I'm asking for your input on this. American car/truck buyers vs. foreign vehicle buyers.

[SteveSS]

I don't mean the nationality of the buyers. I mean their buying preferences. I buy American when I can. I'm even including and especially focused on the used enthuiast market. For instance my sister and her husband always buy Japanese. My brother and his son, my nephew, like German vehicles. We give that family grief about buying potenial maintenance headaches. I'm fully aware some American vehicles are unreliable.

Mostly I'm talking about used enthuiast cars. Tyler Hoover from Hoovies Garage seems to buy foreign. I know some of these cars can be high horsepower screamers, but Mercedes and BMWs look boring to me. If I'm going to spend over $100,000 give me a 180 Challenger. With more money a classic American musclecar. These people want a Porsche 911 variant that all look alike. An Audi S8 that looks like a family Ford. You get my drift. I know this subject is ripe for humor but I'm hoping for some insights. I am kind of a redneck, rebel. What other characterisics define these people on both sides?

 

[SteveSS]

I should include I buy older American classic muscle cars then my daily is a Japanese shitbox. Usually Toyota for mpg and reliability. I do daily my '91 Ford F-150.

 

[DeltaV]

 

[RemCharger]

Toyota is the best built vehicle in the world and barely a sole is going to argue that.
The German stuff is garbage after the warranty runs out. Can- am stuff at least you can work on and keep running

 

[68BabyBlue]

Toyota is the best built vehicle in the world and barely a sole is going to argue that.
The German stuff is garbage after the warranty runs out. Can- am stuff at least you can work on and keep running

I'm still following the advice my mentor gave me over 50 years ago, regarding owning a GTX. She told me to drive a cheap dependable car as my daily, spend my money on the weekend toy. That led me to slant six Valiants, and later, Toyota products. They have no soul, but I don't care about that. For the overall experience, nothing has ever topped a muscle B body with me, but my Chrysler 300F was a close second.

 

[cr8crshr]

Toyota is the best built vehicle in the world and barely a sole is going to argue that.
The German stuff is garbage after the warranty runs out. Can- am stuff at least you can work on and keep running

Your first statement, I disagree with, as Toyota has been dumping their garbage vehicles since they were first introduced in this country back in the 60s. The second, I do agree with, as I have had numerous VW Bugs and such in my early driving years. Cheap and affordable to operate back then, but not so much now. Regardless of what one chooses to own, I would prefer to own American, but even those are now having severe issues and recalls. cr8crshr/Bill

 

[torredcuda]

I`ve owned TWO foreign cars in my life, a POS Honda I got cheap and flipped it as soon as I bought it and a BMW I got from a relative to fix and sell for a profit. American vehicles may not be the best but I don`t care - MOPAR OR NO CAR for me. My wife unfortunately bought a Subaru after three Jeeps but with global manufacturing and parts sourcing along with foriegn company plants in the US is anything really American or foriegn anymore?

 

[torredcuda]

Toyota is the best built vehicle in the world and barely a sole is going to argue that.
The German stuff is garbage after the warranty runs out. Can- am stuff at least you can work on and keep running

Maybe thier engines but they have numerous recalls and serious defects like every other manufacturer. "Toyota has had several frame-related issues, including recalls and warranty extensions, primarily affecting Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia models from specific model years. These issues often involve frame corrosion, potentially leading to structural integrity concerns. Toyota has addressed these issues through Customer Support Programs (CSPs) and class-action settlements, offering frame inspections, repairs, or replacements."

 

[RemCharger]

Your first statement, I disagree with, as Toyota has been dumping their garbage vehicles since they were first introduced in this country back in the 60s. The second, I do agree with, as I have had numerous VW Bugs and such in my early driving years. Cheap and affordable to operate back then, but not so much now. Regardless of what one chooses to own, I would prefer to own American, but even those are now having severe issues and recalls. cr8crshr/Bill

I was just getting the comments to free- flow
But seriously, in the last 30 yrs( let's say 20 to be fair) NOTHING COULD COME CLOSE to the superiority of the Toyota. Ok, well honda, but they're a smaller version. Ask anyone in the middle of Africa, in the far reaches of Australia, or any desolate land around the earth as to which brand they would only rely on. We buy north American due to brand loyalty.
I've worked on everything under the sun and that's my impartial judgement. " just the facts ma'am"

 

[RemCharger]

Maybe thier engines but they have numerous recalls and serious defects like every other manufacturer. "Toyota has had several frame-related issues, including recalls and warranty extensions, primarily affecting Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia models from specific model years. These issues often involve frame corrosion, potentially leading to structural integrity concerns. Toyota has addressed these issues through Customer Support Programs (CSPs) and class-action settlements, offering frame inspections, repairs, or replacements."

