Test Drove a Nissan Versa Today

[TomT]

Although Consumer Reports may not be perfect, if you can find any other place that tests vehicles, collects data and does not accept any advertising money then let me know. Otherwise, I'll stick to CR. You can always find an exception to any vehicle but I think their reports are pretty damn accurate.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

A lot of good suggestions here. I like the looks of the Mazda 3. I hesitate to go to a Mazda dealership though. I am afraid of going there and blowing my whole promotion raise on an RX-8. I have toyed with the idea of trading in the ST on one of those or a Lotus Elise, and then picking up a beater pickup for a couple thousand to do my weekend projects.



I just have to convince myself that driving a sporty car to work is a practical thing to do. It certainly would save gas money, but my fiancee might not like the attention I'd get from those young female Airmen on base.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Although Consumer Reports may not be perfect, if you can find any other place that tests vehicles, collects data and does not accept any advertising money then let me know. Otherwise, I'll stick to CR.

Consumer Reports says they do not accept money from anyone regarding their tests.



Iraq has WMD's.



Anyone can say anything they want. I am not calling Darin a liar, so please don't think I am, but he might say his Matrix has been trouble free but been in the shop for various issues and is still in denial. The same goes for me. My Trac could have already blown three engines and I am still driving it, but I claim it is perfect.



Anyone can say anything they want. Only the person making the statement knows the real truth.



Just for the record, I have no doubt that Darin is telling the truth. Most cars coming off the assembly line are trouble free and it doesn't matter who makes it.





Tom

 

[Mike Wilson]

Sorry about the mixup between the Nova, Geo, and Prism, but then again, isn't that

why they call them "Clones" in the first place! No one can seem to tell them apart.

And I work for G.M.! Ha!Ha!. Shows you how much attention I was paying to those

particular vehicles when they came out.

But my point remains on the percieved quality aspect of the whole thing.

I did read those surveys on the Van Nuys plant back then, and they trashed the

American made version, and had nothing but praises for the Toyota.

And speaking of Toyota, it's not them that are scaring me now, it's Hyundai!

They kicked everybody's arse in the last quality surveys, and not just J.D.Powers.

They were third only behind Lexus and BMW!:blink:

 

[Nelson Atwell]

The Koreans are smart. If they didn't build them well, they'd go broke fixing all of them under that 100K mile/10 year warranty. Somehow, they sell their cars cheaper than the American companies too. It's not like labor is cheap in Korea anymore. Even as an American, I found it rather expensive to live in Korea.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Somehow, they sell their cars cheaper than the American companies too. It's not like labor is cheap in Korea anymore. Even as an American, I found it rather expensive to live in Korea.

That simply boiled down to tax differences between the USA and the rest of the world. Many countries refund 100% of all tax's their manufacturers pay if the item is shipped overseas. The USA does not do that for the American companies. So, an item built in Germany is built tax free until it is imported into the USA where the government charges an import tax. A car built in the USA gets shipped to Germany. Not only is that car taxed in the USA, it then gets another import tax to bring that car into Germany. Double tax's on the same car. It really makes it difficult for an American company to truly compete in a global economy.



The USA has one of the most productive workforce in the world. So the excuse of "We can't get our employees to work!" doesn't fly.



If Hyundai decides to bring a plant into the USA to "Give American's jobs" they get to enjoy hefty tax breaks the Local, State, and Federal government gives them to do so.



Those "new" jobs for Americans are at the expense of the "old" jobs already in the USA. So in exchange for new jobs, old jobs are lost. The lost jobs are replaced with new jobs with healthy tax breaks for those companies that provided new jobs.



Rich Stern has recommended a book to read. I read it and honestly, my eyes were opened. The Fair Tax book really puts things into perspective. I urge everyone to read it.





Tom