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To whoever wrote the comment above this one; Which automotive magazine do you work for?
I have driven both a Camry and an Accord and was disappointed in both. It sounds like you are riding in a tank. The road noise is terrible and the engine roar is not much better.
I second that. And third it as well, if that's an option. Finding someone who actually agrees with my point of view regarding an American car is like SETI getting a signal back. It's possible, but I never expect it.
I've read the magazine reviews (online versions, anyway). I quickly learned to avoid Motor Trend, C&D, and Road & Track. Honda has them in their collective back pocket, so their reviews are no good. There's edmunds.com, which always praises GM's engines and transmissions for their absolute sturdiness, but then proceeds to complain about the interior. After reading their reviews, you might think a Buick accelerates smoothly, but it's hard to see past the rags hanging from the roof, and the doors might fall off. My grandmother would have a word for that: NITPICKING. That would be in addition to my own summary: exaggeration. So Edmunds is slightly better than the others, but not much. Then there's Consumer Reports. I favor them over the others because of the "no advertising dollars" thing. To me, that means the purely factual test data (acceleration, etc.) is reliable. As far as the other stuff, like interior, seats, and all that, however, they also tend to nitpick. The only opinion you should consider about stuff like that is your own.
In my opinion, the Accord and Camry are excellent cars, but there's no way they compare to riding in a Century, or any other Buick or Olds (now long gone, sigh). In anticipation of any comments by Accord drivers, I will reiterate: I like the Accord very much. But when I get in my 2003 Century, it just has that "feel." The feel of a large, comfortable, competent AMERICAN sedan. Yeah, yeah, I know, American car companies can't do anything right. To some, that thought is absolutely ingrained, to the point that American cars are all tiny and underpowered, breaking down before they leave the dealer. How about putting down the biased magazine and test-driving one before you form an unfounded opinion.
I like Honda reliability and all, but what if I want more comfort, and vastly reduced road noise, so I can carry on a conversation at 70mph without yelling? I'm no huge fan of Fords, but I'm damn sure going to get a Crown Vic or whatever before an Accord. Those of us who own American don't bash imports, yet here on a Buick page, some arrogant fool decides to post that first ridiculous comment.
The second comment at first made me laugh, but my laughter turned somewhat sour as I realized the truth it evinced. If you read the mags, you'll miss out on an American car, and that's your problem. I don't care. No hard feelings, but it's pretty dang foolish to fail to weigh all options when you're going to spend 20 grand. But, whatever. Your car is good and all, but to me, capitalist pig that I am, my Buick is a damn sight better.
To the pro-American car posters I have to ask this question:
If Americans cars are sooooo great and have always been soooooo great how in the world did the imports gain such marketshare?
I can tell you from my personal experience. My parents' 1980 Buick Skylark had to have virtually all major components replaced before they traded it in on a Camry. A teacher I knew in graduate school was so horrified by her Century's reliability she couldn't wait to get an Accord. My friend's Ford Focus had 20 recalls and was in the shop endless times. His mother now drives one of the last Oldsmobile minivans. It feels like it was put together by a child using parts found in the trash.
I'm as American as the next guy, but that doesn't mean I have to support American mechanics, and that's exactly what you end up doing.
Maybe cars like the Pontiac Solstice will turn things around, but given that American manufacturers prefer mediocrity over quality I truly doubt it.
You can't base your opinion about a whole industry on simple anecdotal evidence. For every "my college roommate's uncle's friend's 1971 Pontiac was junk" story, there is another "my friend's cousin's nephew's Honda was junk" story.
Look at the facts. In the most recent Initial Quality survey by JD Power, Buick ranked 3rd, behind only Jaguar and Lexus - cars costing significantly more. As a matter of fact, Buick has ranked in the Top 10 in both initial quality AND long-term reliability for most of the last 2 decades. Consumer Reports has consistently rated the LeSabre as one of the best used cars money can buy.
"Import" brands gained market share because of a few bad American products in the 1970's, and the personal biases of a large group of self-hating Americans who are all to ready to believe the worst about themselves. Check the facts. Buicks are great cars, always have been, and ONE bad experience by ONE person 26 years ago doesn't change that.
Keep in mind that the Ford Focus is not an American vehicle, it is an exact copy from the German Ford Factory and here in Europe we have more problems with the Focus than overmileaged Thunderbirds.
As to the comment: "How did the imports gain such marketshare"
Well, specificly the Japanese gained such marketshare because of dumping back in the days, which our government did nothing against, unlike the European countries.
Go to Germany, how many Toyotas and Hondas do you see there?
Not many compared to all the VW's, Audis, BMW's and Mercedes, not to mention Opel's, Citroen, Fiats etc...
Honda and Toyota started out as junk, unreliable, cheap junk.
But americans kept buying them because they were CHEAP.
Much like Americans are now buying Kia's and Hyundai's because they are cheap, even though not too long ago Kia's and Hyundai's were totally unreliable too.
As to Buick's, they make good, long lasting cars, I can attest to that, and they are so comfortable.
So you're comparing your 626 to the 15 buick centuries all your friends own and saying your car is more reliable? Its 2006 buddy and your friends don't exist and niether should your paranoid thoughts on american autos. You do your research and know your stuff, you won't buy a crappy car, whatever make it is. If you don't do anything, you get a crappy car.
