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calendar   Monday - March 21, 2005

The UAW And Me

Recently we had a post about how the UAW stopped allowing Marines from leaving their cars in the UAW parking lots while said Marines deployed or went on exercises.

Here, here, and here.

The comments were wide ranging and interesting but very few of them touched on the issue of “quality” or “reliability” or “resale value.”

So I will do so now.

Almost 3 years ago I had to get rid of my trusty Toyota pickup which I’d had for 18 years.  Four cylinder, 5 speed, NO air conditioning.  It had 150,000 miles on it.  The engine ran like a top.  I bought it in 1983 in California, drove it 3 months later to Louisiana where it got floated over the pond to Greece, my next military assignment.  From there I drove it a year later to Portugal via Italy, Switzerland, France and Spain. Oh, did I tell you all this time it had a cab-over camper (small) on it!  What a site in Europe! From Portugal it got shipped 6 years later to New Jersey where I drove it south and then west to Texas.  Several trips back and forth (Texas to Florida) and then I drove it to Virginia where I had my first “problem” with it at almost 100,000 miles.  I needed to replace the exhaust.  10,000 miles later the starter.  10,000 miles later the brakes and 10,000 miles later the clutch.  Not bad for 18 years of driving.

My father’s health did not allow him to drive any more and since my mother does not drive (can’t learn, we tried, she freaks behind the wheel--go figure!) it was incumbent upon me to pick up the slack.  So I went shopping for a new (different) car. It had to seat 5 easily and my father needed to have easy egress/ingress.  The choices boiled down to a Town Car, a Gran Marquis, a Cadillac DeVille, a 95/96 Impala SS, or a Toyota Camry.

I REALLY had my eyes set on the Impala SS but none were to be had within many miles.  My next choice was the Caddy or Towncar.  Luxurious.  Commodious.  Last on my list was the Camry.

Then I started digging into the NADA and saw the prices. 

I was looking for a 3 or 4 year old car with depreciation eaten out of it (I refuse to buy a new car because of the WALLOP one takes driving it off the lot.)

So I methodically started calculating “average retail when new” versus “average retail for a 2, 3, and 4 year old” car.  I even took it out 6 years to get an idea of, historically, where I’d be 2 years hence.  The Cadillac and Town Car were worth only about 30% of their “new” price 6 years on.  The Camry still had 50% of its value.

Being a tight wad (and very practical) I focused on the Camry.  As it turns out my parents’ neighbor had one so I went over and asked her if my father could try getting into her car because I was in the market for a Toyota but he needed to be able to get into it easily.

It turns out she had it for sale.  It was a 1998 model.  Had only 38,000 miles, was the upgraded Camry with V-6 and all options.  We negotiated a price and I bought it.

The point of all this?

Yesterday I was driving by a house that had a beautiful Town Car with a FOR SALE sign on it.  I stopped and looked.  It was a 1999.

I got home and checked its value.  Then I checked my Toyota’s.  The new Town Car sold for about $33000.  The new Toyota for about $24000.  Today, my “one year older than a town car” Toyota is worth more than the Town Car.

Granted, US cars have improved in quality but numbers do not lie.

In conclusion, yes, the UAW has a lot more to worry about than some Marines parking in their lots.

The floor is now yours.


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Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler   United States  on 03/21/2005 at 06:53 AM   
Filed Under: • PersonalUnions-Labor •  
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