When is this movie really going to start? I’ve been here half an hour.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Yeah. The US still hasn't figured out how to manufacture reliable vehicles or anything that lasts for that matter. KIA must be easy to drive since oversize fat hamsters can do it.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

KIA aside... The best vehicle I ever owned was my Ford Expedition. Only had one problem with it in 320k miles. Then someone stole it from in front of my home in Salt Lake City. Worst vehicles I owned were both of the Land Rovers, and a Jeep.

[Mike Blakesley]

The US still hasn't figured out how to manufacture reliable vehicles or anything that lasts for that matter.

I'd have to disagree with that. I have history to prove it.

2016 F150 - 95,000 miles so far and never a major problem. The sunroof jammed once and I had to replace a coil.
2011 Ranger - 85,000 miles with no issues. I traded it in for the F150.
2013 Escape - 184,000 miles. We had to replace the radio, other than that no major issues. We traded it in on a 2022 Edge. It's still being driven by the teenage girl who lives across the street from us.
2003 Escape - 210,000 miles and still going strong when we traded it in for the 2013. I think my wife actually cried when we traded it in.

These are the most recent vehicles my wife and I have owned. I've owned 12 cars over a period of about 45 years (all Ford products, because that's the only dealer we have in town) and have never had what I would call a big problem with any of them.

The one car I would call a "disappointment" was a 2003 Thunderbird, which I owned during the "party animal" phase of my life. I just didn't take good care of that car. Mostly I neglected regular oil changes, and eventually it became a real oil-burner. Even so, it always got me from point A to point B. I learned my lesson though and have had regular oil changes ever since.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Mike, as I mentioned above, My Ford Expedition was my most reliable vehicle. I drove it for 320k and then someone stole it. I had arranged shipping of it to Nashville. The trucking Co went to pick it up, and it was not where I left it, and no where to be found. It was however retrieved a couple months after I moved to Nashville by the SLPD, and of course just 2 days after I bought a Volvo. So I gave it to a friend in Heber, UT, and he's still driving it.The funny part is when I called the SLPD to report it stolen, the only answer I got out of them is that "people just don't steal Expeditions". After they finally took me seriously, we did a report and it was eventually found. The KIA is still my second most reliable vehicle, especially when you consider where it was driven on week ends. Your Escapes were mostly built by Mazda, so of course they were reliable. Not sure if they are still building them today. Or if Ford actually does...

[Barry Floyd]

My son is driving a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 338K on the odometer with the original 4.0 ltr straight 6. I keep telling him to go buy something newer. He just says "Why.. I need this to get me from here to the truck lot and back." He's a commercial truck driver for Averitt On Tour Logistics. He hauls concert equipment from city to city and makes more money than I do with 34 years experience in Civil Engineering.

[Bobby Henderson]

Nothing pisses me off more than seeing the same ad twice in the same commercial break.

Our local ABC affiliate (KSWO TV) pulls that crap all the time during local news broadcasts, particularly the 5 and 6 o'clock newscasts. And it's the same few commercials. I just hit the mute button as soon as the news goes to commercial break if I'm actually bothering to watch the local news.

The day will come when some of these advertisers/sponsors realize that there is hardly any value in the money spent.

For local businesses they'll get far more advertising bang for their buck simply by installing attractive and effective (legible) on-premise signage. Disclaimer: I do graphic design work at a sign company for a living. Sprucing up the building, landscaping, etc to improve store front personality also helps.

Many other advertising platforms just suck anymore. TV advertising used to be effective. That is, it used to be effective 40 years ago when most of us just had 3 broadcast channels to watch. Back then a network had to score over a 20 percent share of TV viewers to win the week's Nielsen contest. Today winning takes well under a 10 share. Now audiences are extremely fractured among a big variety of choices in networks and streaming services. That's just in TV. Eyeballs are getting drawn to elsewhere to computer screens, tablets, smart phones and gaming consoles.

Another absurdity is the owners of local TV stations get into carrier disputes with cable and satellite TV providers. Our local FOX affiliate is not carried by Dish, DirecTV or our local cable TV provider (Fidelity); the only way to get that FOX station is by using an OTA antenna or using a streaming pay-TV service that still carries the channel (I think YouTube TV might have it). Anyway, any local business here would have to be eating stupid pills by the fist full to buy any ad time on that local TV channel.

The Internet has killed many local newspapers and put countless others on their death beds.

