No knock on your model year car, but I've always thought the 1966-1970, the first generation Olds Toronado, was one of the best looking cars ever produced by a US manufacturer.
Bought an I35 new in 2002. Valve stem guides went out 2K miles after warranty. Nissan wouldn’t even talk to me. Put another motor in it and that one lasted 10k miles. Sold the car for scrap metal. KMA Nissan. Go out of business.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/...s/news-story/0c1d79b8c12c66131265bdaedd5591f2 Nissan’s new blow: Luxury brand Infiniti to close US dealerships
Would never buy a Nissan/Infinity. Too many Nole fans buy them. If you see one with a special university tag, 8 times out of 10 it will be FSU.
My first vehicle was a 1965 Ford Econoline van with the motor and motor cover in the cab. I insulated the walls, covered them in blue velvet, put carpet on the floor, built a bed in the back and hung speakers in the corner for my fabulous cassette deck - mothers lock up your daughters the love machine is rolling down your street. Problem was, I bought it from a young cop and one time when a young lady and I were enjoying the quiet ambiance in the back the dang thing started shaking and rocking counter to the shakes and rocks we were making. I stick my head out the window and 2 cops were doing it and laughing like hell. They thought they had caught their buddy up to something. Not sure who was the more surprised party.
That has changed. There is a now Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance. Renault and Nissan each own 15% of the other company's stock. Renault sold a great deal of Nissan stock (at one point they owned 40+% of Nissan) to get down to that number.
It's weird. Toyota also owns a big spare of Mazda. Which kinda makes sense given the improvement in styling.
Toyota historically has made the most dependable cars, ( my wife's first car being an exception) but styling?
Yeah, but Mazda was always a little weird. The new SUVs actually look good and I've heard good things about them.
Got my wife a 87 Camry after graduation with her nursing degree. We gave it to a friend who needed a car for his daughter. It had 300k miles and I understood she drove it another 200k. I bought my oldest son a 98 4Runner with 95k on it in 2006. He moved on from it after college (first a Lexus and now a new 4Runber). I kept it and use it occasionally. It has 310k miles with just general maintenance.
Our 95 Camry had 343K when we gave it to our daughter. Unfortunately she totaled it a month later. It’s all about the proper servicing of the vehicle.
It's funny how all the other automakers - the Germans in particular given their past reputation - have just ceded quality and longevity to Toyota/Lexus and other Japanese makers as they turn to the 2-year-lease, disposable car model. I'm sure Toyota appreciates it.
I got 450K out of my Acura before turning it into the junkyard. Needed a total rebuild of the front end, but that SOB still started on the first turn every time. I was sad when they told me it was going in the compactor. That engine probably had another 200K on it.
Sister has an old Toyota FJ cruiser that is approaching 300K miles. She loves it, but looks ugly to me. Loved Acura back in the day, had 2 of them, great cars, but their styling ultimately went to crap. Im all in on Japanese cars, but I think the Germans are way ahead of them in styling...BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc. Wife has one and loves it, just gotta buy the extended warranties if you want to keep them long term.
There's no such thing as long term anymore with German cars. They're plastic junk that falls apart starting at around 70K (when you should have turned in your lease already and right when they want to sell them as a CPO). I have a BMW (older). I love driving it. It's fantastic. But even it is falling apart and just too expensive to fix given it's age. If it was an E36 I might consider saving it, but it's an E90 and will never regain any real value. Toyota or Lexus will be my next vehicle.
Also, we'll have to agree to disagree on the styling. I think they've all gone downhill. If you gave me a new 3 series today it's on the market tonight and I'd probably put the proceeds in my 06. BMW isn't even BMW anymore. It's an abomination.
Well Id say the proliferation of SUVs has a lot to do with the generic look. Interiors and safety features are where the major differences still are IMO. Sports cars and small sedans seem to be dying breeds. Bigger is better with bigger profits. As for leases, I dont do them, most are ripoffs. Wife loves her German SUV, so that's what she gets. Personally, I will keep my old Infiniti coupe, runs great and looks great. BIL put over 200K on his. Next car, if there is one, will probably be a Lexus.