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Buying American Cars What Does It Mean?

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

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

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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#6278 of 7263
Message for Fintail by larsb
Sep 26, 2008 (1:40 pm)
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Save yourself my friend !! Your opponent will keep this going until the Sun goes Nova !!! I too have fallen into a trap of trying to make valid points against this person. The end will never happen !!!
 
You are both VERY smart.
 
There. Now your egos are suitably massaged.
 
Move on to something else. PLEASE..............
#6279 of 7263
Re: The Slide continues... [grbeck] by fezo
Sep 26, 2008 (2:25 pm)
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Replying to: grbeck (Sep 26, 2008 12:51 pm)

With a higher birth rate, the American car market will grow larger than the European car market, unless globalization forces us to only consider French cars designed by people who believe that Jerry Lewis was a comedic genius, thereby discouraging people from driving, which in turn will diminish interest in cars, leading to the demise of sites such as this.
 
Well, I certainly am gald you cleared THAT up. Where's the darned rolleyes?
#6280 of 7263
Re: The Slide continues... [lilengineerboy] by dave8697
Sep 26, 2008 (4:38 pm)
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (Sep 26, 2008 9:44 am)

I see a country that has a lot going for it. Trending from American to foreign made or engineered cars is not an attribute. The media runs this country and shapes the thoughts of enough people to get the polls to show we have no confidence in each other or our system. Today's congress was elected with the aid of the media. What have they accomplished?
The news? all we heard was how violence in Iraq was this and that. When the violence went down, there WAS NO NEWS about it. That didn't suit the political agenda of the 98% one sided media.
Maybe you can name a few towns where housing has gone down in real dollars since 2001. Towns where GM has closed down several plants and nobody has a good job anymore? The vast majority of this country has grown tremendously financially since 2001. I just think the auto industry is worth saving.
With regard to the military. Freedom isn't free. $100 Billion a year for military procurement was cut to $90 Billion when Clinton became president. I got laid off and had to live away from my family and 8 month old son for almost a year due to that. Doesn't that 10 Billion seem so petty compared to the cost of the newest Bailout? That $10 billion cut 500 dollars off the defecit per year per family. Today the media tells me not to buy an American car because it will cost 500 dollars a year more in true cost compared to a foreign one. I will not ruin my country's base to save 500 a year, as I did not think it was worth 500 a year to destroy our military back in 1992.
#6281 of 7263
Re: One other note [lilengineerboy] by bumpy
Sep 26, 2008 (5:09 pm)
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (Sep 26, 2008 6:27 am)

They haven't had a viable performance vehicle since the mid-90s.
 
MR2 Spyder
#6282 of 7263
Re: The Slide continues... [dave8697] by lilengineerboy
Sep 26, 2008 (5:46 pm)
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Replying to: dave8697 (Sep 26, 2008 4:38 pm)

I see a country that has a lot going for it.
 
Everyone does, that is why they live here. That is why everyone wants to come here and people risk their lives to do it.
 
The media runs this country and shapes the thoughts of enough people to get the polls to show we have no confidence in each other or our system.
 
I think the media is showing that the system is broken. I think its our job to help fix it. Its not the time to give up and go home, its the time to figure out how to fix things and do it.
 
The news? all we heard was how violence in Iraq was this and that. When the violence went down, there WAS NO NEWS about it.
 
At the same time, when the military went through and destroyed a 1000 years of cultural artifacts in the region, there was no news about that either. I agree that they over-sensationalize violence but at the same time, there isn't a lot of demand for stories about things that are okay.
 
Maybe you can name a few towns where housing has gone down in real dollars since 2001.
 
Michigan, not just automotive towns, Pfizer left Ann Arbor and put things in the pooper there too. Flint is the scenario you were describing though. I know a couple of people that just got great deals on foreclosures in Orlando and Tampa, and the condos on the west coast seem to be bottoming out.
 
I just think the auto industry is worth saving.
 
I agree. Every other nation treats their auto industry as a partner in growth and development and in the US its treated like a red-head step child.
 
With regard to the military. Freedom isn't free. $100 Billion a year for military procurement was cut to $90 Billion when Clinton became president.
 
So he saved 10 billion dollars with no appreciable change in security? That sounds good so far.
 
I got laid off and had to live away from my family and 8 month old son for almost a year due to that.
 
I am sorry for your misfortune, but apparently the feeling today is the world doesn't owe anyone a job, you and I included.
 