Local radio got ruined by all these media companies that bought up radio stations by the hundreds. Then the new bosses went in to trash and delete the music libraries these stations had. Many of the older DJ's were fired and replaced by younger people willing to work for far less and not complain when they were given a 100% rigid play list that was purchased by legalized corporate payola. It's no wonder so many people listen to music streaming services instead. Local broadcast radio sucks ass.

The ONLY way I would start listening to local broadcast radio again is if the stations would give DJs at least some independence to play a better variety of music (not to mention have the freedom to take a listener request once in awhile). It's impossible to discover any new, interesting music listening to broadcast radio. You have to search elsewhere.

[Tony Bandiera Jr]

KIA aside... The best vehicle I ever owned was my Ford Expedition. Only had one problem with it in 320k miles. Then someone stole it from in front of my home in Salt Lake City. Worst vehicles I owned were both of the Land Rovers, and a Jeep.

Makes sense since the acronym for Salt Lake Utah is SLUT.

I also find that LDS actually stands for Limited Driving Skills. Utah was far worse than Tuscon,Az. where I was stationed.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Well I know what I said but if you need a US vehicle I would agree with that being Ford. I have owned many and currently have an F-150. For some years I had Oldsmobiles. Remember those? Actually been thinking about an older Mustang. I am only interested these days in vehicles with limited tech. Just don't need to car thinking for me. Don't need all that extra expensive complicated stuff that is guaranteed to go wrong. Even if it doesn't it'll be recalled and then deprecated. I have enough trouble fighting over my phone with my cars now. Can't get it to do what I want. Can't get it to stop doing what it wants. Gotta turn off the Bluetooth when getting into my wife's car. She pulls in and steals my calls. Stupid crap. Not well thought out. Rushed to market. The designers never actually are users.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Makes sense since the acronym for Salt Lake Utah is SLUT.

I also find that LDS actually stands for Limited Driving Skills. Utah was far worse than Tuscon,Az. where I was stationed.

If you want to see bad driving skills just come to "what's a turn signal" Tennessee... In Utaw we also called mini-vans Mormon Charriots. I can guarantee you that if I didn't travel 2 weeks or more per month that I'd have lived in Wyoming instead. The air in Utah, especially Salt Lake Silly... is lethal!

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Well I know what I said but if you need a US vehicle I would agree with that being Ford. I have owned many and currently have an F-150. For some years I had Oldsmobiles. Remember those? Actually been thinking about an older Mustang. I am only interested these days in vehicles with limited tech. Just don't need to car thinking for me. Don't need all that extra expensive complicated stuff that is guaranteed to go wrong. Even if it doesn't it'll be recalled and then deprecated. I have enough trouble fighting over my phone with my cars now. Can't get it to do what I want. Can't get it to stop doing what it wants. Gotta turn off the Bluetooth when getting into my wife's car. She pulls in and steals my calls. Stupid crap. Not well thought out. Rushed to market. The designers never actually are users.

Yes, Ford still has the others beat. I looked at a new Expedition a a few days ago and there is way too much electronic controled stuff for me. Even the side view mirrors automatically fold in when you shut it off, but that was just one of over a dozen things like the automatic side running boards that drop down when you open the door to get out. I'd rather have a ten year old model than the current stuff!! Yes, Oldsmobile was one of the best Products GM made for many years...

[Bruce Cloutier]

I just want to rant but it doesn't help. The technology vector isn't pointing in the better direction. It turned downward I think in the 90's after the bubble and after technically challenged marketing people took over. Seriously are we better off now with digital cinema than we were with film? Okay, I know there were difficulties in the old days. Some of that went away. But we've replaced it with a lot of unnecessary burden. Now there are issues that individuals can't fix or work-around and the help for that costs both in time and money. When film broke you spliced it. Now if the feature doesn't play you are pooched. Maybe reboot? And, in a few years you'll need to buy all new electronics stuff.

I don't know. I, if anyone, should be all in on tech. But instead I am drawn to the minimalist approaches and those that are least dependent on others. I know I could be even more DIY but I am already an extreme case. The tech I am responsible for absolutely has to be stable (performance and price) for years. Customers already have enough to do than to chase models of gadgets that morph every two years.

