130 Comments

1. Anton:

Dr. Hanson I agree with almost everything you have ever published but I must take exception to your characterization of US cars.

My first car was a badly used 1968 Pontiac Catalina, it had 66,000 mile when I bought it and had 122,000 when it passed away. My next car was a 1978 Gremlin; 257,000 miles when it gave out, after that I bought a 1972 Oldsmobile that came to me with 64,000 miles and topped 120,000 when I sold it. My next two vehicles were Ford E-150 Econoline vans both were sold after passing the 240,000 mile mark. My next car was a 1994 Chrysler minivan that I gave to a friend’s son when I had put 234,000 mile on it and it is still running well at 300,000+ miles, after that I got a 1996 Ford Ranger that I donated when it 287,000 on it. My wife and I now drive a 2000 Chrysler minivan and a 2001 Ford Ranger both have over 120,000 miles and run great. The best part is that until I got the first minivan I never needed the service of a mechanic as all of the repairs and upkeep were within the ken of a mildly competent grease monkey such as myself. I have always bought US and always will. I laugh when I see those pretentious Subarus with their “100,000 mile club” bumper stickers, I think to myself “Oh you finally got it broken in”. I live in Michigan, the biggest killer of cars here is the road salt they feel compelled to use every winter.

That said I don’t think we should bail out any business, Chapter 11 is designed to cut away the defective parts of a business and allow the profitable portions to remain in operation. The Not So Big Three are perfect examples of everything wrong in US corporations. Going though a bankruptcy proceeding would be painful, but keeping them on (tax-payer funded)life-support while the cancer of bad business practices, poor management and bloated union payrolls eats the the entire fabric of the corporation will be even more agonizing. In the end they will fail and need to be restructured, the question is now or later? before or after we spend billions?

Jan 9, 2009 - 7:25 am 2. Robert Winkler Burke:

I bought a 2007 GL Mercedes SUV made in Alabama. Its diesel engine, not allowed in California of course, gets 20 to 27 miles per gallon. No problems in 24,000 miles.

Jan 9, 2009 - 7:28 am 3. Anton:

Re: point #4, Protestors in America (especially the Leftist version, but I repeat myself) are cowards. You can find any number of PETA types willing to throw red paint on an old woman wearing a fur coat, but precious few are willing to do the same to the “leathers” a biker is wearing. The infantility (is that a word?) of the protest culture is staggering, spend a little time looking at zombietime’s website and you will see what I mean.

Plus it is no good to hold a protest event for the media if you do it in a neighborhood that the MSM is afaid to go into. Much safer in those well-adjusted, well-policed quiet suburbs. Pplus you probably don’t have to walk as far to get a decent latte when its all over.

Jan 9, 2009 - 7:39 am 4. TheBigHenry:

All of your astute observations make sense to me, Dr. Hanson. Unfortunately, common sense and personal accountability have been nullified by political correctness and willful ignorance, primarily among the liberal left.

Nevertheless, I encourage you to continue in what I am sure feels like a hopeless effort. It gives hope to those of us with like-minded observations and frustrations.

Jan 9, 2009 - 9:14 am 5. Rob:

Dr. Hanson, thank you for that great article. That have finally prove to all of us that the liberal-leftist progressives are the most stupidest and cowardly people on the planet, bar none.

Jan 9, 2009 - 9:47 am 6. Steve:

2003 Cevy Silvarado truck with 53K miles: I think I am on the fourth or fifth recall. From defective tailgate cables to having the steering column removed and “lubed”, to the speedometer which jumps two to three mph as I accelerate rather than ascend smoothly, Auto unions have secured for their members all the fat they can from the auto industry. The problem is, it killed the cow.
After the Ford and Firestone mess of a few years ago (remember; the Explorers had a tendency to roll over? They blamed Firestone, Firestone blamed Ford for the inflation of tires)I decided to protest by not buying a Ford or Firestone tires, simply because I felt those companies not interested in what was right and honest. Guess what Chevrolet? I am tired of spending my mornings at your dealerships so you can fix what never should have been broken.
I am against bailouts/corporate welfare for business. It’s a business, either be successful or get out of the business, but quit moping and whining about not getting enough love from the consumer you don’t care about. My elected representatives (note: they are not my leaders) aren’t listening, too many votes tied to unions/special interest I suppose.
We just bought a Toyota Sequoia. Our last Toyota had over 153K miles and never a mechanical problem of any kind. I felt I could get another 100K out of the Toyota. We just wanted something safer/larger with teenagers in our rural area causing head on collisions and passing on the shoulder of the road (doesn’t that just scream teenage fun?) My wife drove our old Toyota over 600 miles every weekend driving home and back to school for three years. Never a missed weekend or a mechanical breakdown.
What exactly, I hope the big, dumb three are asking, is Toyota doing at their manufacturing plants in America that Chevy, Dodge and Ford can not or will not do? Why as Toyota not asked for a bailout? Simple, their craftsmanship speaks for itself. A for profit company concerned about the people who give them their profits through goods and services rendered. Imagine that, a company concerned with the product they turn out and the service they give. We should teach that in our business schools.

Jan 9, 2009 - 10:58 am 7. PM:

Thanks for your comments, particularly about our soon to be departing President. I believe history will treat him better than we have.

I am on my fourth Ford Explorer in 15 years. I find them highly dependable on Sierra snow covered roads, and relatively repair-free into the 100,000’s.

Jan 9, 2009 - 10:59 am 8. Scott:

I drive a Nissan Frontier pickup made in Tennessee in a plant that has rejected the UAW three times. The only problem in 4 years? I had to replace the battery.

Dr Hanson, not all of us gay folks out here in CA are nuts. I have been with the same man for 20 years, and we are registered domestic partners with the state. Calling DP “marriage” would not have changed a single thing. This issue is being pushed by the lefty gay political groups; most of us don’t really care one way or the other. The lunacy of the radical left gays is embarrassing, to say the least. Most of us just wish they would all go away, or at least move to Massachusetts.

Jan 9, 2009 - 11:51 am 9. Ron Kean:

Dear Professor,

This was one of the best of your best of your…

I like Palin. So far, I’ll vote for her for President in 2012 if she wants to run. But I fear Obama, like the CAC, will give so much money to his buddies, it will be hard to fight his well oiled machine. Oiled with cash. Also, I’d hesitate debating anybody these days for fear that my opponent would lie like Biden and get away with it like he did. That was just terrible.

It is strange that so many are afraid of Islam but are afraid to admit it, or in denial, or not-in-touch with their emotions. Or maybe those that deny their fear are just plain dumb.

I’ve done it sparingly before but from now on, if anybody puts Bush/Cheney/et.al down in the future, they’re asking for a verbal showdown at the OK corral. They can make my day. He never got more than 25% of the Jewish vote and was Israel’s greatest friend. He never asked any Israeli government official to shake hands with a murderer.

He went after the enemy and beat him.

I wish gays would just get out of my face. I care about many people’s problems but I don’t particularly care about their problems. If they’ve got their health, if they’ve got a job, if they’ve got a friend, good for them. I wish them the best. I just wish they would stop trying to change my world. Them and the atheists.

I’ve had Chevys, a Pontiac, and a Plymouth. I have a hard time believing it, even though the facts stare me in the face, 105,000 miles and my Camry has only needed batteries, brakes and tires up to now. If I had had one from the start, I never would have know what alternaters, distributer caps, fuel & water pumps, or heater cores, etc. did.

I gave a Malibu to my son and he traded it in for a Honda. The electrical system messed up and he couldn’t read some of the gauges near the speedometer.

Jan 9, 2009 - 12:18 pm 10. ManekiNeko:

Apropos American cars: I was at the Southwest terminal at Detroit Metro waiting for a flight out and overheard two other passengers talking. One had evidently been a car dealer. He told the other that dealers make no money on sales, a few hundred dollars at most per car. The bulk of their income is from service.

Assuming this statement is true, perhaps the business model of American car makers requires that cars break down regularly to support their dealerships. And it is the dealerships that actually buy the cars in the first instance from the manufacturers. In fact, there seem to be state laws prohibiting manufacturers from selling cars directly to consumers.

Jan 9, 2009 - 12:41 pm 11. TLM:

Anton:

“The infantility (is that a word?) of the protest culture is staggering…”

If it’s not a word it should be, and put to the same use. I hadn’t realized how cowardly the protest culture is nowadays and just assumed their actions were more of a hobby for them than a serious endeavor. What with their outrageous rhetoric (”Jews back to the ovens”) and their crazy notions of justice, protesters act like they do at a typical college party. But, I see your point. Excessive behavior, not courage, gets noticed by the media. How infantile of them both.

Jan 9, 2009 - 12:41 pm 12. DEK:

Someone wrote that we read in order not to feel alone. I, surrounded by “liberal/progressive” minded fellow teachers, particularly read your thoughts in order to feel not so alone in a distressing political & social world.

Jan 9, 2009 - 1:27 pm 13. njcommuter:

Hmm. While my Chrysler family cars haven’t been perfect, they’ve been pretty good. I have 318,000 miles on my Intrepid. I’ll grant you that it’s on its second engine (my fault; 184,000) and tranny (not my fault; 215,000), but it’s still holding together. The interior is showing wear, but that’s to be expected.

As to the six brake jobs on the Malibu: over what period? Brakes do wear out, and rush-hour stop-and-go can be murder on them.

Jan 9, 2009 - 1:36 pm 14. Dan:

I just ended a 4 year lease on a Chevrolet V6 Malibu LS.

60K mileage.

Not a SINGLE problem.

Not one.

Let’s not indulge in the ritual of bashing American workmanship.

My present car is a leased, V6 AWD Mercury Milan Premiere.

So far, not a problem.

Everybody stops to take a good look at my car, and they’re shocked when they find out it’s not a foreign make, but American.

Jan 9, 2009 - 1:45 pm 15. TLM:

VDH,

I can’t help but notice that at the top of your list of ironies for 2008 is the pending appointment of Caroline Kennedy to a Senate seat, with the media’s explicit blessing of this outrage following their deranged trashing of a far more accomplished woman in Governor Palin. This act perfectly epitomizes the hypocrisy of the liberal Left. Neither the seating of Blago’s Senate pick for Illinois (though watching Harry Reid grovel after being read the riot act by Obama was priceless) nor that clown Al Franken stealing an election even come close. If she receives her perceived hereditary position, Senator Caroline Kennedy should become the poster child for everything that is wrong with the Democratic Party,and much of the rest of the country as well. After all, if we truly wish to emulate British-style obeisance to an aristocracy, we will simply follow that country’s historical trajectory, and the American Revolution will have been for naught.