YES I am comparing my all japanese 626 to the americans.
I'm NOT going to say 626s are top in cars, but I drive my japanese car 200 to 250 miles a day!! I have driven a total of 31k miles since I bought it a year and a half ago. I did the 30k in just in the last 6 months.
This car has given me NO headaches. Engine and transmissions runs STRONG. AND THIS CAR IS 21 YEARS OLD TOO!!!
I have owned another 84 all japanese 626 before, it had 246k miles on it and the engine AND transmission was still going. I NEVER had to replace the engine or transmission!
Not like my co workers Century, a MUCH newer car than my oldie car, and having these stupid things that should not give up, like the electronic odometer.
One other thing too. When I owned americanized cars (WHICH NEVER WILL HAPPEN TODAY 7-06!!) I had NEVER came through more than say 2 weeks without someone telling me : "You car is NOT going to last. They're LOW quality" I had ALWAYS got nothing but bad comments about americans I owned! After owning a few of them and driven a some of miles (and not anything close to how much I drive my all japanese 626) and experienced, I KNOW WHY NOW!!
And I agree with all the bad comments ALL THE WAY! I had MAJOR problems with these. Engines and transmission dies. VERY expensive problems. These american cars made me lose A LOT of money, thanks alot. On my (all japanese) car, I never never had problems with engines or transmissions!
People bought Hondas and Toyotas because they were afraid to buy American cars. Honda and Toyota still build some of the best vehicles on the road. Why do you think that the Japanese can keep the same name for one vehicle for more than 25 years? The American cars that do that are either Sports cars or Trucks, and cars like the Malibu or Charger don't count, they were just reused names after being on hiatus.
Toyota is posed to take over as the worlds number one automaker and Honda is making money these days. Why not GM or Ford? HMMMMM. Hondas and Toyotas are Cheap, affordable cars? I think not! Just fresh, reliable, safe, and altogether SAFE vehicles are what they are, bub.
American or Domestic, It don't matter what your drive cause every vehicle that is built, will have some type of problem or recall. Tell me a vehicle that's 20 years old that's never had a problem? If cars did't have problems, automakers would stop making cars all togather. Also, automakers would not make money. Every single car in the world has a recall!
For crash test, every car gets 5 stars, Japanese or America's, but these tests are carried out under 40mph, or some even under 31mph, and for most serious accidents, they happen above 60mph or highway speed, then the Japanese car kills. Go to iihs.org, and open page http://www.iihs.org/brochures/ictl/pdf/ictl_0906.pdf, you know Honda Accord is 123% and Toyota Camry is 110% more likely to cause injury, for Mazda, the injury is much higher, where Buick LeSabre is only 55%, century is 85%, they perform much better than Japanese cars. For those who drive Japanese cars, you need to think about protecting your life and your families' life is much more important than anything else.
Open here http://www.geocities.com/toyota_camry_06 to see how Japanese car kills.
I am driving america's cars, because they are safer.
Hey just thought I'd say something about that Toyota Camry in the above link, it appears to me that the driver of that car was going to fast following a truck, and has smashed into the rear end of it, which legally puts them in the wrong, In New Zealand at least that's the way it is. If you were to do the same thing in a similiar car that was American you would probably find that the same thing would happen, resulting in loss of life of the driver and serious injury to the passenger.
So this example does'nt really show that much truth to what your saying about Japanese cars being less safe, the fact is that in any car you would find that if you were to contest with a truck, you will end up coming worse off!!!
"YES I am comparing my all japanese 626 to the americans.
I'm NOT going to say 626s are top in cars, but I drive my japanese car 200 to 250 miles a day!! I have driven a total of 31k miles since I bought it a year and a half ago. I did the 30k in just in the last 6 months.
This car has given me NO headaches. Engine and transmissions runs STRONG. AND THIS CAR IS 21 YEARS OLD TOO!!!
I have owned another 84 all japanese 626 before, it had 246k miles on it and the engine AND transmission was still going. I NEVER had to replace the engine or transmission!
Not like my co workers Century, a MUCH newer car than my oldie car, and having these stupid things that should not give up, like the electronic odometer.
One other thing too. When I owned americanized cars (WHICH NEVER WILL HAPPEN TODAY 7-06!!) I had NEVER came through more than say 2 weeks without someone telling me : "You car is NOT going to last. They're LOW quality" I had ALWAYS got nothing, but bad comments about americans I owned! After owning a few of them and driven a some of miles (and not anything close to how much I drive my all japanese 626) and experienced, I KNOW WHY NOW!!
And I agree with all the bad comments ALL THE WAY! I had MAJOR problems with these. Engines and transmission dies. VERY expensive problems. These american cars made me lose A LOT of money, thanks a lot. On my (all japanese) car, I never never had problems with engines or transmissions"
I had a good laugh after reading this comment lol, gotta love how biased and ignorant some people are. BTW learn how to capitalize.
I am pro import cars myself. I believe they just last longer. However after buying a 2005 avalon, I am not looking back at domestics. Imports aren't always cracked up to what they used to be. I have had so many problems with my avalon for a 26k used car I will never make another purchase like that again. I had an 86 buick century... and I can say it wasn't a bad car... just not exciting. But if you look at the more practical side of things, a buick century makes more sense...don't forget we all have different tastes and experiences. Imports are still my fav, but they are losing ground quickly.