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As we all know, Hondas last far longer than any other car you can buy. They may be a close draw between them and toyota when it comes to reliability, but I think honda barely takes the win when it comes to that. So what do they do differently than the american and european car makers that lets them go twice as long, (or more) before needing an overhaul or other major repairs? What do the japanese do, that gets that kind of reliability out of a car, when the others can't seem to pull it off?

Now granted, american has surpassed european in reliability ratings in recent years, but they still fall far short of honda and toyota.

 
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cheaper parts, not trying, etc. domestics have a rep for throwing something together without much quality control. imports have always been ahead of domestics as far as technology goes. just more advanced. the prius gets the highest hybrid mpg at 55-60, guess what the highest domestic hybrid gets maybe 20s or mid 30s.

 
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TLC baby

 
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Tighter specs on the steel they buy, and tighter specs on the parts they make. Honda and Toyota are quicker to scrap a part that was made slightly incorrect. So the chance of the part failing is small but it's there. Exactly what gearbox said basically.

There is also the insurance factor. Imports hold their value for a much longer period of time, which means insurance companies are quicker to scrap domestics and more likely to repair imports. So it seems they last longer, on paper anyway.

I'm kind of two sided on all this, they last twice as long, but here in Canada I could have bought a Cavalier for 14, 000 dollars, or a civic for 21, 000. Both entry level (Cars are so much cheaper in the states). Take that how you will.

Also, people who buy cheap domestics like sunfires and cavaliers (seems i'm beating on them today) are people who generally can't afford to maintain and upkeep their car. People that spend the 21,000+ on hondas and such probably have enough money to upkeep it.

There is no doubt in my mind though that Honda, Toyota, and Nissan make great cars, some of the best and most reliable. I do believe at the moment that Ford is #1 for reliability.

I kinda figured this all out myself and I'm not 100% sure if it's all right or not, just my thoughts on it all. Feel free to correct me.

 
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i think ford is finally learning and the fusion hybrid is a step in the right direction. they really need to step it up fast if they want to compete in the future. the suv/truck fad wont be around forever, and i will be laughing when its over.

 
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Its just simple man... Honda is best car but slow car...

 
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unless you move overseas and get civic type-r with 200+ hp and lots of extras.

 
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Oh ya them k20's are good motors... I am from overseas by the way

 
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Don't anyone feel bad about ripping on cavaliers or sunfires. I give credit where credit is due, even if it's bad credit. And those cars are the worst kind of junk. Had lots of experience with friends that had them, whom I could not talk into getting a honda.

 
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Better engineering all together.

". imports have always been ahead of domestics as far as technology goes."

Its funny that you say this..us Americans have invented a lot of technology. tvs, vcrs, cars etc etc.. The Japs just made everything that much better. Can you think of a company that makes a US made TV today? haha

BTW I still think American cars are going downhill..I guess overall they are better, but still not there yet.

 
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I think american automakers still have the mentality that, they want everyone who possibly can to buy a new car from them every couple years. What better way to do that than to make a car that needs to be replaced by then? I love that honda is into the truck game. Sure, as of now they can't do near the kind of work that an F-150 or a Silverado can, but they are in it now, and they will only climb from here. I would like to see a new bodystyle and a higher towing capacity from honda's truck line.