I had a Ford Tempo once too. Else...WORST CAR EVER!! I have known anyone that has owned one that did have issues with it.
my first car was a 75 charger...which met untimely death a few weeks after I bought it for $300..it had a leaky gas tank, and I was at a university library, and someonce called the fire department, and they filled my tank with water...argh...my dad sold it to someone for $100..I was ripped...but hey...it had carb issues i couldn't afford to fix anyway
I had a 84 Nisaan Sentra...it had about 140K miles one it when I bought it for 800. I drove that thing into the ground...got it to just about 200k miles in the year and one half I had it.
I then had a 78..damn what was that car...it was a ford or dodge something...I bought it for 200 bucks....the brakes went out a few weeks after I had it and I bounced of the side of a bank...thank god for snowbanks and brick....
Had a 85 little red honda civic..that was the bomb...I was stupid and got rid of it after the starter went...I loved that car, it looked like a penny card
had a 85 caravalle...I think that was a dodge or plymouth....the engine got a crack in it. It met its death down in MA when I was waiting to pick my bros up from a Pats football game...not a fun night.
hmmmm had a nice mazada88 or 87 323...sold it to my niece really cheap when the alternator went...then I got a cool 89 Nisaan Maxima...god I loved that car...the started went, then it got repo'd (not a good month hahah)
have had a few other cars...never brand new...since then we have had a beat up 85 ford mercury, 85 checy beretta, a 78 Jeep cherokee, 84 Jeep Wagnoneer and now a 95 grand pri and 95 dodge 1500 Ram van.....I don't see where any car domestic or foreign was better than the others.....
Our Ram van hit 200K as we drove from TX to NH, I think it was in PA. and our grandpri is at about 160K or so.
I think if you can work on your car, it doesn't really matter too much if it is foreign or domestic. That's just been my experience....