This thread will probably spawn all kinds of cold-war jibberish. I hope not. I love my Honda. I love my DSM. They both have limitations, but they both server their purposes very well.

I just walked into a certain Mitsubishi dealer in MD (drove my Honda there) that I order all of my DSM parts from and met the guys that run the show. They've always been some of the nicest people I've ever done business with. I've spent thousands with them and sent them MANY repeat-customers because they really bust their asses to get DSM people the best prices (if they order on-line). I had never met any of them in person. I had only talked with them on the phone from time to time. It was good to finally put faces with voices and names. They got a big kick out of my web pages, too.

Anyway, I was trying to get a set of external-oil cooler bolts to finish my shortblock with, and they didn't have them. Then, I mentioned that the old version of the freely-distributed Mitsubishi CAPS software (Mitsubishi Computer Assisted Parts Search) had a lot of old part numbers that had been revised... So he HANDED ME THE NEW ONE ... and thanked me for all the business I've been sending them.

It's everything from an '83 Montero to a '04 Lancer Evolution. With it, you can get part numbers by exploded views, or by your car's VIN number. I've always thought this is such a time-saver. Having this makes me even more brand loyal. It makes me buy more crap and also help out other DSMers in need.

Tell me one Honda dealer that just hands out their parts software? I'll drive there tomorrow. Can't find a working copy of it anywhere, and the parts counter helpers at the local dealers (where I live) have always been a bunch of bungholes about it. These are the guys that charge over $60 for valve cover fasteners. It would be great if Honda did something like this with their software for their enthusiasts to strengthen the Honda community, but they treat that software like Dolomite. The backyard mechanic Honda owner gets busted in the ass, wallet and attitude when they walk out of the dealership.

What happened to capitalist thinking and encouraging competition? Allowing people to use modern available technology to improve their lives? To make their products even easier to obtain parts for and maintain? I think Honda's missing the boat there. I think in the long run, doing something like that for customers would improve not only the parts sales, but also the future sales of new Hondas. I've only had miserable experiences with Honda dealers in 3 states and it sours my opinion of the product.

That's why I think Mitsubishi rocks. I don't care if people think they break all the time. The whole supply chain for parts are all die-hard enthusiasts. They're usually cheap bastards as well (like me), but those guys are in every circle (like me). I'd recommend a Lancer EVO VIII over a S2000 or NSX any day. I think the owner would have a better long-term experience with the dealers, and the car, if they liked it enough to buy it.

PS: I don't work for Mitsubishi. I'm unemployed just like most DSMers.