Jan 9, 2009 - 1:54 pm 16. Nick B:

Yo, Dr. Hanson,

“Fear or no fear”. That’s the issue in a nut shell. All of my liberal friends believe that the fear is overblown.

What’s the line from “Charlie Willson’s War”? “We’ll see.”

Jan 9, 2009 - 2:00 pm 17. Marino:

My very large family (we’re talking a lot of cars over the years) had the same experience with cars. We all tried American and then grudgingly settled on Japanese because of reliability. Especially for our wives and daughters who we did not want stranded on the side of the road at night.

I’ll never forget touring a Wilmington Delaware GM plant while in college (1982). The employee parking lot was covered in beer bottles, the “workers” were playing chess, sleeping and watching TV on the assembly line.

Our professor was adjuct faculty (”Management”) and I think he brought us there to see this.

Jan 9, 2009 - 2:10 pm 18. WTK:

My wife and I have had between us three Dodge Caravans and in the process three failed transmissions. A neighbor with the equivalent Chrysler product has also had to replace her transmission. No surprise that my wife opted for a Toyota as a replacement for the Caravan. My Geo Tracker (really a Suzuki) is at 155000 miles with (so far) no major issues.

Jan 9, 2009 - 2:49 pm 19. turfmann:

There you go again, Dr. Hanson. You’re sure to get a deluge of hate mail from this column! Not from me, however, as I find myself agreeing with you more often than not.

As to your comments on American built automobiles, and as a rebuttal to Mr. Steve above (may you be rescued by the automotive gods), the transmission on my 1997 Chevy pickup failed yesterday. It seems that you can’t get 300,000 miles out of one these days. I only got 297,000 miles out of it. Damn! I must confess that I also own a 1999 Chevy pickup that is clearly inferior to its older brother.

I must admit that I am a big fan of Mrs. Palin and that admiration begins at the observation of her adherence to her core beliefs. She suffered the scorn of a corrupt and dying media that rightly feared her but I predict that by the time the next election cycle comes along her message will be received as a welcome sign to extract us from the mess that Obama et al is about to inflict upon us.

Jan 9, 2009 - 3:25 pm 20. TLM:

Ironies of 2009: Predictions

1. Senator Caroline Kennedy, having made Valley Girl diction de rigeur for the national media and the Georgetown cognoscenti, is lambasted by San Fernando Secretaries United for appropriating their trademark speech.

“Like, uh, WOW… uh, like where does Senator Caroline, you know, get off stealing, like, our claim to fame, you know?” asks SFSU president Barbie Braindead on CNN Reports the News.

Campbell Brown excoriates Governor Sarah Palin for refusing to comment on this developing rift in the Democratic Party, and an open mike catches her saying: “Duuuh. She’s, like, such a dumb bimbo, you know.”

Jan 9, 2009 - 5:30 pm 21. Cranky Greg:

I keep reading VDH’s blog looking for areas where he and I disagree, and dammit, another day of full agreement with the wise one, VDH. He is right on with the American car thing. I have purchased new American cars and trucks and new Hondas and Toyotas. Never problems with the Japanese cars, but there was/is always something wrong with the Ford Taurus, Chevy pickup, and Chevy Suburban.

I live near Fresno, too, and concur 100% on the Prop 8 thing.

And the Kennedy Entitlement Thing, go to YouTube and watch JFK’s daughter!! Don’t send your child to her school!

Jan 9, 2009 - 5:42 pm 22. Tom:

I am very satisfied with my 2008 Corvette. Sold my house at the peak and paid cash for the Vet. Lucky is taking advantage of your luck. 25.3 mpg 190 mph and even more smiles per mile.

Jan 9, 2009 - 6:19 pm 23. Jack Marcotte:

Essential vdh

I don’t like your stated summary conclusions as stated about Sara Palin’s exposure to the idiots of MSM.

It is true that the MSM reporters are idiots and we all now recognize that. We also recognize that their conclusions about Sarah–were not ours so why give them credence by restating them.

To summarize what you say– they made her look like white trailer trash– gives them a “win” that they do not deserve.

The only people I thought looked like “white trash” during the interviews were the incompentant and fat Charlie Gibson who is an embarrassment to the word intelligent and the “brainless and feather weight” Katie C. whose expertise is not evident in anything.

A person like Katie on TV as a “reporter” or “anchor” simply shows the ignorance of the idiots who actually hired her for big bucks. They deserve the negatives she puts into their bottom line.

I can laugh about that every time I think about the MSM’s lack of character and creditability. To achieve that negative that reflects on their bottom line they allow an idiot like “Katie” to soak them for millions. She is better than “Madoff” at scamming her salary.

Jan 9, 2009 - 6:35 pm 24. Minerva:

Dear Doctor:

Re: #1 through 4

We know you are busying teaching, writing, farming, etc., but why can’t you write a couple paragraphs a day? It would an island of sanity in this Neronian world. That’s all we ask…

M.

Jan 9, 2009 - 7:48 pm 25. TLM:

N.B. to all:

CNN may have really stepped in it this time in their reporting from Gaza. Earlier today, they pulled a video of a young Palestinian boy undergoing CPR from their website after the blogosphere exposed it as a hoax. The boy had reportedly been injured by an Israeli missile fired from a drone (?). CNN has apparently checked their sources and determined the video is legitimate and, therefore, reposted it with commentary regarding the controversy. A few comments:

I am a surgeon familiar with trauma resuscitations, including those on children injured by modern munitions (prior military service). The video shown by CNN and the slightly different one shown on UK’s Channel 4 are either a hoax or depict a completely haphazard attempt to save a child’s life. As this was filmed in a Norwegian field hospital, I believe it is the former. There are too many glaring mistakes or inconsistencies in this resuscitation for it to be real. For example, the Norwegian doctor appears to call the code over, noting the EKG monitor shows “severe bradycardia” (this is not audible or was edited out on the CNN version). Unless he meant something different, that is not a reason to stop a trauma code in a child. I could go on, but I suspect a majority of physicians who see this video will deem it very suspect at a minimum.

It’s possible the boy was already dead when he arrived at the hospital and the physicians are simply going through the motions just to reassure the family that everything was done to save him. If so, why allow their incompetent efforts to be filmed? It should be noted that the person filming this event is the patient’s brother. Personally, I would never let a family member, especially one with a camera, in the resuscitation room during a code. If the boy was already dead, CNN should not present the video as a true attempt to save his life. That borders on propagandizing, and on exploitation of a child’s dead body to sell “news”.

The video also shows the rooftop where the boy was injured. It was reportedly struck by a missile. There is no damage to the structure suggestive of an explosive device. Again, the whole video is likely a hoax, and one that CNN now stands by.

Jan 9, 2009 - 8:39 pm 26. J.E. Dyer:

I enjoyed the screed on American cars, but I’m still back on Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg and Cicero, interpolating “you know” and “I mean” in the Catiline orations.

Significo, quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? Scis? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet, scis? quem, significo, ad finem sese, scis, effrenata iactabit audacia?

OK, OK, so it’s crude and not colloquial. What can I say, high school Latin. It’s still making me laugh. Keep it up, professor.

Jan 9, 2009 - 8:48 pm 27. bill:

I’m rather surprised VDH engages in such hyperbole. The average *wage* of the American car maker is closer to $29/hr, not much different than the American Toyota or Honda workers in those taxpayer subsidized USA assembly plants. Of course it’s good sport to throw in the other stuff like legacy costs of retired American auto workers resulting from our national obsession with cutting our own throats.

I do buy American. I’ve owned numerous Ford trucks and cars over the years with very few problems other than wear and tear maintenance related items. These vehicles have been used in rough service in all types terrain and weather and all have lasted at least 150,000 miles with no road failures. No question Honda and Toyota’s are reliable vehicles but I’ve had more repair problems with a ‘98 Civic than any other vehicle I have owned. $1,000 to replace a cracked manifold/cat converter and I’m not paying $2500 to replace the AC compressor.

I plan on buying more Ford vehicles.

My dad spent the duration of WWII in the South Pacific yet harbored no hostility towards the Japanese people at all. In fact he raised his family with a reverence towards them with their sense of integrity, honesty and work ethic. I suppose that was an advantage of growing up in an enlightened Santa Clara valley where Japanese-American culture was celebrated not disparaged.

Jan 9, 2009 - 8:55 pm 28. AEROW:

Dr. Hanson;

Where to start? Bought lots of GM, and Ford products. Now have 1 Ford Excursion (8 family members and camping), and 2 Camry’s and 2 Hondas. Not sorry to say that American auto industry is doomed, mostly of their own doing trying to balance high costs and low sales price. Caught in the middle is quality, and it doesn’t measure up over time. Too many people have been satisfied by Toyota or Honda and won’t go back. Detroit had numerous chances. Remember the 80’s, Detroit supposedly learned the quality lesson. I don’t think so. I’m not going back and I’m not afraid to say so.

Politics as usual abounds in this country. Sooner or later, there will be a backlash, but we’re not there yet. We’ll see.

Lastly, I’m glad I don’t live in a coastal area of US, especially a metro area. I fear we’re going to get hit with a nuc and it will come in on a ship. God Help Us.

Jan 9, 2009 - 9:50 pm 29. view from afar:

Anton, the left believes full stop that there is no longer anything worth fighting for if you’ll get hurt and definitely nothing worth fighting for if you have to die…

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:15 am 30. view from afar:

Oops I forgot, excellent points all across the board, about the car thing, you’re right on especially if you factor in the whole importing food to “protect” the little producers in far away places, how romantic (gulliable).

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:19 am 31. drive on:

Joe the Plumber gets a job with the MSM?
And I should be concerned what Katie Couric thinks?

If you need to find out about good-bad cars,
Ask an honest tow truck driver.

General Motors vehicles are a tow truck drivers bread and butter.

You buy em! We pick em up!

And please don’t let them go bankrupt,
dead Honda’s and Toyota’s are hard to find on the side of roads.

