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Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale
From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Badmouthing American-built cars
Message-ID: <2377@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Apr-84 23:13:03 EST
Article-I.D.: watcgl.2377
Posted: Thu Apr  5 23:13:03 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Apr-84 04:08:44 EST
References: <610@ihuxn.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 24

I too buy cars for their VALUE.  But my idea of value might not be
the same as yours.  American cars (at least some of them) seem to
take complete neglect better than European or Japanese cars - this
is certainly an element of value, and I consider this a point in their
favour.  And they are cheaper to repair.

But there are other components of value too.  My current car is a VW
rabbit (built, but not designed, in the US).  It is more responsive to
throttle and steering input than anything else I've ever driven - I
attribute this to fuel injection.  Once it is warmed up, it NEVER
hesitates when I step on the accelerator, and even when cold is runs
better than many cars when warm.  It has ALWAYS started in cold weather
(but VW puts a heavier battery in Canada-bound cars - how many American
manufacturers do that?)  The steering is sensitive, with little play.
The suspension is mushier than I like, but better than most American
cars - I simply feel more in control of this car than any American
car I've driven.  And the controls and instruments are fairly well
laid out, and functional.  How many American cars seem to put styling
before function?

I haven't looked at cars for 3 years, but when I bought the rabbit it
seemed to be the best value, given the things I care about, available.
And unless the Detroit manufacturers have changed their philosophy
since, I expect that to be still true.