GM and Chrysler

Yep, it is the convertible. I love it. It gets good mileage, and is surprisingly quiet. It isnt loaded loaded, but has navigation, XM, etc.

Slightly off topic, the local Chrysler dealership apparently does something right. They sell TONS of cars (and were not on the kill list) in this small community. This has to be due to good prices and easy financing, since these cars are not really known for their quality.

Kudos to them. It sounds like they deserve to survive and I hope they do.

Everyone wins with a fair price and a fair shake at financing. More dealers should behave like they do.

I owned a 97 Dodge Custom Van, up until a couple of weeks ago. It was not smooth, like a car should be, but after all it was built on a 3/4 ton truck chassis. It had the 318 cast iron engine, and never gave me any significant problems. I sort of miss the old girl.

A lot of the Dodges I have seen with V6 engines just seem to have a lot of engine problems. Transmissions on some series were also a problem. Body integrity was also an issue.

Whether true or not, I see some of these problems as being relics of Mitsubishi relationships.

Of all my friends and relatives, only one has purchased an "American" car recently...a Chevy Impala, with which she seems to be pleased. I guess Ford and Dodge trucks remain popular here. Chevy less so.

Right on. Congrats on the purchase.

"Rick_LT1" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Far too much, in far too many countries.

I find that quite commendable, and I too would attempt to do the same, if I were in you're shoes.

Ditto.

I feel exactly the same as you do. (Even though I am Canadian, I feel that the survival of both the USA and Canada rest's with eachother).

It sounds like you have a family history you should be very proud of. I too had relatives serving in WWI and WWII. Unfortunately, not many people I talk to these days seem to realize what the soldiers who fought in those wars did for us.

As I was saying above, most people I talk to these days (both in person, and on the internet) don't seem to think of the World War's as anything more then a history class from high school. Too many have forgotten the sacrifices made. Too many don't even know who we were at war with, or even when they started/ended. Fortunately, I am starting to see more people around my city realizing what it is these soldiers do for us, even if it isn't a pleasant way. I live near GM's Oshawa car/truck plant, which is also near Canada's "Macdonald-Cartier Freeway" (or Highway 401), which, on August 24th, 2007, was re-named the "Highway of Heroes". This highway is the direct route taken by the Canadian Military convoy, when bringing a fallen solder's body from Canadian Forces Base Trenton, to the coroner's office in Toronto (the families of the fallen solider are also in the convoy). Many bridges line the highway, and each and every time a fallen solider is brought home, people line the bridges, and even the highway itself. It is truly an astounding thing to see hundred's of people, flags waving, standing at attention, and saluting. These are mostly ever day people, but the local Police and Fire departments are usually present as well.

I've actually had discussions recently with people about buying what I call "home-made" (as in, Canada or USA built), or foreign products. I too try my best to find products actually built locally, and the Durham Regional Police (they cover Oshawa, Ontario, and the surrounding area's) actually use many Chevy Impala's as there cruisers, instead of the Ford Crown Victoria's, because the Impala's are built here in Oshawa. Though, I must admit, certain products are very difficult to find, especially electronics and computers. As for the extra couple of bucks for a home-made product, I'd shell it out in a heart beat. Not only is the product built here, but I am finding the quality of China, and other countries builds to be lowering at an alarming rate.

I totally agree. One reason I personally 'vent' so much when I see a "GM needs to go down, along with all the CAW/UAW losers" post is because I can actually see past the loans, and understand what they do for the nation. Like I said, I live only a few minutes from GM's Oshawa, Ontario plant, so ever since GM started laying people there off, I see the pain it causes. I see it every day, the people without jobs spending all day and night trying to find one, the people with jobs, wondering if they will have one tomorrow, and the people on pensions, wondering if it will be there when they wake up. I have had more family members then I can count work at the actual GM plant, some have been let go since GM started going down hill, and many are going out of there minds wondering if the pension they worked (and were promised) for 30 years, are going to disappear. We are even losing local businesses one by one, as each GM employee lost kills the town more and more. It was stated in a newspaper article that for every one line worker, 50 (I could be wrong on the number, as it has been quite some time) others are employed at suppliers, and other feeder plants. We need GM. Have they screwed up in the past? Yep. Have they screwed the customer in the past? Yep. Do I think they can, and will change, and that they are a needed asset to North America? You bet. Unfortunately, there are too many people who have had a keyless entry unit malfunction out of warranty (which GM wouldn't pay for), or who think GM execs are walking into there home and actually taking money from there wallets. Or, the classic "Japan makes better quality products" crowd (I saw many of them change there tunes when the front ends of there Tundra's started falling apart). Like you said, we need to look to the future, and I don't know about you, but I want there to be job's left here for my children, and not just flipping burgers.

I think it depends greatly on where you live. I think I know exactly 2 people who drive vehicles that aren't American, everyone else drives GM (a couple of Ford's and Dodge's in there too). We build GM's, Ford's, and Chrysler's here, so we know they are good cars. That Chevy Impala your friend or relative just purchased was actually built only a few minutes from my house, at GM's Oshawa, Ontario plant, which happens to be one of the highest rated plants in the world. The plant has won 19 J.D Power awards since 1999, and was even awarded the Founder's Award in 2008. Also, Harbor Consulting rates Oshawa's #1 plant (the car plant) as the second most efficient in North America, only being beat by the Oshawa #2 (truck) plant. We also build the Camaro, so you know there has to be something good to it ;)

No, no, you mistake what I meant. I meant that you are an illiterate moron, as has been demonstrated by your rash of terrible post's over time.

It isn't that I didn't like the message, it was that the message was a lie. A base PT Cruiser does not start at $21,000 (they start at $18,720), and they don't get 21 MPG, they get 26 MPG. As for your comments about it's design, that is a matter of opinion, and nothing more.

If you were that interested in a PT Cruiser, what the hell do you consider to be a similar vehicle? As for price range, though I am not a fan of the PT, I have driven one for a couple of weeks, and actually enjoyed it. I consider the price to be fair, but it would be nice if they could get more power out of that engine.