Jan 10, 2009 - 2:49 am 32. DavidN:

My favorite story about the auto industry took place in the late ’70s, here in Southern California. At the time, GM had a plant out here that was building Firebirds and Camaros. They had a strike of some sort, and the Union was having a meeting. Somehow the media sent a camera to the event, and for once the TV station wasn’t on the Union’s side quite so blatantly, so the idiot from the Union was allowed to get up and declare that the workers had the *right* to make cars and get paid what they deemed were fair wages, whether General Motors could sell the cars, or not! Then the reporter (who must have been the one skeptical conservative in the TV news industry) went outside to the parking lot, and had the cameraman just walk down the line of Toyotas, Volkswagens, and Datsuns that the Union autoworkers had driven to the meeting. It was hilarious, and I’ve remembered it vividly ever since.

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:06 am 33. robert verdi:

The hysteria raised in public about followed by the quiet acceptance of his policies is the best example here of the left in action.
Only Second to that would be the role the Democrats played in the trillion dollar Fannie and Freddie disaster, and then capitalizing on it for both political and financial gain.
Side Note: Sweet Crude Irony for the 2009 edition.
Low Fossil Fuel prices will aid the economy and help Obama more then any stimulus plan.

Jan 10, 2009 - 7:11 am 34. AnninCA:

The union guys who drive foreign cars story is hilarious.

Jan 10, 2009 - 7:27 am 35. tanstaafl:

Besides the mechanical/breakdown plusses, the designs of the interiors of Japanese cars are more appealing, intuitively user friendly, comfortable and, even, prettier.

The designers at Mazda seem to pay more attention to who, exactly, is going to sit behind the wheel for all those thousands of miles. And cars should be fun to drive, hold the road well and so on.

There are so many American made “bubble cars” on the road these days. Every one looks like every other one. No paazzz. Car manufacturers used to give more attention to design in this country.

For years, we’ve heard that “Detroit” could have done a lot more for fuel economy, MPG, but chose not to. I don’t know the truth of this claim, but in the words of Reverend JWright, Detroit’s chickens are coming home to roost.

My car story, and I’m sticking to it

Jan 10, 2009 - 7:53 am 36. steeple:

Dr. Hanson, thanks so much so clarifying these ironies. Your command of language and writing skills is something I admire greatly.

My question to you is what would you have others like ourselves do to spread this message. We can do it amongst our peers, but often that is simply preaching to the choir. It does help arm others in their arguments to have more facts at hand, though, and that can help in spreading the message.

For example, the local Israeli consulate is across the street from my office building. When I see these moronic Islamic supporters protesting their grief of the day, what would be the most effective, legal way to counter their presence?

Jan 10, 2009 - 8:09 am 37. tanstaafl:

This issue is being pushed by the lefty gay political groups; most of us don’t really care one way or the other. The lunacy of the radical left gays is embarrassing…

Very appreciated, your observations.

And reinforcing of the viewpoint of my small sampling of gay friends & acquaintances.

Jan 10, 2009 - 8:16 am 38. Mudboss:

I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 120,000+ on it. Other than the usual maintainence, it have been almost perfect except when it wouldn’t start in my driveway and it had to be towed in. What better place not to start? I take many trips and never have had a single problem. It still runs like it is new and I have no reason to buy a new one.

I feel that the Japanese cars are built to be idiot proof which makes them perfect for, well, for many American drivers. But every time I ride in one, I know why I have a Jeep.

I do hope that someday Detriot will get it right. Right now, my goal is 200,000 on what I have.

Jan 10, 2009 - 8:27 am 39. Bob:

It’s interesting that many posters picked up on Prof. Hanson’s observations about his American-made cars and then told their stories about good, long-lasting Detroit-branded models. The fact is that, for whatever reason, justified (I believe) or unjustified (as some posters think), the American consumer prefers the Japanese cars. Further, while Honda and Toyota and other foreign brands now have assembly plants in the U.S., none of these folks are asking for $17 Billion+ in public “loans” just to keep going for the next few months. To all who praise American cars: Buy what you want, just don’t ask the productive, tax-paying public (or more specifically, the public’s grandchildren) to subsidize your choice.

Jan 10, 2009 - 8:40 am 40. Brian C.:

Several points regarding foreign manufacturers:

While they are asking for no money from the Federal government, they receive far more from state and local governments than the domestics (most of whose plants were built before this practice came into vogue).

Japanese manufcaturers receive substantial support from their government. The Japanese government has done everything from manipulating the value of the yen to enacting tarrifs and import laws that make it virtually impossible to bring a vehicle into Japan.

Toyota quality has slipped during recent years. Two years ago Toyota led the industry in the U.S. with more than 3 million recalls.

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:02 am 41. Paul:

I’m 50 and grew up in the North East and all my life Volvo’s, Subarus, Mercedes have had ‘Free Tibet’ stickers on the bumpers. Not one single lefty has ever left the comforts of oppressive Amerika and taken on the Chinese. That is when they are not adopting them into their post abortion childless families. I imagine the Chinese babies appeal because they are thought to grow up as little wonks and won’t ruin the imported Danish furniture. Although also there seems to be a little Madonna fashion blip African babies.

I used to see ‘Free Darfur’ stickers, but that fad, seems to have faded. Along with ‘Save The Whales’. Now just PETA and Obama.

Lefties, all talk, snark and attitude.

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:34 am 42. Gary Ogletree:

Back when I was a treeplanting contractor in British Columbia we had a Toyota station wagon at home and used US trucks in the bush. Ram tough was not very tough. Ford 4X4 crew cabs spent a lot of time in the shop and I spent a lot on rented trucks. The Toyota station wagon was cheap, cheap on fuel, and rarely needed work. It had the extra feature of sledding on its belly down the high centre of snowy back roads. So I take a lot of convincing before I’ll buy Detroit.

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:47 am 43. AnninCA:

As to your comments about Palin, I think it’s now become an inner-group kind of bashing and scapegoating activity. Nobody can back off now, since it would evoke personal shame in the shamelss remarks made about her. The new “progressives” anted up in a hateful gossip-mongering primary and GE, and they really could not possibly back away now.

There was no justification.

Personally, I’m just very glad to find their approach truly incomprehensible.

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:58 am 44. mohammed:

And all these solidarities about American cars. They are SH*T. That is why you only find them in America.

Jan 10, 2009 - 11:49 am 45. mohammed:

George Bush is a disgrace to humanity.

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:14 pm 46. mohammed:

36. steeple: ‘moronic Islamic supporter’
You think they are morons and they think you are morons. Bottomline? ZERO EFFECT.

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:17 pm 47. rrr:

“And all these solidarities about American cars. They are SH*T. That is why you only find them in America.”

Of course, any Arab product is in such high demand the world over. It seems the only thing the Middle East can export is the desire to blow one’s self up. What a pathetic world view and culture.

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:40 pm 48. JackLifton:

Victor,

I’m older than you are, and I live in the Detroit metropolitan area. I was born within the city limits of Detroit.

All of the problems you had with American (more specifically, Chevrolet) cars and trucks can be traced to a single source, outsourcing. While the $70/hr gang were demanding higher wages and better conditions they had no problem at all watching their generous employers outsource parts making to low labor cost countries so long as they the American workers kept their high paying jobs and the outsourcing became mostly an additional cost for the car makers. Different budgets make this a win-win for the UAW and the companies.

The Chinese were notorious for imitating parts without really knowing how they worked or into what system they would be integrated. As a result tail light lamp bulbs would pop out of their sockets as they heated differentially, belts made from inferior grades of not properly quality controlled polymers would break, and ignition systems and battery circuits would fail due to opens as well as shorts. But GM got the lowest price from their unprepared and hastily qualified outsources.

Perhaps GM wanted scholars to have additional time to read. You should do a testimonial for Toyota by just telling these stories.

Best regards,

Jack Lifton

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:45 pm 49. John:

Dr. Hansen,

Superlative column, as always. The only thing I’d point out as a tweek is the fact that there is a HUGE volume of so-called “foreign cars” built by Americans within our borders. The only thing “foreign” about them is the location of the corporate office. I had the same experience with Ford and Chevrolet cars breaking down all the time, and finally gave up supporting the UAW trough after realizing Toyata and Honda build in the USA. Ever since, I’ve bought nothing but Hondas, Toyotas and Acuras with nary a problem in years.

In addition, I would recommend that everyone stop responding to the person named after the archaic pedophile who spawned a satanic death cult. Everyone who is not a member of the satanic death cult, I hope you have a wonderful day.

Jan 10, 2009 - 12:52 pm 50. Ronnie Schreiber:

The American car companies have 48% of the US car and light truck market. Take away the Germans and Koreans, and the Japanese brands have a smaller market share than the American brands. GM sells more cars than Toyota, and Ford sells more cars than Honda and Nissan. Chrysler in a December that showed their year to year sales down 53%, still managed to sell more vehicles than Honda and Nissan.

The best selling vehicle in the US is the Ford F-150 pickup.

So the idea that nobody buys American cars is a myth. According to recent surveys one third of consumers will only consider a domestic brand. With 48% of the market buying domestic brands, take away that 1/3 leaving 15% of consumers having considered import brands and ending up buying domestic. There likewise had to be a number of consumers that considered domestic and bought import. I think it’s reasonable to say that up to 2/3 of the buying public would strongly consider buying an American car.

Those consumers who won’t consider an American car aren’t stupid. For reasons having nothing to do with the engineering talent in Detroit, the domestic automakers dropped the ball in terms of quality and reliability. Everybody online, it seems, has a story about unreliable American cars they or their family had and a Toyondissan that ran forever and retained its value. Still, about half of US car buyers are buying domestic brands and they’re not stupid either.

It takes about three years and at least a billion dollars to develop a new car. A new engine family can cost the same. So it takes a lot of time and a lot of money to change a company’s product line. A car company is a bit like an aircraft carrier, it can’t turn on a dime. Before the housing bubble burst, $4/gal gasoline, and the financial/credit meltdown, the Detroit manufacturers, for the most part were changing the way they were doing things. They negotiated a deal w/ the UAW to eventually reduce labor and legacy costs, they closed a bunch of factories to reduce overcapacity, and GM & Ford started getting their product act together. Chrysler badly missed the mark on some key products and was so hollowed out by Daimler and then the financial crisis in Auburn Hills that they may not be able to develop new product. But Ford and GM have really improved their product significantly. Both have been incrementally improving quality in design, materials and manufacturing with every product cycle. In particular, GM and Ford have raised the bar for interior design and features. If you want to get an idea of what GM and Ford are capable of, look at a new Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu, ‘09 Ford F-150 or 2010 Ford Fusion, don’t tell me horror stories from years ago. Nobody builds cars the way they did 10 years ago. But it takes time to revamp an entire product line, so not all of the models currently available from the domestics are the best they can do. Their best, though, are at least competitive in their segments.

