So I posted a question earlier and it was pretty lengthy so here is a revised question to it. Which do you think is the best MAKE OF CAR? FORD or HONDA? It would be an Escape, Sport Trac or Fusion OR an Element or Ridgeline. Which is OVERALL a better car?
I don’t think either is a better make. Buy the car you like better and maintain it based on the owners manual and the vehicle should give you multi-100k miles of use.
The Fusion is a really nice car, I got one right now as a loaner. It’s an 08 4cyl with about 6800 miles on it. The only gripe I have with it is that it tended to vibrate quite a bit on the trip home tonight. It probably just needs an Italian tune up, but I will let the service manager know tomorrow when I go to take it back. Since a loaner is most likely treated as a rental, I can see this happening as the ones I’ve test drove did not have this problem.
OK BSCAR . . . I’ll bite . . what’s an Italian tune-up? Rocketman
I have owned 2 new Fords in last 6 years… Friends have Hondas…
My vote: Honda.
I don’t know what BSCAR will say but in days gone by a Italian tune-up on a carb. car was closing off the carb with you hands and then letting go just before it dies.
I like to look at how many experienced people the manufacture has lost due to layoffs and other changes. It takes time to build up a experienced enginering and manufacturing teams.
It depends solely what you are looking for.
Hands down if looking for slightly used a Ford is significantly better buy due to higher depreciation.
I have owned one Honda(95 Civic) and I am tainted forever against the make.
Eliminate the Sport Trac and it’s a toss up (STs have had a pretty spotty reliability record). Which do you like?
It depends on what is important to you and it depends on the particular model.
You are asking for a value judgment. Examine your own values and decide for yourself which one you like better.
Are you comparing a Ridgeline to an F-150? It depends on your intended use of the truck.
Are you comparing a Focus to a Civic? They are both comparable in quality.
Why are you asking this question? Are you asking this question because you can’t decide for yourself which one you like better?
Well I just wanted peoples opinion on different makes. I am choosing between Ford Fusion, Ford Escape, Honda Element and Honda Ridgeline.
I thought an Italian tune up was a high speed run with the engine at high revs and the throttle wide open. The old blow-out-the-carbon theory.
My personal opinion is Honda. Especially if you plan on keeping the vehicle a long long time. Wifes 96 Honda went to 240k miles before we sold it. I put a total of $4 in repairs beyond scheduled maintenance. Wife’s sister bought a 98 Ford Taurus. It was JUNK in 6 years with less then 100k miles. Maintained 100% by the Ford dealer. Her sister put THOUSANDS into that car…And I’m not counting the work done under warranty.
Unfortunately your data is old. I don’t like Honda’s personally (been there done that) but the quality was much higher in the 90’s vehicles vs 2000’s. Ask someone who has paid for a Honda transmission. I think you can nearly buy 2 for 1 on a Ford. Auto transmission are not a weak spot on Ford’s or really domestic makes for that matter.
That being said I would buy a 1990’s built used Honda over a Ford. Honda is tiny in their offerings of engines/transmissions across the board. Ford is vast and large so you have to research specific models down to powertrain.
Ask someone who has paid for a Honda transmission.
Your data is OLD…Check again…
Honda had a 3 year stretch from 2001 - 2003. As I’ve stated THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEFORE…No on makes a perfect vehicle. Every single manufacturer has had some type of problem…The difference is how they handle these problems…and how long they last.
The problem I’ve seen with Ford/GM/Chruco is they have problems over MANY MANY years (even decades). Their overall quality is NOT there. People keep telling me they are making better cars…Well maybe they are…but I’ll need to see 10+ years of data to prove that to me. One co-worker bought the new 07 Malibu. Tells me it’s a GREAT vehicle and how well it’s made…I said PROVE IT. Come back to me in 300k miles and HONESTLY show me the repair record. THEN I’ll believe you. I’m NOT saying the car is bad. In fact it could be the reliable car ever built…But there isn’t enough evidence to show one way or the other.
What kind of use will the vehicle get? Do you plan to do any towing or hauling of cargo? If so, what do you plan on hauling? Do you have any other special needs we should know about?
If you plan to tow anything substantial, the F-150 would probably be a better choice than the Ridgeline, but the Ridgeline is pretty nice.
Why are you considering an SUV rather than a car?
I think the consensus is that Ford and GM have made strides in quality. However, catching up with Japanese quality is difficult since it is a moving target. Japan seems to stay one step ahead of Detroit and Europe. However, Ford and GM have caught up with the European car makers in quality. (I am not a fan of Ford, so I say this with complete impartiality.)
South Korea seems to be closing the gap with Japan though. The OP should consider a Hyundai.
Even with the continued Japanese improvements, the difference in quality between Honda and Ford/GM is smaller than it used to be. For the segment of our population who keeps cars for an average of 150,000 miles, there isn’t much reason not to consider a Ford, GM, or a Hyundai. However, if your goal is to keep a car for 300,000 miles, I would spend the extra money on a Honda that is highly rated for reliability, which doesn’t apply to all Honda models.
I think the consensus is that Ford and GM have made strides in quality.
They may even be BETTER…But I’ve been burned in the past and not about to jump on the band wagon until I see PROOF that they are better. And based on what I see in upper management…they haven’t changed.
My family’s experience with domestic products is extremely good. No major repairs in the vehicles lives in 225k-300k of ownership over several vehicles.
However they owned what the Japanese could not touch a candle to even today, full size trucks and SUV’s.
The truth is 300k sounds like a great #. However it all depends on the driving involved and miles/year. I would be really impressed over 20 years. However over 10 years majority vehicles can attain that since 30k/year is typically easier miles on vehicle.
I can take you down to my one of my family’s business and show you three full sized vans (GM and Ford) with between 2 and 3 hundreds thousand miles on them. I can go to the company my father works for and show you a dozen F150/250s that have over 200k.
Not all have been perfect:
I have experience with two Ford E350s that had problems with the computer in the first 20k. Ford replaced both and gave us rental vehicles during the time they were in the shop, free of charge.
The OP is not really considering cars; he seems to want trucks. Ford has an outstanding record for longevity and reliability on the F-series trucks. You seem to place a lot of importance on track record and in trucks, Ford’s is a lot longer and better than Honda.