What's the best American Car Brand?

kbaisi
By kbaisi

Ford, Chevy, Dodge or Gmc for SUVs? And how safe are they?

By sammiee• 13 Jul 2010 12:41
sammiee

im 100% agree with u...

By rEzyz• 13 Jul 2010 12:38
Rating: 2/5
rEzyz

Oh, i m mistaken... sorry, yes it's chevy brand...

By Mr M.• 13 Jul 2010 12:36
Mr M.

Go for a Yukon rather than a trail blazer,it's a bit more expensive but it's fantastic quality,in all aspects,comfort,safety,ride quality,durability.

By mzain• 13 Jul 2010 10:51
mzain

......dude Trail Blazer is from Chevrolet.....

By rEzyz• 13 Jul 2010 01:11
Rating: 4/5
rEzyz

i m planning to buy, trail blazer... a brand by GMC...

how would you rate it... is it the best option in GMC or there r more choices...?

By nomerci• 13 Jul 2010 00:33
Rating: 4/5
nomerci

kbaisi, if you want american made, good for Qatar, I suggest a Sherman tank. :) fully loaded. ;) ;)

By luvtodrive• 11 Jul 2010 14:37
Rating: 2/5
luvtodrive

GMC ..

By anonymous• 11 Jul 2010 13:19
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

american cars are big...

their suspension is best for on road. but very bad for off road. that's why you don't see american cars in desert.

japan SUV are good for offroad.

there cars are best for drifting.

german cars are best in technologies..

that's what i think.

By anonymous• 11 Jul 2010 13:15
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

engines are divided into internal combustion engine. and external combustion engines.

in internal combustion engine we have 2 stroke and 4 stroke engines.

depending on number of cylinders

we have 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,12,16

depending on angle of cylinder we have.

v engine (45 to 90) (harly davidson v-twin).

boxer engine (180 degree)BMW bikes.

W engine and latest is VR series engine block.

also we have engine works in petrol cycle and diesal cycle.

all these engine are commonly used.

now i will tell something about gasturbine engine or commonly knows as jet engine.

Y2K is the one and only bike use this engine.

its faster than any bike. its acceleration is such high that we cannot compare it with any existing bikes.

now rotary engine. or wankel engine.

its used in mazda cars.

its more powerful and more balanced engine and its rpm is more than reciprocating engines.

appart from this. we have quasi turbine engine.

its the most balanced, more powerful and so many unique properties. but i think its not used in any cars.

i was working in racing club in kerala.

we makes cars for the racing and for rally.

feel free to ask if u have doubts.

By mzain• 11 Jul 2010 00:24
Rating: 5/5
mzain

.....thanks LP and hamada.....and britexpat!...i saw a black 'international' truck in doha near almana signal last year...man it's so huge.....even Hummer looks like a corolla in front of it :oP.....

By britexpat• 10 Jul 2010 21:15
britexpat

I have always wanted to drive an "International" truck, but haven't sen one in the Gulf..

By Alexa2• 10 Jul 2010 20:21
Alexa2

German cars are the best. Swedish are the safest.

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 19:29
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

The best car that I ever used and Out of my own experience driving american and foreign cars while working in Doha and many other places there is too choices.

For cargo, safety and tight corner turning, I will recommend the Ford Ranger 4 door 4x4 3.0liter Diesel engine, believe it or not, everything about that car is German engineering from the trasmission to the engine. For sedan class I'll stick to Nissan class.

Both cars are in the mid range of 18 thousand US, depends on your style of driving and budget.

Ford still number one when it comes to Trucks.

By britexpat• 10 Jul 2010 13:26
britexpat

Getting your hands dirty is the only way to go. I remember eagerly stripping a weber carburetor once and then spending a week trying to put it back together again :O(

Good time......

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 13:26
anonymous

You could also say 'push' instead of 'blow.'

By britexpat• 10 Jul 2010 13:24
britexpat

"Suck, squeeze, bang and blow! " - Sounds kinky :O)

By MxY• 10 Jul 2010 13:03
MxY

RS6 and R8 are totally different categories. :))

Thanx Mr M.

