Why do you buy foreign cars?

[jebartle]

I'm certainly not advocating buying a car solely because it is made in US but sure wish we could keep our bucks and jobs here!!!! Most Hyundai are built in Korea and lord only knows that there are a ton of them on the road....Why do you buy foreign cars? Is it solely because of gas mileage?

[salpal]

My Prius....50 MPG is only reason. I think the car itself is unattractive, but love the mileage and it is very quiet.

[red tail]

i bought my car because i love the way it looks. didnt really care where it was built. it turns out my GMC terrain was built in canada.
go figure!

[spk7951]

Bought my 1st new car in 1974, Chevy Monte Carlo, and about every 3 or 4yrs bought a new car and all were US made. But my last US made was a lemon and the problems with it coupled with the poor response from Chrysler led me to try a Lexus in 2001. Kept that vehicle 5yrs and never had a problem with it. Just about every US made car I had seemed to have at least a couple of quality issues but not the Lexus. And they certainly treated me much better than Chrysler did.

Now an observation of sorts to the original post. Quite a few "foreign" manufacturers do build their cars in the US. Case in point is our current vehicle. It is a Honda CRV and was made in the Honda plant in East Liberty, Ohio. So while the profit may go to a non-American company the product was built by American workers.

[memason]

I todays global economy, just because you buy a car with the the Ford or Chevy badge, doesn't mean it was built in the US. Same goes for BMW, Honda, etc.

I like to say I buy based upon quality (workmanship) and price/value proposition, but in all honesty, it's almost always an emotional purchase...How it looks, how it drives, my wife agrees [:loco:], stereo system, etc.

[2BNTV]

I have owned only one foreign car and it was because of reliability.

Even though a car may be a foreign brand, it still could be made in the USA by checking the VIN..

World Manufacturer’s Identification (WMI)
The first character in the WMI sequence represents the country where the vehicle was manufactured. Countries like the United States (1 or 4), Canada (2) and Mexico (3) are represented by numbers while other countries such as Germany (W), Italy (Z) and Japan (J) are represented by letters.

The second character refers to the manufacturer. The characters can be either letters or numbers. For example: Jaguar (A), Dodge (B), Chrysler (C), Jeep (J), Buick (4), Cadillac (6) or Saturn (8).

The third character represents the vehicle type or manufacturing division.

Just sayin......

[Loveithere]

I started buying Toyota's in the seventies after too many American lemons. I decided to buy an American car in 1985 and again I got a terrible car. I went back to Toyota and that's all I will ever buy.

[billethkid]

I never have and never will. And the car is always one made in the USA.
Almost all the excuses that everybody still uses for buying a foreign car are from the past and they are all gone i.e. quality, mileage, dependability, etc.

I subscribe to the global economy thing but that is not the reason to not buy a car made in America!! Real manufacturing has declined for the past 40 years...jobs that is...all gone overseas.

I believe if one is really interested in making America strong again that means making some choices that will ultimately result in manufacturing (jobs) reviving in America.....buying cars made in America is a major contributor to that happening.

If one is out of work and driving a car made else where and can't find a job...you can always eat your import.:jester:

btk

[Pat_RI]

Aren't a large portion of Toyotas made in the US?

[Loveithere]

I never have and never will. And the car is always one made in the USA.
Almost all the excuses that everybody still uses for buying a foreign car are from the past and they are all gone i.e. quality, mileage, dependability, etc.

I subscribe to the global economy thing but that is not the reason to not buy a car made in America!! Real manufacturing has declined for the past 40 years...jobs that is...all gone overseas.

I believe if one is really interested in making America strong again that means making some choices that will ultimately result in manufacturing (jobs) reviving in America.....buying cars made in America is a major contributor to that happening.

If one is out of work and driving a car made else where and can't find a job...you can always eat your import.:jester:

btk

Why would buying an American car put manufacturing back to work? Most parts of almost all vehicles are made from all over the earth. If American parts are made cheaper, then they might go back to work. As long as we allow parts to be imported, there is not any chance to see an increase manufacturing jobs in USA.
The USA still has a strong manufacturing base but many jobs are lost forever from CNC machines and more productive methods. With the new machinery that companies bought the last 20 years, it only takes around 10 people instead of 50 the old way. (My estimated figures)

[aljetmet]

I currently own a Toyota and a Nissan. Basically for reliabilty, price etc.

