What are your thoughts on other vehicle brands?

Still new here but have owned a tacoma for the last 9 years. Just got my new ride about 3 weeks ago. After owning a toyota for a while I have become spoiled as far as having to work on my truck goes. Nothing ever went wrong in 60,000 miles. Two sets of tires and a set of front brake pads is all I can remember doing to my truck, besides oil changes. I owned a 91 nissan ex cab for 5 years from 91 t0 95. I only had to replace the tires and a muffler. That's it. I think I had like 45,000 on it when I did the stupidest thing ever, traded it on a new 95 dodge ram. What a P.O.S. Kept that for 2 years and then did something even more insane. Traded it on a 97 dakota. I don't think there is enough time left in the day to list all of the problems I had with that truck. In 01, I got my sanity back and got my 01 tacoma. Now the double cab because baby will be here end of june and I need room for a car seat. Now my wife has driven everything from pontiacs to hondas. I seem to notice the hondas like the toyotas and the nissan just run. No weird problems like new brakes every 10,000 miles(grand -am), or dash clusters that would blow fuses for no apparent reason(dakota). I guess from my experiences I am not die-hard toyota loyal, not far from it, but I would say im less likely to ever buy another domestic brand vehicle. What are your thoughts? Any Honda horror stories? I know they don't make a real truck, but they make a nice car.

 

I have owned the following brands
Mercedes-Benz (C230k)
Volvo (740)
Acura (Integra)
Honda (Accord)
Jeep (Comanche)
Nissan (Pathfinder)
Toyota - current tacoma

Nissan was a good truck, I considered the Frontier with the Tacoma. Nissan service was aweful at my dealer so I did not want another nissan.
The Jeep was old but ran good.
The Volvo got over 650 000km on, you can't do that even with a Toyota. This was was ugly but would never die. The newer Volvos are not like this.
Honda and Acura were good cars, I would not buy another one as I'm not fan of japanese cars (I prefer Germans)
I loved the mercedes. some electrical trouble but I would lease a new one (probably not own one after warranty period though).

Next car will likely be a Mini Cooper (BMW) as that's my girlfriend's pick (I got to choose the tacoma)

I would neverbuy a toyota car unless they get their super sport exotic out. The cars are boooring!

 

I was considering a nissan again, but just didn't like the looks or the size very much. I wanted a long bed double cab and the frontiers just weren't what I was looking for. I wouldn't worry about reliability, but thought they were kind of ugly. If honda made an actual truck with a full size bed and a real frame I might consider it. My thoughts are a ridgeline is not a truck, just a chopped up pilot. We had a pilot, nice vehicle, but nothing I would consider heavy duty by any means.

 

After I finished university I leased a 2008 Jeep Liberty. It was my pride and joy at the time, but after about 32000 km I started to experience the effects of a software issue within the transmission control computer. The torque converter was not locking up and the Jeep would shudder quite violently. Add this problem to the the leaky tailgate (repaired after three trips to the dealership, one of which involved duct tape and copious amounts of silicon sealant) and a bad rain water leak into the passanger side footwell, and my faith in Jeep/Chrysler fast diminished. There is a re-flash availble for the tranny issue, but I jumped on the chance at an '09 Tacoma while I was working away from home. I stopped by the Toyota dealership after another unsuccessful repair attempt and they were extremely helpful in getting me out of my Heep (I refer only to my vehicle, not in general) and into the pickup.

That said, my neighbour owns an older Jeep Commanche and I love it. I have also seen what jacked up TJ's and YJ's can do offroad, and love them for that. Same goes for F-150's, I like their appearance and potential off-road capabilities.

My girlfriend owns an Avalanche, and although not my taste (I do love the Silverado though), it sounds awesome stock and rides nicely. The interior is pretty swanky too.

I have always read/seen/heard about Toyota quality and would buy another one in a heartbeat if I was in the market. I base my shyness towards Jeep/Chrysler/Dodge on a bad experience with the Jeep, but the same may well have happened with the 'yota. I'm fortunate to have experieinced nothing but good from Toyota produce and service quality.

