The trouble with American automobiles.

[Jon Bailey]

From the 1950's through the 1980's, the Big Three had big, roomy, stylish, comfy, zoomy and flashy boats. In the 1990's, they really started to be lackluster in style. These classic Ameri-cruisers were comfy, that is, until they broke down to leave you stranded in the desert or mountains.

The trouble was:

1. they used too much gas
2. they were overpriced for what they really were
3. they lacked Japanese longevity and mechanical reliabilty
4. they lacked European solidity, fit and finish and quality of body, trim, paint and interior materials
5. their dealerships were often not nice to customers: they lacked the sunny disposition of foreign-car dealerships; Big Three dealers wanted to take your money and never see you again
6. some Big Three cars were downright dangerous as the Corvair and Pinto
7. Big Three companies were fiercely profit-driven

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by Jon Bailey

From the 1950's through the 1980's, the Big Three had big, roomy,
stylish, comfy, zoomy and flashy boats. In the
1990's, they really started to be lackluster in style. These classic
Ameri-cruisers were comfy, that is, until they broke down to leave
you stranded in the desert or mountains.

The trouble was:

1. they used too much gas
2. they were overpriced for what they really were
3. they lacked Japanese longevity and mechanical reliabilty
4. they lacked European solidity, fit and finish and quality of
body, trim, paint and interior materials
5. their dealerships were often not nice to customers: they lacked
the sunny disposition of foreign-car dealerships; Big Three dealers
wanted to take your money and never see you again
6. some Big Three cars were downright dangerous as the Corvair
and Pinto
7. Big Three companies were fiercely profit-driven

8. The larger domestic models handled less adeptly than smaller domestic ones, or European and Asian imports. (Remember, RidingOnRailz is all about handling!)

6. (amended) If American drivers were more up on tire pressure maintenance, Corvair would have been fine - unless pushed to its utmost limits.

[Blue Bowtie]

6. some Big Three cars were downright dangerous as the Corvair and Pinto

And import cars are always safe, like the BWM Isetta. It seems that it always crash-tested better than a bulldozer, and couldn't possibly roll over at an impressive three feet of width.

And then there was THE quintissential import car, the VW Type 1. It was tougher than an M1A1, never killed it occupants with carbon monoxide once the Reynolds Wrap heat boxes rusted out (about 6 months of use), and was the first car to drive itself (like the Tesla?) whether it wanted to stay on the pavement or take a hike through the woods.

Datsun 210?

Suzuki Swift?

Yugo?

How many more examples would you like?

[Blue Bowtie]

4. they lacked European solidity, fit and finish and quality of body, trim, paint and interior materials

Right back to the Type 1 again. This is too easy.

3. they lacked Japanese longevity and mechanical reliabilty

Toyota Tundra and Fore-Skinner, Honda Civic (1980s) Ridgeline (2022)...

All of those had forced recalls for rusting through in less than three years. The Toyotas had frame failures, and of course, that couldn't possibly present any kind of safety or durability issues.

The Hondas just fall apart, providing visual clues to the driver that either the fender on your driveway or fuel tank hanging from under the vehicle is like a flashing light on the instrument panel. A clever bit of Japanese engineering, that was.

[Blue Bowtie]

5. their dealerships were often not nice to customers: they lacked the sunny disposition of foreign-car dealerships; Big Three dealers wanted to take your money and never see you again

Dealerships are often not nice to customers. Retailers are often not nice to customers in and endeavor. Look up "Anderson Toyota" and you might find that they had more time in court than most judges.

7. Big Three companies were fiercely profit-driven

History lesson, another no-brainer for anyone willing to learn. Toyoda (yes, that's the way the family name is spelled - look up "Sakichi Toyoda") was a conglomerate before WWII in vehicles, machinery, and other arenas, and still is. They acquired all their stature and influence by divine providence from the Shinto gods, and by not earning profits.

Mitsubishi has been around even longer in everything from electrical products to cars, ships, aircraft, machinery, and foods. They actually controlled some of the Japanese Imperial Ministers through their influence. Of course, they had no capital to do that because they didn't have any profit from their operations.

[Jon Bailey]

Admittedly, no automobile ever made was perfect. At one time or another, each and every car ever made by man had one or more of the following shortcomings:

1. expensive to buy new and sometimes even expensive used or preowned
2. expensive to own, repair and/or upkeep
3. looked ugly and/or cheaply-made
4. hard to park
5. had inferior materials
6. had a bad design
7. was made with bad workmanship
8. lacked room
9. lacked comforts
10. used too much gas
11. broke down a lot
12. was prone to premature rust
13. had limited options
14. had limited colors
15. had too much tech crap
16. bad body, paint, interior and/or trim quality
17. lacked longevity
18. wasn't the safest car in the world
19. lacked resale value
20. was expensive to insure
21. was a cop-grabber
22. was bad for the ecology
23. was difficult to find OEM parts for
24. was subject to recalls
25. had limited warranty backing
26. was sold by unpleasant dealerships
27. rattled and/or was noisy
28. was difficult to drive
29. was not a pleasure to drive
30. did not handle well
31. lacked mechanical reliability
32. lacked longevity
33. was boring to drive
34. lacked utility
35. lacked practicality
36. was prone to interior water leaks
37. shook at idle or on rough roads
38. had a rough ride
39. hard to find a shop who knows how to fix it
40. ran on fossil fuels which will not last for much longer on earth

[Blue Bowtie]

And if you're thinking of reverting to a horse, it can get even worse/more costly.

[Jon Bailey]

How about an ox cart or even a Flintstonesmobile? Pill in gas tank full of water? Solar panels on roof? In the late 1970's when solar energy was suggested as an alternative for fossil fuels my grandfather once remarked that "you cannot pump the sun".

Seriously folks, what will happen for transportation when all fossil fuels are gone? Somebody had better think of something.

Battery technology not looking good so far. It won't be long before all gasoline cars become antiques.

https://youtu.be/XWq-Mq1Uqpw

[Jon Bailey]

Originally Posted by jeffmorris

People in USA buy huge pickup trucks or huge SUVs instead of regular cars. Most car makers either stop making regular cars or sell them in USA. I saw a huge pickup truck that took TWO parking spaces front to back in a supermarket's parking lot.

I try not to burn any more gas than I really need to. I drive a 1995 Corolla DX. 31 MPG highway still after 110K on the clock.