Division is a naturally occurring phenomenon, even in places where you would least expect it. A place of interest, to us, is the division amongst automotive enthusiasts. Groups can be summed up by their regional affinity (i.e. German, Japanese, and American cars) or a particular love for a certain category, such as JDM. or hypercars. However, all is not well between factions.
Besides the easy-to-hate “ricers,” the American automotive scene gets a whole lot of hate, especially for their “sports cars.” Compared to Europe and Japan, the US’s performance car repertoire is but a shadow of their overseas counterparts. As such, they’re criticized for their vehicle’s lack of reliability, build quality, speed, looks, and overall usability.
Nevertheless, unknowing consumers (or those who just like American sports cars) will accidentally make a huge mistake. Rather than have a jaw-dropping racer that you’ll be able to give to your children someday, you’ll end up with recalls, repair bills, and a general lack of uniqueness or thrill. To help avoid that catastrophe before it even begins, here are some reasons why you shouldn’t waste your money on a US-built sports car…
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Reliable? More Like Really Liable To Break
Although the pun illustrated above is intended to be funny, it’s, sadly, far more true than we would like it to be. The trope of “unreliability” is most often associated with vehicles like the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger/Charger (though, Dodge has improved recently), and Chevrolet Camaro, but for good reason.
In a previous article about the Ford Mustang and its reliability, we showcased just how bad repairs or recalls are needed. To put it into perspective, since the mid-2000s, the lowest number of recalls on the Mustang is three; usually more. And that’s JUST Ford…
The only good part is that American-made car components are cheap and readily available. Then again, the last thing anyone wants to hear is that their bill will be $500 instead of $600 when, with a different car, they wouldn’t be there in to begin with.
Competitors From Overseas
Buying a car is hard for one’s psyche. There’s a lot of opportunity cost to take into account; “What car do I really want/not want?” and “will this make me happy?” With all the available information about American sports cars, it’s strange to see why anyone would make the decision to purchase such unreliable cars when better ones are within reach.
The alternatives we’re talking about are from across the Atlantic and Pacific – brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and so on. These companies have been known for their long-lasting success (both on and off-track) for decades yet still push the boundaries further. That’s more than can be said for American sports cars.
The best high-end cars that the US has to offer are Teslas, the Ford GT, Chevrolet Corvette C7/C8, and Hennessey Venom series. All that, however, can’t match the likes of Porsche’s Taycan (for all-electric vehicles), Bugatti Chiron 300+, and the various affordable sports cars throughout the regions.
Save Money Now, Lose It All Later
What grabs a consumer’s attention faster than anything else? A deal, of course! That, dear reader, is how thousands fall victim to the trap of getting an American sports car. Companies like Chevrolet and Ford advertise their cars (i.e. Corvette, Mustang and Camaro) as economical, which is true… At first.
Like we mentioned in the first entry, the trips to the mechanic are what’ll get you eventually. Sure, the MSRP is a cool $26,000 (well, $70,000 for a new Corvette), but you will have to spend a good portion of that later on in major fixes. Granted, that’s not a guarantee, rather, a likely outcome.
All in all, save yourself the future head/heart-ache; go with a foreign car. If you’re on a budget, try Japanese. If you want beauty and speed, though, go European all the way!
[“source=hotcars”]