GM vs Chrysler vs Ford vs imports

[Karl Brogger]

Has recent doings with the automakers effected your choice in who will produce your next new vehicle?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Keep the politics out of this thread, please!

[Karl Brogger]

Wow, you are fast. I didn't even get the poll done yet!

edit: as an addendum to this thread, just answer the poll, or post a bump response if you want to keep it going. I'm curious about the poll results, and the rules of this forum being what they are I don't wish it to spoil my chance at getting information.

2nd edit: Domestic being GM, Chrysler, Ford. Even though Chrysler has been owned by Daimler, and will at some point be owned by Fiat.

[Brian Kent]

Karl, check the wording on the poll question. I think there is a word left out.

[Karl Brogger]

Karl, check the wording on the poll question. I think there is a word left out.

Nevermind, got it. I don't know WHO can change that.

[dan sherman]

My last two cars have both been Nissan's, because when considering initial cost and gas millage domestics just couldn't compete IMO.

[Brian Kent]

Possibly, because of the intense scrutiny that has put out so much detailed info about specific offerings. On a recent business trip I was looking for a rental Malibu because of their good press (I normally drive 4-door Hondas from Marysville, Ohio). I ended up with a Dodge Charger and was surprisingly satisfied by the fit, finish and feel. Is was a 6 cyl. rental, so not fancy, but I would be fine to own one.

[Paul Greathouse]

My response dosen't really fit into the poll, so here goes. I drove Fords (trucks and cars) until the mid 90's. The first GM I purchased was a 95' GMC 3/4 ton truck. It has by far been the most dependable vehicle I have ever owned.

Plenty of power with the 350 and it got better gas mileage than any Ford I've driven. GM trucks have been getting even better gas mileage (17-20mpg) since they started putting the 5.3 liter engine in them. Why did it take Ford so long to come out with a truck they can claim gets 20mpg? Regardless of all the hype about bailout money my next new truck purchase will be GM.

We traded my wifes 03' Yukon on a 08' Nissan Altima last year when gas got up to $4.00/gal. It has the V6 and it is a great balance between power and mpg. It gets a little better than 20mpg with combination driving and has done as good as 30mpg on the interstate on long trips.

The new Chevy Camaro's really look hot, but I haven't seen a price yet. They are claiming good mgp but I don't think thats why most people will buy them.

So right now my favorites are Nissan cars and GM trucks. If I were looking for a diesel truck I would look seriously at the Dodge but would probably still go with the GM.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

If I were looking for a diesel truck I would look seriously at the Dodge but would probably still go with the GM.

Wouldn't bother looking at the Mopar. There is a Cummins 1 ton dually Dodge around here, and two GMC 3/4 tons with Duramax and Alison. The Dodge really is pathetic compared to the GM's drivetrain. GM gets far better milage, and has a pile more power. I'm sold. Mine gets 20 mpg with no trailer on the highway, and will go from 55 to 90 in quicker than it takes to pass someone. It will also hit the 96mph limit in about a 1/4 mile! Oh, and the Alison make trailer towing a piece of cake. Love the engine braking.

The only thing that the Dodge has over the GMC's is... hmmm...... well.... I give up. Oh, it's a nice color.

[Paul Ryan]

Wouldn't bother looking at the Mopar. There is a Cummins 1 ton dually Dodge around here, and two GMC 3/4 tons with Duramax and Alison. The Dodge really is pathetic compared to the GM's drivetrain. GM gets far better milage, and has a pile more power. I'm sold. Mine gets 20 mpg with no trailer on the highway, and will go from 55 to 90 in quicker than it takes to pass someone. It will also hit the 96mph limit in about a 1/4 mile! Oh, and the Alison make trailer towing a piece of cake. Love the engine braking.

The only thing that the Dodge has over the GMC's is... hmmm...... well.... I give up. Oh, it's a nice color.

Steve,

I have worked on and been around both the trucks you talk about since they have been around. What you just wrote is completly false. The dodge will out pull, out race, and get better mileage loaded or unloaded than the duramax. Plus the cummins motor will last 3 times longer. If the dodge is pathetic compared to the duramax I will be willing to wager that the lift pump is not working. The truck will still run and do everything you would expect but with much lower power when the LIFT pump (not to be confused with the injection pump)quits. Most people don't realize it until they go to replace the fuel filter than it is very hard to restart. How many heads have been replaced on those duramaxes, how many injectors have they burndt up, Wait till they get over 100K then the pistons start breaking. I would take a duramax over a 6.0 ford, but I still wouldn't like it. The dodge/cummins is superior in every way.

I forgot to add the camry I owned. Was a 1 owner bought new from the dealer I bought it from. The previous owners were an older couple in their 60's. As I stated before I bought it with 75k on it. With in 10k miles I have replace one of the evap purge solenoids ($85), and the evap canister ($380). Shortly before the rod bearing started knocking the cat converter started throwing the check engine light due to an efficency failure. That would have cost me another $1200, then the motor started knocking. Before I got around to replacing the motor I dumped the car and went back to something reliable like and american car.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Paul,

Talk to Dodge about drilling holes in their frames to install a 5th wheel hitch and whether it voids their warrantee.

I suggest while the Cummins engine might be strong, the frame on the Dodge is designed with little extra relief and therefore they did, a few years ago, warn my neighbor about drillijng holes in the frame. He ended up finding the only hitch that would use the existing holes in his brand new nearly $40K. That hitch was a gooseneck and thus he had to drill, mount and weld a kit to the trailer to tow it with his new truck.

I know of a contractor that has several Cummins diesel Dodges. His comment....strong engines...weak frame.

I suggest that Toyota outselling GM suggests that your experience with your Camry may have been a little different than others experience.

