[Chi-townChief]

Daimler-Chrysler - no surprises there.

[DJ MacWoW]

I used to be a loyal “buy American”. After 3 cars didn’t live long enough to even be paid off I decided “loyalty” had too high a price. Two were Chryslers and 1 was a Pontiac. We now drive Volkies. The diesel gets 500 miles on a tank of fuel and runs forever.

[Cobra64]

Beemers only.

[SJSAMPLE]

Topping the list: The Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty, Dodge Caliber and Dodge Magnum.

Isn't there quite a bit of cross-platform integration in these models?

Jeep Liberty = Dodge Nitro ?

If true, Chrysler has a bit of a problem on its hands and has finally succeeded in corrupting the Jeep brand image. Might as well put a Harley-Davidson sticker on at the factory and be done with it.

[umgud]

Some of the best deals out there are late model cars that are otherwise good vehicles, but have less than stellar resale value.

Sometimes this means you get a perfectly good ugly vehicle at a very good price.

Having said that, I drive an ‘07 4x4 crewcab Silverado, a 1977 Jeep CJ5 and a ‘96 Cherokee.

[Michael Knight]

Well, I’m not totally sure how much this really means in the long run.

I own a 97 ram and a 05 ram. My complaint with dodge is they made the engines so small now that they still get horrible gas mileage, but dont have enough power to get out of their own way. My 97 had a 360 (5.9L) (its a 408 stroker now) and got 15 mpg from the factory and has pretty good pulling/hauling power. The 05 weighs over 1000 lbs more but only has a 4.7L. While it can get 16.5 mpg unloaded, if you put anything behind it (I mean a tiny trailer like you’d haul a lawnmower on) the mileage can drop to 10 or 11. I can pull trailers, boats and things like that with my truck (even have skidded trees down paths in the woods) but its a joke with my wifes 05.

Now I know a 318 would be a more fair comparison to the 4.7L, but I expect it would beat the pants off the 4.7 as well. What I find crazy about all this is that Nissan trucks are now coming with 5.6L v-8s and obviously can out do the dodges.

If our auto manufactorers were smart they would make two lines of pickups. Trucks for people who really just want to commute but not work with them and then trucks for people who actually want to farm with them. Ford could just break out the design for the early 90s F-150 (and probably should get out the early 90s 5.0 Mustang while they are in there). Chevy should do the same for the 1500 and dodge for the older style ram. Those trucks were made to work without all the froo froo crap that gets broken on new trucks. My 97 is a joke of a truck compared to the 90 Ram my dad owned. But the 05 is even less truck then that. I mean, they tried to replace the Jeep cherokee with the in line 6 with this liberty thing? Uuuhhhhhhhhh

Jeep doesnt even make the 4.0 in line 6 any more and ford quit making the 302/5.0. It makes me depressed just thinking about it. Both were more reliable then anything that replaced them will be and you got your moneys worth.

[rabscuttle385]

My parents used to drive Volvos back in the '80s but switched to Toyotas and other Asian imports in the '90s.

I drove a Ford Crown Victoria once, and that was a wonderful car, despite the mileage. However, Ford does not make them any more, and the rest of their product line has a bad reputation.

Folks, note that the branding does not matter so much these days. Toyotas, Hyundais, Fords, and others are usually made in American manufacturing plants.

[IronJack]

I've got a Dodge Caliber. Nice, comfortable little car with a decent price tag. It's a lease, however, so I don't particularly care about its long-term reliability ratings. By time the warranty expires, so does the lease, and it's somebody else's problem.

That said, I don't think I'd have any trouble advising someone to buy one.

[The Eagle Bomb]

Chrysler ruined the Jeep brand. I was loyal for three straight new jeeps ‘til ‘04. Had to go to GMC.

[SMM48]

Funny, I did not see any mention of all the recalls by the most sacred of automotive giants...Toyota. Yes friends, Toyota has racked up several recalls during the last few years. Bet you didn’t read or hear about it in the MSM either.

[Delta 21]

I still want one of these.

[ovrtaxt]

I bought an 07 Wrangler- the new four door model.

I’ve had problems, I will tell you. Little annoying things. It’s a blast to drive, but it’s just rough around the edges. Not real solid, like a Jeep should be.

[do the dhue]

ping

[shorty_harris]

I just drove a Dodge Nitro rental last week. I’d never heard of it (but I don’t pay much attention to new cars). An odd little thing. Not very good gas mileage, and a sloppy, choppy ride. So much so, that I felt like I didn’t have total steering control when I went over a rough patch in the road.

My previous trip I drove a Buick Rainier (never heard of it before, either!). I really liked it. Smooth, comfortable, quiet ride, roomy, with comfortable seats. I was impressed.

[Vet_6780]

Porsche is the standard.

Get a 15-20 year old 911 and restore it for less than the price of a new Honda.

[rockinqsranch]

We do Saabs for the past 20 years and haven’t any thought of switching to anything else. They are quick, reliable, convertible for multi use, and most economical.

[McGruff]

For instance, Blair says that ALG's three-year residual on a Honda Accord is about 55%--meaning that it is estimated to be worth about 55% of its original value after three years--while for a Hyundai Sonata, it's only 40%, which translates to a difference in value of $3,750 over those three years on a sticker price of $25,000.

All I can tell you is that I love my 2006 Sonata. As far as trade in value I loved my 98 Olds Intrigue for 200k miles. They gave me $900 for a trade in. Hopefully this car will last that long.

[toddlintown]

I just picked up a flying carpet in Baghdad from Achmed, the use rug dealer. Didn’t have to kick the tires.

No gas, plugs or points, but no windshield, either. Makes it rough flying down country roads, wiping bugs off my glasses.