices at auto dealerships, even though it's just not the right time for me to buy a vehicle. And while I was considering if I could bring myself to buy of Mopar, given the problems that I've had with them in the recent past. And I realized that out of the 4 new cars (+ 1 motorcycle) that not one of them has been an American car. Oh sure I bought dozens of used American cars and truck but the only new car close to being an American car was a Geo Prism (which was a Toyota corolla). Do you or do you not buy American autos?

[DeanCollins]

poll is up, multiple choice and public

[MattFancy]

I just buy what I think is the best deal and is what I'm looking for. I recently bought a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer in February. I got a good deal and it was what I was looking for. To me, it was a better looking car than a Cobalt or Focus, which would be the American cars closest to what the Lancer is. My first car was a 1999 Mercury Cougar, so I have nothing against American cars. I just look for what looks good and has a good price. And safety too!

[Dictator]

I've only ever bought (two) American. Not really out of a sense of loyalty to the country. The first was a Jeep. I love jeeps. The second was a dodge caliber. It was the right price.

[IbleedBnG83]

I purchased a brand new Ford Focus in 2003. I bought it because of the slashed prices and the Military discounts given. I wanted something new and something I could outright buy. So American was the way. I bought it with cash I had saved from one of my previous deployments.

The car has been great. I chose a Focus because I was still in school and didn't want anything extravagant. I knew others with the cars that absolutely loved it. I read a bunch of reviews and it seemd that it was a very reliable car. Most reviews you read are angry people, so be wary of the reviews you read.

In terms of maintenance, I had to replace bearing on one of the pulleys. It was only a few hundred bucks...~$300. My steering wheel locked and had to get the locking mechanism replaced, but it was covered under warranty. Those are the only problems that come to mind.

I DO have a 5-Speed which IMO of having both Japanese and American cars, is the biggest factor. Automatic transmissions are the most maintenance heavy costs of a car where Japanese cars are usually better.

I have had a Dodge and Chevy as well. This is not my first Ford. From my experience, Fords are better than the other American Car companies. Except for Saturn. Although GM, they are putting in quality work into Saturns that aren't going into Chevy.

[renaissance]

I bought a new Chevy Cobalt back in 2005 - the first model. Last year I had to replace the steering column (this was apparently a common issue with the first model). Other than that I've been very happy with my Colby.

My parents bought a Cadillac STS a year or two ago and have been happy with it, and my brother bought a Chevy Blazer several years ago which is still running with I think somewhere between 100-200,000 miles. My parents bought an Oldsmobile Aurora prolly sometime in the mid 90's - my oldest bro currently drives that one.

I am biased though since my brother works for GM. With the exception of my grandma who went rogue and bought a Prius 2 years ago, everyone in my family owns a GM and I can't imagine buying anything else.

[RememberOsaka]

Since 1999, I have owned 2 Jeep Grand Cherokees.

Bought a used one in '99 and sold it in 2005 with 174k miles on it.

Bought a new one in 2005 which now has 77k miles.

Never had an ounce of trouble with either one other than normal wear of tires/brakes, which is surprising considered the reliability gets drilled in Consumer Reports time after time.

By the way...original tires which still have decent tread (soon to be replaced) and original brakes with 20% wear left on the '05 with 77k miles...

[Old Bay]

I've only ever driven three cars substantially. The first being an 86 Le Baron. Was basically my grandmother's car and I really didn't like the thing. Had two Camry's sense, and have enjoyed them both. Bought them both used, too.

[bdiamond]

I've bought new American cars in the past, but will prob not be doing that again. It's just something about most of the cars I've had that they feel like they're not as solid as the foreign competition. It's almost like they're cheaper part wise. I think i'd only ever consider going domestic again if I were in the market for a truck. I ended up selling my last car (bought it new and sold it 2 years later) to get a Honda Accord Coupe.

[IbleedBnG83]

considered the reliability gets drilled in Consumer Reports time after time.

Consumer Report is a joke. They get paybacks from car manufacturers.

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

I've had a Tercel and now a Scion....none of the above for me.

[twa]

Both,but never a Chrysler

[Slacky McSlackAss]

I've had a Tercel and now a Scion....none of the above for me.

Same, drove an Accord and now drive a Sentra. When shopping for my car I did consider buying a Fusion and a Cobalt, but the Sentra had more options than the others and the price was better.

[sacase]

I have had thee american cars in the past. I just got a german one and I won't be going back to American. The quallity is just not there.

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

Highlander or Corolla for me....my family use to buy American until they went down the ****ter.

[Capt. Kaos]

as of Saturday we are now driving an 04 Chevy Impala w/ 35k miles and a 05 Saturn Relay w/ 77k miles. I have owned ALOT of cars over the years and driven even more than that. I have heard horror stories from just about every car maker there is, I have had problems with some of the cars and none with others but the one constant when we are ready to buy is the deal we can get on a car we like.

[RedlightG20]

How about putting "I always buy Foreign" on the list?

My first purchase was a BMW, which was built in America... probably what many "American" manufacturers can't say about their vehicles.

[mjah]

Just bought my first ever brand-new American vehicle in January, a loaded Ford Edge Limited. So far, GREAT vehicle. If they were all like this one, American automakers would have fewer problems.

After about a dozen combined bad experiences with American cars and no real problems with foreign ones, my wife and I wouldn't have considered a Ford except for three things:

1) Ford looks like the most solvent and stable of the Big 2.5;

2) The price was insanely low due to multiple rebates and offers, saving us almost $10k; and

3) It's just a very nice, versatile vehicle that does exactly what we need.

Hats off to Ford, so far. They got this one right.

[China]

I've owned a Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Nissan and VW. The only one I ever bought new was the Chevy. A total POS.

[Old Dominion Monarch 06]

If it's not a Honda Accord it's not for me. I'd personally never buy a car that wasn't a Honda. The Accord just happens to be my favorite model, and I've never owned anything other than. I do like my dad's Ridgeline a lot, though.

[Ax]

A T-bird, an F150, a Taurus, and another F150 4x4.

If I couldn't find a Ford I wanted, I'd settle for a chevy.

If I couldn't find either, I'd wait 'til I could.

[BlueinBuf]

My first car was given to me by my parents and was a Chevy Lumina. The first new car I ever bought was a 2007 Mustang GT and I absolutely love it. So I guess only American for me.

[No_Pressure]

I bought a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, bought a 2002 Acura RL, Bought a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis.

The RL was a fantastic car but the Grand Marquis was cheaper for similar gas mileage, a smoother highway ride which was important for me, easier maintenance as I'm more familiar with working on the Grand Marquis, and all of the same features. The only exceptions when it comes to the same features are the CD changer is in the cabin on the Grand Marquis which is better for me than the trunk like the RL, and there is no navigation system in the Grand Marquis which I could care less about cause I never used the damn thing in the RL.

It isn't about nation loyalty for me. As far as I'm concerned if those American companies make an inferior product that American consumers don't want to buy, they deserve to be dominated by foreign competitors...that would be the free market at work. Do American business and jobs suffer? Yes. Is that sad? Yes. Should the people running those companies have thought of those bad things before producing overpriced POS after overpriced POS for 20-30 years? Yes. Did they? No.

Oh well.

[ACW]

Where's the "I take the Metro" opnion?