From: garyh@sco.COM (< Gary H >)
Subject: Re: Before Buying Japanese.
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 21:41:49 GMT


In article <0fITpTy00UzxE37dJz@andrew.cmu.edu> jr4q+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jason M. Roth) writes:
!>or similar. Some of us are looking for reliability, safety,
!>good MPG, low maintenance costs. I have a Honda Civic that
!>I am very happy with. In 2.5 years, if has never failed to
!>start (even a single attempt!), or needed any repairs of
!>any kind. It gets close to 40 mpg. I wouldn't trade it for yours.
!
!Well, I had an '87 Pontiac Grand Am, and in 92k miles I don't ever
!recall starting troubles; big deal. Around 80k it had problems w/ the
!distributorless ignition (in the rain) that I fixed myself (I know, it
!sounds odd that it started w/ ign. probs, but that's part of the point);
!that's it. The mileage wasn't even close (ca. 25, auto, hard driving),
!but I wouldn't dispute that for a moment. Oh, yeah, someone brought up
!safety: I hit a parked car @30+ mph (it was raining, I wasn't paying
!attention, I was an idiot), wearing belt (of course) but no bag, and got
!not one bruise; try that in a Honda.

How about a Toyota! That has happened to me, except the parked car was
a cement truck and I was going 40mph, no air bags, no ABS.  Not a single
scratch.  Scared the hell out of me though.  If the Pontiac can keep you
safe and my Toyota can, what makes you think the Honda can't? (the answer
probably lies below)

! Has anyone else noticed (Newsweek or some such did an article on it
!10-91) that US cars now virtually match Japanese for quality (as
!measured in actual repairs, not "feel", which is suspiciously
!subjective), and beat them in size, cost, and, on average, fuel economy,
!yet half the country insists that only a redneck idiot would buy US? I'd
!say that someone buying a Tercel these days is in the same mindset as
!someone who bought a Dodge 600 (or whatever) in the early 80s. He wants
!to buy a car made in a certain country, and won't consider the other
!option. The human brain is marvelously adept at justifying its
!prejudices, including justifying its justifications (to itself and
!others). What's the difference between "Japanese piece of shit" and
!"American piece of shit"? Good question....

All I can say is reread your article and ask yourself if you have any
prejudices against japanese cars? I know that basically, you are
saying, "Why ain't people buying American? They are as good as Japanese".
But if you eliminate your prejudices, does it matter if I buy American
or Japanese? Fine, I'll get out of this discussion by buy buying German 8-).

Anyways, your point is well taken: buy a car that you like, not because
it's American or Japanese.

Oh, back to your question --- piece of shit is a piece of shit.

Gary
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