Toyota, Honda, and the rest of imports...

I almost feel bad for what happened to Toyota after the massive recall and problems it's facing as a result.  However, I'm laughing because I used to always hear "Buy an import, domestic cars suck".  I'm no domestic fanatic because I like different makes and models of cars.  For the record, I've driven or been in different cars, which have been GM, benz, honda, etc.  So don't get pissy just yet.

It kills me when I hear import fanatics say things like "honda civics are the best cars".  I just want to strangle these people for reasons I do not know...  I think to myself, why don't I like the civic?  Oh right, I drove one for a horrible 3 months and learned first hand what a small, cheap tin can feels like.  The same thing goes for the corolla, so don't think that Toyota is off the hook.  The civic's engine is weak even though the car weighs next to nothing.  The suspension feels poor.  Its safety record is bad because every honda civic accident I've seen, the civic driver ends up dead or badly injured while the other driver barely has a scratch.  With that said, I loved its gas economy but it wasn't amazing enough to change my mind.

So people will start whining about how imports are reliable, which is "the most important issue".  HA HA HA!  I owned an Dodge Intrepid with 485000 KM, a Chevy Impala with 350000 KM, and a Buick Century with 280000KM.  They all ran great and had little problems.  I rarely see imports with those kind of numbers without serious issues.  Besides, the civic I drove around and the corolla in my family both have more than their fair share of problems, even with low mileage.  This magical reliability that people talk about is something I have yet to see.  The one thing I can say about import reliability is this:  import parts begin to fail a bit earlier than domestic parts, but they keep going in this "bad" state for a long time.  So I guess that's the "reliability" people talk about.  But when non of the parts feel right, it feels like you're driving a piece of shit even though the car has low mileage.

Don't get me wrong, domestics have their own issues.  But to say that any one make is superior hands down is plain stupid.  Over the years, I've developed a preference for domestic vehicles because they balance comfort, acceleration, and gas consumption (my preference!).  Imports seem to prioritize fuel economy over everything else: mostly safety.  The automotive market is going to shit in general: domestic and import equally.  I just wish people would stop mocking domestic vehicles because we're all driving the same crap, except for the people driving porsche, benz, etc....I envy you hahaha.