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Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

18081 messages,  Last post on May 23, 2013 at 5:44 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 1507 of 1809

#15059 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [ateixeira] by cooterbfd

Nov 19, 2012 (6:01 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Nov 19, 2012 9:15 am)
I think he did the same thing at GM too. There would be no Enclave, and he pushed the concept Solstice into reality. One has to wonder if not for him pushing for something as "impractical" as the Solstice if they would have green lighted the Camaro.

#15060 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [cooterbfd] by busiris

Nov 20, 2012 (7:44 am)

Replying to: cooterbfd (Nov 19, 2012 6:01 pm)
The main issue I always had with the Sky/Solstice was the wrinkled "wings" at the rear of the soft top when it was up.
 
To me, on a modern automobile, a wrinkled convertible top is just unacceptable.
 
Other than that, I thought the design was a good one, and you can see a fair amount of them, mostly Sky's, here in upstate SC.

#15061 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [busiris] by ateixeira

Nov 20, 2012 (8:48 am)

Replying to: busiris (Nov 20, 2012 7:44 am)
It was an attractively styled car, but I'd stop short of calling it a good design.
 
When you have to exit the car to put the top down...that's poor design, plain and simple.
 
On top of that the top took up the whole trunk.
 
Keep in mind the Miata had been around since 1990 and was the primary competitor, so they had plenty of time to learn how to design a simple folding top, that goes down without exiting the car in about 3 seconds and takes up zero trunk space.
 
Man, what were they thinking?
 
It was beautiful, yes - I saw the concept in person at NAIAS in 2005, IIRC.

#15062 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [ateixeira] by uplanderguy

Nov 20, 2012 (10:01 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Nov 20, 2012 8:48 am)
To me, they were far better-looking and less 'me, too!' than a Miata, and they seemed like good value for the buck. A Solstice was the last new Pontiac the dealer in my little sleepy hometown had.

#15063 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [uplanderguy] by ateixeira

Nov 20, 2012 (10:05 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Nov 20, 2012 10:01 am)
They were gorgeous, no doubt.
 
The execution was lacking. The transmission came from the Colorado, a pickup, and not even a good pickup.
 
It ended up nearly 400 lbs heavier than the Miata, because the bean counters came in and told them they had to re-use existing parts off the shelf.
 
The turbo engine was powerful but GM hasn't done a good job marketing it. Every one knows what EcoBoost is, Ford has a hit on their hands. GM did DI turbos before Ford and no one knows it. Cobalt SS was a track over-achiever but they just didn't market that engine properly.

#15064 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [ateixeira] by uplanderguy

Nov 20, 2012 (11:33 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Nov 20, 2012 10:05 am)
The execution was lacking. The transmission came from the Colorado, a pickup, and not even a good pickup.
 
I hate the Colorado's styling, but good ol' CR puts it at average reliability.

#15065 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [uplanderguy] by ateixeira

Nov 20, 2012 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Nov 20, 2012 11:33 am)
I wonder how American those really are. Wiki says Isuzu partnered on the design:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Colorado
 
If the new one really does come in a diesel, all is forgiven.

#15066 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [ateixeira] by roadburner

Nov 20, 2012 (12:23 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Nov 20, 2012 10:05 am)
GM did DI turbos before Ford and no one knows it. Cobalt SS was a track over-achiever but they just didn't market that engine properly.
 
If GM had stuffed the DI turbo four into the Astra I may well have bought it instead of my MS3. The Cobalt SS wasn't under consideration.

#15067 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [roadburner] by ateixeira

Nov 20, 2012 (12:26 pm)

Replying to: roadburner (Nov 20, 2012 12:23 pm)
Here are Lightning Lap results:
 
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-2012-feature-sortable-times-c- omplete-lightning-lap-times-2006-to-2012-page-8
 
You can see it punches way, WAY above its price class.
 
I've never driven one but FWD with that much power kinda sounds scary. May feel like the front axle is trying to rip away from the rest of the car. I'd prefer AWD with that much power.

#15068 of 18081 Re: Since so many "foreign" cars are US made [uplanderguy] by andre1969

Nov 20, 2012 (12:48 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Nov 20, 2012 11:33 am)
I can handle the styling of the Colorado okay, but as a truck, it just seemed kinda underwhelming in general. IIRC, when it first came out, it had both a lower payload and a lower towing capacity than the S10 with the 4.3 V-6, so it seemed like a step backward in some respects.
 
However, maybe it was improved upon in later years?
 
It is a bit of a shame that the domestics are abandoning the small/midsized pickup market. One of my cousins has a 2000 or so Ford Ranger that has about 300,000 miles on it, and it still looks good. I think its transmission is on borrowed time, but with all those miles, it doesn't owe him anything.
 
But, I guess that market is just shrinking in popularity, anyway.
 
Oh, as for how "American" the Colorado is? Well, I remember a couple years ago, when I had my '85 Silverado in for a transmission service, the guy who ran the shop and I started chatting, and the subject of a Colorado came up. There was some switch box under the seat, a $175 part, that failed on one he had in the shop. I think it might have controlled the 4WD? Anyway, he showed me the little box. Not much to it for $175. And, it was made in China. But, we've gotten Chinese transmissions and Chinese 3.4's, so I guess a Chinese switch isn't too big of a deal.

Messages Page 1507 of 1809

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