Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

7263 messages, Last post on May 27, 2009 at 4:31 AM

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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?

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#2022 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinders [socala4] by himagain Mar 09, 2006 (6:12 pm)
Replying to: socala4 (Mar 09, 2006 3:43 pm) I would submit that part of the reason more of the 4cyl variants are sold is because you can't get a manual transmission on the V6's. Some people prefer manuals in that particular class of car, or maybe just don't want to drop an extra $2000 for the automatic. Replies to this message: kdhspyder (Mar 10, 2006 3:01 am) bobad (Mar 10, 2006 4:50 am) kdhspyder (Mar 10, 2006 5:36 am) aspade (Mar 12, 2006 2:21 pm)
#2023 of 7263 4-Cylinder engines by rockylee Mar 09, 2006 (9:13 pm)
I appreciate ya'lls feedback and all of you listed good reasons why 4 Cylinders from the Big 2.5 aren't popular sellers. I do think a 4 Cylinder Northstar could be a popular engine. Add a Turbo and mid 200's in horsepower would be realistic. I know GM is trying to compensate with DOD in their V-8's. However that option is only available on upper trim levels and puts it out of reach with the camcord. Honda's proven with their new turbo 4 cylinder that you don't have to sacrifice power to get good gas mileage in the RDX. I do think this engine choice will help honda make the RDX a popular ute in the world of rising gas prices. However the new Buick Enclave should get respectable fuel economy, especially if and when it get's a hybrid. I'm not going to guess if the RDX and Enclave will be direct competitors because the RDX is a sport ute and the Enclave is a little softer and will be more of a luxury ute. I will say this....They both are good lookin' midsize SUV's that will serve their customers very well. If I was a buyer of either one I'd be happy. BTW- My wife and I got into it over the RDX. She thinks it's ugly but did like the front end and interior. The rear end turned her off and I told her I liked the whole vehicle alot. To Her ! -Anyways keep up to good posts ya'll Rocky P.S. I was a little dissapointed the Acura RDX didn't get the 6-speed manuel option Maybe someday ? Replies to this message: bobad (Mar 10, 2006 4:41 am) bumpy (Mar 10, 2006 4:45 am) rockylee (Mar 10, 2006 6:19 am)
#2024 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinders [himagain] by kdhspyder Mar 10, 2006 (3:01 am)
Replying to: himagain (Mar 09, 2006 6:12 pm) Not really.. 95+% of the 4c Camry's are AT. Well in excess of 90% of the Corolla's ( all 4c ) are AT also. What seems misunderstood in some places is that the American buying public in general is in no way interested in ubber-horse power or performance. Adequate is acceptable. All modern 4c have adequate power now. Very point on about not wanting to drop $2K on V6 power not needed in daily driving. Replies to this message: bobad (Mar 10, 2006 4:50 am) kdhspyder (Mar 10, 2006 5:36 am) aspade (Mar 12, 2006 2:21 pm)
#2025 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinder engines [rockylee] by bobad Mar 10, 2006 (4:41 am)
Replying to: rockylee (Mar 09, 2006 9:13 pm) I do think a 4 Cylinder Northstar could be a popular engine. Add a Turbo and mid 200's in horsepower would be realistic. Yes, it could be a good engine, but only for small, light cars. It still wouldn't perform well on a car that weighed much more than 3500 pounds.
#2026 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinder engines [rockylee] by bumpy Mar 10, 2006 (4:45 am)
Replying to: rockylee (Mar 09, 2006 9:13 pm) I do think a 4 Cylinder Northstar could be a popular engine. Add a Turbo and mid 200's in horsepower would be realistic. That's basically what the 260 hp direct-injection turbo Ecotec 2.0 going in the Solstice is, except the Ecotec's an iron-block. Replies to this message: rockylee (Mar 10, 2006 6:19 am)
#2027 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinders [kdhspyder] by bobad Mar 10, 2006 (4:50 am)
Replying to: kdhspyder (Mar 10, 2006 3:01 am) What seems misunderstood in some places is that the American buying public in general is in no way interested in ubber-horse power or performance. Adequate is acceptable. All modern 4c have adequate power now. Well, this is true for small cars weighing less than 3500 pounds. A Big 3 land yacht typically weighs well over 4000 pounds. Yes, just "adequate" is acceptable, but a 4 cylinder can't even pull a 2 ton+ car even adequately to most tastes. You would have to hop it up and gear it down, then you get worse gas mileage than a V8. Replies to this message: kdhspyder (Mar 10, 2006 5:36 am) aspade (Mar 12, 2006 2:21 pm)
#2028 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinders [bobad] by kdhspyder Mar 10, 2006 (5:36 am)
Replying to: bobad (Mar 10, 2006 4:50 am) True you have to match the engine to the vehicle size but that's precisely the point. Most of the American public each has it's own personal vehicle. It's most often one driver per vehicle and one driver doesnt need a 2-ton+ vehicle for daily use. The 'family' vehicle normally now is a minivan or SUV. This demographic is so much different than in the past when one vehicle was all that a family had and it had to carry everyone. The big land yachts are mostly for older folks as has always been the case.
#2029 of 7263 Re: Lemko... [drewmeister] by lemko Mar 10, 2006 (6:11 am)
Replying to: drewmeister (Mar 09, 2006 2:11 pm) Well, I was born in 1965 so I still got to see a few really great American cars even though I was very young. I was very concious of the precipitous decline of American cars through the 1970s. Most notable was when my Grandmom traded her excellent 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne for a new 1973 Vega. Even to my eight year-old eyes I could tell this car was constructed nowhere near as well as what Chevy made before.
#2030 of 7263 Re: 4-Cylinder engines [bumpy] by rockylee Mar 10, 2006 (6:19 am)
Replying to: bumpy (Mar 10, 2006 4:45 am) The Eco is nowhere near the refinement of a NS. However it's still a great trustworthy powerful engine when Turboed. Rocky
#2031 of 7263 Iron block though.... by gee35coupe Mar 10, 2006 (9:48 am)
Why is this so when everybody else is building all alloy engines? Replies to this message: ateixeira (Mar 10, 2006 9:49 am)