[Steve Guttag]

I've had my Corvette since October of 86...around 200K miles on it. Our company still has its 2003 Astro and 1997 Chevy Van (2500, I think). I'd think any Mopar with a slant 6 is still running...oil or no. The Chevy 350 (in the Vette and the Chevy van listed above) are about as good a motor as was ever made. The van's engine and drivability has been superb though it has mostly been highway miles. My wife routinely gets well over 200K miles on her vehicles. Used to be Saturns until they were discontinued. We just traded in a Ford Fusion...which could have continued to go with new tires/brakes...etc...but opted to change the car and put the money into a new car...given the old car's miles. The only reason we didn't go American this time was the lack of availability for an actual sedan rather than an SUV. I think the Chevy Malibu was one of the only choices for a US sedan now. She wanted a car, not an SUV so that is what she got. I have a Ford Escape (2019) as my daily driver that replaced my Subaru Outback (2003).

As a rule, I have not had car issues and aside from the Subaru, which, honestly, was in the shop more than my other cars, for the over 40 years I've owned them. The Subaru, once I found a good shop, seemed to keep it fixed. The original dealer couldn't.

[Bruce Cloutier]

Of course with care you can keep just about anything on the road for extended mileage these days. I mean once you get beyond the rust buckets. You've seen vehicles that literally if you slam the door they leave an outline on the road. State inspections have made those history.

But I see a marked difference in service cost and time between vehicles from various sources. The most amazing have been the Prius (how to pluralize?). Those I have had gone from inspection to inspection, oil change to oil change needing only tires. Not even the brakes need replacing. Compare that to the Volvos that I have had that when they went in for service always ran up a stunning bill. Still I did like my S90. I miss that comfort for driving.

A selling point used to be cup holders. Now you almost have to couple your phone with the vehicle in order to use many features that are selling points. But few provide a logical place for the phone. But if you are looking for a truck clearly your focus needs to be on the transformer tailgate providing your every need. I can go months without touching the tailgate on my F-150. I appreciate that it doesn't fall off.

I've not been in a Corvette. Never really went that way as it didn't look big/tall guy friendly. The first thing I have to do when shopping for a vehicle is sit in it. Forget whether or not it moves. First thing I did when I bought the S90 and I was sold. Not sure I gave it a test drive. If it is work to get in and out of, or there is no head room, I can't wear it. Don't like ducking to see the stop lights. I am probably wrong about the vette. I had a Olds Starfire hatchback (they reused an old name) with V6 and a stick a long time ago. That was probably the only "sport car" that I had. The speedometer topped off around 80 or 85 I think. We used my HP calculator which had a timer in it to calculate our speed on some trips. You know, when we felt like we were doing something worth measuring. It was good in the snow too. I could throw rooster tails and still bogey down the packed snow roads.

[Steve Guttag]

When I was very young, I wanted a Corvette. I worked (in this industry since I was 16) and saved up for it. I had a Camaro Z28 (84) before the Vette because the insurance on a Vette as an 18 year old was more than the car payment...the Z28 was steep too. How times have changed...I the Z28 was under $13K tags/tax/title and out the door, as I recall. I paid my insurance dues by staying off of "high-risk" and building driving cred within insurance and when I turned 21, I jumped insurance companies, got a massive cut in those rates and bought the Vette...I've enjoyed it ever since though I would have liked one of the later ones...it's a blast to drive.

It is not too friendly to the taller people but I don't care how tall you are...you step DOWN to get in them and use the steering wheel to get out as the door sills are very tall too. If you roll over a dime, you can normally determine the date of the coin. That car was an outdoor car its whole life, until our current house so it needs a new interior, badly...the rear got smacked by a kid in his dad's F-350 and needs to be fixed. One of these days, I'll have the time to make it right again. It's still a blast to drive and other than wearables, was never problematic and averaged 24MPG.

I used to drive it, annually to my friend who lived in Orlando, FL while I was in Maryland (908 miles) and, back when I was younger...did it in 1-day, each way. Entertainment was just radio and cassette tapes but it was always fun to drive.

Boy, this thread has taken a turn. I just scrolled to the top to see what I was replying too. I'm going to cease with the car talk on this thread. Suffice to say, I've been reasonably pleased with my US car purchases. With most cars now, if you do minimal maintenance, they seem to last a long time...unless you get a lemon (speaking for ICE vehicles...I'm sure EVs have their own up/downs).

[Mike Blakesley]

One more car thing, and then back to griping about movie pre-shows.

Your Escapes were mostly built by Mazda, so of course they were reliable. Not sure if they are still building them today. Or if Ford actually does...

Our original 2003 Escape was for sure built by Mazda -- it was based on the Ranger platform. The more recent one was a 2013, which I believe was built by Ford. They did a major redesign that year which is still mostly in effect today.