GM, what no faith?

[LTb1ow]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a25254/general-motors-drops-warranty-from-100000-to-60000-miles/

I am sure Ford/Dodge will be quick to capitalize on this.

[xrelapse13]

Shame to see, especially in this day and age when most companies are increasing their warranty periods.

[WildBillyT]

Ford, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, VW, and Honda all appear to have 5/60,000 warranties so this puts GM in line.

Knocking the warranty down does make a statement to consumers, though.

[Featherburner]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a25254/general-motors-drops-warranty-from-100000-to-60000-miles/

I am sure Ford/Dodge will be quick to capitalize on this.If by quick to capitalize you mean follow suit, then yes, I'm sure you are right.

[Blackbirdws6]

If by quick to capitalize you mean follow suit, then yes, I'm sure you are right.

Agreed. Only a matter of time. Benz, BMW, etc all have lesser warranties too. This does send the wrong message but I don't think this will impact sales long term.

[Paul Huryk]

They must have looked at how cars/trucks in the 60k to 100k range get warranty work and put this out there. All about the all mighty profit margins...

[1320B4U]

100k warranty does play a great part in sales (esp for kia)...makess folks consider a brand they normally may not have looked at. Not a smart move as the price of cars still continue to rise and the cost of repairs are equally high. The brands that still offer solid 100k powertrain warranties will capitalize.

[LTb1ow]

I don't know much about emissions stuff on gassers, but good god will be this make for a ****** time after the factory/Federal warranty period ends on diesels..Nox sensor on an LML costs 700.00 and there are two of them. Changing out a particulate filter will cost thousands as will the egr and associated crap. Diesel guys are claiming this as a answer to continued pressure from Govt. to impose emissions stuff, it just costs to much for GM to offer long warranties.

Who knows, but still, kinda weird.

[BigAls87Z28]

Emissions are covered for 100k due to federal regulation IIRC.

[LTb1ow]

Emissions are covered for 100k due to federal regulation IIRC.

Thought it was 80k?

[The_Bishop]

Either way, none of this bodes well. It will sure as hell influence *my* buying decisions in the future.

I think they're seeing that a large portion of their sales are leases, so the 100k warranty isn't a draw for someone that's going to possess the car for less than the warranty period, but what of those that don't lease?

[sweetbmxrider]

8 year/80k miles Federal Emissions Warranty.

You can still purchase extended warranties, don't understand all of the fuss....

[The_Bishop]

Well, the fact that you need to pay more money for them, as a starter. It also adds a perceived lack of faith in their own equipment with the lessening of the warranty.

Also, I'm pretty sure they're not lowering the cost of the vehicles, so you get less value for your $$.

[Mike]

They just went to the 100k in 2009ish too...

[qwikz28]

I'm willing to bet most consumers have no clue how long a manufacturer's warranty is or was when they go to purchase a car.

[sweetbmxrider]

Ford, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, VW, and Honda all appear to have 5/60,000 warranties so this puts GM in line.

Benz, BMW, etc all have lesser warranties too.

Well, the fact that you need to pay more money for them, as a starter. It also adds a perceived lack of faith in their own equipment with the lessening of the warranty.

Also, I'm pretty sure they're not lowering the cost of the vehicles, so you get less value for your $$.

So who are you going to look at instead? This is nearly inline with every other auto maker out there. The differences are negligible. Hyundai offers a 10/100k but it does not appear to be standard nor is it transferable. I understand your perception but there doesn't seem to be another option.

[Mike]

Kia yo

[The_Bishop]

Er, Ram trucks? Any Chrysler? They're still 3/36-5/100.

[1320B4U]

8 year/80k miles Federal Emissions Warranty.

You can still purchase extended warranties, don't understand all of the fuss....

Why would I want to pay for something that was free at 1 point. Was at the dealer today, new Tahoe 68k...average auto loan is 6years now. Depending on driving habits (my wife at 25k year) the warranty would be off in a little over 2 years. Not that I'm in the market for a new car at this point but having a 100k p/train is somewhat nice (esp since her '11 has another 10k left on it). 100k was nice, it showed confidence in a brand that was back by the gov't at one point. the offering showed the emergence of a 're-organized' better managed car company. Its like getting paid 100k a year then the next year they lower your salary to 60k...folks be like wtf...problems?

[sweetbmxrider]

Er, Ram trucks? Any Chrysler? They're still 3/36-5/100.

I'd rather a ford or gm product over a chrysler product, always. I also don't see the desire for such a long warranty. Most major issues are going to show up well before 50k miles and would be apparent on a large scale, not just 1 car, thus issuing a recall. Cars are designed and built to last around the 100k mark, and then, they start needing moderate to major repairs. Hell, spark plugs last 100k+. Stick to the routine maintenance and there isn't going to be an issue with the vehicle unless you abuse it or use it outside its designed purpose.

Why would I want to pay for something that was free at 1 point. Was at the dealer today, new Tahoe 68k...average auto loan is 6years now. Depending on driving habits (my wife at 25k year) the warranty would be off in a little over 2 years. Not that I'm in the market for a new car at this point but having a 100k p/train is somewhat nice (esp since her '11 has another 10k left on it). 100k was nice, it showed confidence in a brand that was back by the gov't at one point. the offering showed the emergence of a 're-organized' better managed car company. Its like getting paid 100k a year then the next year they lower your salary to 60k...folks be like wtf...problems?

Compare your current tahoe against your past tahoe and note all the differences as well as economical impact causing your jump in price. That is seen in everything in the world today. Now add in your "free" warranty that was built into the price of the vehicle and I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to say.

[1320B4U]

Not following you but for the sake of arguing go ahead...price jump from prev model to newer one is to be expected...redesign, avail options over its predecessor, retooling, etc all adds the cost..understood however offering a lessor warranty doesn't sit well with most consumers. I can't see how anyone feels this is a great move on the part of the consumer or how it may affect sales. There's obv a reason why they pulled it, the cost of repairs after x (60k) amt of mileage was used quite often and costly to gm ...otherwise they would have left it.

[NastyEllEssWon]

There's obv a reason why they pulled it, the cost of repairs after x (60k) amt of mileage was used quite often and costly to gm ...otherwise they would have left it.


This is the problem with that situation. GM tried to show good faith to their customers by extending the warranty period to try to compete with other brands that have done the same...except GM's products dont stack up to the other when it comes to overall quality, fit and finish. Even if this decision wasnt based upon inflated warranty claims, it certainly looks like it was when you revoke the program. They shouldve just sat firm with the rest of the auto companies out there.

On a side note my Saturn Ion recently died at 200,000 miles and we were shopping new cars and went to look at some cars and GM didnt really have anything on the lot that had the fit and finish that Ford is carrying these days. I was impressed by what the blue ovals doing honestly, their entire lineup is nice.

[The_Bishop]

I'd rather a ford or gm product over a chrysler product, always. I also don't see the desire for such a long warranty. Most major issues are going to show up well before 50k miles and would be apparent on a large scale, not just 1 car, thus issuing a recall. Cars are designed and built to last around the 100k mark, and then, they start needing moderate to major repairs. Hell, spark plugs last 100k+. Stick to the routine maintenance and there isn't going to be an issue with the vehicle unless you abuse it or use it outside its designed purpose.

Why would you say "brand x or brand y over brand z, always?" Brand loyalty is a fools game. When I went truck shopping and ended up with my dodge, I looked at all the domestic trucks out there. Ford had nice fit and finish, but at that time the only motor available was the modular motor, which is an overcomplicated pile of unreliable crap with no torque. That ruled out ford. It was a toss up between GM and Ram. The GM, at almost the same MPG, was shy 80HP and almost the same torque compared to the Hemi. Also, to get the decent motor, you needed to pick upscale (and expensive) models. I'm not a big fan of the extended cab doors on them, either.

The Ram had a 395HP Hemi, 20" wheels, 4wd and a sporty look (minus all the damned gaudy chrome geegaws on the GM numbers) with power windows, locks, AC, and no fancy extra crap in the Express trim. It handles better, drivers nicer, and was notably cheaper than the equivalent GM models. The extended cab setup has discrete doors for the rear seats, and the rear seats are far more comfortable, too.

Am I a Ram 'fan'? Nope, I just liked what they offered more than the other brands. Brand loyalty is a losing game, buy what fits your need.

In the two years and 25k miles I've used my truck, I have had zero issues with it.

[sweetbmxrider]

Not following you but for the sake of arguing go ahead...price jump from prev model to newer one is to be expected...redesign, avail options over its predecessor, retooling, etc all adds the cost..understood however offering a lessor warranty doesn't sit well with most consumers. I can't see how anyone feels this is a great move on the part of the consumer or how it may affect sales. There's obv a reason why they pulled it, the cost of repairs after x (60k) amt of mileage was used quite often and costly to gm ...otherwise they would have left it.

I don't understand, are you saying you now agree with what I stated?

This is the problem with that situation. GM tried to show good faith to their customers by extending the warranty period to try to compete with other brands that have done the same...except GM's products dont stack up to the other when it comes to overall quality, fit and finish. Even if this decision wasnt based upon inflated warranty claims, it certainly looks like it was when you revoke the program. They shouldve just sat firm with the rest of the auto companies out there.

On a side note my Saturn Ion recently died at 200,000 miles and we were shopping new cars and went to look at some cars and GM didnt really have anything on the lot that had the fit and finish that Ford is carrying these days. I was impressed by what the blue ovals doing honestly, their entire lineup is nice.

So you are going to tell me that chysler and hyundai are the #1 and #2 powertrains available, as this is what the warranty implies? You are going to say that mercedes and bmw have poor fit and finish as they both offer the lesser warranties? Are you currently shopping at kia for their excellent warranty offering? Is their fit and finish greater than bentley, rolls, etc?

Why would you say "brand x or brand y over brand z, always?" Brand loyalty is a fools game. When I went truck shopping and ended up with my dodge, I looked at all the domestic trucks out there. Ford had nice fit and finish, but at that time the only motor available was the modular motor, which is an overcomplicated pile of unreliable crap with no torque. That ruled out ford. It was a toss up between GM and Ram. The GM, at almost the same MPG, was shy 80HP and almost the same torque compared to the Hemi. Also, to get the decent motor, you needed to pick upscale (and expensive) models. I'm not a big fan of the extended cab doors on them, either.

The Ram had a 395HP Hemi, 20" wheels, 4wd and a sporty look (minus all the damned gaudy chrome geegaws on the GM numbers) with power windows, locks, AC, and no fancy extra crap in the Express trim. It handles better, drivers nicer, and was notably cheaper than the equivalent GM models. The extended cab setup has discrete doors for the rear seats, and the rear seats are far more comfortable, too.

Am I a Ram 'fan'? Nope, I just liked what they offered more than the other brands. Brand loyalty is a losing game, buy what fits your need.

In the two years and 25k miles I've used my truck, I have had zero issues with it.

I would expect 0 problems in 2 years and 25k miles. I have a tj wrangler with 61k miles and have had 0 problems. I have performed routine maintenance, that's it. Most of what you went for was what suited your taste in appearance and comforts, not so much the powertrain offering. Gen 3's and 4's are a fantastic platform, no questions asked. Your 20 inch wheels like to eat up chryslers weak steering and suspension components. Gm still has grease fittings on their components, improving their longevity. Chrysler always has a cheaper feel to them and the quality of their components are inferior to that of ford and gm, they are a smaller company so it is to be expected. Speaking to brand loyalty, why did you only look at domestic pickups? Gm's diesel is the best out there in the light-duty field. They were also using allisons behind some of the larger gas offerings, another unbeatable setup. I would love to see a cost to own comparison on your hemi vs a comparable gm setup. From what I gather, your 16 plugs are due every 30k miles. You take an additional quart of oil per oil change. How would this stack up against your fuel mileage savings? Its getting a little off topic in my reply but I think there is more to vehicle ownership than the basic comparisons most everyone looks at initially. I don't want to get into the fit/finish either as I'm not a body man. I do have a friend that has been in the body shop biz since before I was alive and we constantly butt heads in the chevy vs ford debate. He tells me that gm does have better fit and finish than the other domestics and also has strong dislike towards chysler products even though he owns an 08 wrangler unlimited. I guess we have a different perspective being in the repair industry so its hard to completely explain the viewpoints when its simply what you see and feel and compare on our day to day 9 to 5's.

[The_Bishop]

I would expect 0 problems in 2 years and 25k miles. I have a tj wrangler with 61k miles and have had 0 problems. I have performed routine maintenance, that's it. Most of what you went for was what suited your taste in appearance and comforts, not so much the powertrain offering. Gen 3's and 4's are a fantastic platform, no questions asked. Your 20 inch wheels like to eat up chryslers weak steering and suspension components. Gm still has grease fittings on their components, improving their longevity. Chrysler always has a cheaper feel to them and the quality of their components are inferior to that of ford and gm, they are a smaller company so it is to be expected. Speaking to brand loyalty, why did you only look at domestic pickups? Gm's diesel is the best out there in the light-duty field. They were also using allisons behind some of the larger gas offerings, another unbeatable setup. I would love to see a cost to own comparison on your hemi vs a comparable gm setup. From what I gather, your 16 plugs are due every 30k miles. You take an additional quart of oil per oil change. How would this stack up against your fuel mileage savings? Its getting a little off topic in my reply but I think there is more to vehicle ownership than the basic comparisons most everyone looks at initially. I don't want to get into the fit/finish either as I'm not a body man. I do have a friend that has been in the body shop biz since before I was alive and we constantly butt heads in the chevy vs ford debate. He tells me that gm does have better fit and finish than the other domestics and also has strong dislike towards chysler products even though he owns an 08 wrangler unlimited. I guess we have a different perspective being in the repair industry so its hard to completely explain the viewpoints when its simply what you see and feel and compare on our day to day 9 to 5's.

While I may have no brand loyalty, I do prefer to buy domestic.

Powertrain *was* important when I was shopping. It was one of the biggest driving factors in my decision.

The ram's steering and suspension was redesigned and strengthened in 2013. The components are more robust. Also, I don't know if I'd call the earlier stuff 'weak'. I worked on some 2003-2010 1500 rams that had in excess of 150k miles on them with the factory parts still in place and in fair shape. Granted, these were stock trucks but if you modify anything you're taking things out of their design parameters. The fit and finish of the truck is fine. Is everything fake leather and fake wood coated? No, and that's fine by me. Nothing squeaks, rattles or vibrates. The ride quality of the new 5 link rear suspension beats the pants off leaf springs. There is *zero* axle hop.

A diesel wasn't in the cards because I don't have $60k to go diesel truck shopping with. I paid less than half that for my truck, and $30k buys a *lot* of gasoline.

Yeah, the plugs cost a bit more. The 30k miles/3 years isn't a big deal; an extra $16 for plug changes every 3 years is no big deal when I get 85 HP more. The extra quart of oil is similarly no big deal, especially when you go by the oil life monitor built into the truck... It's a *long* time between oil changes by the factory oil monitor.

You are right, there is more to vehicle cost than the apparent cost. And we are getting pretty far away from the original topic. :kneeslap:

I didn't post to bash any brand. What I started out saying is there is a *perceived* value. If I'm Joe Public knowing diddly squat about anything, and I'm looking to buy a car, brand 'A' offers a 100,000 mile warranty, brand 'B' only offers a 60,000 mile warranty, you can bet that I'm going to wonder why brand 'B' has no faith in their own equipment. It doesn't matter that I'll likely run out of time before mileage. It's perception. On the other side of the coin there is the long-distance commuter. This guy *knows* he's mileage bound to run out of warranty, so in all likelihood he's going to lean towards the 100k warranty.

I don't see how this reduction is going to help their image *at all*, especially in light of the recent recall fiasco. I think it'll cost them more in sales than they would have saved in work but I'm no professional bean-counter.

[1QWIKBIRD]

How many people on this board have bought a car brand new, paid it off (3, 4, 5 year loan) and kept 3 to 5 years beyond that, and if so what was the mileage when you did sell it? I've only ever bought 1 vehicle brand new, 1996 F150, paid it off in 3 years, kept it for 8, put 185,000 miles on the truck. I'm guessing that's not normal and not what car manufacturers want.

Its all probably a mute point. I would like to know the percentage of people that buy a vehicle new, pay it off, then keep it for 2, 3, 5 or 10 years beyond that? I'm guessing the percentage is very small compared to the number of leases, and/or people that never actually pay off the vehicle, but trade it in on something else before its paid off.

There are myriad of practical reasons for not keeping a car through to the end of a loan, but I also believe consumers are just that, consume-rs. We are conditioned to convince ourselves we need the latest and greatest, or at least something new and different.

This board (and probably every niche car board on the internet) represents a very small slice of a demographic that might actually take care of a car a keep it over a longer than normal time frame. But most people (I would think) don't keep a car much beyond 3-5 years, look around in the neighborhood or the parking lot at work and I would bet there is more turnover than you think.

I drive by N.A.D.E. in Bordentown everyday on my way to work and the place is a sea of used cars, that rotates its inventory every week or two. We occasionally do survey work there for site upgrades and its amazing the number of cars that move through that place and the rate at which they turnover. Someone is buying and selling all those cars?

[maroman88]

i have a feeling thats just our area... seems like a lot more of the older cars are in rural areas no?

[NastyEllEssWon]

So you are going to tell me that chysler and hyundai are the #1 and #2 powertrains available, as this is what the warranty implies? You are going to say that mercedes and bmw have poor fit and finish as they both offer the lesser warranties? Are you currently shopping at kia for their excellent warranty offering? Is their fit and finish greater than bentley, rolls, etc?



I did take a look at Kia's and Hyundai's because of their warranty offerings but decided to go with the Focus because its what my girlfriend really liked. BMW, Mercedes as well as Bently and Rolls dont have any horrendous history with product quality like GM has had over the years. GM however tried to pull a Kia/Hyundai and offer a huge warranty which even if its not due to financial problems with honoring the warranty, still comes off as looking as such because of their recent history quality and financial wise.

[Mike]

How many people on this board have bought a car brand new, paid it off (3, 4, 5 year loan) and kept 3 to 5 years beyond that, and if so what was the mileage when you did sell it? I've only ever bought 1 vehicle brand new, 1996 F150, paid it off in 3 years, kept it for 8, put 185,000 miles on the truck. I'm guessing that's not normal and not what car manufacturers want.

Its all probably a mute point. I would like to know the percentage of people that buy a vehicle new, pay it off, then keep it for 2, 3, 5 or 10 years beyond that? I'm guessing the percentage is very small compared to the number of leases, and/or people that never actually pay off the vehicle, but trade it in on something else before its paid off.

There are myriad of practical reasons for not keeping a car through to the end of a loan, but I also believe consumers are just that, consume-rs. We are conditioned to convince ourselves we need the latest and greatest, or at least something new and different.

This board (and probably every niche car board on the internet) represents a very small slice of a demographic that might actually take care of a car a keep it over a longer than normal time frame. But most people (I would think) don't keep a car much beyond 3-5 years, look around in the neighborhood or the parking lot at work and I would bet there is more turnover than you think.

I drive by N.A.D.E. in Bordentown everyday on my way to work and the place is a sea of used cars, that rotates its inventory every week or two. We occasionally do survey work there for site upgrades and its amazing the number of cars that move through that place and the rate at which they turnover. Someone is buying and selling all those cars?

I'm one month shy of doing that with my trailblazer.... Bought new in 06, paid off in 5 years and still have it. 85k currently

[LTb1ow]

Both my parents buy cars and pay them off within a couple years, my mom had an 01 Acura up to a few months ago when she finally ditched it for a new car. Dad drives a paid off older Honda Pilot, probably never get rid of the thing. I don't warranty affected their choices, as they pay a shop to do maintenance work without complaint after the warranty period ends. They are probably the only people that hold onto vehicles on their block :lol:

[sweetbmxrider]

Even with having a warranty, plenty is denied or claimed to be "normal" for an easy out. My bro's subaru is using around a quart of oil between changes. You can go in for a consumption test where they change the oil and then you bring it back after 1200 miles. If it used more than a quart, they replace the rings. If not, its normal. Great warranty there :rolleyes:

[NJSPEEDER]

GM does as well as any other mainstream brand in all of the quality and reliability surveys. Toyota leads the world is safety recalls and VW spent years as the lowest ranked brand in initial satisfaction. Somehow GM gets the bad rep? Doesn't make much sense to me.

I know people that work on BMW's and MB's for a living. MB's are reliable but when something breaks, often even seemingly little things, the wait for parts can be a while.

BMW's all I hear are horror stories. All of the computers and complications and error counting and connected systems make them a mess.

[ThoR294]

GM does as well as any other mainstream brand in all of the quality and reliability surveys. Toyota leads the world is safety recalls and VW spent years as the lowest ranked brand in initial satisfaction. Somehow GM gets the bad rep? Doesn't make much sense to me.

I know people that work on BMW's and MB's for a living. MB's are reliable but when something breaks, often even seemingly little things, the wait for parts can be a while.

BMW's all I hear are horror stories. All of the computers and complications and error counting and connected systems make them a mess.

German engineering... aka over engineering

[1QWIKBIRD]

I'm one month shy of doing that with my trailblazer.... Bought new in 06, paid off in 5 years and still have it. 85k currently

Good to you. Hopefully you see another 5 years and 85k trouble-free miles. I can't wait for my truck to be paid off. I went 15 years without a truck payment and now that I have one, can't wait for it to be gone. I don't mind my mortgage payment, but car/truck payments blow.....

[BigAls87Z28]

First off, the 100k warranty was fishy from jump street as if you drive the normal 15k per year, you will hit 60k around 5 years, which would come first before you got to 100k.

Second, every brand has their issues. Buy, lease, borrow, whatever, and handle whatever comes your way. Do you research on the car and buy what you want.

[Mike]

Good to you. Hopefully you see another 5 years and 85k trouble-free miles. I can't wait for my truck to be paid off. I went 15 years without a truck payment and now that I have one, can't wait for it to be gone. I don't mind my mortgage payment, but car/truck payments blow.....

It's a trailblazer, trouble free is relative. But I'm willing to repair about 95% of whatever could happen mechanically. Lol

[LTb1ow]

First off, the 100k warranty was fishy from jump street as if you drive the normal 15k per year, you will hit 60k around 5 years, which would come first before you got to 100k.

Second, every brand has their issues. Buy, lease, borrow, whatever, and handle whatever comes your way. Do you research on the car and buy what you want.

Normal is 15k a year?

Well crap, I do like twice that :kneeslap:

[BigAls87Z28]

Normal is 15k a year?

Well crap, I do like twice that :kneeslap:

I travel for a living, so what the **** are you doing?

[sweetbmxrider]

I watched my odometer this morning for fun. It added 1 mile. Just 1. :D

[Blackbirdws6]

I watched my odometer this morning for fun. It added 1 mile. Just 1. :D
You need more vespa/parka in your life.

[ThoR294]

My GF got a 14 focus in April last year... its at 30k miles already. 1 transmission rebuild also to boot!

Anyway, on topic, I wonder how many warranty claims were between 60k-100k and were actually approved? Like motor/trans failure NOT due to maintenance.

[NJSPEEDER]

I seem to remember Kasey (fidget) having an issue before 100k miles with his Cruze that was covered by warranty. He was told something about not all of the engine and drivetrain is covered the full 100k, some of it was only 60k.

As far as mileage, i do over 15k a year just commuting, figure that is easily 20+ by the time I take any random trips.

[BigAls87Z28]

My GF got a 14 focus in April last year... its at 30k miles already. 1 transmission rebuild also to boot!

Anyway, on topic, I wonder how many warranty claims were between 60k-100k and were actually approved? Like motor/trans failure NOT due to maintenance.


I have to say that the Focus is one of the worst cars in it's class. I've had the luxury of driving a bunch of compact cars over the last year thanks to work.
Started with a '12 Cruze, '14 Focus, and '14 Sentra.
The Focus was the most cramped, worst fuel economy, most road noise, and some really ****** ergonomics. Cruze was the lowest rent as it was the base model, but even that felt better than the Focus.
I do like the Sentra a lot, honestly. Lots of interior space, well equipped, pretty quiet on the road, and best fuel economy. Only thing I don't like about the Sentra is the 2.5 gallon gas tank that thing has. Christ, I'm filling it up every 2.5 days.

The transmission in the Focus is pretty bad. Four of of the six Focii the other members of the regional staff have had the transmission repaired or replaced at least once.

[ThoR294]

I have to say that the Focus is one of the worst cars in it's class. I've had the luxury of driving a bunch of compact cars over the last year thanks to work.
Started with a '12 Cruze, '14 Focus, and '14 Sentra.
The Focus was the most cramped, worst fuel economy, most road noise, and some really ****** ergonomics. Cruze was the lowest rent as it was the base model, but even that felt better than the Focus.
I do like the Sentra a lot, honestly. Lots of interior space, well equipped, pretty quiet on the road, and best fuel economy. Only thing I don't like about the Sentra is the 2.5 gallon gas tank that thing has. Christ, I'm filling it up every 2.5 days.

The transmission in the Focus is pretty bad. Four of of the six Focii the other members of the regional staff have had the transmission repaired or replaced at least once.

She drove Focus, Cruze, Altima (we were told sentra was a worse altima, so they put us in the altima), and a Corolla.

The Cruze was meh to her as she just didn't like how it was and she is a Ford girl at heart.

The Altima was nice, but the most expensive, and had a CVT which I told her to steer away from since I have had a lot of run ins with those failing.

Corolla was awesome, because it came loaded, but they now have a CVT. I was able to forgive the CVT because the car was well built, but my GF decided on the Focus because it was the cheapest.

The Focus transmission started acting like garbage around 5k miles. It would shudder, wouldn't downshift, and was erratic. It was horrible. After the rebuild, it is MUCH MUCH better.

I like the styling of the focus, but it does feel a little small even compared to my G5