Comments on: Looking to buy a new car? A lot has changed

By: joe

joe — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:34:58 +0000

If your buying NM, it’s GM first, then Ford then Dodge. If you want to spend a lot less on repairs buy Asian. I drove the big 3 for 30+ years, junk after the warranty. I bought an over sea’s car built in NM. After 3.5 years of driving and 51,000km all I have to report is a burned out light bulb??? I’m actually saving $3000 in repairs per year? That’s over $10,000 minus the light bulb……..

By: zila

zila — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:59:56 +0000

Whenever I see a Buick, it comes to my mind that this is the brand with the highest depreciation in (resale) value. Now I know there’s really reason!

By: jm_gaynes

jm_gaynes — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:21:53 +0000

@Adam, your complaint about Chrysler Dodge Jeep is not always true. My mother purchased a Chrysler Dynasty in 1992 she followed the proper maintainence suggested and she sold it in absolutely great shape in 2007 to purchase Dodge Grand Caravan. She traded in that Grand Caravan in 2010 for the newer version which she still has and loves…it has an amazingly comfortable ride as did her previous one and the Dynasty. Chrysler Dodge and Jeep are actually good cars!! I am seeing more and more of them on the roads then I am say GM’s shrinking Malibu…At least in the Dodge Avenger a 6 foot back seat passenger doesn’t have to have their knees up by their ears as they do in the Malibu!! Auto manufacturers need to remember that not everyone sitting in the backseat is going to be a small person or child. Having leg room for tall adults to sit comfortably is of great importance especially in these days when carpooling is being highly recommended!!!!

By: mustardman

mustardman — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:09:30 +0000

Don’t forget much higher bills for maintenance or repairs.

By: rob

rob — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:06:46 +0000

@LC – TPMS are not mandatory in Canada. You didn’t have to get them for your winter wheels. You just got “upsold”

By: Caldera

Caldera — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:42:11 +0000

Why wouldn’t you just add air in the colder weather to compensate for the pressure drop, like you’re supposed do?

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:27:21 +0000

I still cant figure out why anybody would purchase a chrysler dodge or jeep when everyone who driver one has horror stories of crucial component failure! Is it brand loyalty? because mentioned companys obviously dont care about their customers when they sell sub par vehicles to them. Remeber were talking about tens of thousands of dollars spent for a new car there should be 0 problems for at least 200 000 kms other than wear and tear. if you are sold on their warranty program then they are telling you the car is junk and expect to visit the dealership soon fair warning I guess. Try spending a couple grand more on a new car after all you are already spending tens of thuosands you will see that you INVEST in a quality car and WASTE in a sub par vehicle

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:20:44 +0000

Try INVESTING in a quality car and stop WASTING money on junk. You get what you pay for if you are spending thousands on a car try spending a couple more it will be money saved down the road and reliable transportation is important for making said thousands! I dont understand why people still buy dodge jeep or chrysler when everyone you talk to has horror stories about crucial component sailure, I gues they like the adventure. If you are sold on the warranty program the company is telling you the vehicle could be better and expect to visit the dealership soon, fair warning I gues.

By: B.L.

B.L. — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:18:51 +0000

We have a 2011 Buick Lucerne – 3 months ago one of the engine blocks cracked and the engine slipped making a clunck sound each time I accelerated from a stopped position – took Goodwrench a couple of hours to figure out the problem – once discovered, they kep the car for nearly 5 days while waiting for a new part to arrive from the U.S. – thankfully car rental, etc. was provided at no cost to us. Also, both “corner directional lights” have been known to stay on after car turned off and again took Goodwrench a hour to figure out what was wrong – we now know that “fiddling” with the directional signals makes the light turn off – speaking about direction signals – one of the rear ones stopped working recently – Goodwrench replaced the bulb in a very timely manner – just interesting to see that the car isn’t two years old until April 2013 and already these things have happened !! Regardless, we love the Buick product – we had the 1999 Buick Century for 11 years and it is still running fine for the couple we sold it to in 2010 !!

By: LC

LC — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 05:09:07 +0000

You forgot to mention another ‘feature’ (read: increased cost)… the Tire Pressure Monitoring system (TPM). I recently purchased a 2012 Ford Focus and when I went to buy winter tires & rims for my car, there was an added $70 per tire for the TPM sensors. Even the sales associate agreed that the sensors are a money grab in Canada. When temperatures hit -30 in the winter it will result in decreased tire pressure and the TPM sensor activating. He advised me not to panic… wait til the weather warms up and the light will disappear.