Today the media tells me not to buy an American car because it will cost 500 dollars a year more in true cost compared to a foreign one.
 
Wow that hasn't been my experience. The domestic vehicles I have owned (designed here/built here) have been the best cars I have owned. I actually hadn't seen that anywhere either.
 
I will not ruin my country's base to save 500 a year, as I did not think it was worth 500 a year to destroy our military back in 1992.
 
I didn't realize it had been ruined. All I know is the prior president started a half-a** war and then his kid decided it was a holy war he had to finish while ignoring the real threat.
 
Maybe if our president wasn't a idiot, we wouldn't need to have so much military spending since everyone wouldn't be pissed at us.
 
What I don't understand is since it costs so much to make Fords in Europe, why the hell don't we make them here and ship them back? Get some Euros flowing back, might as well take advantage of a worthless dollar somehow.
#6283 of 7263
Re: One other note [bumpy] by lilengineerboy
Sep 26, 2008 (5:47 pm)
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Replying to: bumpy (Sep 26, 2008 5:09 pm)

They haven't had a viable performance vehicle since the mid-90s.
 
MR2 Spyder
 
I stand by my initial comment.
#6284 of 7263
Re: Message for Fintail [larsb] by fintail
Sep 26, 2008 (6:59 pm)
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Replying to: larsb (Sep 26, 2008 1:40 pm)

Point taken. If he replies, I won't do likewise. Sorry for the wasted space
#6285 of 7263
Re: The Slide continues... [lilengineerboy] by circlew
Sep 26, 2008 (7:09 pm)
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (Sep 26, 2008 5:46 pm)

Wow that hasn't been my experience. The domestic vehicles I have owned (designed here/built here) have been the best cars I have owned. I actually hadn't seen that anywhere either.

 
You are EXTREMELY lucky! Only recently has quality improved incrementally but not faster than the worlds best. Second at best in desirability and quality. The market continues to speak.
 
Perhaps soon the entire US model will be forced into severe improvements.
 
The products currently offered will not exhibit a bright future, IMHO. A glimmer here or there is not enough.
 
Regards,
OW
#6286 of 7263
Re: The Slide continues... [circlew] by lilengineerboy
Sep 26, 2008 (7:47 pm)
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Replying to: circlew (Sep 26, 2008 7:09 pm)

Second at best in desirability and quality. The market continues to speak.
 
Its based on perception. The Malibu and Fusion are both valid entries in their competitive set as are the Accord and Camry. They appeal to different buyers who are looking for different things from their vehicles. The reliability of recent model Ford vehicles is in with Toyota and Honda in both JD powers and CR. Ford had so much trouble with the dealers complaining about a lack of warranty work they helped them open quick lube places to offset the revenue.
It is going to take a while for everyone who had to replace the head gasket on their Windstar or the transmission on their Taurus to trust Ford again. Likewise every X-body owner or worse yet, Vega owner, is going to have a healing process before they trust GM again. And you can ask that bitter kid with the lemon Neon about Chrysler. The market is changing, its a good time overall.
 

The products currently offered will not exhibit a bright future, IMHO. A glimmer here or there is not enough.

 
The new Fiesta seems like it will be a great ride, the Saturn Astra is a great ride. The Fusion will have all kinds of drive-trains in 2010 and the Saturn Aura/Chevy Mailbu platform is a valid entry into the class. The Taurus offers a lot of value in the full size car arena. Do they have drawbacks or short-comings? Yes I can think of a few already, but I can also think of a few in their competitors.
 
It is going to take a while. Some people are never going to buy a domestic car. They are done. Neon dude is in that list. But others, like grad-something dude's parents picked up a Taurus and it hasn't blown up yet. My neighbor got a CTS and seems to like it. It just takes a while.
#6287 of 7263
Re: The Slide continues... [circlew] by dave8697
Sep 26, 2008 (8:07 pm)
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Replying to: circlew (Sep 26, 2008 7:09 pm)

This is the 1.7 vs 1.4 problems in the first three years per hundred cars difference blown up to amount to something. Something wrong with being a close second? Abandon your own country because of .3 of a problem per hundred cars spread across 3 years as an important difference? I'm sorry but the difference between these two numbers is not being EXTREMELY LUCKY vs not.
Needing to own what is percieved to be the best of a type, where all in the type are mid level anyway, gets you to what, the next level? Where does it land your country?
Severe improvements? Am I in the right country?

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