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Automotive News & Views Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?
7263 messages, Last post on May 27, 2009 at 4:31 AM
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With parts coming from everywhere, does "Buying American" have much meaning anymore? Is quality and price the bottom line?
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Replying to: rockylee (Jan 18, 2007 11:43 pm) Add to this concern the number of American companies that have sent their computer programming to India. Maritz Inc. is ahead of that curve and has moved most of their programming back to the USA. However, think about the banking and credit industry who have sent their computer programming to India. While the labor is cheaper, most things have to be done three or four times because even though they speak English as a second language there is a language barrier. What concerns me is what they could do to our credit industry having all this control. Also, what about outsourcing customer service call centers to India? How many times do you call someone who says his name is "John" but you know his name is really something of Indian descent because he can't understand what you're saying. Dell is suffering greatly from this problem. They moved their corporate customer service back to the US but left their consumer call centers in India. Try talking to them when you have a problem. My wife and I did and finally wound up returning a $1500 computer to Dell. It can be done even though they say it can't. We have sold way too much control of our country to forein states who probably aren't even our friends. I hope in the next election something can be done about all this "free trade" which isn't free to us at all. I know many people here who would love to get a programmer job or a customer service call center job and they could do the job right the first time. We need leadership who will stop the selling of America.
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Replying to: pahefner01 (Apr 22, 2007 8:59 pm)  Rocky |
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means to me: My childrens future, the economic stability of our country, paying taxes, paying for my next meal, paying for my mortgage.. shall I go on? We are a debtor nation now. China owns millions or should I say billions in U.S. treasury bills to help our debt in this country. All these years of sending our wealth overseas has caught up to us and our childrens, children will be paying the bill with a minimum wage job! We need college and High School classes educating our children about what it really means to buy a foreign product and the short term gains and long term losses mean to our nation. This is no joke.. Get out on the net and educate yourself now!  
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Replying to: scape2 (Apr 27, 2007 8:03 pm) American companies are capable of being competitive and operating at a profit. The ones that do succeed. The ones that don't, fail. The CEOs of these companies are the ones that need to be educated, so they realize why they SHOULD be succeeding, and so they can start succeeding. We have some of the most talented people in the WORLD when it comes to design, marketing, manufacturing, service, et cetra. If companies don't know how to use these resources properly, maybe outfits like GM SHOULD fail. Someone else will rise to take their place (Where's Preston Tucker when you need him?). |
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Replying to: scape2 (Apr 27, 2007 8:03 pm)  Rocky
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Replying to: rockylee (Apr 27, 2007 8:33 pm) It is a global economy and any company must recognize that to compete. Will Congress "level the playing field" by mandating that all products produced outside the USA have higher defect rates or be less desirable to consumers? That would really put the once "big 3" in deep stuff! |
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Replying to: daysailer (Apr 30, 2007 9:23 am) The GMC 1500 was built in Canada. Might still be. The Camry is built in America with more American parts than any other car according to a previous survey. The ole folks look at you real funny when you don't buy a Ford, Chevy, whatever. So what's a guy to do. I'm going to get ripped on this one but here goes. American Company cars are great if you are going to keep it for 10 years. To ask the trade in value can be a shocking experience. Trade in value as we know it is tied to how many of them are out there unsold when you are ready to do the same thing – sell one. And that number is related to 1. The actual or anticipated reliability of the vehicle at the time of sale. 2. Number sold to rental companies. Reasons: More problems means more people trying to get rid of them. Also: People sell vehicles anticipating problems before they happen. Also: Rental cars dumped on the market after the first year – Supply vs. Demand. Honda limits production and maximizes durability. I got a Honda civic a while back. They didn’t budge on the price. But when it came time to sell, the buyers were waiting in line and the sale price stayed high. Even the buyer’s bank didn’t seem to care the price was high. GM is planning to limit production now. But, can they get by dragging that big millstone they are stuck with called Legacy Overhead? It is not going away. I hope so but I don’t see how? The Impala was a super car but at 20,000 dollars (after 3000 in rebates, the trade-in value in two years was 10,500. And that was extra low miles in showroom condition. No thanks - Time to try something else.
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Replying to: wheels_r_super (May 03, 2007 1:55 pm) No thanks - Time to try something else. Yeah my last two "domestic" cars were puchased at 2 years old with under 25k for about half the cost of new. Both were very reliable on all accounts and 10 years later were pretty much worthless. Since the original purchase price was about half of new car cost, I wasn't too concerned. I guess the resale thing depends on which side of it you are on. I am suprised CamCords do so well used, 1-2 years old they are only ~1500-2k less then a new one.
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (May 03, 2007 2:43 pm) Exactly! You done well. Take a look at the Pontiac Vibe. It now costs about the same as a Toyota Matrix. The Matrix still has a better trade-in value. It's the same car - a hatchback made on a Corolla chassis. Only difference is the skin and some instruments. One is made in CA and the other somewhere else. Both have identical drive trains, specs and CR survey rates them the same. The Vibe is seen as American. The Matrix is viewed as Japanese. But get this. Because of the runaway GM re-bate program in 04, I got a Vibe for 14,600. I drove it for 3+ years and still got a Toyota dealer to give me 10,400 for the Vibe. Not bad! Was that because the dealer believes they can sell the car quicker knowing the buyer knows it’s basically a Toyota? That's a possibility because many people do buy on “perceived reputation" vs. Price. How you drive, how long you intend to keep the vehicle, how many were for sale when you were looking, all seem to make a difference in the final cost-out. |
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http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-03-22-american-usat_N.htm -Rocky
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Automotive News & Views Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?
