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Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

18085 messages,  Last post on Jun 19, 2013 at 6:23 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

With parts coming from everywhere, does "Buying American" have much meaning anymore? Is quality and price the bottom line?

Messages Page 1506 of 1809

#15049 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [ceejaysquared] by mcdawgg

Nov 16, 2012 (2:20 pm)

Replying to: ceejaysquared (Nov 16, 2012 1:46 pm)
I own Toyota stock, so I share in their profits!!!
 
Some engineering may be done in the "home" country by some of the "foreign" companies, but not all. I know of Ann Arbor and California engineering offices for Toyota.
 
Parts are BOTH made here and assembled here, more and more. Why? One of the big reasons is freight savings.
 
Tax credits gets brought up by the" 'murican only" crowd. I can say for certain that ANY company, foreign-based or domestic, gets tax credits for locating a plant in a State, City, etc.
 
They also point to using temp labor - true, but not unlike or more than any company I have worked for, and I have been in manufacturing management for nearly 2 decades (manufacturing NOT related to the auto industry).
 
Disclaimer: I don't hate GM, Ford, etc. and would buy one if they had something I liked that was worth it to me. I do try to buy cars with at least 70% NA parts (and definitely NOT Mexico), and assembled here.

#15050 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [mcdawgg] by ateixeira

Nov 16, 2012 (2:26 pm)

Replying to: mcdawgg (Nov 16, 2012 2:20 pm)
Certain models are designed here and pretty much made for the USA - Sienna, Avalon, etc. The bigger cars. Even the US-spec Camry is different than what is sold elsewhere.
 
Same for the Accord. It's not unusual.

#15051 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [mcdawgg] by uplanderguy

Nov 16, 2012 (3:03 pm)

Replying to: mcdawgg (Nov 16, 2012 2:20 pm)
I just always remember the head of Toyota North America at the hearings about the unintended acceleration claims and related recalls. He looked like a deer in the headlights and deferred most everything to Mr. Toyoda. That told me where the real decisions were made. Not that that's bad, but reiterated to me that it's not nearly as 'American' a company as is claimed.

#15052 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [mcdawgg] by gagrice

Nov 16, 2012 (5:11 pm)

Replying to: mcdawgg (Nov 16, 2012 2:20 pm)
Several German models like the ML from Mercedes are made here for the rest of the World. The Jeep GC uses the ML chassis from what I have read. MB, BMW & Jeep all build vehicles here that are exported. That is good for American workers.
 
Many states, Counties and Cities offer incentives from free land, reduced taxes, cheap utilities etc, to get companies to relocate. That has been going on since at least the 1960s. There was a mass migration out of the Midwest to the South in the 1960s. Cheap land, lower taxes were incentive enough. I know of several Telco manufacturers that moved South. Most offered to take the employees that wanted to relocate. It was not for cheap labor as much as repressive taxes in Illinois and Ohio.

#15053 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [ceejaysquared] by tlong

Nov 16, 2012 (5:57 pm)

Replying to: ceejaysquared (Nov 16, 2012 1:46 pm)
It seems to me that the only "loss" to America of buying foreign is the executive profit -- and given the ridiculous compensation paid to auto executives (and their equally ridiculous low tax rates), I feel no pull to "buy American" in cars, anyway.
  
As long as the workers getting paid are US workers, I feel I've done my part. I don't care about the nationality of the fat cats who get rich.
 
Hi ceejay, welcome to the forum.
 
Not only what you say, but given the poor performance and decision making of many of those same executives, why support them? Why encourage mediocrity?
 
As an example, if you bought GM pre-BK, you were supporting people like Wagoner and Lutz, the same people who made some very poor decisions. I wonder how many people felt Wagoner was worth $10M/year for his performance?

#15054 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [tlong] by cooterbfd

Nov 18, 2012 (9:35 am)

Replying to: tlong (Nov 16, 2012 5:57 pm)
tlong,
 
I'll give you Wagoner, or guys like Roger Smith too, but what poor decisions did Lutz make???

#15055 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [cooterbfd] by berri

Nov 18, 2012 (6:46 pm)

Replying to: cooterbfd (Nov 18, 2012 9:35 am)
While Lutz is a car guy no doubt, I always kind of felt he was also an excellent marketeer and self promoter.

#15056 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [cooterbfd] by tlong

Nov 19, 2012 (7:09 am)

Replying to: cooterbfd (Nov 18, 2012 9:35 am)
I'll give you Wagoner, or guys like Roger Smith too, but what poor decisions did Lutz make???
 
He thought hybrids were a stupid idea, then after the Prius was a runaway success suddenly GM went all hybrid-ape and gave us 2.5 losers: the mild hybrids that barely increased gas mileage; the two-mode hybrids that cost $10K extra on huge SUVs, and the Volt. At least the Volt is a technical success even though it makes no financial sense to the buyer or to GM.

#15057 of 18085 . by anythngbutgm

Nov 19, 2012 (7:49 am)

FIAT (Chrysler) Adding 1250 Jobs, Investing $240 Million at Detroit-Area Plants

#15058 of 18085 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [tlong] by ateixeira

Nov 19, 2012 (9:15 am)

Replying to: tlong (Nov 19, 2012 7:09 am)
Lutz did his best work while at Dodge, bringing concepts to reality without watering them down like others were doing.

Messages Page 1506 of 1809

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