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Although, I too have always been a GM person. Our family has only ever owned american cars.

I would strongly advise looks at the VW's as Ed mentioned.

Dad works for them and they seem to be very good cars.


Aunt and uncle recently bought the new Passat and they love it. They said it was the most solid, safe feeling car for the most reasonable price that they test drove.

Ed, you forgot the best part about the TDI !!

The gas mileage

Yeah, I did forget to mention that. 36 MPG average is dang good for winter diesel.

The G35/G37 is a good choice, and it has a transmission with real gears, if that matters, vs. the Maxima with its CVT. I LOVED the G35 I drove a couple of years ago - it was so fun to drive. Definitely more of a driver's car than the Maxima, but the Maxima is nice as well. The G35/G37 also has the AWD option, should you want something better in the snow.

Just thinking of anything American that crosses my mind, my Fusion may not be as upscale or interesting, but what about a Taurus SHO? Or, a used Lincoln MKZ (all the reliability of the Fusion with a whole bunch of gizmos). I do really like the new LaCrosse, and the new Regal GS is a sharp looking car that I'd consider myself.

As cool as the Camaro looks, it would be hard to live with on a daily basis as a main car - when I tried one out, it had poor visibility and a tiny trunk/trunk opening. A 3.5L Charger does have more bark than bite, but the 3.5L still has satisfying power and gets 27-28mpg hwy, and seats 4 adults very comfortably. Like it's been stated, it is a bulky car, if that's an issue. The other thing is the V6 models are rarely well-optioned.

Every time I get in a VW/Audi, I fall in love and tell myself I've got to get one. Then I talk to my loyalist Audi friends, and learn of all the outrageously expensive repairs, when out of warranty. They are wonderful cars, and I really honestly hope these new ones have turned a new leaf, but even up through the mid 2000's, they don't age gracefully after 100k. The TDI seems to age better than the gas engines, from what I hear. A great car to buy, as long as you have a full warranty. German cars are wonderful, but when things go wrong, they aren't cheap or easy. I work with electronics for Daimler, and....yeah....

TDIs don't have 'gas' mileage.

My BMW isn't bad for parts. Hell, I paid less than $10 for a new windshield washer pump (not OEM). The problem is if you need them that day, then you're at the dealer more often than not. But even with obscure trunk clips, trim, and even bolts that mount the fender, I've been able to source them all easily and affordably.

My VW experience did get a little expensive, but no more than any modern US car would be really. Comparing newer modern cars with 3800's for repair isn't fair.

I really like Fusions and focuses as well. Ford IMO has jumped past GM.

yonkerse wrote:I think its "Your Mileage May Vary"

Stick with GM!!!

Thanks and I think the Camaro has been dropped from my list and replaced by the Impala.I need to really investigate them as the price for two and three year old Impalas seem to be quite cheap as compared to other cars mentioned in that age range.

the newer impy's are really hit or miss as far as reliability and problems goes
ive seen some people have great luck with them, ive seen other people just keep throwing part after part on the car and new issues keep popping up

i say stick with GM but then again, some would call me a hypocrite (see siggy)

wake wrote: ive seen other people just keep throwing part after part on the car and new issues keep popping up

I hate to say it, but I'd avoid the Impala. Even though the rough idle issue is the only problem my Dad is having with his, me and him both fear it's just the beginning of many problems to come. We just replaced the original rear swaybar links with Moogs because they were clunking.......... at 32000 miles. I can't blame the Impala for that though.... it's been a problem on the W-bodies for years.

Bonneville92V688 wrote:I hate to say it, but I'd avoid the Impala. Even though the rough idle issue is the only problem my Dad is having with his, me and him both fear it's just the beginning of many problems to come. We just replaced the original rear swaybar links with Moogs because they were clunking.......... at 32000 miles. I can't blame the Impala for that though.... it's been a problem on the W-bodies for years.

Guess I will drop the Impala from consideration.I've been through enough with my SSEI and with my next car I want some peace of mind as far as problems and things going bad prematurely.

Yeah, just ask Will about his. Even though his was a first year model, it was chock full of problems.

Sad, and I don't undrstand how certain cars can be fraught with problems and others are *dang* near trouble free,especially with the modern technology that goes into creating these cars.

Seriously! You're going to drop an Impala off your list for that?

I've owned countless Impala's/Lumina's/Monte Carlo's/Grand Prix's etc, including BOTH an Impala and a Monte Carlo currently, and that is one of the last issues that would pre-clude me from buying another one. And yes, the Impala has had it's rear control arm bushings replaced, under warranty, by GM. Car drives (and sounds) perfect. Seriously! The car itself is a solid, well built, reliable car. All of those, except the Impala as it's new, have all seen mileage > 100k and some pushing 200k or more and most with nothing more than preventative maintenance. At the end of the day what you ultimately want? A car you can rack off mass amounts of mileage at minimal cost? The Monte Carlo is pushing in on 120k and still has all it's OEM suspension! Other than the sway bar endlinks I replaced a few months ago. Otherwise, all struts, bushings, etc, all stock!

Any car has it's foibles...

Of course I'm still investigating these cars at this point but this is what I need to see,different views and points on each of them.Everyone has been quite helpful and I've been tempted to shoot you a pm a few times.

Everyone has opinions. Granted on GM sites, people are harsh on GM products because they've had to fix/address GM products.

I worked on them for a living, primarily GM as it was a GM dealership. GM's have their issues. But newsflash, so do fords, nissan's, toyota's, and dodge's. Not to mention everything else in between. No manufacturer has yet made the perfect car. If they had, guys like us wouldn't have been employed! There is a reason they have service departments. Sh*t breaks! What it all boils down to is what you're willing to tolerate. At least when the struts or end links on my Monte Carlo eventually goes out, I can replace them. However, I can't replace a fuel filter on a dodge or a nissan as a matter of simple preventative maintenance because they're an internal part of the pump in the tank! GM parts are cheap and plentiful because they're typically used amongst several productlines (if not all), and being that GM has 25% of the market alone, chances of finding used/salvaged parts for even cheaper is also a bonus. Most GM vehicles are fairly easy to service/repair. You don't need a PhD in quantum physics to talk to the PCM in one, compared to working in a BMW dealership.

Lane, GM is switching to a lot of that same stuff, I'm sure mostly due to cost-cutting. Our Suburban doesn't have an external fuel filter, just the sock in the tank...

I see that you have an SS Imp in your stable.That is the trim that I am most interested in.Which mods do you have planned for yours?

00Beast wrote:Lane, GM is switching to a lot of that same stuff, I'm sure mostly due to cost-cutting. Our Suburban doesn't have an external fuel filter, just the sock in the tank...

I know, this disturbs me! Especially with sh*t fuel we get around here. Even though GM is pretty specific on what the major manufacturer's have for standards on sulfates and other criteria.

keir wrote:I see that you have an SS Imp in your stable.That is the trim that I am most interested in.Which mods do you have planned for yours?

NONE!!! I need to resist this mentally debilatating disease I have...

With that said, intake, cam, exhaust... You don't "need" to do heads on these LS4's as they're actually LS6 heads, 65cc, without the sodium filled valve stems if I recall.