 

I have owned the following:
1991 Pontiac LeMans-Would not die after 130,000 miles got rid of it. Sold it
and got a:
2001 Mercury Cougar-Only did 25,000 miles on it, no problems. Sold it and
Then I got a:
1997 Ford F-150 XLT 2WD - There was always something wrong with that
truck. Engine had to be rebuild at 60,000 transmission
problems at 85,000. That thing was always making
noises that sounded like the truck was about to fall
apart. After that I got the:
2006 Toyota Tacoma 4WD Trd Off Road- Did 40,000 miles on it and no
problems (knock on wood) still drives strong. The
Tacoma is my fun truck, I need a big truck to tow my
work trailer so I got a:
2005 Ford F-250 XL Diesel 2 WD - it turned out to be a Lemon (at the
dealership for 175 days in the first year I owned it) Got
rid of it and they gave me a new one which I still
have:
2006 Ford F-250 XLT 4WD Super Duty Diesel- It has 50,000 and no
problems. I also own a:
1990 Jeep Wrangler YJ- Fun summer and off road truck. Only has 72,000
original miles on it. Now there is always something
wrong with that truck, but I love to work on it and that
is why I am never going to get rid of it. I have 33" tires
on it, 4" lift, nice loud stereo system. Just a blast to
drive. Now after doing some research my next grown up
toy is going to be:
The new 550i sedan BMW (not sure when but it is in the near future)

 

Dont have experience with anything other than Pontiac, Chevy, and now Toyota, but I am pretty much open to any brand if they make a vehicle that fits what I'm looking for. I'm not brand loyal nor domestic/import loyal. I'll buy what I feel is the best vehicle for my money regardless of who makes it.

 

I've owned
in 1998, a 1992 Toyota Camry-fantastically reliable car that met an early end when some idiot kid T-boned me...he was completely at fault. Even though it was so reliable, I opted to make a switch to an AWD vehicle because I lived in WNY
in 2003, a 2000 Subaru Legacy-that car was incredibly fun to drive but could use some extra power so
in 2004, I bought a brand new 2004 Subaru WRX Wagon. That car was fantastic. I don't think I'll ever have as much fun with another car...but it was small and as a homeowner, I need something bigger to do projects. My brother's Honda Accord just died in December, so I gave him my WRX and decided to go back to boring but reliable.
Dec 2009, I bought a 2010 Tacoma 4WD DC 6 speed. I like the truck a lot, but gotta admit that if all this recall info came out in November or early December, I would have bought something else. Outside of a Ford F150 though, I wouldn't buy any other truck outside of something made by Toyota.

my wife has owned Jeeps (absolute crap), Mazda (underpowered), Honda (boring), Infiniti (great fun but not a family vehicle) and is now in a '08 Subaru Outback.

my dad has always been a Toyota guy. The first car he ever bought new was an '85 Chevy Cavalier because it was a thousand bucks cheaper than the Camry at the time. He says it was the worst mistake of his life and has owned a Toyota since. He has expressed his reservations about buying another Toyota since all this news has come out...we'll see.

Edit: Actually, if Subaru ever came out with the Baja again, I'd buy one even though they're sinfully ugly.

 

I use a Suzuki SX4 at work all the time. This car is nothing but trouble. Work is putting so much money just into the front end alone. It's at 70000km's and had many visits to the garage.

Everytime I get in my Tacoma after a long day at work I have a smile on my face. I love this truck so much! It feels like a Porsche compared to the car.

 

I have a 1997 Honda Del Sol Si (basically a civic) that hasn't given me any trouble but normal maintenance in 130k. It still has the original clutch.
All my other cars or trucks have been Toyota since 1987 except for the Honda & a 2000 Pathfinder that I owned for 2 months & gave to my sister.

