American Cars vs. Japanese Cars

For the past two weeks, I have been without our primary car. Just before Christmas a deer hit Elaine as she was driving down a rural road in our fair city of Norwich, Connecticut. While our car has been getting fixed, we have had a rental car.

Now many of you who know me well, know that I am a car nut. I have been for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a kid, I have always favored, Toyota and Honda cars for their styling and reliability. When we had an opportunity to replace our minivan in Norwich, I was pleased to see that the Toyota Sienna was on our official list.

I have grown to love this car. It truly lives up to its reputation for quality and reliability. After driving a brand new Chevrolet minivan for the last two weeks, I realize that I have made the right decision.

Quality--Fit and Finish
One of the things that makes asian cars head and shoulders above their american counterparts is the issue of quality. Everything about them seem like the engineering was thought out more so. On our Toyota minivan, the doors close perfectly, all of the controls and other ergonomic features are exactly where you need them, and function seemlessly. On the brand new Chevrolet minivan, the doors did not shut without slamming them. An alarm and message center would confirm this. The tailgate seemed to be slightly misaligned.

Refinement
My Toyota Minivan is one high tech vehicle. The engine is a 3.3 VVT V-6. It makes 230 horsepower and on a trip, I can get 25 mpg averaging 75 miles per hour. The Chevrolet has a bigger engine... a 3.5 that produes less power...only 201. At 75 miles per hour, I only averaged 21 miles per gallon. To top it off, the Toyota is a much quieter drivetrain and has a five speed transmission rather than a four speed.

Comfort
The seats in the Toyota are great! They are like Lay-Z-Boy recliners! It has these seats in the front and back. The seats in the back have dual armrests and if you have small children, this is a great headrest for naps! On the Chevrolet, the back captain chairs did not have armrests! They sat alone! Fortunately, my son and daughter didn't fall asleep! They would have sustained a neck injury!

I am glad I got my minivan back! It is a great vehicle, and except for large vans, I will never purchase an American car again! If Toyota builds a large van, GM and Ford will be in trouble for fleet sales!