13th Apr 2008, 14:57

You stated that the Dakota was "flawless" up until 115,000 miles. That is your word. You still seem to not understand that you are only offering your opinion that the Tacoma was better than the Dakota. You are only qualified to state your opinion as to your experience with a 1998 Tacoma and a 1995 Dakota. Your 1998 Tacoma has nothing to do with a 2008 Camry, nor does a 1995 Dakota represent a proxy for the entire American auto industry.

13th Apr 2008, 15:55

I wrote the original comment about the Dakota and the Tacoma I now own.

Of course, when I said the Dakota ran to 115,000, some domestic owners took that to mean that it was as good as a Toyota, after I clearly explained why it was not.

Maybe just to clarify, I should have compared the Tacoma to the Ford Ranger I had to get the point across.

OK, to sum up, the Toyota was and is perfect, just like the other two I have owned in the last 15 years. Nothing has ever gone wrong. I have yet, in a decade and a half, to make a repair on a Toyota, and believe me, I've driven them hard.

OK, back to the Ranger. It was undoubtedly the biggest pile of junk I've ever seen or heard about, with the possible exception of my sister's Blazer; hard to say which was more cheaply made or broke down more often. Good old domestic 'quality'. What a laugh.

I don't even have the patience to list everything that went wrong with the Ranger. The shorter list would be of parts that I DIDN'T replace. Which is why I have to laugh when some domestic owner suggests I buy another Ford or Chevy. Why not just empty my wallet out and GIVE it to a Ford salesman? That would be easier than trying to get to work in one and having to have it towed repeatedly to the garage. Saves time.

If my Tacoma had been twice the price, and a new Ranger was offered to me for half the price, I'd still buy the Toyota and be further ahead in the long run. Funny how these Fords magically run forever in on line stories, but in reality, everyone I know that made the mistake of buying one hates it within a few years because it breaks down. Meanwhile, the Toyota's just keep on taking abuse and running perfectly.

13th Apr 2008, 21:15

Comment 11:14 makes a very good point. The GM owner's truck WILL one day start to fall apart. That is typically between 275,000 to 300,000 miles. At that point he will sell it to someone who will have minor problems with it and write a nasty review of it on CarSurvey, putting down all domestics as garbage. That seems to be the pattern.

14th Apr 2008, 13:01

If so much goes wrong with Rangers, it is interesting that it has EXACTLY the same reliability rating as the Tacoma.

14th Apr 2008, 16:22

I also have a 2001 Dakota Extended Cab V8 with 170,000 miles that has been great. Maybe it's the V8 that easily accommodates this size truck, but the drivetrain is absolutely outstanding, unlike the imports I am seeing.

So now there is a second Dakota on this review... one ran perfect til 115,000 until it was totaled by the Tacoma owner. If the Tacoma was totaled at 20,000 miles, would that mean it would have been junk?... and then there is my company owned vehicle running flawless at 170,000. That is a testimonial in that its not a vehicle I have any financial ties to.

The best reviews are company owned vehicles in my opinion, because there is no bias financial or otherwise. If they suck they suck, but this vehicle I have praise. I am sure my extended cab Dakota rides a lot better as well... no bouncy hopping ride.

14th Apr 2008, 18:44

21:15.

That's right.

When import vehicles break, their owners shrug it aside and say "oh well, all cars break, even my beloved import".

By contrast, if a domestic vehicle were to have the exact same problem, these same people would unilaterally say all domestic vehicles are garbage.

There is a stark double standard.

14th Apr 2008, 20:32

I would not be caught dead in a Ford, and I would sooner buy a Ford than a Chevy, so that should sum up my opinions about GM.

As I've said, I live very close to the Lordstown, Ohio GM plant; I've been set to laughing with stories of how those pieces of crap are built; I know plenty of guys that have worked there for years. Even they only drive them because they more or less have to.

Guess what? Guess what kinds of cars they buy for their wives and so forth? Toyota's and Honda's. Or rather, anything but GM's, despite the employee discounts.

Whoever out there wants to believe a GM will get anywhere near 300,000 miles can go ahead and believe it. I know better.

15th Apr 2008, 05:43

In 300,000 miles I will have been on my 6th import or domestic vehicles, and I suspect I am in the majority.

I personally do not like the idea of my wife or children driving extreme mileage vehicle in bad weather or at night.

I have kept a few vehicles too long and ultimately it was me that had to come to the rescue and await tow service.

The newest import reliability in our household has been poor.

Since this is about full size trucks, not about small vehicles at Lordstown (cars) it would be nice to see more late model comparisons those driving Tundras 2 or 3 years old, not 10 years ago and not even the correct type comparison.

I have had 3 new GM full size models since 2004 not one issue. I am now towing my fishing boat every weekend and it performs great.

I do not feel like going to dealer maintenance shops anymore and that has been a relief. My time is too valuable.

Imports lost me as a customer and I searched elsewhere. It's pretty simple, you go where you have the best service and durability; at this point and time the new domestics are superior in our household.

15th Apr 2008, 14:17

I worked in a Buick dealership in the late 90's. I guess I must have been imagining things when I saw Buicks with 200 - 300K+ miles come in for oil changes on a regular basis.

I guess I was also imagining things when I saw those vehicles' service histories and that minimal had been done to them besides routine maintenance.

I guess I was also imagining my S-10 with well over 200,000 miles on it that was running perfectly when I sold it.

I guess I was imagining my neighbor's many Chevy vans he always bought for his business that always went over 300,000 miles without failing him.

I guess I was also imagining my friend's Chevy Cavalier built at the plant you mentioned that had well over 200,000 miles and was running perfectly when he sold it.

I could think of so many examples to illustrate how off base your comment is, it would take me forever to write them. I won't bother, because I doubt you would ever challenge your assumptions anyway.