Like I said, it takes time to change a car company. It also takes time to change a reputation. With about half of consumers still buying domestic products, it’s not hopeless for Detroit but it will take 5-10 years for the improved quality of GM & Ford cars to start impacting word of mouth.

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:23 pm 51. Craig:

“And all these solidarities about American cars. They are SH*T. That is why you only find them in America.”

Do you always spew ignorance? Or do you come by it naturally?

http://www.seriouswheels.com/art-Ford-Europe.htm

“George Bush is a disgrace to humanity.”

No…Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, or a certain self-proclaimed prophet and pedophile are a more apt example.

http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/prepubescent.htm

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:28 pm 52. noprisoners:

Folks,

Mohammed is not a Muslim, or a male for that matter. She is a little Filipina troll who has apparently migrated over here from the Belmont Club. You can refer to her as “Teresita” rather than any of her little sock puppets that she hides behind from time to time. She just needs attention, I think.

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:36 pm 53. Donald Sensing:

Had a 2004 Malibu LS, V6, got 84,000 miles on it when it developed a BIG problem, like being destroyed on the interstate at 70 mph, spinning out in a rainstorm (which, of course, I blogged about here).

But that was the only problem (and wasn’t really the car’s problem, of course). After driving a ‘98 Infiniti for a year, which I already owned, I found I could not afford a recent-model Malibu, they were that much in demand. So I “settled” last month for a 2005 Volvo S60 2.5T with 63K miles. Love it, but I still miss my Malibu.

(I passed the Infiniti to my college junior son, as I had promised him before the wreck.)

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:45 pm 54. gareth:

I agree with everything in this piece.

You will get much comment on US automobiles, which is a bit of a shame given it is only one part of the article, nevertheless, here’s my go.

Here in New Zealand I drive 2 jeeps, an XJ cherokee classic, and a TJ wrangler. I love the jeep ethos, and they are great dog trucks and not too big to take offroad on the narrow muddy tracks we tend to have here.

The TJ has unreliable instruments, in particular the oil pressure guage, but otherwise seems solid (done 85,000 miles) the XJ is a shocker (110,000miles). Its a brilliant design, compact, good offroad, great clearances, but just doesnt go right. I have the diesel version, but the starting has failed twice, and the computer keeps forgetting to move the injection to match engine speed – this of course is intermittent which makes it so much more fun for mechanics to chase.

I have driven british (for years) and japanese (Toyota Hi-Luxes). I have had more problems with the Jeep than I had in five years with old rovers and range rovers.

I was looking at the Grand Cherokee, but not any more. I may have to revert to Toyota – they are boring, but relentlessly competent offroad and on. Very sad.

At least here in the southern hemisphere we won’t be paying for US vehicles on top of the sticker for the japanese imports.

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:53 pm 55. David Starr:

I operated a Republican election storefront headquarters up here in Littleton NH for the election. We got a lot of walk ins. Every single one of them asked for a McCain-Palin yard sign. We couldn’t give away the plain “McCain” yard signs left over from the primary. Far as I was concerned, McCain’s best move was when he picked Sarah Palin for his VP candidate. Any woman who can raise five children, work up to state governor, and manage a husband who races snow machines has got a lot on the ball.

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:57 pm 56. Vinny F.:

American cars have declined in quality because Bush has spent the last right years trying to bust the UAW and because he wants to make sure that gas guzzlers on the road to keep Big Oil fat and happy and because Bush doesn’t care about global warming or the environment.

With that kind fo analysis, I should be writing for the NY Times.

Jan 10, 2009 - 1:58 pm 57. CAP:

Caroline Kennedy’s lack of preparation for her interviews betrays an individual who hasn’t had to work for anything her whole life.

The mainstream media hate Sarah Palin because she is a conservative Republican. They are merciless toward her because are threatened by her popularity; they mask this with contempt for her intelligence. She is popular in Alaska and among conservatives and she is a true leader. She lives her values, has intelligent common sense and is fearless. If she prepares for it, she could someday be our first woman president.

Jan 10, 2009 - 2:06 pm 58. Bilgeman:

#48 Jack Lifton:

“All of the problems you had with American (more specifically, Chevrolet) cars and trucks can be traced to a single source, outsourcing.”

Respectfully, no. Certainly many of the Big 3’s problems are due to outsourcing,(anyone remember the Dodge Neon and it’s 60,000 mile head gasket?), but the Big 3 have ALWAYS had a rather poor engineering quality control ethic.

My first car, a 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ, was a great sled,(and a hoot for the “double-takes” I’d get when people realized that it was a honkie driving one of Detroit’s premiere mid-70’s “pimpmobiles”), but it had the 400 cubic inch “shortblock” V-8 engine, and in line with that engine’s “reputation”, it blew it’s timing chain.

My latest vehicles are a pair of Chevy Blazer S-10’s, a ‘99 and a 2000.

The second generation S-10 chassis has a reputation for eating lower ball joints and fuel-pumps.

These problems aren’t from “outsourcing”,or UAW workmanship, but rather from someone in GM engineering not giving a damn.
When a machine gets a reputation among consumers, a company that gives a damn about it’s customers should FIX the problem that is causing the reputation.

Jan 10, 2009 - 2:17 pm 59. Bilgeman:

#48:

A postscript….GM’s “Dexcool” fiasco.

That wasn’t “outsourcing” OR UAW feather-bedding. The decision to use Dexcool and thereby “sludge up” millions of customers’ radiators was made “upstairs”.

Jan 10, 2009 - 2:19 pm 60. CDR M:

In regard to your statements on the auto industry, I have to agree. I drove a Honda Civic from 1992-2004 and no issues. Even drove it overseas in Sicily while stationed there. However, my 1999 Ford Explorer has peeling paint on the roof, 5 recalls (including the tire debacle), and has so many electrical ghosts I don’t even bother anymore. My 2004 Ford Explorer has had 3 recalls and is starting to make some noises I fear are hydraulic related. It also is starting to peel paint on the roof along the gutter line (some spot where it started on my older Explorer). Mind you, I wash my cars often and take good care of them but this is ridiculous. I’m driving my two Explorers until they die or at least I have some idea where we are going to go inre auto propulsion (hybrid, hydrogen, electric, feet pedals, gerbils, etc).

Jan 10, 2009 - 2:49 pm 61. dave S:

Anton: You note a few vehicles that either didn’t get past about 120k or it left your care at that point so you don’t know what happened afterward. Sorry, but 120,000 is a small expectation, and that’s the experience most people have with American vehicles. Although you have 250k+ anecdotes, you also note that you are a “moderately competent grease monkey.” So, it appears some repairs were necessitated, and please note: one man’s moderately competent ability to perform a simple repair is another man’s expert who can perform a difficult automotive repair task. There is no hint in your discussion about the types of repairs you were able to/were required to perform to keep the vehicles running. So with the limited description it’s hard to make an adequate conclusion on the quality of your individual cars.

I confess: I use a mechanic. I don’t abuse my vehicles. But all of my prior American company-built vehicles (note I didn’t say “American built,” because Americans build Toyotas, Hondas, and many reliable brands) began requiring costly work on or about 100k. And, like Dr. Hanson, I never knew if was going to be able to return from a trip taken in my Jeep after about 70k. My Explorer needed major surgery at 140k and my mechanic (a very honest fellow) shared with me the repair industry datasheets showing that these and other Ford vehicles were destined for the dump, or a rebuild, at that level of service.

My Toyota Land Cruiser? 200,000 miles without a single trip to the mechanic except for brakes. My wife’s Toyota Matrix? 70,000 miles with absolutely zero service visits. I say, let Ford, Chrysler and GM fail and put their factories to good use producing something without the use of union labor.

Jan 10, 2009 - 2:57 pm 62. Ironies of 2008 « Totalrecoil:

[...] maybe “hypocrosy” or “dishonesty” would be better words to use. But the article makes you realize how carefully and objectively you need to look at the reporting of current [...]

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:07 pm 63. Old Patriot:

My wife and I bought our first NEW car in 1984 – a Datsun Stanza. We drove it for 200,000 miles, including two years in England and another three in Germany (AD military). It finally wore out, and we got rid of it. We had three or four cars in a six-year period, all second-hand, and all trash (two American, two foreign). We ended up with a Dodge Grand Caravan. Great car, provided the support I need for my bad back, and isn’t HORRIBLE on gas or maintenance – with one major exception. The trannies won’t last beyond 170,000 miles. I’m on my second one now, and it’s approaching that point. We’ll be looking for a new one before this one dies.

Caroline Kennedy Schlossburg should NEVER be appointed to the Senate. It’s just a status thing for her, and an attitude like that has no place in American politics. Unfortunately, it abounds, between the Kennedies, the Bidens, and to a lesser extent to the Bushes. At least Jeb is smart enough to break the chain.

RE Prop 8: No matter what the homosexuals say, the three major religions today still recognize that it’s a sin against the wishes of God. Those who want to FORCE me to change my mind are just as great a terrorist as HAMASS or the Taliban. I’ve known quite a few gays, both among the “civilian” world and in the military. Those that exercise their choice quietly, and allow me to exercise mine, are people I can live with.

I’d much rather have Sarah Palin as my governer than the Democratic Bill Ritter we have. I’m not too happy with Ken Salazar at Interior, either. I do pray that Barrack Obama survives his four years as president – Joe Biden would get us in a shooting war with Europe. I have too many friends in the probable “war zone”.

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:14 pm 64. Scottie:

I prefer American built vehicles, but do have to note that I had to have the tranny in my Dodge Ram rebuilt twice, the Mercury Tempo my wife had caused me to spend more time under the hood than on the road, and the Impala was nicknamed “Imp” for a reason (electrical issues) – but an Intrepid we had ran fine and my Chevy Camaro (bought new in 1987) ended up with 224,000 miles on it with just regular maintenance. Guess they just don’t build them like they used to….

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:17 pm 65. Scottie:

OOps, correction.

I forgot (it was that long ago!) that I did have to have the tranny in the camaro rebuilt around 150,000 miles or so.

But again, aside from that it was always an incredibly reliable car.

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:20 pm 66. Blue:

I’m still driving my 1994 Saturn and pretty happy with it. No problems the first 5 years. Since paying it off I have probably spent about 4K on it and have only 140K miles.

