I wonder if anyone has done a study, say 10 years down the road (pun intended). Factor in cost of repair parts, insurance, etc.
How would the typical American V. Japanese V. European cars compare?
My wife had a Jap car several years ago and it cost $600 for a new alternator (part only), for example.
My old Buick with 170K miles needed a new water pump two years ago. It cost $15 for a reman unit and a whopping $20 for a new one!