By Mr M.• 10 Jul 2010 12:27
Rating: 5/5
Mr M.

The Audi Q5 is ok,although i personally prefer the RS6 and the R8 V10 which is not available here in qatar yet!

MxY you can contact saad buzwair motors on C-Ring road about a pre-owned Q5.

By MxY• 10 Jul 2010 11:27
MxY

Where can i find a pre-owned Audi Q5?

Ones i saw one on carsemsar but it's gone i guess :(

By monument• 10 Jul 2010 10:07
Rating: 2/5
monument

Cadilac

By Mr M.• 10 Jul 2010 08:47
Mr M.

I would love to test drive the new Chevy Malibu,i heard it is worth the try.

By hamadaCZ• 10 Jul 2010 08:24
hamadaCZ

YouTube has some great vids,

http://www.youtube.com/user/BoxWrench

By firefighter• 10 Jul 2010 06:33
firefighter

Its true even for re sale value

By Mandilulur• 10 Jul 2010 04:01
Mandilulur

Suck, squeeze, bang and blow! That's how a four-stroke engine works.

Mandi

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 02:26
anonymous

first you gotta learn how a basic 4-stroke engine works. This will teach you how new engines burn the air-fuel mixtures to cause your car generate power.

good course is @

http://www.efi101.com/

Once you learn these stuff, things would be easier to absorb

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 02:01
anonymous

Not a bad beginner's site, mzain:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine.htm

By mzain• 10 Jul 2010 01:53
mzain

....ahan thats great!! :o).....well i will surely search the Internet.....thanks LP and gkramer :o).....

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 01:52
gkramer

Ok let's start from the beginning mzain, which car you own?

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:51
anonymous

mzain, I started out like you. I knew nothing. If you WANT it, there will be a way. I have a motto: I get everything I want, or I can do everything I want. Maybe that's the trick?

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:49
Rating: 2/5
anonymous

And nothing about align boring and honing of the cylinder walls.

mzain, gkramer is right. It's fascinating, but it will take some time, and a lot of trial and errors. And that means it's not really cheap. But you should find enough info on the Internet for a start.

By mzain• 10 Jul 2010 01:47
Rating: 2/5
mzain

:o0!!!.....seriously LP do you want me to google each n every word!? :o(.....

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:46
anonymous

But I did not talk about the valve springs and the rocker arms and the piston rings yet.

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:45
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

Okay, for a V-8 you need a block, 2 cylinderheads, an intake manifold, and an oilpan.

In the block is the crankshaft and the camshaft, the pistons and the connection rods, then the pushroads, and the oilpump. The distributor also sticks in the block, and the fuelpump, too. In the cylinderheads you have the intake and exhaust valves and of course the combustion chambers with the sparkplugs. The intake manifold carries the Carburator and some unnecessary vacuum opening. Most of them can be blocked.

The crankshaft has a harmonic balancer at the front and a flywheel at the rear. In a typical V-8 the crankshaft rests in 5 journals or bearings. It is either cast iron or forged. The camshafts differ by the angle of their lobes which open the valves. Man, I could go on and on. Sorry, I got excited.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 01:45
gkramer

Lincoln I think you will scare him away with that ;-)

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:45
anonymous

Did I forget something, gkramer? It's late already.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 01:37
gkramer

Yes.. Rip an engine apart and then assemble it again. LP I always had a few things left after I re-assembled one :o)

By mzain• 10 Jul 2010 01:36
mzain

....LP! i just want to know everything about engine.....i mean how it really works and about the parts....i know its kinda weird for a guy to ask about cars but seriously i don't have much info about the working of an engine.....

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:35
anonymous

And get yourself one of the small blocks lying in the dirt in the Industrial area (sniff). Take them apart, clean them, and rebuild the engine.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 01:33
gkramer

mzain if you really have the passion then go and work at a service centre for a few months. You will learn everything first hand. That's how I learnt, assisting a certain Mr. Paul in his garage.

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:32
anonymous

What is your question, mzain?

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:31
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

The fine tuning of a 4-barrel Quadrajet, Holley, or a tri-carb is a science by itself. And designing a dual exhaust with headers is also a fine and interesting field.