I didn't say they had zero issues, that's impossible. But all of these "findings" are suspicious due to who is the big brother of the big brothers that's calling the shots.
I found it extremely interesting that when the big 3 were circling the drain in 08, the big news was that Toyotas floor mats were stuck in the gas pedal
i can understand they were trying to save the north American industry, but it was a hilarious attempt.

 

[68BabyBlue]

I was just getting the comments to free- flow
But seriously, in the last 30 yrs( let's say 20 to be fair) NOTHING COULD COME CLOSE to the superiority of the Toyota. Ok, well honda, but they're a smaller version. Ask anyone in the middle of Africa, in the far reaches of Australia, or any desolate land around the earth as to which brand they would only rely on. We buy north American due to brand loyalty.
I've worked on everything under the sun and that's my impartial judgement. " just the facts ma'am"

The shop that issues my PA vehicle inspection stickers works on all makes. I've been a customer there for 40 years. Interesting to see what the owner and the senior techs drive. Owner has a 'Lil Red he bought brand new. Today he drives a Tundra. The techs also drive Toyota products, all will admit it took them a while to reach that decision.

 

[#41]

Foreign for the spouse's daily, ....nothing but Mopar for me.

On our second new Honda for the spouse's daily. Good mileage, never any mechanical issues, and easy to resale. Honda daily for life probably for now on.
Before that, she drove used cars of various sorts... basically anything I could find that was a deal: 83 Subaru 4x4 Hatch, 79 Mustang, 85 Regal (grandma's car), and 93 Honda Civic LX.

I was still daily driving a 71 D100 into the 2000's, other than my daily being a motorcycle 2009-2019...... for most of my earlier life I drove $100 clapped out Mopars. In 2010 I upgraded to a 2005 Hemi Ram 1500, and in 2023 to a 2021 Ram 1500 Hemi Quad Carb 4x4. I'm hoping to make the 21 Ram the last one and not have to buy another driver, because new vehicles suck. If spread enough mileage on the classics I might be able to do it.....we'll see.

 

[SteveSS]

Okay we pretty much agree on this. But taking it futher. Can you describe any personality types that are stuck on certain brands. We discussed the Subaru owners here lately. For instance my sister's Toyota's tag reads EARTH1ST (Sorry I actually thought that up for her) and she has a coexist sticker. (Toyotas only) My brother and his family are quite liberal (not in the political sense) so I don't get in trouble and they're urbanites. They like being around people. (German car buyers) As for me I want my closest neighbor to be 50 miles away.

 

[SteveSS]

I told you guys many times. I cheat. I buy a Pontiac that's really a Toyota. The Pontiac Vibe. They're roomy, cheap, reliable, good mpg and I take mine to redline on every shift. It was a little too quiet so I drilled some holes in the muffler. My son actually put a glass pack on his but it drones too much.

There's a GT and a AWD version too. I just buy the basic cars. We've owned 4.

 

[SteveSS]

Here's a Vibe that runs the Optima Race Car Cicuit.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

I have owned American, German, Japanese, and even French. Audi by far is the best German brand (didn’t used to be). Had a BMW B7 Alpina and sold it for an Audi A8. A8 was far superior in technology and comfort. Both Audi and BMW were maintenance nightmares with BMW being the worse. American brands are all pretty equivalent. Buick was my favorite for cars, GMC over Ford for trucks. All American cars and trucks were crap as far as quality. **** practically falls off or breaks from cheap plastic materials on American. Toyota has been by far the most reliable well built and dependable vehicle of all the vehicles I have owned. Hands down.

 

[SteveSS]

Would you buy a JDM classic over an American classic muscle car? Supra, etc.

 

[RemCharger]

No thanks on a RHD. You look like a knob.

 

[padam]

There are a lot of JDMs that are really cool, but the rhd is a deal breaker for me.

For me, I love 60-70s Mopars, and after all the various makes I’ve had over the years, Toyota/ Lexus for modern vehicles.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Would you buy a JDM classic over an American classic muscle car? Supra, etc.

No