No complaints really.

However, I just paid off my wife’s Honda Pilot and have no complaints there either. Just spent $300 on door actuators. We will see what the next 5 years brings for that car.

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:32 pm 67. Charles:

VDH I was the guy at National airport today that showed your pajamasmedia picture on my laptop …. and then opined.

I’m between flights now in pittsburg. the snow is falling hard. the snowplows are pushing up and down the runways. I’m waiting for a flight to las vegas. I’ll do two conferences there.

the second is the national salinity summit. this meeting is attended by state federal & corporate water officials. this years theme is mingles energy and water because you need energy to desalinate water and you need water to make energy. you see this in many applications. the hoover dam was both an icon and a hydroelectric centerpiece for the new deal. these days the waste heat of coal plants is used for desalination. 1/3 of the cost of current generation RO water desalination plants is the cost of electricity. something like 5% of california electrical power is used to pump water around the state.

will federal officials think of themselves as top farmers in the business of growing the tax base and redirecting capital flows away from countries that don’t like the USA. Or will federal officials think of themselves as the top preditors — with the opportunity to plunder the country in the way sacramento officials think of their perches as an opportunity to plunder california?

early indications are not altogether unpromising. on Jan 8 obama called for the doubling of renewables in three years.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/obama-calls-for-doubling-renewable-energy-in-three-years-5479.html

They currently occupy 10 percent of the US energy picture with most of that being hydro and biofuels. 10% represents and increase of 3% over the last two years from 2006. So an increase of 10% over the next three years would represent a doubling of the growth rate.

(the article referenced above shows 7% renewables in 2006. the next article shows renewables top 10% in late 2008
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/infocus/story?id=53684

Most of that increase will be in biofuels. So the increase in biofuel production may be enough to keep oil prices down for the forseeable future even as US demand for oil increases when the economy turns.

low oil prices are said to have been one of the main ingrediants to reagans economic success in the early 80’s.

anyhow that’s the plan.

how does this relate to water desalination? likely the growth in biofuels will come from cellulose (wood chips, corn stalks, grass clippings city sewage etc)in the next 1-3 years. but it will be overtaken by algae to oil subsequently. some kinds of algae will need water desalinated. some algae species are salt water algae. in both cases the water will be desalinated. likly the biggest regions for this algae industry will be around the big brackish aquifers of west texas and pacific around san diego.

gotta catch a flight.

Jan 10, 2009 - 3:49 pm 68. truckman:

Try a ford. none of mine have broke down
1978 f150 parked at 218000
1989 bronco parked at 192000
1999 drive it daily 124000

Jan 10, 2009 - 4:10 pm 69. gajim:

VDH – great column. The treatment of Palin by the MSM truly strikes me as ‘evil’. I’ve never seen the like and never expected to in the USA.

On cars, I was born in Detroit and raised in the area. I’ve worked in union and non-union shops. All the horror stories about the union shops are true. Given power, they abuse it to every end and see nothing wrong in doing so. That said my current truck is a 2001 Ford, it runs well and has given us no problems. After 20k miles I even got a new set of tires, free. That wasn’t a negative in my book.

Jan 10, 2009 - 4:26 pm 70. ILikeIke:

9) When a biased agenda-driven conservative media outlet complains about the “biased agenda-driven MSM.”

Jan 10, 2009 - 5:35 pm 71. ajacksonian:

Way back when I was first out for a car, after having been through the hand-me-downs of the family Volare, VW Rabbit and Mazda GLC, I found the #1 pre-requisite was being able to have someone of moderate height behind the wheel was primary. I didn’t like driving with my knees. I looked at US cars and trucks, but the only vehicles that were designed for that sort of frame was from Japan. Reliability has been the order of the day and while working I had to drive a large number of rental vehicles, almost all US makers… cramped was the word I can use to sum them up. Now that I no longer drive I can but shake my head – layout, design spacing of equipment, good vision around the vehicle for driving safety, those all were characteristics of the Japanese vehicles I purchased, not of the rental cars.

On the MSM double standard on Palin/Kennedy, it is the old ‘we poor unwashed masses do not understand that such an Exalted One will grace us with her wisdom when she is granted it from the Higher Powers of Olympus’ sort of deal with Kennedy. Sarah Palin is merely mortal and human. Caroline Kennedy is part of the landed aristocracy who needs no other qualification beyond birth, as the Gods Shall Grant Her Wisdom when it is needed. I, on the other hand, have pretty much had it with politicians with last names of: Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, Roosevelt. None of them are on par with the Adams’ in the area of the Presidency, at least in my book, and voting for any of them is contributing to continuation of Landed Aristocracy in America. Perhaps we can ‘move on’ from that era now, as the blue blood is indicative of lack of oxygen going to the gray cells, not of ‘fine breeding’.

Jan 10, 2009 - 5:47 pm 72. Smilla:

The irony in bowing to Caroline Kennedy and hooting at the far more accomplished and competent Sarah Palin is the one that really gets me. Jaw-dropping.

Jan 10, 2009 - 5:54 pm 73. Anna:

What a phenomenol piece! Thank you!

(The blog looks like it’s going in and out of the show “Car Talk”!)

Jan 10, 2009 - 6:28 pm 74. Marino:

TLM, there were more inconsistancies with the CNN video. Those were not the chest compressions you do in CPR. You have to push on the sternum very hard to bush blood from an unpumping heart up to the brain. Also, you do not do chest compressions without push air,either by mouth to mouth or ambu-bag. Otherwise your push de-oxy blood which is pointless.

The video is such a fraud for anyone who knows CPR. CNN has reposted it assuring us it was legit. LOL. Total joke. Might as well show a mechanic trying to jumstart a car from a tree.

Jan 10, 2009 - 6:55 pm 75. Marino:

“After 20k miles I even got a new set of tires, free. That wasn’t a negative in my book.”

No, you pre-paid for the tires they gave you.

Jan 10, 2009 - 7:01 pm 76. TLM:

Marino:

As you note, there are many inconsistencies with that CNN video, medical and otherwise. There is a significant discrepancy in the sequencing of events between the UK version and the one on CNN (same video edited differently).

Video hoaxes from the ME are not uncommon, but this one takes the genre to a new level. A Norwegian hospital and Norwegian surgeon are complicit in its production (while Pal sympathizers riot in Oslo), a child’s dead body may have been used as a prop (exploitation, ? violation of muslim custom, possible desecration of the body by faux CPR, etc), and a major news outlet has now “verified” its legitimacy.

Ignore the journalistic ethics involved — that’s now an oxymoron. If that is a dead child’s body being used in a propaganda hoax, the physician(s) in the video are committing a gross violation of medical ethics.

I’ll believe the video is not a hoax if Sanjay Gupta goes on national TV and explains just what the hell is going with that child in that Norwegian hospital.

Jan 10, 2009 - 8:32 pm 77. vic:

Thought I’d chime in on the automotive front, given that I”m in agreement with everything else and further comment thereon would thus be superfluous.

I’ve owned Mercedes, BMW, Volvo’s and a couple of Cadillacs. Even had a vaunted “one man one engine” built AMG Merc a few years back. I’ll say this: Mercedes has a long way to go to crawl out of its quality trough; they are not like they used to be. After owning a 91, 01, 05, 02 and ‘73 Benz, the latter being the last of the truly hand-built Mercedes, it’s so obvious they’ve really fallen off. Even worse, the dealership experience is awful. They do not want to sell you a car unless you’re ready to kiss their ass or something, and the service dept. at the 3 dealerships I’ve patronized were routinely snippy to deal with — and that’s for cars in for manufacturer-paid warranty service!

The Volvo’s aren’t even worth discussing; my ‘86 was a great, very simple-mechanical car that lasted forever but was fairly costly to operate. My ‘98 was the last Volvo I’ll ever own; it was a horrible excuse for a car, and I met with the service dept ever 2 weeks that I owned it because the “service engine soon” light came on like an appointment reminder on that interval! Atrocious.

My BMW’s have been a mixed bag, the most recent generation (06 and newer) is a visibly touch-and-feel cheaper car than its predecessors. Had some annoying mechanical problems there, but the dealers are great. My older one is a solid no-frills car (overpriced given that) and both of them are incredibly fun to drive cars. “The ultimate driving machine” really isn’t that far off, from a pure behind-the-wheel perspective.

I owned a 91 Cadillac, then an 02 DTS Cadillac. Best cars I’ve ever owned. In both cases, the best dealership/service experiences too. The dealers acted like they cared, even post-sale, and the cars themselves offered more comfort and perks than foreign offerings at the same price point, and they both ran like hell. I’ve got my eye on picking up a slightly used XLR-v roadster in a year or so, and plan to keep it until the wheels fall off.

Seriously, anyone who considers the Detroit cars (or even the entire GM line) as a monolith can’t be taken seriously. GM spent a lot of thought and money in their premium line of cars, namely the Cadillacs and Corvette, and it shows. Whereas the Vette is still afflicted with a bit of cheesy interior work (the hard plastic door panels are too Cavalier for my taste), its line-mate the Cadi XLR is quite a statement of Detroit’s presence in the game. They’ve got a highly polished, luxuriously appointed folding-hardtop roadster out there that’s supercharged and faster than hell and because of the advanced building techniques like using balsa wood and other forward-thinking materials in the floors, it weighs in about 400 lbs lighter than Mercedes’ SL roadsters. The SL may have a larger engine, but after driving a few BMW’s, I’ll take tossability over sheer horsepower/torque any day, especially when the Cadillacs aren’t exactly short on those, either.

In every haystack, a needle. Or so it would seem.

Jan 10, 2009 - 8:50 pm 78. Mikee:

Honda Accord story: At 5 years and a few days old, the left headlight burned out. I replaced it (2 minutes with a screwdriver). 24 hours later, the right headlight burned out. If that isn’t product quality control, I don’t know what is….

