anyone switched or added a domestic car to their stable lately?
thoughts?

 

Yeah. I'm went from a 2001 S2000 to a 2003 Z06 vette, both purchased new. I paid a slight premium to get the S2000 and invoice price for the Z06 (timing is everything).

I hate my Chevy dealers but the Honda dealer was not much better. It may have something to do with buying their lowest-volume car. The service departments are both knew nothing about them. I have had to call GM's 800-number a couple of times to lean on a service department and I'm still getting shafted on warranty work (paying when it should be covered). My S2000 had its tranny opened twice under warranty in 15K miles so it was not exactly trouble-free (though I got not hassle on coverage).

And yes, Chevy's interior design & switch feel are awful. When I test drive the IS350 and the 330i I'm drooling over the interiors of each, even though I notice the 330i is not as "inviting."

The C5 Z06 is good to me for one reason and only one reason, it outperforms all cars in its price range and most cars at twice its price. You have to at least buy a Viper or 911TT to meet or exceed it. That seems to still be true of the new Z06 (need to double its price or more), though $68K is over my pain threshold.

A car like the Z06 is not so much fun to drive in traffic. Not that the clutch is too stiff, but just being low to the ground means you can't see around ANYTHING... and of course not being able to open it up. There is no place on the city street for 400+ HP (at 3150 lbs). By the time you're 'on the cam' you're in danger of a ticket. Mountain roads (with no traffic), auto-x, and drag racing are when it feels like it is doing what it is designed for and the grin factor is huge.

You have to be able to afford sports-car maintenance. The OEM tires are very good street tires but cost $1250 a set from the Tire Rack and mine were shot at 9K miles (at 10K miles I was hydroplaning at 20 MPH). The OEM front brake pads dust like mad. You guys don't even know what dust is! Mine front pads were worn to the limit at 15K miles. I switched to ceramic but I can tell the difference in initial bite. I just replaced a cracked front wheel (long story and more dealer ranting) and I was lucky I found a used one a fellow owner had. Dealers want > $700 for one wheel and most non-OEM wheels are about 10 lbs heavier in that size!

 

baught a 2004 durango with a hemi, and havent had any problems so far ( 30,000km ) the car feels solid from the inside and even with a 10" audibahn sub with a ported box it still doesnt have any rattles, the only complaint I have about it is that with any kind of wind outside the truck starts to jerk at higher speeds ( 120-140km ) but other than that its 100X better than the older durango's in term of quality

 

Well... my mom just bought a brand new 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix

... it went back to the dealership on the second day she had it because it died.

 

We traded our 99 RX300 for an 04 Ford F-150 FX4 over a year ago and it's been GREAT. We had one concern about some 'hesitation' in the drivetrain when towing an empty trailer. Took it in, they replaced the whole differential under warranty, no questions asked. Dealer was great (Arrington and Blount in Lawrenceville, GA). We're now in FL and Ocala has one of the biggest Ford dealers in the South so no problem there! Just oil changes besides the diff change. Truck is SOLID.

 

would you go back to the S2000?

 

Oil changes alone won't do it. ( though you probably already know that ). It should get new anti-freeze, transmission, and differential fluid every 30,000 miles and preferably every 15,000 if you really use it hard. A little further down the road it may need new brake fluid, too....especially with ABS where it is more critical.

 

If I needed a tight little drop-top I'd consider the S2000 again. I auto-x'd it for a full season and in stock trim it did not handle well at the limit. Lots of people think it handles well because you feel so connected to the road in it but the truth is Miatas and C5 Z06 vettes handle better (higher traction limits, easier recovery during a slide, and more neutral -- under to over steer on command). The S does have a go-kart feel though and there is no substitute for that.

I understand they improved handling at the limit, along with the 2.2 motor & lowering the RPM (not a good thing to me). The old one had a really strange rear end weight-transfer during near-drift activity. If you throw race rubber on it and mess with the sway bars you could cure it (although R-tires also caused damage to several racing S2000's, e.g. shock mount destruction). I also didn't like how easily the plastic rear window scratched but they went to glass now. And the tranny is supposed to be more robust now.

And the Honda dealer was not a good experience. I want to be pampered by my next dealer a little more after being beaten with a stick by Chevy dealers. My friend at work has a G35 and I hear nothing but good stories from him about his dealer experience.

But now I'm looking for a sedan, for wife-reasons in another post in the IS forum. I'm still waffling between the IS350 and the 330i. I test drove both and I know the smart move is the IS, better at 95% of my needs. Now my local SoCal dealers just have to get some ML options on their lots! I wish the IS steering wasn't so numb and light, and I could wish for Audi's DSG shift, but oh-well.

 

Don't forget, guys......a so-called " domestic " or " foreign " nameplate can mean many things today. The whole industry is global...from design, company name, and manufacture.

I assume that by the term " domestic " we are talking about an American-designed car sold with an American nameplate.

 

Just traded in my beloved 98 GS300 for an 04 Lincoln Navigator. It was sad to see my Lex go, but the timing was right. Next week will be one month since Ive owned it and I have noting but praise for it. The quality is maybe a notch under my Lexus, but still impressive for a Domestic vehicle

 

I've always owned a domestic vehicle, 2 S-10's, Silverado, Blazer, Syclone, Mustang, Escort, and a Cherokee. Currently own an S-10 and just sold the Syclone to buy the '04 Cherokee. I've always been partial to GM and i've had no regrets buying any of those vehicles. None were as nice as the IS or GX in quality and comfort but the price wasn't that of the Lexus either.

 

I've got an '03 Grand Cherokee (see sig) for exactly three years now (this week).
It's the only domestic car we've kept in our stable in the past 13 years. ('93 & '95 GC also)
Never had a major problem with them. Other than the HORRIBLE gas mileage (avg. 13-15mpg), this thing is flawless.

 

Ours is an '04 Grand Cherokee Overland, bought it with 15,000 miles and damn near brand new condition. I've only had it for 13 days but so far i'm pretty impressed with the comfort and power but you're right, the gas mileage sucks. I got it mostly for winter driving and trips up to the mountains, the GX is going to become a garage queen

 

i had a 99 caddy sts for a winter and that was one hell of a car. But wait, the drivers side heated seat stopped working and it was stalling at idle with only 75,000 miles. That and the 14mpg average on premium forced me to trade for my current 2000 solara. But i still loved that caddy, if only ls400s could be had at the prices sts's are down to.

 

I recently got thE 02' Shaq edition Expedition. It has been great so far apart from the battery dying. Has some interior squeaks coming from the TV area, but apart from that it has been fine. It only has 9000 miles. I bought an extended 4 year warranty for it - because I don't trust Ford for a second!!

Jonny