No longer Intriguing

[MLB]

Well, the Olds Intrigue is on to another owner, or perhaps the parts bin. 13 years and 150k miles later, I've traded it in for a 4-banger Chevy Malibu. The LTZ is pretty well appointed, but we won't be laying any rubber with it.

Ours looks pretty much like the one in the picture. She even picked out the red one...

www.chevrolet.com/malibu/


The salesman had a disappointed look on his face when I brought out the calculator and could calculate the APR backwards from his monthly payment offer. His weapons of mass confusion including more money "down" and longer terms to show a lower monthly price were wielded to no avail.

We ended up with zero percent. Go figure.

[TMan]

Nice looking car, hopefully it will serve you better than my 64 Malibu did for me. My wife bought it while I was in Vietnam. It was a year old and only had 6,000 miles on it. I learned a lot about cars from it, and it was my last GM product until I bought the Aurora in 95.

Good going on the zero percent financing. I got that on my 97 Jetta, but it was only for 24 months. I didn't care much for the Jetta, so when it was paid off, I traded for the BMW M3.

Good going with the salesman. It is amazing the differences between sales people. Before buying the Xterra, I looked at the Toyota Rav4 at the dealership in Grapevine. They ticked me off so much that I swore I would never go into the dealership again. The owner called me on the phone the next day and apologized; he asked me to come in and he would personally insure I was well taken care of. No thanks!!!

The salesman that sold us both my wife's 840 and my M3 was fantastic. (Whoops, forgot - he also got me the Z8). For a couple of years after buying the 840 I even bought him Christmas presents.

When my brother bought his 2nd Ford Explorer, I asked him why he got another Explorer when he wasn't all that happy with the first one. He told me that he really wanted to buy a car from the salesman who was from Jamica. My brother told me of some of their conversation mimicing the guy's accent.

So you should explain to your wife that the money you saved by getting zero percent interest should be used for buying new guns. (Women understand that logic because they use it all the time).

[Callahan]

Nice-looking car, MLB. They have really done some nice things inside and out with that car in the past couple of years. Only folks I see driving Impalas are cops.

Years ago, I had a '59 Chevy (massive fins) and later a '95 Suburban. Drove it 12 years! Loved it, but it got to be a gas hog.

Edited to add: I guess I could burn rubber if I turned off the VDC! ;D

["DoubleAction"]

ML; I commend you for supporting our American Automotive industry. I once was employed by The GM Automobile Division and I never owned nothing but American Automobiles.
I'm not like some people that sticks to just one Car Maker; I have a Ford Truck, a Corvette, and a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
One of the best cars that I owned, was a 1979 Buick Regal.

[MLB]

I have family that worked at both Ford and GM. Aside from the discount, it's a habit to try to buy American when I can. It's easier now that they're making a truly competitive product.

["DoubleAction"]

....I don't want to say the name of the foreign automobile maker, but, I can say that one of their models was the leading selling car in this country; Until something went wrong with the acceleration ;D

....Although my wife has one and it is nothing but pure junk, with leather seats and all of the extras. The engine blew a piston and cracked the block before it was paid off and the warranty had just expired on the drive train.

.....When we ordered another engine from Japan, We was told that those motors was very bad about having that problem.

.....Lucky for us, we had connections with a Japanese Automobile Mechanic and had the engine shipped to my son's garage.

.....Total Cost = $ 2,000, for a four banger Japanese replacement engine .

.....I still have the original 350ci engine/transmission in my 1977 Corvette and the same thing goes for my 1972 Full Size Ford Ranger, with it's 360ci block/transmission.

[TMan]

Yikes, I've never heard of a piston going in an engine that was not coupled to a standard transmission.

What got me away from American muscle cars was the taper wear in the blocks. The Germans just don't seem to have that problem, nor do the Japanese.

When I was a kid, anything made in Japan was junk, but that changed thanks to Walter. Now anything with a Japanese name is probably made in China.

Do the German's make good stuff? Mercedes Benz: No BMW: Marginal; Sig Sauer: Yes, H&K: Yes; Walther: Mostly (exception is P22); Umarex: Jury still out.

["DoubleAction"]

The European Automobiles are the essence of the highways.

" Do the German's make good stuff? Mercedes Benz "

Is the Porsche still manufactured in Germany ?