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:11 pm 79. Michael:

My wife drives a 2000 Chevy Malibu with over 140,000 miles on it. The only problems we have had with it are once a sensor failed, preventing it from starting and once some bad gasolinehad junk in it that clogged the fuel pump. I drive a 2003 Ford Crown Vic with over 60,000 miles on it and the only problem I have had was that the windshield washer went out.
It seems to me, from what I have read, that UAW workers are so handsomely compensated, not just in salary but in benefits, including retirement benefits, that the automakers simply do not have the financial resources that foreign automakers have to put in to design, engineering and marketing. A big part of this is that foriegn auto workers get many of their benefits, such as health care, from the state. I am not in favor of the bailout, although as a young person I opposed the Chrysler bailout 30 years ago and that worked out fine, but I also oppose rich social welfare programs. Perhaps the US should acknowledge that the social welfare benefits that foriegn workers receive, which can be part of compensation packages here, constitute a government subsidy for foriegn companies and therefor violate free trade agreements and levy appropriate tariffs in response. I realize that this idea does not apply to foriegn manufacturers who have plants in the US. Although to the extent that those are just assemly plants using foreign made parts, it does.

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:37 pm 80. Trent Meerkat:

“Remember—The Patriot Act, FISA, renditions, Guantanamo, wiretaps, preventive detention? All that meant we lost our liberties and couldn’t scan the Internet at the local library in freedom—or so we were told.”

That and “shredding the Constitution” will never die. Living as an American for the last eight years was a living hell. Life in Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s Russia was a cakewalk compared to life in Bush II’s America, 2001-2009. Liberals are NEVER going to give that up; now that they’ve won the Government, let’s see what they’re going to do.

I pretty much look forward to the astonishment my liberal pals express at President Obama’s difficulty with his fellow democrats in Congress.

Jan 10, 2009 - 9:38 pm 81. Larsen E Whipsnade:

To #14. Dan:

Gee, Dan, I hate to break the news, but your Mercury Milan is actually a Mazda 6 in drag.

Jan 11, 2009 - 12:16 am 82. Charles Prael:

Y’know, I’ve driven a Toyota pickup, a Ford Bronco, a Chevy Tahoe, and now a Chevy Silverado Hybrid. So, two observations:
- The Toyota was a runner. The others have all had their issues.
- We’ve got 3 hybrids in the family – my truck, and two Prius’s. Never had a charge problem with the Priuses in 6 years. The Silverado needed jumping twice last week.

An interesting point I hadn’t thought about.

Jan 11, 2009 - 12:18 am 83. Gaffe Prices:

If Caroline Kennedy were subjected to the same media processing of those it deems ‘undesirable’ then we would be carpet bombed with tabloid level trivias concerning her grandfather: 1) that he proclaimed Democracy was a dead horse, and 2) that the furure of mankind lay in
Hitlers National Socialism, and that 3) he, Joseph Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh, and Lords Halifax and Londonberry all passed state secrets to Nazis, in their efforts to get Britain and America to capitulate to the Third Reich.

That Democrat Perty shreds the constitution comes as no surprise, and only dread follows the grandese efforts of those accomplices in the media to project their treason onto their adversaries.

Funny how the campaign (that never ends) includes the hyperbolic ‘Bush is Hitler’ Conspiracy Theory Meme, but that it serves to obscure the fact that Joes not-so-secret nazi-love was so blatant as to lead to his recall as ambassador to Britain; the appointment alone enough to question the judgement of the president who made it. IOW, he should have been made Ambassador to Tierra del Fuego, to stanch any flow of state secrets, but Joe the bootlegger, would have found a way in the face of adversity.

Jan 11, 2009 - 3:35 am 84. Andy:

My first car was a 1984 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. The transmission went at 50,000 miles and it threw a rod at 85,000 miles. I then bought a full size 1986 Chevy Blazer that ran like a dream for about six months. The carburetor went south in the middle of a West Lafayette snowstorm. I then inherited a 1989 Camaro RS that, aside from changing the starter about 10 times (I was an old pro by the third time around), the transmission went at 250,000 miles before selling it with 303,000 miles on it. My first new car was a 1999 Honda Civic Si that was stolen after 4 months. It’s replacement was a 1999 Tacoma 4×4 that’s cost me $0 in repairs after 145,000 miles. We’ve been a GM family all the way, but the Japanese cars I’ve owned (if you count the Honda) have cost me infinitely less in repairs than the GM cars I’ve owned.

We just bought a 2008 Chevy Equinox last week, so we’re throwing caution to the wind and hoping for the best…

Jan 11, 2009 - 6:55 am 85. In which Victor Davis Hanson points to some ironies of 2008 « True Sailing Is Dead:

[...] In which Victor Davis Hanson points to some ironies of 2008 Jump to Comments Works and Days » Say They Aren’t So. [...]

Jan 11, 2009 - 7:19 am 86. Sven Svenson:

The worse car I ever owned was a Saab, purchased new in the 80’s. During the 18 months I owned it I spent $1,800 to keep it on the road. New brakes every 7,000 miles, bolts shearing, stress failure in the exhaust pipe, ignition key problems, etc. Nothing major, just $50 – $100 a whack for “petty” problems precipitated by poor design. I’ll stick with my Chevy Impala, thank you.

Jan 11, 2009 - 9:05 am 87. Sven Svenson:

By the way, have you all forgotten that not too long ago an automobile required a major tune up every 35,000 miles and one could expect to get 100,0000 miles of service from only the most expensive cars? In fact 100,000 miles of use was so rare that some autos sported a medallion on the grill to note the accomplishment.

Jan 11, 2009 - 9:18 am 88. Hanson: Ironies of 2008 | Jack’s Newswatch:

[...] [Continue reading] [...]

Jan 11, 2009 - 11:02 am 89. Ron Kean:

80. Trent

What country did you say you lived in again? I couldn’t tell by your analogies.

Jan 11, 2009 - 11:33 am 90. Ken:

2 of the last 3 Chrysler products I owned blew an engine before hitting 100,000 miles. Replaced the engine one one at a cost of $3,000 and donated the second to charity. The 3rd was rear ended twice in 8 months and was traded in for a Nissan. Both my wife and I drive Nissan Products and we have had flawless performace on both. I don’t support the automotive bail out package and I will never buy another American Car…

Jan 11, 2009 - 11:37 am 91. Trent Meerkat:

Ron, I live in the USA. Are you telling me that life as an American in the US of A *wasn’t* as “bad” as Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s Russia? But, but, but Amy Goodman and Noam Chompsky sort of implied that it was. I mean, it’ snot like *my* home was invaded by the Secret Police of W, but, I’m sure some folks worse and, well, paranoids are the folks who have all the facts, no?

Jan 11, 2009 - 12:55 pm 92. Cybergeezer:

Been turning wrenches for more than 40 years on my own vehicles. Now have an F350 mechanical diesel with over half a million miles. It gets a lot of rest, now, but it was doing 50 to 55,000 miles a year. It seemed to really like humming down the highway. Mileage was never a concern; It’s not that great. But, this truck has cost me less than $25,000 (not including fuel and oil) in the 10 years I’ve had it.

Jan 11, 2009 - 3:29 pm 93. LoudProudLibrul:

A film maker, a novelist, or a comedian dreams publicly of killing George Bush—and he wins a big book contract or an arts award. A cartoonist does a sketch of a Mohammed and he faces death threats. Liberal contrarians honor the former and abandon the latter.

I’m a liberal and I stood with the dutch cartoonist. I’ve never met a liberal who hasn’t stood by the cartoonist. I personally have never read any blogs by liberals denouncing the cartoonist. Are you sure that you are directing these comments to the liberal in the U.S.? Maybe you confused them with the liberals in conseravtiveland.

Jan 11, 2009 - 3:52 pm 94. Steve:

1996 Subaru Outback: bought it for $4k at 130k miles and now has 202k miles 4 years later.

The government bailout of the auto industry is uncapitalistic and unAmerican – it sets a very dangerous precedent. When the government lets the market be the market and does its job of protecting intellectual property rights we will continue to progress and develop in a changing global economy.

Jan 11, 2009 - 4:42 pm 95. Steve:

Trent [80]
“Living as an American for the last eight years was a living hell. Life in Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s Russia was a cakewalk compared to life in Bush II’s America, 2001-2009.”

1. Trent, for you and the rest of you illogical liberals (wait that’s a little redundant): You can’t just blame Gorge Bush for everything that ever goes wrong.

2. Trent, maybe you personally have had a rough last 8 years, however as a generalization you can’t be serious that the lives of Amnericans as a whole are worse than Commnist Russia (those that survived the massacres) and Hitler’s Germany its just not true.

3. Trent, you are either incredibly misinformed about your history, you are a liar or you are just an idiot.

Jan 11, 2009 - 5:14 pm 96. Liberty:

Love your writing and totally agree with your thoughts in this post.

I owned a 1988 Taurus: three transmissions, two power steering units, four sets of struts, two power window replacements, complete brake replacement, three front axles, various electrical problems and a paint job that eventually progressed to look like the car had eczema. I refused to have the car painted in order to show the “viewing public” what a crappy car I owned. However, I should note that I drove the car for 165K miles. I hate buying new cars; depreciating asset.

My current car is a 1996 Honda Accord that I purchased from a friend in late ‘01 with 95k miles. The car now has 179k miles and nothing major has gone wrong from normal wear and tear. I did have to replace the right front axle and steering mechanisms after I was cut off and hit a curb at 35 mph. I will never buy an american car again.

Jan 11, 2009 - 5:29 pm 97. Ron Kean:

91. Trent

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Jan 11, 2009 - 8:20 pm 98. jake_von'MN:

I fail to understand where all these american cars with such ridiculous amount of problems come from??

I will admit, I am certainly young, and maybe I have only been witness to the re-birth of reliability in american automobiles. But in the last 6-7 years I have never witnessed someone with such audacious problems as all of you have.

I have seen a 140k Buick, MANY 200k+ pickups, a 250k Fiero, a 60k cobalt that has had one singular problem in 3 years, escorts, cavaliers, neons, All with high mileage and with little to zero problems. Im talking late 90s and up.
I have however seen ONE transmission in an 80k pickup (I am skeptical of the technician, but I didn’t have the knowledge back then)And one new engine in a 01 stratus (mfr defect)

And I have also seen hondas/acuras that consistently need a trans after 30k. I have seen Toyota’s with horrible electrical problems. Imports are not the holy grail of automobiles.

I do not support a bailout, GM & Chrysler are top-heavy and need to fall, But I refuse to buy an import. and that IS based off of fact:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/Traffic%20Injury%20Control/Articles/Associated%20Files/AALA/AALA2007p.pdf

Jan 11, 2009 - 8:30 pm 99. Reviewing the 2008 Weblog Awards Finalists: “Best Conservative Blog” Category | The Skepticrats:

[...] Victor Davis Hanson.