 

My thoughts exactly

 

My parents and I have been die-hard Toyota fans for the past 10 years. As far as my real hobby/heart goes, I'm a Chevrolet guy.

 

Well I guess great minds think a like

 

I have a long list and owned both domestic and import usually both at the same time. It was a hobby of mine to play with cars. Each brand had their own problems and some more than others. I think it all really depends on the car itself and how you maintain it. Except for a battery and bulb replacement, I never had a problem with my Silverado(1). Firebird(1)/Camaro(2) didn't have a problem either. Mustangs (i've had 5) had a tranny and cooling problems. The lists goes on. I found that the older V8 didn't have much of problem. The older cars had less wiring and computer stuff. Take care of your vehicle and it should take care of you.

 

IMO, Honda Civics and Accords are excellent vehicles. The value (what you get, and how long it should last) of the late model Civics in particular can't be beat. I wish Honda would make a real truck, much as I like my Tacoma I would have to seriously consider a real Honda truck.

 

My list of the vehicles I have owned and my thoughts are as follows:

1) 1986 Jeep cherokee was the first vehicle I bought while in high school. Drove the S out of it, on and off road. It had 160k on it when i bought it and the motor blew at 190k, 8 months later(GM v6). It was a beater, but i liked it, and had a lot of fun in it.
2) 1989 jeep YJ 4 cyl. Loved that rig. Installed the 4" lift and 33s right out of high school and drove it from 89k to 125k for about 2 years. only problem i had with it was oil consumption. As long as i kept it topped off, it ran like a top. I only got rid of it shortly after I bought my next rig cause the insurance was way to high for a 20yo to have two 4wd vehicles and an abundance of misc. tickets on my record.
3) 1999 jeep TJ 4.0 6cyl. Again, 4" lift and 33s. Bought it at 80k and drove it till 130k. Really loved that thing, though it was a money pit: New motor at 120k, 2 sets of MTs, 2 break jobs, bushings, tie rod ends, etc. . . Now granted, a lot of this was due to the way I drive, where I drive, and the lift and tires put a lot of excess strain on any vehicle.

In case you haven't noticed a trend here, I like Jeeps. But eventually practicality won, and I went Toyota.

4) 2005 tacoma access cab TRDor. Got it with 32k and it now has 92k, and the only money I have 'had' put into it is for regular maintenance. I did have to get the right front wheel bearing replaced a few months ago, but it was covered under warranty. It is my daily driver, and it has never let me down. Toyota really isn't kidding about low cost of ownership. Now add ons are a whole different kind of "cost of ownership" lol. About three grand down, and Im just getting started!

I also have heard good things about honda cars and chevy trucks. I am not a fan of anything European, vw, audi, bmw, etc. . . They are just way too damn expensive to maintain. Though they do look cool.

 

u mean there are other makes other than Toyota?

 

1988 Buick Century - Loved it. V8, baby! Sold it for Ram
1987 Dodge Ram - Loved it, but drunk driver hit me and totaled it.
1992 Toyota Camry - Hated it. Had nearly 305,000 miles on it and everything was fugged up
2000 Ford Ranger XLT - Loved it, but sold it for the M3

In addition to the Tacoma, I am lucky to have a BMW e46 M3 sitting in the stable. I <3 it.

Here's pics;

 

I had great luck with my subaru, nothing but regular oil changes/tune ups.
If I wanted a different vehicle I would consider:
Audi
Ford
Honda
Jeep
Nissan
Subaru
Toyota

 

Anything other than a TOYOTA........ummmmmmm NO. not in my garage.

 

I've had the following:

79 Cutlas Supreme (reliable car)

91 Pontiac (blew head gasket at 90K, normal driving)

Ford Exp (forget year, always running hot, needed constant work)

97 Grand Cherokee (Was always leaking)

2007 Grand Cherokee w/Hemi (towed 3 times in first two weeks of ownership and pain in the arse) Looked great though...

Now my 2010 Taco (week 2 of ownership and love)

Wish I had went with the Tacoma awhile back...