By mzain• 10 Jul 2010 01:29
mzain

......yeah exactly gkramer.....but even wikipedia doesn't explain all these stuff well enough.....its like reading a Physics book :oP......i really want something basic.....and topgear!!??....eeehh its not for the beginners, i guess :o(....

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:28
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

And then there is some electric stuff, too, with advanced ignition, and double contact points in the distributor, coils that deliver more than 20 000 Volts, and, and, and ..

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 01:24
Rating: 4/5
gkramer

To really appreciate a car you have to learn how it functions. Learn about engines, crank shafts, cam shafts, cylinders, transmissions, axles, chassis and all the other stuff... Be patient and be determined, it is a fascinating world :)

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:24
Rating: 3/5
anonymous

There is, hamada. They say in a fine book I have that there is only one replacement for cubic inches: more cubic inches. Lol.

By hamadaCZ• 10 Jul 2010 01:22
hamadaCZ

There is no replacement for displacement :), I miss my LS2.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 01:21
gkramer

mzain you can start with

http://www.topgear.com/uk/

By mzain• 10 Jul 2010 01:20
Rating: 2/5
mzain

.....wow u guys are great!!.....am also a car freak but really don't have much knowledge about car's engine.....can u guys recommend any website from were i can get enough knowledge about engine and stuff....like 'for dummies' :oP.....

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 01:08
anonymous

Impala SS 1961.

Can you see the orange color?

Only Chevy's toughest V-8s were offered with the SS kit. The available 348-cid mills ranged from a four-barrel with 305 bhp to a tri-carb with 350. The other choice was the 409. Essentially a larger-displacement 348, its upgrades included forged aluminum pistons, a wilder camshaft, and 11.25:1 compression. A single four-barrel mated to the aluminum manifold. It made 360 bhp.

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 01:02
kbaisi

yeah gkramer, and if you imported them, good luck finding spare parts! :s

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 00:55
Rating: 4/5
gkramer

We only ever had cars from 50s, 60s and 70s back home, was a bit of a shock to the system after coming here. No dealer even knows about them :(

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 00:54
kbaisi

I consider my escalade safer than any euro car out there, I seen one that had hit a camel at high speed and only the front part up the engine was damaged. Most regular cars would have had you killed in such an accident, I am presuming the Yukon has the same kind of materials used for the body of the escalade.

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:53
anonymous

In 55 the V-8 was an option, and then from 56 it was standard.

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:51
anonymous

Okay, brit, it was the 53. But I saw a 57 in Riyadh with a straight six. Maybe an illegal modification.

By hamadaCZ• 10 Jul 2010 00:48
Rating: 4/5
hamadaCZ

I blew a vette's engine at Ramada's junction in 2006 :(

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:48
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

depends what you are looking for Vs your budget. If you are the duchbaggy kinda person, and got some strict budget constraints, then sure go ahead and buy and American car. But seriously try to look more into European makes where underneath the hood it is not as spacious as US cars. ( there are GREAT deals everywhere )

within American ones, I prefer Dodge and concerning safety, well non is as safe as a volvo but you kinda pay for what you get nigger.

people that talk metaphors are to shampoo my crutch

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:45
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

Well, the 57 Corvette is the 'old timer', and yes, it originally came with a straight six cylinder.

By britexpat• 10 Jul 2010 00:43
britexpat

Corvette and Six Cylinders ?

Blasphemy :O)

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 00:43
gkramer

Lincoln you sound like an old timer... It was fun to drive those babies :o)

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 00:43
kbaisi

landcruisers are overrated, and the folks up at toyota think that it does well in qatar because of the way Abdul Ghani is running the dealership, not because of the local population being obsessed with this beast.

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:38
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

No gkramer, but a 57 Corvette with a six cylinder.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 00:37
gkramer

lol kbaisi I miss those cars here in Qatar.

Landcruiser is such an ugly vehicle.