[Paul Ryan]

Paul,

Talk to Dodge about drilling holes in their frames to install a 5th wheel hitch and whether it voids their warrantee.

I suggest while the Cummins engine might be strong, the frame on the Dodge is designed with little extra relief and therefore they did, a few years ago, warn my neighbor about drillijng holes in the frame. He ended up finding the only hitch that would use the existing holes in his brand new nearly $40K. That hitch was a gooseneck and thus he had to drill, mount and weld a kit to the trailer to tow it with his new truck.

I know of a contractor that has several Cummins diesel Dodges. His comment....strong engines...weak frame.

I suggest that Toyota outselling GM suggests that your experience with your Camry may have been a little different than others experience.

Ken,

I worked in a chrysler dealership for 17 years. I have never heard of a warranty being flagged due to a 5th wheel hitch being installed. I can personally say I have installed no less than 20 5th wheel hitches and at least that many Ag hitches. The dealer or whoever flagged that warranty must of had an axe to grind, or the hitch was installed very very poorly. Never in all of my years at the chrysler training classes has the issue of drilling holes in frames to mount hitches ever came up. I really can't comment about the frames being week. I have seen those pickups do amazing things, like going over scales at a gross weight of 45k lbs, and pulling trailers with 1/2 of a modular house on it. I can tell you this when I worked at a Ford dealer this was back in 00 the frames on the ford 150's were the laughing stock because you could squeeze the frame near the rear tire with your hand and bend the it. But in all of my years I have never seen any frame failures on any vehicles unless it was in some sort of an accident a head of time.

As far as sales go, just because the camry sells more than other vehicles doesn't mean it is better. Personally I wouldn't buy a GM car due some issues that I think should have been taken care of years ago. I will name one. Any of you that have owned a GM vehicle with a 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, or 3.9 engine, and have put head gaskets in them should be ticked. The 2.8 was acutally the first of this model engine. When the 3.1 came out head gaskets became an issue. They leak oil, this same problem continues today on the lastest and greatest design the 3.9. What is causing this is the fact that GM continues to use graphite head gaskets in those motors. GM has switched to metal head gaskets in their trucks and some other motors, but not in V6 models. Ford, Chrysler, Toyota and other companies learned back in the middle 90's that to greatly reduce the amount of gasket failures was to switch to a metal ply head gasket, or a rubber empregnated metal gasket on other components. Dont get me wrong GM has problems and some vehicles are basket cases. But it is my opinion that the imports aren't any better, and I have experience to back that up. For some reason the majority of our population believes that the imports are just heads and tails better cars than the domestics.

Import owners are trained from day one that they need to do their required maintenace. And most owners do it religously. You try to tell a domestic owner that and you and up with a fight on your hands. Things are changing but slowly. That isn't the only problems but it has alot to do with it.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve,

I have worked on and been around both the trucks you talk about since they have been around. What you just wrote is completly false. The dodge will out pull, out race, and get better mileage loaded or unloaded than the duramax. Plus the cummins motor will last 3 times longer. If the dodge is pathetic compared to the duramax I will be willing to wager that the lift pump is not working. The truck will still run and do everything you would expect but with much lower power when the LIFT pump (not to be confused with the injection pump)quits. Most people don't realize it until they go to replace the fuel filter than it is very hard to restart. How many heads have been replaced on those duramaxes, how many injectors have they burndt up, Wait till they get over 100K then the pistons start breaking. I would take a duramax over a 6.0 ford, but I still wouldn't like it. The dodge/cummins is superior in every way.

I forgot to add the camry I owned. Was a 1 owner bought new from the dealer I bought it from. The previous owners were an older couple in their 60's. As I stated before I bought it with 75k on it. With in 10k miles I have replace one of the evap purge solenoids ($85), and the evap canister ($380). Shortly before the rod bearing started knocking the cat converter started throwing the check engine light due to an efficency failure. That would have cost me another $1200, then the motor started knocking. Before I got around to replacing the motor I dumped the car and went back to something reliable like and american car.

Paul, the crew on this farm use these vehicles every day. One Duramax is a 2007, one a 2008, and the Dodge is a 2007. Glad you have good luck with the Dodges, but I'm not making this up. GM has a winner of an engine/trans combo here. The Dodge and the 2007 Duramax are high end models, the 2008 Duramax is the "work truck" package.

We have a sprayer that uses the Cummins engine out of a 2000 era Dodge pickup. I have replaced the transfer pump on it, as you mentioned.

As for reliability, other then regular maintanance, my Duramax has been to the shop once, because my wife was driving it and the fuel filter clogged. The other Duramax, never, and the Dodge needs to be in for the third time last I knew. All fuel system issues with it. All have 40,000 to 50,000 miles.

I know a guy who bought a new Ford 6.0. Hated it so bad that he traded it off with 250 miles on it! He did buy a Duramax, but Ford has a real dud with their new diesel, IMHO.

[Darius Ferlas]

I don't feel any brand loyalty and that's only fair since I have never experienced any brand's loyalty towards me. Or towards anybody else, for that matter.

I do my best to remain loyal to myself and to my wallet. At the present time that means buying foreign vehicles.

[Greg Peterson]

I don't feel any brand loyalty and that's only fair since I have never experienced any brand's loyalty towards me. Or towards anybody else, for that matter.

I do my best to remain loyal to myself and to my wallet. At the present time that means buying foreign vehicles.

While the Japanese manufacturers were trying to make better, higher quality vehicles, the domestic manufacturers were only interested in planned obsolence.

I have no sympathy for any company that purposely produces an inferior product and relies on a way loyalty from their customers. But I guess that isn't the way the corporate world works.