I work in a chemical plant in Memphis TN with about 220 workers ( we once had double that amount and we're still producing about the same!) Anyway since we have 3 shifts I get to see most of the cars that people drive to work. Plenty of foreign cars. Even the trucks and we have plenty of those as well.

[westcoast]

I drive a Toyota because of reliability and safety features and of
course looks. The Toyota rep told me that Toyota USA has more
emplyees that any other american manufacture. I have not verified
this but they do have many plants in the USA

[travelguy]

since 1964 i have only owned 2 american cars, and both were such disappointments that i will not even consider wholly american brands any longer. my non american purchases have included: volkswagen, opel, toyota, hyundai, and honda. the only non american car that was a real lemon was an MG in 1976.......lousy car, but when it ran well it was so much fun!
since american manufacturers did not pay attention to what the consumers wanted in vehicles, and overpaid their employees while producing inferior products, i have no problem paying whomever gives me what i deserve and expect.
:024:

[billybye]

i buy only toyota since 1979 and only new cars - last time i bout american it was a chrysler that burned a quart of oil a month. When I brought it in for service and explained that to service manager,also telling him I had a toyota as second car with over 100,000 miles on it and didn't take any oil between changes he said well a quart of oil a month doesn't cost much and you can't expect a mid size chrysler to be a good as a small toyota.

[batman911]

Last two American cars I owned were Pontiacs (GTO and Firebird). Had the GTO for 26 years until I sold it to a guy from Ball Ground, GA who wanted to show it in car shows. The 1983 Firebird was a lemon. Worst car I ever owned. For the GTO, must have changed 5 water pumps, 6 or 7 alternators, numerous fuel pumps, more spark plugs and rotator points than I can remember (the engine would absolutely distroy electrical ignition components in 6 months (400 CI engine)), three starters, one exhaust manifold (cracked), more than 20 mufflers (thank you Midas for all the free mufflers), and way too many other items over the years. You actually had to lay up side down in the drivers seat to access the fuse box. I was fortunate to be able to maintain the car myself or it would have cost me a bundle. I sold the GTO for more than three times what I paid for it new (one owner car with all the original documents and orginal GM stickers on the air cleaner). Took the money and bought a BMW M3. Fuse box under the hood where you can easily get to it, has spare fuses and a fuse puller in the box. You can remove the whole dash in a few easy pieces. What I'm getting at is that foreign cars are just plain engineered better. Not only do they drive better and last longer, but the sales and maintenance teams are a pleasure to deal with. Just my experience and opinion.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Interesting graphic from the April issue of Car and Driver:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/a-graphic-representation-of-whats-really-made-in-america-feature

Bill :)

[Army Guy]

We buy strictly whatever Consumer Reports rates as a good dependable car. To us it really doesn't matter if made in USA or not.
The last 5 cars we bought, were a mix of US and Foreign, all were rated tops by Consumer Reports and we loved them all.
Army Guy

[CaptJohn]

I'm certainly not advocating buying a car solely because it is made in US but sure wish we could keep our bucks and jobs here!!!! Most Hyundai are built in Korea and lord only knows that there are a ton of them on the road....Why do you buy foreign cars? Is it solely because of gas mileage?

Check your VIN number. There is a Hyundai plant outside Montgomery, Alabama. It could have been made there depending on how old it is. There is also a Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Auto manufacturing jobs are locating to Alabama.
Roll tide!

I've had several very good Chevy Caprice Classics and one where I replaced all wheel bearings, one bearing was made in Australia, one in England and two in Canada..........all originals on the same car.

The only Toyota I bought when they first came to the US turned out to be a lemon. Go figure! That could only happen to me.

Gas mileage is my new criteria.

[Army Guy]

Check your VIN number. There is a Hyundai plant outside Montgomery, Alabama. It could have been made there depending on how old it is. There is also a Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Auto manufacturing jobs are locating to Alabama. Roll tide!

I've had several very good Chevy Caprice Classics and one where I replaced all wheel bearings, one bearing was made in Australia, one in England and two in Canada.

The only Toyota I bought when they first came to the US turned out to be a lemon. Go figure! That could only happen to me.

Gas mileage is my new criteria.

Capt, all good points, but you made on error.........