By britexpat• 10 Jul 2010 00:36
britexpat

Brings back memories. I used to have a Hillman Hunter and then its bigger brother a 1725cc Humber Sceptre ...:O)

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 00:35
kbaisi

@ gkramer, the closest I came to that car is a scaled model I had as a kid. LOL. I have it up to this day, the red and white colored one.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 00:32
gkramer

@Lincolnpirate ever came across a 1955 Buick Roadmaster

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 00:32
kbaisi

I'd kill for a chevy impala! it would be a shame to try to maintain such a beauty in Qatar though, I wouldn't want to punish her with our roads and incompetent dealer servicing.

By hamadaCZ• 10 Jul 2010 00:31
hamadaCZ

We have a nice Hillman Hunter, still running !

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 00:29
Rating: 2/5
kbaisi

gkramer not really bothered about mileage, and unfortunately, you have to deal with the sleaziest most dishonest dealers if you go German in Qatar...lol, plus the service is virtually non-existent once you purchase it, despite the warranties and whatnot. Al Fardan is good though but I don't like BMs and feel they are way overpriced.

By britexpat• 10 Jul 2010 00:29
Rating: 4/5
britexpat

German cars are great - safe, solid and dependable. But for pure driving pleasure nothing beats the old Italian marques :O)

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:28
anonymous

The last good car I had was a Chevy Impala, 2-doors, with a 400 cubic inch orange block. (The experts know what the orange color of the small block means).A house in the way was no obstacle.

By hamadaCZ• 10 Jul 2010 00:28
hamadaCZ

Welcome to the club.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 00:28
gkramer

kbaisi if you are concerned about mileage go for the japs else US cars are much better.

P.S.- The best cars come out of Germany.

By kbaisi• 10 Jul 2010 00:26
Rating: 3/5
kbaisi

Thanks gadarene and others for the informative posts, and you are right gadarene, I would never purchase a regular euro car in Qatar because you will never be able to enjoy it because of the careless drivers and the terrible roads. My experience with Al Mannai is they are generally very good, I have an escalade and it's a great car, much more reliable than the other cars in our house imo. Only problem is it's siz; the poorly designed parking spots around the city plus people not knowing how to park makes it a great hassle to use, so I figured I would just use a smaller US suv for around the city.

I did suspect Al mana would be a poor dealer just based on what I in the show dodge showroom, they had a car that was all dusty inside the showroom for sale as new. How long would it take to clean it? And do they not think what kind of message they are sending to potential customers? lol. It's honestly not worth spending over qr 150,000 on a car if you live in Qatar.

I used to believe the myth that American cars are of poorer quality compared to Jap/Euro rides, but seeing all the problems with range rover, and the recent whole toyota debacle with their faulty brakes, I feel confident that the US knows how to make decent cars that can hold up against their competitors from jap/euro. :)

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:25
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

The new cars (after 1972) are all shyte.

By hamadaCZ• 10 Jul 2010 00:23
Rating: 3/5
hamadaCZ

one of my mates has a 1967 fastback, an eye catcher :)

By shapil• 10 Jul 2010 00:15
shapil

Yes Mustang Coupe black was my first car too...well the first car for which i paid my own money anyway. Rode it all along the west coast from Seattle to Phoenix and back.

By gkramer• 10 Jul 2010 00:12
gkramer

It's ok gadarene.. You should let it out once in a while :)

BTW anyone here ever drove a mustang?

First car I ever sold, first time I earned any kind of money. First car I ever got into.. Love the vehicle for that :)

By anonymous• 10 Jul 2010 00:08
anonymous

@ gkramer...passed pissed a while back mate!:)...found ways around the issue after getting pissed so no worries personally,but for the guy out there who doesn't know the right people,definitely some worries involved...

By hamadaCZ• 9 Jul 2010 23:26
Rating: 4/5
hamadaCZ

Alfardan offers the best service in town, but not cheap ! I prefer Japanese vehicles for many reasons,first and foremost theirs ACs are so goooooood :)

By hamadaCZ• 9 Jul 2010 23:17
Rating: 4/5
hamadaCZ

I had no issues with European made Ford vehicles.

By Dracula• 9 Jul 2010 23:05
Dracula

I am happy with my Escalade!

Strong and reliable car.

