Reverse Gear - Cars I Really Liked & Why

[VBdenny]

Oh without a doubt. The materials and processes are vastly improved. I trust robots more than auto workers to do things right.

[13IS250C]

Remember, those 60/70/80's cars had only 12 month 12k mile warranties too. Seems like you were always taking a car back for warrantee work. My S2000 had zero issues in the 4 1/2 years I owned it. I have seen it and talked to the new owner. He only had one repair and it still looked brand new. It was an '03.

[VBdenny]

You can't go wrong with a honda or toyota product. Cant say the same for Nissan however. Nissan vehicles are not built nearly as well as either of the others. Had several things break on my Frontier including the 5 speed manual transmission @ 100k. Brake calipers fail religiously @ 50k. Heater resistor, tailgate latch. Stuff that shouldn't break.

[LEX-SV]

Given the topic here, maybe we can give some examples of Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura we liked and what we liked about it/them.

[lenore]

I loved my 1980 Honda Prelude. Was a very solid and fun to drive car. Just don't see them anymore around here...Strange because they sold well. Only downside is that I bought it instead of a 1966 Corvette from my dad for the same price that I paid for the New Prelude. That was the offer and was one of the worst mistakes I have made. I know the corvette is worth a fortune now. And he was original owner and it's entire life was in California.

[VBdenny]

First foreign car I ever owned was a Ford Cortina. Maybe 1967 or so? Bought for $25, put in a $29 clutch disc and drove it for 2 years until the engine blew. Never owned a Japanese car until the 1990 LS400

[midwesterner]

I think our first Honda was a 1990 Accord Anniversary Edition. Had been driven by the Honda dlr's wife and we bought it at year-end. Very nice car but a bit underpowered. It morphed into a series of Accords for my wife, and two Preludes for me (92 Si and 2000 SH). We like the sedans because the Hondas came closest of the Japanese manufacturers to European handling and suspension, the cars were bulletproof and required only routine service, and the switchgear was precise and beautifully executed. Best of the bunch was probably the '03 Accord V6 -- the car that was replaced by the RX350 when a family member died and we bought it out of the estate.

Had a few Japanese rental cars on business trips and vacations over the years. One of the best was a Mazda 3 a few years ago. A little noisy and could have used more power, but handling rivaled my Saab. One of the worst was a Toyota Avalon 10 or so years back. It was quiet, but had the ride and handling qualities of an aging 80s Buick, and probably the worst brakes I ever experienced on any car. Very soft, way to much pedal travel, and long stopping distance. Absolutely put me off Toyota.

The Lexuses (Lexii? Lexae?) are in another league. Took the GS350 up to Chicago for the family Christmas, and was once again impressed by its poise and stability on the road, its relative effortlessness at everything, and ability to carve a line on curvy roads and freeway ramps.

[LEX-SV]

I've owned so many Honda products including 4 Accords, 2 Preludes, 2 Civics, 1 Integra and all were very good cars. Not sure if I classify any as "cars I really liked" or tops in my book, but the '92 Prelude Si did stick in my mind. Sure the styling (both exterior and interior) was a bit wild/modern for the time, but the engine refinement and useful power, slick 5 speed stick, very good ride/handling and trick sunroof made the car a pleasure to drive.

[VBdenny]

Hmmm, maybe I should start a new thread. Cars I din't like and why. LOL

[LEX-SV]

Okay, my favorite Toyota/Lexus product owned is the 2nd gen Lexus IS350 Sport Pkg for the following reasons:

Pros: 3.5L 60 degree V6 has plenty of horsepower and torque combined with smoothness and refinement, wicked sound with Lexus F-Sport exhaust at mid-high revs. Moderate weight (rwd version), about 3600 pounds wet, so these cars are very quick due to healthy power to weight ratio. Decent fuel economy for this level of performance. Very good handling w/Lexus F-sport/Eibach springs, stock sport pkg shocks, 19's, and acceptable ride quality as configured. Beautifully finished interior. Nice dead pedal, very Porsche-like. Strong 13 speaker including subwoofer sound system. Reliability is nearly flawless. Above average resale value (when compared to other premium sport sedans, mainly due to reliabilty history). Service costs are low for a premium car. Basically a clean body design, a stylish 2+2 coupe-like sedan (with better access to rear seat that traditional coupe because of 4 doors), a style that is more popular recently for good reason as seen with CLS, CLA, Grand Coupe, CC. Right-sized for enjoyable driving on mountain roads, paddle shifters useful in that environment too. Another unique advantage is the availability and relative affordablility of well-designed and proven wheel/tire/suspension mods for these IS's. Careful buyers can get nearly custom fitments and configurations at mainstream pricing for these cars because the market is big enough, a kind of interesting situation unique to IS and 3 series (not Mercedes and Audi).

Cons: Steering feel is acceptable (and that's running 19" 35 series summer tires which helps some), not great (Mercedes and BMW sport sedans are better for example). Front seats could use more lateral support and better long distance support too. Interior styling and detailing is a tad conservative. Back seat is small as expected with coupe-like roofline and short wheelbase.

[VBdenny]

without any doubt or need for reflection, the very best Toyota/Lexus product I have owned was my 1990 LS400. Perhaps the best car ever produced by Toyota for the time. I love the 32V- 4CAM V8 engine. The smoothness and power so overwhelmed me the first time I drove it that I knew a new standard had been set. Yes, the newest models are certainly more refined and luxurious BUT then again, so are Buicks now.