Reply #65: Like anything, it's a mixed bag

[TommyO]

I've owned GMs, Fords, and VWs since I've been reasonably happy with all of them.

My favorite being my '87 Ford T-Bird Turbo Coupe - damn, I loved that car!

I've also had a '93 Pontiac Grand Am (bought in an emergency after my beloved T-Bird was totaled)

A '98 Ford Contour - very solid, but small. 6-cylinder was a bit thirsty for the size of the car

An '01 VW Jetta TDI - great fuel mileage, tiny back seat.

My most recent acquisition was a used 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT. By far the biggest car I have driven (bought specifically because of the huge back seat), and still gets around 28-30mpg on the highway (most of my driving)

They've all been pretty solid cars. The biggest problem I had with any of them was a transmission problem in the Contour, replaced by the dealer after a long delay in getting the parts. I then found a TSB which addressed the problem I was having - it was a reasonably simple fix that could have saved a lot of frustration in sourcing the transmission!

That said, all of the domestic manufacturers have placed FAR too much emphasis on trucks, and not nearly enough on small and mid-sized car development. It will hurt all of them in the near future.