wake_rider
Birdie Member
Derailed thread, but I'll bite.
I've had 4 Honda's, an Acura, 2000 Toyota 4runner, 86 Mustang 5.0, 92 Ranger, 96 Cummins Ram, 2000 f250 powerstroke, and my wife came into our marriage with a VW Jetta.
All vehicles that were not Japanese (aside of the fox body mustang, and kind of the Ranger) were pieces of junk and I could not have rid myself of them faster. I finally sold off my 97 civic with 328,000 miles since I just never drove it anymore (replaced 2 timing belts as routine maintenence in my garage and had to replace a half-shaft with a popping cv joint last year...in my garage). Drove a 2003 AWD Element to 170k until it was totaled by a phone distracted sorority chick running a red light on a highway, but it had a timing chain that never needed replacement, and it never once saw a tool for anything more than routine maintenance. I still have the 06 Acura and it's the same story (well, I once had to change the passenger side front door window switch that still worked but lost its ability to spring back after being presed since a spring broke in the switch. $62 for the part and 15 minutes later, that was fixed.) Drove a 90 Accord to 230k until I sold it to a cousin so I could put funds towards buying a diesel truck so I could haul trailers for work, and for leisure when going to motocross races. He still drives that Accord to this day. First bought the dodge...massive mistake. Sold it within 3 months to buy the Powerstroke, a slightly better mistake that I sold off about 2 years later when I changed careers and bought a smaller trailer for going to races (started using the Element to pull my bike around. Way less fuel, better storage, and could lay the chairs down to make a bed and sleep in it on race weekends).
Also still driving the 2000 4Runner 4x4 with 185k that we take to Colorado twice a year (winter to ski, summer to backpack in Lake County near Leadville), and it has never even had a hiccup and is still rattle free even on the nastiest Jeep trails in the mountains. Right up there with the civic and Element as the best car I've ever owned. I don't see ever giving this thing up before 350k. The jury is still out on the 06 Acura TSX, though at 85k, so far it has been amazing.
The Jetta was somehow the worst of every vehicle I've ever owned. By 60k, it had been towed for major breakdowns 8, yes EIGHT times. All breakdowns were unrelated, so said the stealership. Sold that thing and never looked back. Too bad, aside of the reliability, it was a super functional, comfortable, and fun to drive vehicle. It was just an absolute turdbucket when it came to reliability and ability to be worked on.