Jan 11, 2009 - 8:51 pm 100. Trent Meerkat:

Holy Shi’ite, people: CAN’T YOU RECOGNIZE SARCASM? The Amy Goodman remark should’ve tipped you off that I was mocking hyperbolic liberals (the three “buts” – come on! it’s obviously a JOKE). Shame on all of you for being fooled; my initial comment (#80), particularly this statement: “Life in Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s Russia was a cakewalk compared to life in Bush II’s America, 2001-2009.” is so ridiculous that NONE of you should’ve taken it seriously and should have seen it as a gag. Man, I’m taking this on the road.

Jan 11, 2009 - 9:00 pm 101. TruthHurts:

So, is Hanson substituting “ironies” with “whines”?…Hey! Here’s the one BIG irony for the GOP in 2008. The Republican party has been historically a staunch supporter of the wealthy and big corporations. A few decades ago, the GOP recruited Southern States who were mad at their party’s president for passing the Civil and Voters Amendments. They appeased this group because they coveted their large and faithful voting bloc. The appeasement developed into additional “social conservative” party platform positions such as “pro-life”, etc. In 2008, the “rich” were so disgusted with the development of their own creation (the GOP of 2008) that more of them voted for the Dem than the GOP candidate. Now THAT’S ironic!

Jan 11, 2009 - 9:58 pm 102. G Alston:

#98 — “Im talking late 90s and up.”

Yeah. Big deal. 200k on a vehicle was standard stuff for Japanese makes in the 80’s. It is only in the past few years Detroit cars could break through that barrier. So what.

Today’s Japanese makes can do much better than 200k and are actually NOT rolling hunks of garbage, NOT shouting yourself hoarse noisy, and — get this — are actually fun to drive. They can easily pass going uphill. And unlike your basic Buicks, they’re comfy on long rides AND look like they’re designed for someone under the age of 90. People LIKE to drive these things. Go figure. My Acura MDX has more vehicle stability computers than were used on the Apollo. It’s stable in appalling winter weather and disgustingly poor road conditions, the sort of stuff where the ditches are littered with Explorers, Jeeps, GMC’s and Trailblazers. (I’ve driven it for 100 miles at a pop on ICE. No problem.) In other words, the first part of safety is the bit where you keep the car on the road no matter what. Japanese cars are very good at this.

And of course, all of these fun “extras” result in resale value ratios that Detroit cars can’t touch.

Do try to keep up.

Jan 11, 2009 - 10:06 pm 103. G.May:

@93 LoudProud – You have apparently been living under a rock. Not to mention UN get-togethers to talk about responsibility (translation: please don’t offend anyone) in political cartoons. While the more rational “liberals” like yourself may rightfully defend the Dutch cartoonist, the extremely vocal and oft heard fringe element were suddenly trying to placate the barbarians.

Jan 12, 2009 - 12:56 am 104. Rex Morgan:

Great article, I had been saying, although without the personal experience, the American tax payers voted “no” on the auto bailout the minute they decided to buy a foreign car as opposed to the home-grown lemons.

The big three auto makers don’t have the quality or innovation to get people to want to buy their product. They should be allowed to close their doors just like any other failing business would.

Jan 12, 2009 - 1:01 am 105. Robert F:

I’m just weighing in my support for those who have had good luck with their American (Ford) cars, like myself. I see no reason to switch, nor do I see much evidence of vastly superior quality superior quality in foreign cars. So much is forgotten about Japanese gaffes. Like the time Honda’s timing belts began failing far short of the recommended 90k replacement interval. Honda’s response, a recall, perhaps? Nope. They just sent a notice that the service interval is now 60k. A fine example of customer service.

Jan 12, 2009 - 5:59 am 106. Doug Crice:

My Ford Aerostar had problems. The window motors failed multiple times because the plastic gears wore out. The defroster failed multiple times because the plastic gear stripped. The harmonic balancer fell off because the bolts were too weak to hold the pulley on. The spark plug wires started leaking through the insulation causing engine miss. I got two replacement transmissions under warranty.

None of these problems were due to workmanship or union labor. All were engineering problems cuased by inadequate design or sloppy procurement (good grief, they’ve been buying spark plug wires for 100 years).

The plastic gears (or anything else) don’t seem to fail on my Japanese cars.

Jan 12, 2009 - 7:32 am 107. LSD:

It’s hard to tell just where the money goes; just because the car company is Japanese, German, or American doesn’t mean the money goes there.

In 1990, I was reprimanded by a friend for buying a Honda. -My Honda was built in Indiana and his Chevy pick-up was built in Canada.

Regarding the bailout, I’m with you Dr. Hanson. Knowing that the government will not let them fail, do you think that the big three feel the kind of fear that drives real reform? I think we’ll be hearing from them again, in another fifteen years.

Jan 12, 2009 - 9:20 am 108. John S.:

Just as a point of information, Ford is NOT participating in the “Big Three Bailout,” so we should correct that title to “Big Two Bailout” or some such. No need to place blame when they’ve decided they can make it on their own without passing the bill to the taxpayers. Plus, have you read Car and Driver’s recent review of mid-size hybrid family sedans? The Ford Fusion clobbered the rest of the field, including the Toyota Camry, and got the best mileage to boot. At least Ford is headed in the right direction!

Jan 12, 2009 - 9:22 am 109. David:

I have a 9-year old Saturn, and it’s working reasonably well, although it’s now started to get to the “repairs == expensive” state. I do think we should be precise in our terminology about the car companies – nearly every car sold in the US is built in the US, it’s just that some of the companies are subsidiaries of foreign companies. In this, Toyota == Chrysler.

I think that the US companies earned a lot of badwill back when quality was job number 8 or 9, and they’re having a hard time shaking that reputation – and this is, in fact, deserved. I am troubled by the idea of bailing out one type of US automobile manufacturer (Michigan) while not others (Tennessee), and think that the free market would do a vastly better job of rewarding quality work. It may be that the GM and Ford brands are too sullied to compete with Toyota and Honda – if so, then GM and Ford should fail, and someone else will come along and buy up their assets on the cheap.

Jan 12, 2009 - 9:56 am 110. W’s constitutional purity during war . . . in comparison, anyway. | The Skepticrats:

[...] of the attacks against him for supposedly ignoring the constitution and committing war crimes, and Victor Davis Hanson’s recent point came to mind (emphasis mine): Bush’s Texas-twang explication that he kept us safe for seven years [...]

Jan 12, 2009 - 10:42 am 111. Yeah, Last Year Was Full Of Irony « Tai-Chi Policy:

[...] 12, 2009 Posted by taoist in History, Hypocrisy, Idiocy. trackback Victor Davis is listing some of the bigger ironies of the last year. How about the culture of corruption stuff, and the whole housing situation regarding [...]

Jan 12, 2009 - 11:29 am 112. Mike:

Which Dodge pickup problems did you have? Because the D-50, with Dodge badging, is a Mitsubishi Mighty Max!

Jan 12, 2009 - 12:22 pm 113. Amazona:

Gay “marriage”: I have a car which was designed by Ferdinand Porsche, which has four wheels and a steering wheel, an engine, brakes, transmission, etc. I suppose I could claim it is a Porsche, but it isn’t. I can whine and holler and complain all I want to, I can take it to Porsche shows, I can hold my breath till I turn blue–but it is still a VW. So I am unimpressed by the vocal (hysterical) minority which claims that because gays do a lot of the same stuff heterosexual couples do, they can somehow be “married”. Close, but not quite, and even if a lot of people decide to use that word for something it was never intended to describe, it won’t change a thing.

Just as throwing a fit won’t change a Thing.

Caro Kennedy (when did she throw the married name overboard?) is the gift that keeps on giving, to those of us who were so outraged at the blatant media efforts to destroy Palin.

I am a Western rancher, pretty dependent on pickups, and I can hardly wait till the Japanese start to produce large heavy-duty pickups. I bought a Silverado diesel, laughingly described (it’s right there on the windshield!) as “Heavy Duty, and at about 43,000 miles had all the valves replaced in the Allison transmission and all the injectors replaced in the Duramax engine. I have a 2000 Excursion Power Stroke with 160,000 miles on it that is a great truck, a 97 F-350 crew cab Power Stroke that is going strong at about the same number of miles, and a fancy 2006 F-350 Power Stroke 6.0 that is a great Urban Cowboy truck, one to drive around town in to look tough but gutless and wimpy.

Regarding another Detroit complaint: My brother drives a Jetta diesel that gets more than 40 mpg and is solid, holds four people (five in a pinch) and is a great car, but the silly little scooter they call the Smart Car gets the publicity—half the car, less MPG. But we block the importation of the European diesels that run at autobahn speeds at more than 45 mpg. ?????? Biodiesl is the wave of the future, yet we swoon over the ethanol scam and ignore the advantages of working on solid, reliable, long-lived diesel-engine-powered cars.

Jan 12, 2009 - 3:27 pm 114. Charles Gordon:

Trent:
I noticed your comments and, assuming you were a fellow traveler of some freedom loving American Taliban like John Walker Lindh, took them seriously too. I also assume no small percentage of college students, current and even not so recent, could write your comments with honest conviction.

VDH is a treasure to conservatives, to the nation, and to those who live somewhere deprived of our traditions, but, hungry for our way of life, are still able to read him here. The time he takes to write in this space is owed to no one, but he does it.

I think your parody was lost on a lot of us because it was disrespectful to what we expect in a discussion here (though I concede the car talk here is for men what a thread on the Cuda’s choice of shoes is for women).

Jan 12, 2009 - 5:49 pm 115. JA Lineberry:

No offense, Dr. Hanson, but perhaps you should watch mainstream media more often if you intend to critique them on the Kennedy matter. I have heard frequent questioning of Caroline Kennedy’s abilities, and she has been the butt of many a late-night television joke, similarly to the way in which Sarah Palin was treated. Maybe you don’t know about it because people find Palin interesting, regardless of what they think of her politics, and people generally find Caroline Kennedy uninteresting.

Jan 12, 2009 - 7:41 pm 116. narciso:

Ah Truth, Republicans have alway been predominantly middle class either in the MidWest, the West or even the North East.
being a party that believes in economic
liberty, we have more businessman than most in our ranks. The Democrats lost the South, not because of segregation, but because they jettisoned the whole core of cultural issues, strong anti crime, traditional values, respect for the military, pro enterprise, but skeptical of corporate overreaching,

Jan 12, 2009 - 7:55 pm 117. Bobby:

One of the greatest equalizers of days gone by, which is no longer used, but should be brought back, is a punch to the nose.

