Negative, I'd never buy an American car. I was thinking maybe a Viper, but with that kind of $ I'd forego the Viper in a heartbeat for another supercar. Then I thought about a Chevy or Ford truck, but in turn looked at Toyota's response with their Tundra...

Escalades are garbage, a Lexus GX or LX 4X4 trump those in a heartbeat. I'll always be an import/exotic guy with vehicles I guess, and it's too bad the "big 3" didn't evolve - even with the bailout I don't think they'll survive.

ps Big ups Pinoy, from another cali native living in cold, dark WA

 

Admittedly the American manufacturers are building better cars over the past couple of years, however they sure picked a crappy time to get their sh&* together. I would love to buy another domestic vehicle someday, but unless the Big 3 can screw together something as good as an Infiniti or an Acura, I just can't see myself laying out the kind of cash they want for their cars. The Malibu is nice, the Fusion is not so bad, I can't think of anything that Chrysler/Dodge makes that compares with those two. The point is that GM/Ford/Chrysler simply don't build anything that compares with the premium Japanese (or even Korean - have you seen the new Hyundai Azera? Wow!) builders. Governments should NOT bail out the domestic automakers. It's gonna be a painful process for a lot of folks (especially the "little guy" trying to eek out a living), but Chapter 11 re-organization is the only way these companies are gonna get their act together.

 

Perhaps I got my Hyundai's mixed up in the previous post. I think the Genesis is the "new" Hyundai flagship. I still wouldn't buy a Hyundai, but this Genesis machine is quite a package, coming from a Korean builder.

 

i'm still convinced american car manufacturing peaked in the early-to mid ninties, for some reason cars from that era are out lasting the older ones, and newer ones.
it's sad, but i still sometimes get pangs of regret for having traded my '94 Crown Vic for the G, yeah, it was antiquitated even when it was new, but it was right before the peak in 95-96, after that "decontenting" and plastification became the rule. it's kinda sad that i had to look as "up-market" as the g35 to find similar build quality and solidity.
i don't think i'll be in the market anytime soon, unless the G gets totaled, *knocks on wood*, but i have a feeling it'll be another import, or maybe i'll save my money and get another old vic...

 

Agree with you 100%, had a '94 Astro that just kept on going with minimal problems. From what I gather, to make up for the high labour costs and pension commitments, the bean counters just started stripping down the actual vehicles themselves. It worked ok for awhile but eventually caught up to them, and now it's royal mess they are in. I heard the bailout will only take them to April/March, Chapter 11 as painful it will be for everyone seems to be the only way to go, imho. I bought two vehicles over the last two years, not once set foot in a Big 3 dealership.

 

cts-V or corvette only.

 

The Vette is definitely world class - probably still not screwed together as well as a premium German or Japanese car, but that kind of performance for those kinds of dollars is pretty hard to beat. The CTS-V is an enigma to me - a Corvette engine wrapped in a business suit. My research indicates there are too many "little" problems with this vehicle (once again, mostly in terms of build quality). But I tried one out while shopping for the G35 and I can state categorically, this thing hauls *** and will leave a G35 driver in the dust looking at it's tail lights everytime.

 

Hmmm, reminds me of my very first vehicle - 1976 Buick Century two-door with a 350 four-barrel. Puke yellow with a fake leather landau roof and bias ply tires. Every bloody cent I had in my pocket (and that of any friend who rode with me) went into that gas tank. Seemed as though that car would never die - but it eventually did! Ahh, the good ol' days .....