Aging Cars

     In 1973 I attended classes at Honda Canada to be trained in the servicing of the new Honda Civic. My Dad was granted the Honda franchise and I was put in charge of the service dept. We had been FIAT dealers since 1959 and over the years we grew fond of FIAT, no matter how temperamental they were. Let me take that back. I hated FIATS. The bastards never stayed fixed. The thing would break down in the parking, lot waiting to be picked up.
     I can’t explain what a joy it was servicing Hondas. The Civics didn’t break. When they need to be serviced, they stayed fixed. We were actually happy to see a customer. Granted when problems did occur the Honda folks were more than happy to help. They listened to their dealers, customers and what a relief the mechanics. Honda’s reputation for reliability is well earned. Today, we are still servicing Hondas, difference being that some of the vehicles we service are 15-18 years old.
     Here’s the issue, because they are so well liked Hondas, Toyotas and Mazda have retained their value. More than they’re actually worth. From a mechanical point of view, this doesn’t make sense. No matter what the brand, it’s still an old car. They rust, the rubber bits were never designed to last that long, the hydraulics fail, and electronics fail. It’s a fact that it’s more costly to repair older cars, than say a 6 year old vehicle. Yet we still cling to the idea that made in Japan is better than made in Canada.
     I know it’s been fashionable in the press to belittle the big three, especially, since they are having financial issues. The North American manufactures produce a top quality product. The Oshawa plant that screws together Buicks, is a consistent quality award winner. Better than anything out there. Times are tough, need a deal on a good used car? Look at the purchase of a domestic name plate. There are plentiful and you get a lot more “bang for your buck”. Better to drive a 4 year old vehicle than one that’s 12 years old. Just makes sense. One more thing FIAT pulled up stakes and left town in the mid 70’s .