No traffic on the Crossfire?

No, but when I hear "domestic car" I think of something my grandfather and father could buy, not any "assembled in USA" deal.

Reply to
Fruit Pie the Magician
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Thanks, guys for the correction about Chris Bangle's origin. Fortunately it doesn't matter regarding my main point, that a designer is a designer and that nationality is immaterial. Commercial success is the proof of the pudding.

Or will somebody suggest that someone in the US sneaked in Chris Bangle to have a go at undermining BMW...?... Conspiracy theories live! ;-)

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

Why? What is your objective?

Don't you care in the first instance about quality, price, design?

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

A Jetta?

Reply to
Lloyd Parker

Hard to find a Studebaker, an Edsel, or a DeSoto these days.

Reply to
Lloyd Parker

Says reality. Open your eyes.

Cheers,

C
Reply to
Chris Mauritz

My objective is to keep myself, my family, friends and neighbors gainfully employed and earning a comfortable living.

Period.

Quality and design are usually quite good in American-made products, BTW. Try some and you'll see.

--Geoff

Reply to
Geoff

Go to carsdirect.com and price a Jetta vs. the domestic competition. It extracts a nearly $3k premium over a Neon for example.

There's such a thing as paying too much, even if it's 'affordable'.

--Geoff

Reply to
Geoff

I don't think this is fair -- the Jetta is aimed a spot higher than the Neon. I think the Neon would more fairly compare against VW Golfs.

Reply to
Fruit Pie the Magician

And you'll do that by sacraficing the best price and/or the best bang for the buck? Bully for you. It must be nice to be able to afford to behave that way.

Best,

C
Reply to
Chris Mauritz

Not to mention that the Jetta is a complete piece of crap. My father in law has been buying Jettas for years and has complained about them all. (why does he keep doing it...dunno)

Cheers,

C
Reply to
Chris Mauritz

Are you arguing that it doesn't make sense to buy anything that doesn't meet those criteria? I think your forgetting that most automotive purchases are emotional, rather than purely rational decisions.

--Geoff

Reply to
Geoff

Whoops, meant "you're". Sorry.

--Geoff

Reply to
Geoff

A car is hardly an emotional purchase for me. Other than the fun factor, it's just transportation....an expense....a hole you keep pouring money into whether it's gas, insurance premiums, repairs, etc.

While I'll admit the fun factor can influence the purchase, I'd like to think that overall value is the deciding factor. So if you can ignore that in an effort to somehow benefit your neighbor, that's great. Personally, I think that short term help just encourages long-term pain. A company that can't win your business based on value really shouldn't be in business and will ultimately succumb to market forces and meet that fate. I'm not saying Chrysler is one of those companies (after all, I did buy a 300M), but some of these newer models should give one pause.

Cheers,

C
Reply to
Chris Mauritz

It might surprise you to know that I have. I have been travelling on and off to the USA for 30 years and have borrowed or rented cars on a number of occasions, and I try to make it an 'American' car where possible.

Mixed feelings.

In the mid-seventies I had this large car (model forgotten) with this huge engine -- 300 cubic in -- and it was very spacious and quite impressive on entry. At over 90 mph it was the worst road-holding I have ever seen, with the car jouncing about and being difficult to hold in a straight line. I rationalised it with the thought that these cars were made for cruising quietly at 55 mph and running all manner of utilities such as air-conditioning (practically unknown in western Europe at the time), and for that it wasn't bad.

Over the years the cars haven't been special/outstanding, but that's no criticism. In recent times I had a Cavalier, and, I suppose, it was similar to an equivalent GM car made in Europe.

Last April I rented a Sebring convertible -- in LA, of course :-) -- for a few days. It was rather nice, and if I could get it for the US price here in the UK maybe I would consider buying it. However, given the actual conditions, would I prefer it over the comparable Mercedes CLK Cabriolet I do own? No.

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

But still, it's in the range of what most people pay for new cars. If a Neon is at the upper limit of what you can afford, you're hardly typical.

Reply to
Lloyd Parker

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