WAR EAGLE!!Army Guy

[natickdan]

I had terrible experiences with new cars ( Ford & Chevy ) that I purchased in the 70's & 80's and, since then, I have purchased a number of new cars and they have all been of the Japanese brand (Toyota, Lexus, Honda and now Infiniti). However, given the quality improvements of American made cars, I would not hesitate to purchase an American made car for our next purchase.

In closing, it is a global economy and manufacturers like Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, etc. are now making cars in the USA ( including the popular Hyundai Sonata ) with some USA brands like Ford and Chevrolet being made in Mexico and Canada. In the end, we all now have a wider choice of reliable cars and now that includes USA brands like Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler. In the end, the consumer benefits from competition.

[ilovetv]

....Why do you buy foreign cars? Is it solely because of gas mileage?

Since you ask if it is only because of gas mileage, it appears you've never owned a Honda or Toyota like ours that rarely needed a repair and never needed a repair over $200 until 80-90,000 miles. And they run reliably to at least 200,000 miles.

The other thing we like about foreign cars is that the steering and suspension are tight and responsive, not sloppy and flabby as all our American cars became within about 2 years.

[red tail]

it seems like every time i turn around there is a new toyota recall. why is everyone saying they are such a great deal?

[ilovetv]

it seems like every time i turn around there is a new toyota recall. why is everyone saying they are such a great deal?

Because overall, they are well-made and reliable and not in the shop all the time.

Also, many recalls are voluntary, bringing the car in before it breaks down and inconveniences the consumer.

The number of vehicles the manufacturer has out there affects the picture, too....

"Here are the top automakers, number of recalls and vehicles affected from 2010:

• Toyota, 17 recalls, 6.7 million vehicles.

• General Motors, 21 recalls, 4 million vehicles.

• Honda, 15 recalls, 2.4 million vehicles.

• Nissan, 16 recalls, 2.1 million vehicles.

• Chrysler Group, 17 recalls, 1.6 million vehicles.

• Ford Motor, 9 recalls, 581,107 vehicles.

• Volkswagen, 2 recalls, 393,188 vehicles.

• BMW, 15 recalls, 288,503 vehicles.

• Mazda, 3 recalls, 243,500 vehicles."

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/2010-a-record-year-for-voluntary-recalls/

[Shimpy]

[QUOTE=billethkid;419450]Almost all the excuses that everybody still uses for buying a foreign car are from the past and they are all gone i.e. quality, mileage, dependability, etc.

The reason they are gone is because the America car manufactures were getting their butt kicked when the Japanese cars start arriving. It was either improve quality or go out of business. Before then the big 3 made junk and said take it or leave it.

[rubicon]

Let me say that it is my hope that American Auto makers someday again gain larger market share. However in that same vein I was not happy about the bailouts and very troubled by the fact that ondholders were ignored. This troubled feeling eas further exacerbated by the fact that unions demanded return of the benefits they gave up in return for the bailout and stock in the companies. Likewise irrated when senior auto executives divided $100 million in bonuses.

Back in 1986 I began buying Honda products. all during this time I had a company car (American) during all of those years I had nothing but troubl with my american cars including oil leaks following one year of service. My Honda products were handed down to my kids. In all those years all we did was routine maintenance.

I had a Honda Odessy when I moved here and traded it in 2010 after driving it for 11 years for an Acura. I told the sales guy it would be the last vehicle I would ever owned because I believe it will out last me.

Bottom line buying for me Honda products are in the long run more cost effective. Like the man in the commercial use to say "you can pay me now or pay me later."

[graciegirl]

We have never owned a foreign car.

Not because we believe this or that...Just like the ones we keep buying.

[SALYBOW]

We have purchased Honda for eons. They use less gas, need less reapairs, and last longer. You can argue that if you like but I know I can count on it to start everytime. Since I work call this is p-aramount. That being said, the Honda Accords which I purchased were manufactured up the road from me in Marysville, Ohio. Honda locating there saved that town.

[red tail]

Because overall, they are well-made and reliable and not in the shop all the time.

Also, many recalls are voluntary, bringing the car in before it breaks down and inconveniences the consumer.

The number of vehicles the manufacturer has out there affects the picture, too....

"Here are the top automakers, number of recalls and vehicles affected from 2010:

• Toyota, 17 recalls, 6.7 million vehicles.

• General Motors, 21 recalls, 4 million vehicles.

