Consider buying American!

The profits are distributed among all involved in producing
the car. This includes Japanese executives (who surely spend
a lot of time spending money in the U.S.), American
employees of Honda and Toyota plants, and shareholders
around the world, who get stock dividends. Any profits
rolled back into the company serve all these folks, too.
Some of the profits also go to American dealerships. Honda
builds a great car, and American dealer franchise owners are
getting their share.

 

It is very true. The top management in GM should be blamed. GM
assemble line workers do not make much more than assemble line worker in
TOYOTA. They just assemble what have been planed and designed by
management. The top management in GM take home a huge salary and bouns
compare to TOYOTA or HONDA top management.

 

Anybody remembers what was in the news some years ago about
Jesse Jackson accusations to Nissan of racism ? Was it workers
hiring process related? I forgot the details...

 

Really! I would think the profits go first to the US subsidiaries to
pay for taxes, salaries, helathcare, workers's comp, plant
modernization, worker education. U.S. subsidiaries of Japanese auto
makers use the same ratio of pay differences between a manager and his/
her direct reports as they do in Japan.

Japan make a car that goes 250,000 miles without major repairs, runs
like brand new till it falls apart or we just give it to someone.
Korea, somewhat new to auto making, can do the same. But the US car
companies make shit. Answer that for me. I have a few ideas but you
can go first.

People are also dumping VWs for the same reasons Americans are dumping
U.S. cars.

 

Some cars made by XXXX (put in name of Korean, Japanese or American car
company) are really good, some are so-so and some are really bad. That's
true for all car companies. The proportion of bad American cars used to
be higher, but now, the American car companies are coming out with some
really good cars. And, the Japanese car companies made some really bad
cars, too.

jeff

 

Back in 1985, I hired a Buick Park Drive and a Pontiac Grand Am while in the
USA.

The Buick was passable, but with very sloppy suspension etc.

The Grand Am was appalling, one of the worst cars I have ever driven and
certainly the worst new one.

At the time back in the UK I was driving a 1983 BMW 735i. Obviously this
was better than most EU cars of that era, however the US cars of the time
were laughable in comparison.

The trouble [for the US car industry] is that 25 years after that 735i was
built it is probably still better than most US cars sold today in almost
every department. Some of them are still laughable e.g. the Chrysler PT
Cruiser - poor drive, poor ride, poor handling, poor performance, poor trim,
poor seats, poor reliability and so on. You would be better off in a ten
year old base entry model 3 series than a new one of these.


Incidentally GM probably make the best "mass market" cars in Europe.



A man walks into a car spares shop and asks if they have a hub cap for a
1995 Lada - "sounds like a fair swap" says the chap behind the counter.

 

Joe Sixpack has $25,000 to spend on a car. That's a bunch of money to
him, and he doesn't want to waste it.

No matter what he does, he rolls the dice. So, what does he do?

Does he buy GM or Ford or Chrysler, with a track record that would make
a Russian tractory factory blush from embarassment? Or does he buy a
Japanese nameplate--where, to be sure, one could get a bad car, but the
odds are so incredibly against that?

 

The Nissan factory in Japan was only hiring Japanese.

 

Sorry, Been there, done that. I owned nothing but
American cars from the 1950's to the 1970's.

Beginning in the mid-1960's I felt I was being
taken advantage of. Into the 70's I knew I was
being screwed.

Enough is enough.

Jimmy, Ford, and Chrysler produce CRAP. Really
badly made and badly assembled crap. Total waste
of my money. Do I look that dumb?

Rather have an Accord for 10 or 15 years with little
maintenance and not much money spent, great mileage,
good handling too.

 

A BMW 735i probably cost about 3 times as much money as most American
cars of the era, too.

You get what you pay for, especially considering the high cost of
maintaining such a vehicle.

jeff

Jeff

 

The old track record for the Michigan 3 isn't so good. But the track
record for the more recent cars is good.

Jeff

 

Jesse Jackson IS a racist. Anything that isn't as he thinks it should
be runs the risk of being refered to with some kind of racial
overtone...

 

Hmmm... Wal-Mart - Send all your money to China. Used to be thier
slogan was "Made in America", see where that went?

 

Ford is recalling a SHITLOAD of SUVs and vans (2006 and 2007 models)
over problems that can result in the car burning to the ground. Seems
they've had a lot of these over the past decade or so...

 

And Toyota has had a lot of recalls last year and the year before.

Please tell me the automaker who never makes any mistakes.

Jeff

 

The old track record for the Michigan 3 isn't so good. But the track
record for the more recent cars is good.[/QUOTE]

But it's not NEARLY enough of a track record compared to the Japanese
nameplates--not nearly enough for Joe Sixpack to throw his hard earned
$25,000.

 

But you don't have to replace it after just a few years.

Obviously cars are / were not taxed as much in the USA and over there a BMW
was a premium import.

Where it was made it would be a lot cheaper.

The main point was that a car designed and made in Europe a generation ago
is still better than most US made cars now.

The corrolory would be that current EU mass market cars (e.g. Ford Mondeo,
Vauxhall Vectra etc.) are better than their BMW market equivalents (3 and 5
series) of the mid 80's.

To put it another way the US is about 25 years behind Europe on car design,
build and quality control.

 

And Toyota has had a lot of recalls last year and the year before.

Please tell me the automaker who never makes any mistakes.[/QUOTE]

Please go back and READ what I wrote.

The ODDS of a serious mistake and/or a shitty car and/or a car that's
worn out at 60K miles are HUGELY better on an American nameplate.
HUGELY better.

The odds of getting a solid, reliable car that will last a very long
time with small maintenance and repair bills, and small fuel bills, are
INCREDIBLY better for a Japanese nameplate.

So, you're Joe Sixpack--where do you put your hard-earned $25,000?

And don't spout back to me about "well, I found a lemon Toyota once...."
We're talking the HUGE difference in ODDS here. Inexecusably large
difference.

 

So?

They, (Honda/Toyota) build a far superior product.

JT

 

Yes... Getting in bed with the union back in the 1960's, 1970's and
1980's. Now, the cowz have come home to roost..

JT