On Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:10:54 -0500, "tww1491" <twaugh5@cox.net> wrote:

>Supposedly, Ford has made a huge step forward in quality and reliability
>with the new Fusion and Mercury Milan. The same is claimed for GM's new
>Malibu. The impediment (says the media) to buyers flocking to Ford and GM
>showrooms to buy these automobiles is the distrust of things domestic built
>up over years of disappointment. While, the Fusion and others may be
>competitive when new, the question I have is what the car will like after 10
>years of ownership -- still comparable to an Accord of similar age and
>mileage.
>
>I guess I don't see the Fusion in the same light as I see my Accord,
>frankly. But, I may be wrong. Any imput out there.

I have seen the media hype about how the domestics have caught up with
the Japanese before. The first time I can remember was back in the
early 1980s with the Chevy Citation, a car that later became the
poster child for crappy American cars.

Maybe Ford and GM have caught up with Honda and Toyota, but how would
we know for at least six or seven years? The problem is that they are
using the same old media hype and no one is going to believe them. It
took years for Honda and Toyota to overcome the public perception that
anything from Japan must be crappy. If GM and Ford have truly caught
up, they should just shut up and let the 7 - 10 year reliability
records do the talking. Of course, they may be out of business by
then.