Jan 12, 2009 - 9:40 pm 118. Marc Malone:

101 TruthHurts – You’re right about the changing of party loyalties… but for the wrong reasons. Big Businessmen are giving far more to the Dems than to the Pubs. Attorneys and doctors vote Dem 5:1 over Pubs. The list goes on.

That’s because the Dems can be bought.

The Dems want to make things better for trial lawyers. They want universal healthcare. Forget Crony Capitalism. It’s now Beggar capitalism. Everyone is getting theirs short-term, because the payoff is HUGE. It’s a huge Ponzi scheme. They have to hope they can get enough before the music stops. Once you’ve got yours, the rest of the country can go to the Devil.

These guys aren’t thinking of their kids. Wherefore? Usually spoiled rotten brats from their first two marriages. They care naught for their country’s nor kids’ futures.

Don’t think for a second that it is some indication of the Dem Party’s superiority.

It seems that the only demographic group the Pubs have left is the white, religious, poorly-educated (non-indoctrinated) rural vote. Uh… wait… Isn’t that the group which built this country in the first place? That should tell you which party is actually superior. The decent, traditional, devout Americans, in all their ignorance, vote Republican.

Jan 13, 2009 - 4:38 am 119. Links « I Think ^(Link) Therefore I Err:

[...] 13, 2009 · No Comments Victor Davis Hansen on the ironies of 2008. ……. Again with the equality of women theme, today we have a [...]

Jan 13, 2009 - 7:42 am 120. JLawson:

Not all foriegn cars are good – I had a Fiat 128 and a Renault LeCar. The Fiat ate clutch cables – got to the point where I always had a spare in the car and I could swap it out in about ten minutes. Tried white lithium grease, WD-40, silicone grease, nothing worked – they were just crappy cables. It lasted about 45,000 miles, and I traded it in on the Renault. The Renault wasn’t bad – it lasted 87k, and the air conditioner was always a bit iffy…

Bought a used Toyota Corolla, $750, 75k miles – drove it for 5 years, 80k miles, two sets of U-joints, two sets of brakes, two water pumps, two sets of tires. When it started making expensive noises from the transmission, I traded it in (for $300) for a new ‘92 Saturn. That lasted 10 years, 160k, one starter, one ignition switch. Bought a Honda CR-V, and it’s been essentially trouble-free (except for things I caused myself messing around with the electrical system for sat radio.)

Would I buy American? Depends – if there was a model I really liked. But it’s about 4 more years until I get another car – there’s plenty of time for things to change.

Re Palin – the left fears her. You can tell – all the effort they’re expending to bring her down and distort her story…

Jan 13, 2009 - 1:51 pm 121. David S:

@120

JLawson,

The only thing frightening about Sarah Palin is that anyone takes her seriously. The left would be happy to have her be the face of the GOP for a generation. Palin would be wise to stay in Alaska, where she can avoid scrutiny.

There is a small fringe in the USA that has become enamored of Mrs. Pitbull, but the vast majority can see that this empress has no clothes – and no brains.

Peace.

DS

Jan 13, 2009 - 5:00 pm 122. seguin:

“Today’s Japanese makes can do much better than 200k and are actually NOT rolling hunks of garbage, NOT shouting yourself hoarse noisy, and — get this — are actually fun to drive. They can easily pass going uphill. And unlike your basic Buicks, they’re comfy on long rides AND look like they’re designed for someone under the age of 90.”

Huh? When was the last time you looked at any American car? Much less a Buick (which, btw, is second only to Lexus in long term reliability and initial quality). Your statement doesn’t really apply to reality.

I’ve personally had good and bad luck with my domestics. Of course, the only foreign cars I’ll buy are Alfa Romeos, but that’s beside the point. My ‘92 Spirit R/T spent a third of its time on jackstands, although that is partially my fault – ~240 hp and a lead foot don’t mix. My Jeep, which is supposed to be one of the worst of the domestics, is holding steady at 134,000. I needed a new radiator once, but that’s nothing major. My ‘66 Olds was horribly abused (including throwing it into park at 70 mph), but ran like a top for the 40,000 miles or so that I had it, over its original 80k.

I’d say, personally, take a good long look at domestics before eliminating them. I know many people with over 300k on their Suburbans that have enjoyed them thoroughly. And I have a friend whose Accord blew its tranny at 60k.

Jan 13, 2009 - 5:43 pm 123. 2008 Reflections: Women & Politics (Palin vs Kennedy) | Pirates! Man Your Women!:

[...] Works and Days » Say They Aren’t So (No Ratings Yet)  Loading … [...]

Jan 13, 2009 - 7:06 pm 124. 2008 Reflection: the bias… & Confusion. | Pirates! Man Your Women!:

[...] Works and Days » Say They Aren’t So (No Ratings Yet)  Loading … [...]

Jan 13, 2009 - 7:10 pm 125. 2008 Reflections: That was wrong.. but NOW it is right? | Pirates! Man Your Women!:

[...] Works and Days » Say They Aren’t So (No Ratings Yet)  Loading … [...]

Jan 13, 2009 - 7:16 pm 126. 2008 Reflections: California Gay. | Pirates! Man Your Women!:

[...] Works and Days » Say They Aren’t So (No Ratings Yet)  Loading … [...]

Jan 13, 2009 - 8:02 pm 127. Gypsytda:

GREAT article! Great insights!

The BIG 3.. I found it amusing that there are people defending and giving their examples of working domestic cars. Yes, you can come across a domestic vehicle that works (accidents happen).. but it is the (lack of) reliability history (which can easily be proven) and the current financiall situation they have.

The Big 3 laughed at Honda & Toyota when they arrived in US, never thinking of them as competition. They arrived at the right time with the best feature.. great gas mileage! They continued to improve.. while theBIG 3 continued to decay in any quality they once had. They stagnanted. The only thing the BIG 3 were ever focused on was appearance.. they made nice looking “lawn-ornaments” since that was as far as most could travel.

Hyundai’s cheap vehicles arrived..yet again the big 3 laughed, and yet again have been surpassed!

Now they are a sinking ship, havey they or will they learn? no.. they know they can hold their hands out for more money and they will get it.. they don’t have to improve.

Have I owned a Domestic.. yep, it was a Mercury Topaz. Would I ever buy one again? Heck you could not pay me to take one! What have I owned since? I had a Prelude over 10 years. An Integra I gave up at 8 years to move across the country. My Element is 6 years old this month. I have nothing more than oil changes, tires & brakes to deal with. The Mercury would only move if going down hill, I lost track on the number & types of repairs I had to make.

I grew up with GM vehicles.. the last one that was worth anythingwas a 1960s chevy station wagon.. it was a tank (the floor boards were rusted out, we frequently saw parts fall on to the road.. but somehow the engine still worked.. nothing else did, but that ONE i loved). We had a 1970s oldsmobile stationwagon, which had 3 transmissions in the course of a year. JUNK! There was a Chevy s-10.. I have seen coupes bigger than that wish-i-were-a-truck. It was not terribly problematic, but my father did not drive above 5 mph, so i don’t think we could/would notice any issues.

Palin vs Kennedy. I really liked Palin, and too hope she runs in 2012! She was real, honest & decent. Kennedy.. is a name only..nothing more, no substance, no value.. nada. Hum sounds like that yahoo that is our new president! No way anyone can toss around the experience issue, since that dip-stick won!

What was wrong under Bush is now OK under Obama.. don’t that beat all.. sadly his followers are all brain-dead zombies.. you can not revive the dead! We are stuck with 4 years of media drooling and stupid liberals.. sigh!

Prop 8.. I think California is a ridiculous state.. they have been pushing gay acceptance in our schools, down to kindergartners.. yet they rejected a union for gays? They need to straighten their priorities. NO child should have homosexuality or sex of any kind explained when they are in kindergarten.. especially by our (awful) school systems. But on that same token.. the one thing california could and should embrace is unions for gays. They deserve the same benefits of any committed relationship. I know more truly committed gay couples than i do heterosexual couples. This just an argument that should not be an argument.. it is over terminology… To appease those who want “marriage” to be man & woman.. just choose an acceptable/appropriate term for a same sex couple.. and lets be done with it.

An award for threats to Bush but a major freak out for a cartoon. This being fear.. that is an interesting theory, i think it is just ignorance and stupidity of the liberal-left! They would have a hissy fit if he blew out a birthday candle.. it does not matter what he does or did.. it was wrong.. in their limited vision. They are petty & hatefilled, it has clouded their judgement and any sense they might have had once.

Bogus protests.. targetted in safe places.. I know too many people of this breed, they think they are doing something so riteous and good by protesting. Protesting to me is just a joke.. either you walkin circles with a sign, maybe chanting.. or the other extreme of utter stupid violence (ie PETA).. and never held or targetted at anything more dangerous than a uncooked marshmellow.

Again.. wonderful article thank you.. thank you!

Jan 13, 2009 - 8:35 pm 128. Nick D:

This is for STEVE, the #6 post:
Steve wrote: “I am against corporate welfare for business.” Isn’t it hypocritical to be against corporate welfare when you are supporting a foreign company that got billions of taxpayer money in the way of corporate tax breaks? That smells like welfare to me. The media has done a great job making people believe the quality of the big three is less than foreign automakers. The media is quick to tell us that Hyundai got the car of the year award at the Detroit auto show, but where were they when the Ford F-150 won truck of the year. Another example of the media trying to destroy America and its culture.

Jan 14, 2009 - 3:22 pm 129. Steve:

Mr. Hanson, I have been reading through your columns. I was hoping to encounter some interesting musings, but you seem less interested in discussing issues than incessantly complaining about liberals, the left, et al. How disappointing. I was expecting some serious discussion but this sure ain’t it. Mr. Hanson, I’m afraid you have a lot more in common with those ideologically-driven, left-wing talking heads than you seem to realize.

Jan 23, 2009 - 12:05 am 130. Mary Jo:

Doc: Sully today praises Obama, the “War” Lincoln and damns Bush. Does he know what Lincoln did/had to do during the Civil War/Between the States? Was that justified for the reasons his friend Hitch has written about?

Feb 12, 2009 - 2:07 pm

Write a Comment

Name:	(required, displayed)
Email:	(required, not publicized)
URL:	(optional, displayed)
Comments: