Actually Commies and Tree-Huggers, I was referring to the BC Government in Canada.
Really, it is pretty close.
I was strictly a North American and Ford man my whole life. Had the same narrow viewpoints of foreign cars as some here. UNTIL I bought my first Porsche Cayenne Turbo (used). Whata ride! Happily turned over my Jeep SRT8 keys on trade. Then again it is not a fair comparison as vastly different models. Opened up my mind though enough to buy a second Cayenne Turbo S for myself and hand down the first Cayenne Turbo to my wife! Quite simply there is no other vehicle in America that even comparies to this for daily driving SUV.
Thought maybe there is more to this Foreign vehicle thing than meets the eye, so I took out a new Porsche 911 GT3. Absolutely hated it and thought it was cheap. Took out a Boxster and it confirmed the cheapness to me further. Closed my mind back to thinking the Cayenne Turbo was a one off.
I was home with my Dad's construction company a few months ago and my Dad is the biggest Big 3 guy out there. At least 4 or 5 new work trucks a year for his company. He had a brand new Toyota truck in the driveway. The new full size crew cab one. I really started to raze him about it and kept asking why did you do this, why? He wouldn't tell me but took it down a pretty rough gravel road and it was smooth and the quietest vehilce I had ever been in. You could not hear a single stone hit the inner fenders. Then we came back in one of his Dodge MegaCabs and drove the same road. Stones flying of everything and rough. Now I know why. Opened my mind a lot more.
I will not say that every foreign vehicle is better beucase they are not, but some are clearly way ahead of the big three equivalents. In a way, you feel very cheated after. The Big three should be miles ahead on quality and engineering, but the fricken' unions have all about killed it.
Now I love Torque so my sports cars need to be traditional American Muscle, like Vipers, Shelbys Saleens, Corvettes, Ford GT, etc. That is what I personally like and prefer. Maybe a Ferrari is better quality, but I like my torque and the Foreign cars just don't have it, thus I will always buy big three or two for my sports cars. However for daily driving I like to keep my kidneys staionary, thus I like a nice quiet ride with no rattles, squeeks, etc. The big three are way behind in this category if you ask me. Yes they are okay, but not built to last. I can jump into my Uncle's 10 year old, 100,000+ mile Lexus and there is not a rattle or squeek. For that I applaud. NO Big three vehicle I have ever owned can attest to that.
I am North American proud of all we have and produce. I would buy big three for daily vehicles first without hesitation, but after experiencing a few pretty good foreign cars,. North America needs to pick up the pace of some of the vehicles. Some are perfect the way they are. Some are POS.
Viper is as American as it can get. No other country could have the balls to produce it in raw form. For that we should be proud. However I have no shame in jumping into my Cayenne to drive home from the track. If any of the big three produced anything close, I would own it, but they don't.