"Yikes, I've never heard of a piston going in an engine that was not coupled to a standard transmission." ?

[5ontarget]

Nice going. I haven't looked at GM products in the past couple years. GM is starting to get it. Like you, I try to buy at least USA and/or made in USA.

I think Ford is finally getting it, and making better products that people actually like and want. Used to be a lot of GM manufacturing and assembly around here, 2-3 International truck plants and suppliers, and a Chrysler spin off/supplier, and Honda. GM and its subsidiaries are all but gone, International is down to 1 plant running one line for one shift (plants in Mexico and Texas now making the same vehicle). Honda still has an engine, transmission, 2 auto plants, (motorcycle plant closed last year) all running 2-3shifts 5-6days a week and several spin off supplier companies.

Chrysler has left a bad taste in my mouth and bad feeling in my wallet. A lot more changes need to happen before I'll buy one of their products again. GM is off my list for now, but may come back. The last GM product had over $2500 of warranty work on it, and another $3000 just out of warranty all within about 5yrs. (I know it is all anecdotal, but it is MY experience). Ford I'd consider. Honda, I'd definitely buy again, 9+years not a single mechanical problem combined with their strong local support makes me a fan.

[Callahan]

So, Ford's better than Chevy, right? ;D

["DoubleAction"]

The Jeeps, made by Chrysler, is very good; I have a 1999 Grand Cherokee and it is like new and handles like it did in 1999.

My first Jeep was a 1994 Cherokee Sport and it sold me on the Jeeps.

[5ontarget]

Dec 28, 2010 13:25:11 GMT -5 Callahan said:

So, Ford's better than Chevy, right? ;D

careful, them's fightin' words!

as you know, it all depends on who you ask, how you ask it, and what you're asking about (cars, trucks, vans, muscle, and so on.)
At the end of it you'll get an opinion and/or a bunch of statistics. Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one; and as Mark Twain referenced in his autobiography, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

[TMan]

Of course Ford is better than Chevy - we the tax payers didn't have to bail out Ford. Uhhh, make that our grandchildren...

[MLB]

I was considering a compact(ed) car...




This happened a few years ago here in Buffalo.

[Callahan]

This man had something to say about Ford and Chevy, and a few other things...

Are The Good Times Really Over By Merle Haggard

I wish a buck was still silver and it was back when the country was strong.
Back before Elvis and before the Vietnam war came along.
Before the Beatles and yesterday when a man could still work and still would.
Is the best of the free life behind us now and are the good times really over for good ?

Are we rollin' downhill like a snowball headed for hell?
With no kind of chance for the flag or the liberty bell?
I wish a Ford or a Chevy would still last ten years like they should.
Is the best of the free life behind us now and are the good times really over for good?

I wish Coke was still cola and a joint was a bad place to be.
It was back before Nixon lied to us all on TV.
Before Microwave ovens when a girl could still cook, and still would.
Is the best of the free life behind us now and are the good times really over for good ?

Are we rollin' downhill like a snowball headed for hell?
With no kind of chance for the flag or the liberty bell?
I wish a Ford or a Chevy would still last ten years like they should.
Is the best of the free life behind us now and are the good times really over for good?

Stop rollin' downhill like a snowball headed for hell.
Standup for the flag, and let's all ring the liberty bell.
Let's make a Ford and a Chevy that'll still last ten years like they should...
The best of the free life is still yet to come and the good times ain't really gone.

["DoubleAction"]

....Callahan; When television networks has to rely on the sick, vulgar, and silly humor of people like Bill Maher, to influence our presidential elections or talk hosts like Oprah Winfrey ; We are finished as a Nation of people.

[TMan]

I'll just do what President Obama told me to do: "Hang on to my guns and religion".

[MLB]

The Chevy lasted 13 years, and the Ford' s working on its 9th year. They're making good stuff.

[TMan]

The BMW 325 is now 24 years old; the 840 is 14; and the Z8 is 10; of course most of my driving is now done in the Nissan Xterra. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

...... ;D

......My 1972 Ford Truck still has the original engine and transmission.

......My 1977 Chevy Corvette still has the original engine and transmission.

......My 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee is like NEW.

......My Wife's 2000 Toyota Cambray is on it's second engine and it has the lowest miles on it's odometer than any other vehicle in my driveway.

....Go Figure ;D