By gkramer• 9 Jul 2010 23:03
gkramer

lol there is some truth to that :)

I am a big fan of Henry Ford so have a soft corner for their cars though majority of them suck big time ;)

By gkramer• 9 Jul 2010 22:59
gkramer

John we don't in America but here the gas is too cheap ;)

By gkramer• 9 Jul 2010 20:40
gkramer

Wow gadarene, you are obviously pissed :o)

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 18:45
Rating: 3/5
anonymous

@ Kbaisi,dealers in this town are ALL crap,so no comparison there,if you buy a Chevy,make sure you can take the day off when you give it for service,'cos that's how long it takes them to process the paperwork @ Jaidah service centre,they blame their "software & system" for it,well if it doesn't work right,change it...

As for Jeep & Dodge @ Al-Mana,rest assured ANY parts replacement will put some sort of dent in your wallet...considering Al Mana have AT LEAST a 100% mark up on their parts,trust me,i used to drive a Jeep Wrangler...

Mannai seems ok,but a lot of people do have complaints about them too,wouldn't know,haven't personally dealt with them...

The Japanese car dealers in this town have a poor rep. 'cos they've sold WAY more cars than their service centres can handle...they have neither increased the size of the service centres,nor opened alternative venues,Abdulghani keeps harping on about new Toyota service centres around town but ALL of them don't do anything beyond your basic oil change,wheel alignment etc...major work of any sort is still in Industrial Area,what they need to do,instead of being greedy is to invest some of the millions they make in profit selling those overrated landcruisers & open FULL service centres/garages in alternative locations...

And this list could go on,European vehicles are top drawer,definitely better quality than both American & Jap,yet as Kbaisi rightly pointed out,it's a risk driving a European vehicle here 'cos either a trip to the service centre will cost you half your monthly pay check or the after sales service is completely non-existant,a very good example being Skoda,it's a proven,solid,reliable & affordable European brand but the local dealership is rubbish,so no one buys them except Hamad Hospital & Karwa,it's a shame really...

So really,the larger picture is that there is no Quality Control,Accountability or Price Control in this town which results in the free for all we see now...

Amusing article in the paper the other day about the Government "REQUESTING" local car dealers to lower their prices as all vehicles are costlier here than they are in the rest of the GCC...of course the dealers flatly refused!!!...it's a big joke really!!!...Government departments ought to be ENFORCING a maximum price point NOT requesting dealers to lower their prices after allowing them to charge what they want in the first place!!!...

So Kbaisi,under the circumstances,GMC seems your best bet mate although like i said,don't know about Mannai service,best check with someone who drives one...good luck...

By VANMOST• 9 Jul 2010 18:13
Rating: 5/5
VANMOST

Cadillac is the best American brand so far.... These cars are durable and reliable in Middle East....

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 18:01
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

dealers are puppets Afghans & Arabs and across Atlantic, they are themselves.

By britexpat• 9 Jul 2010 18:00
Rating: 4/5
britexpat

In Saudi i used to have a Yukon Dinali... It's a good compromise between a Cadillac and Yukon.. and safe to boot!

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 17:59
anonymous

All exclusive agents, mzain. Sheikh so and so and sheikh so and so.

By mzain• 9 Jul 2010 17:56
mzain

.....lol dot.com....and what about their dealers in Qatar? :oP......

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 17:46
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

Bagram Air Base

Guantanamo bay

Abu Ghraib

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 17:29
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

The cars are all good. What is bad are the roads in Qatar, and, of course, the negligent drivers of ALL nationalities and colors.

By mzain• 9 Jul 2010 16:28
Rating: 5/5
mzain

......yeah Jeep is good!.....but still Japanese are the best ;o)......

By kbaisi• 9 Jul 2010 16:24
Rating: 5/5
kbaisi

I hate using a Euro car in Doha, and Jap cars in Doha have dealers known for poor service. The dealers for American cars in Doha are generally reliable. Jeep is a nice car, I forgot about them.

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 16:07
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

The Jeep is the Jeep. All others are fakes and copies.

By MxY• 9 Jul 2010 16:02
Rating: 5/5
MxY

No style and elegance at all.

Stick to European or Japanese cars :)

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