Import owners are to blame for the recession

Electrical cars can last a very long time.
A lot less moveable parts.
Changing batteries and tires is just a natural replacement.
This will gradually change the world.

On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:55:36 -0500, Nate Nagel wrote:

>>>> I could tell you that I have seen Hummer's with well over 300,000 miles, but
>>>> without actual DMV proof, the question can't really be answered.
>>> I can show you Suburbans with 300,000 miles on them.
>>>
>>> But it's an exception. Lots of Japanese cars reach 300,000 easily.
>>>
>>> Keep slugging away, though. You might convince someone other than yourself.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Most vehicles will go 300K with good maint. The Prius has a *design
>> life* of 100K miles.
>
> To be fair, I think most cars do. Most original owners don't keep a car
> for 100K miles. The only road vehicles I know of that really seem to be
> designed for the long haul are heavy trucks and German cars.

German cars will run forever! Because they're in the shop half their lives...

NEVER will I buy a VW again!

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:10:00 -0500, PeterD wrote:

> On Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:58:39 -0500, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> > wrote:
>>
>>
>>When do you think this 100K design trend began? I'm just curious.
>>
>
> I was told expected battery life was the limiting factor.

Actually, yup. The lifetime of the battery is about 120,000 miles. Then
you take it to the dealer and have another one installed.

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:02:52 -0500, me > wrote:

>On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:49:03 -0500, "Mike Hunter"
><mikehunt2@lycos/com> wrote:
>
>>The fact is so does just about every other vehicle on the market today,
>>foreign or domestic, that is provide the proper preventive maintenance.
>>Very few new car buyers ever keep a vehicle nearly long enough to accumulate
>>that much mileage
>
>Got any stats to back that up?

Yes, check the used car lots. And don't try to tell me that they are
all cars that have come off lease either.

Jack j

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:21:44 -0800 (PST), Gosi >
wrote:

>Electrical cars can last a very long time.
>A lot less moveable parts.
>Changing batteries and tires is just a natural replacement.
>This will gradually change the world.

We're talking about hybrids, not electric cars. Hybrids have a much
more complicated power train than either convention internal
combustion powered or straight electric cars. More moving parts and
more complicated interfacing between the electrical and IC power
trains.

Jack j

Mike Hunter wrote:
> my engineering degree is in metallurgy and I worked in industry for thirty years.

Then this may interest you, especially if you plan to vacation in
China:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/top10-2008/index7.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shanghai’s futuristic skyline—the city has more than 900 high-rises,
with hundreds more under construction—is one of the most potent
symbols of China’s economic rise. But the materials undergirding all
that growth might be shakier than anyone can imagine. In March, the
English-language Shanghai Daily reported that fully half of the steel
sold to construction companies in Shanghai’s wholesale markets failed
basic quality tests. Nearly a quarter of the tested samples failed
tension tests, meaning structures built with them would not be able to
withstand earthquakes and would be more likely to decay over time.

Of the 52 batches of steel tested by the Shanghai Industrial and
Commercial Administrative Bureau, 27 were too light to meet China’s
legal standards. Some batches were nearly five times lighter than the
legal standard, meaning that they were less than the weight of iron,
steel’s primary ingredient. “If your steel is less than the weight of
iron, that’s pretty incredible,” says Christopher Earls, professor of
civil engineering at Cornell University. “That means you’re replacing
the iron with something else, so what you have isn’t really steel at
all.”

"HLS" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Cathy F." > wrote in message
>> I say we buy what is the best, most economical, most intelligent buy.
>> The American automakers have screwed up time & again; they've become
>> mired in their own mud. Problem is... the mud's splattering.
>>
>> Cathy (aat)
>
>
> Very logical...The Big 3 should maybe listen to the customer more.
>
> I have no doubt the Big 3 can compete in quality and design if they wish
> to
> do so, and if they market their products well, they should be competitive.
>
> But talking isnt always doing. Do, Big 3

At least one of them has - Ford! The Ford Fusion/Milan/MKZ is superior in
quality to the corresponding Toyota product. The Taurus is performing at
Toyota quality level. Even Consumer Reports has taken notice of the
changes.

A friend of mine traded-in his unreliable 1998 Toyota Camry for a 2008
Taurus, and he's says it's the best car he's ever owned. It's only one that
didn't have to go back to the dealer right away to have something fixed!

Derek

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
> Now, consider a Taurus and an Avalon. These are two cars that are after
> essentially the same customer. The Avalon is better equipped and lower
> priced. It is without a doubt the better car value. You can thank labor
> for this.

Bull****! 2009 Taurus pricing runs from $24,125 - $31,275. 2009 Avalon
pricing runs from $27,845 - $35,185. Not even close in pricing...

http://www.edmunds.com/ford/taurus/2009/index.html

http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/avalon/2009/index.html

Derek

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:25:53 -0500, "Derek Gee"
> wrote:

>"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
>> Now, consider a Taurus and an Avalon. These are two cars that are after
>> essentially the same customer. The Avalon is better equipped and lower
>> priced. It is without a doubt the better car value. You can thank labor
>> for this.
>
>Bull****! 2009 Taurus pricing runs from $24,125 - $31,275. 2009 Avalon
>pricing runs from $27,845 - $35,185. Not even close in pricing...
>
>http://www.edmunds.com/ford/taurus/2009/index.html
>
>http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/avalon/2009/index.html
>
>Derek
>


Not close? Base price is within what, 11%? Fully loaded within less
than 15%.

Now go content to content, and they are even closer.

"me" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:20:16 -0500, "Derek Gee"
> > wrote:
>
>> The Taurus is performing at
>>Toyota quality level. Even Consumer Reports has taken notice of the
>>changes.
>>
>>A friend of mine traded-in his unreliable 1998 Toyota Camry for a 2008
>>Taurus, and he's says it's the best car he's ever owned. It's only one
>>that
>>didn't have to go back to the dealer right away to have something fixed!
>
> Yes... reuse the model name from a car that has serious electrical
> issues and trannys that all died at 72K miles. Brilliant marketing
> move... they're appealing to the "I want a car with a suck reputation"
> segment.

The Camry's aren't that bad...