I got a lot of shit from her when I switched to my Civic. It is foreign, and not a Chevy, etc. Well after a couple days in my car and me teaching her to drive a manual, she has changed her tune. She still loves her Cruze but has plans on buying a CW 10th gen manual now.
57K miles on your Si? Wow. We bought ours around the same time (mine was Aug 2017) and I'm just about to hit 16K. Very impressive.
The Koreans have been ultra aggressive on growing their business and establishing themselves. They hired an ex Audi guy to design the exterior and an ex-BMW guy for power-train on the new StingerI know most here will have a Honda bias but I'd like to think I'm objective. And I'm old, not ancient, but older than most here. I started out driving American cars like a Barracuda and a Trans Am. Then I bought my first Honda. A first year CRX. Brilliant, fun little car. So much more reliable than that Pontiac. Next I bought an Acura Integra... wow what a screaming, rev happy engine and slick manual. After that, I bought my first Civic... a nice solid car but not nearly as fun as the 'tegra. But that was in the 90's. Honda to me was the best for the money, BY FAR.
My past couple cars were Korean (due to financial issues) and they surprised me how reliable they were. Coming from Hondas, I thought they'd suck. Maybe not the best suspensions but overall solid. Really strong brakes.
Which brings me to my 2017 Civic. Don't get me wrong, I love my car. It's just not the quantum leap in quality I expected over my Elantra GT and Forte SX. The Civic's thin, tin can hood drives me nuts when I wax my car. I actually stop waxing if someone walks by cause I'm embarrassed by the Jiffy Pop sounds the hood makes when I press lightly on it.Some of the body panel gaps are huge. Instead of the quality Michelins my older Hondas had, I get mediocre Firestones. Etcetera etcetera.
I think Honda still engineers a great, reliable car. But the other car companies have leveled the playing field a bit. Honda isn't as high up on the pedestal as it once was.
As far as people saying Toyota is #1. I'll give you they're reliable but I have zero interest in anything they sell.
My parents had a Kia when they were a start up company. I enjoyed it but it had ALOT of engine issues and thank god for the extended warranty.
Man... I've been to a Dodge dealership maybe 3 or 4 times and actually wanted to give them a fair shake. I really took a hard look at a Charger R/T last year. Really. I just couldn't see where that 35k was going... I felt like I was paying by the pound, but not for any kind of quality whatsoever. I remember in and around 2005-2008 period going to one and looking at a few cars and, on a whim, test driving a Nitro (remember those?)
This above all other complaints on body and finish is what pisses me off the most and almost singularly. I get trying to save weight but seriously! Make it out of Aluminum if you have to!
This is for sure with the Koreans. There are still a lot more overall issues with them than a Honda but they are not a Hyundai Pony from days of yore.
Me neither. I think I had/have pointed out that if everyone was buying on reliability, then the world would basically be filled with boring Toyotas. People want a fun and attractive car and not just reliability. I basically had to buy the Civic that I last had due to the financial situation of suddenly finding out you need a "new" car RFN. I just needed something reasonable. This last time though, I knew the end for the 2001 Civic was coming and when it finally pooped, I was not under any time pressure. I wanted the Civic because it just looks better than the Corolla by a wide margin and is generally a lot more fun to drive.