• Honda, 15 recalls, 2.4 million vehicles.

• Nissan, 16 recalls, 2.1 million vehicles.

• Chrysler Group, 17 recalls, 1.6 million vehicles.

• Ford Motor, 9 recalls, 581,107 vehicles.

• Volkswagen, 2 recalls, 393,188 vehicles.

• BMW, 15 recalls, 288,503 vehicles.

• Mazda, 3 recalls, 243,500 vehicles."

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/2010-a-record-year-for-voluntary-recalls/

now i understand. toyota is nr 1 with 6.7 million recalled vehicles. or do i understand?

[billethkid]

OK for the sake of argument let's assume all the components to build a car in the USA are not made in the USA.

So we are now talking about assembly plants only.....which used to be done 100% here in the USA (with over 90% of the components and parts also made in the USA).

So as more foreign companies build their cars here the US car assembly plant jobs eliminated are offset by the foreign assembly plants new jobs.

The cars that are bought here in the USA and not built in ANY plants here in the USA have eliminated assembly plant jobs that have not been offset by these companies having assembly plants here.

Soooooo, if all the cars that are not built in assembly plants here in the USA were no longer purchased, the consumer would in turn buy a car assembled in America only. There would be a SIGNIFICANT increase in the need for assembly plants to make the cars that are currently made OUTSIDE the USA.

Now while you are trying to figure out what all the above means....also think about all the material used in our clothes, all the sneakers, all the electronics once upon a time were all made here. As those products and materials are made outside the USA all the jobs that used to be here to do all that stuff are gone.

In closing I will give one more example. Many, MANY years ago I used to work for GE in Appliance PArk Louisville, KY. When I first started there employment was around 10,000 (1965)....in the mid 70's employment was over 20,000....and we used to take pride in bragging that "...at least all the major appliances were still made in the USA...". Fast forward to 2010....employment in Appliance Park Louisville, KY is less the 6,000.......and almost none of GE's major appliances are made in the USA.
All manufacturing jobs lost.

No longer MADE IN AMERICA and all the associated jobs for all the products and services that used to be provided....are gone.

Yes we are a global society. Yes globalization is a way of life.....to a point.

But PLEASE do not state of infer that not buying MADE IN AMERICA is not the issue. Why do you think emerging countries like China have improving economies? Because just like the USA was in a manufacturing upswing from the 1900's to the 1950's providing growth of the middle class. China has been in the growing manufacturing mode accommodating all the products and jobs that since the 1950's.....THAT USED TO BE DONE HERE IN THE USA.

Not buying American in the numbers we have during the past 20 years has greased the skid we are currently in. And it won't change much until such time as NEW manufacturing starts here in the USA....like pursuing products made here in the USA that replace energy produced by foreign oil.....this initiative alone would provide countless new manufacturing jobs. Why this is not being pursued is something to be discussed...AGAIN AND AGAIN... in the political forum.

I do my damndest each and every day to buy MADE IN AMERICA as much as practically possible....when ever possible.

There now I feel better....again.

btk

[BobKat1]

I'm certainly not advocating buying a car solely because it is made in US but sure wish we could keep our bucks and jobs here!!!! Most Hyundai are built in Korea and lord only knows that there are a ton of them on the road....Why do you buy foreign cars? Is it solely because of gas mileage?

Good topic. The majority of Hyundai's are now built in the U.S.

[red tail]

surely you are not inferring that we buy made in america and be damned if its not a good quality or value. people dont fly airlines because of the airplane being made in america. they want good fares.....period!

[BobKat1]

Interesting graphic from the April issue of Car and Driver:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/a-graphic-representation-of-whats-really-made-in-america-feature

Bill :)

This summarizes things very well. I'm glad that C&D ran the article,

They should rerun it every year or two.

[Loveithere]

now i understand. toyota is nr 1 with 6.7 million recalled vehicles. or do i understand?

Figures have a way of being very deceiving. Some good manufacturers will recall after only minimum complaints and some will drag their feet after many complaints. Personally, recalling means a concern to have things safe for the consumer.

Toyota has always had a reputation of fixing engineering problems as they occur. American auto's have had a reputation of waiting years to re-engineer a problem.

[jebartle]

Good topic. The majority of Hyundai's are now built in the U.S.

Went to several intenet sites and all of them said that Hyundai's are MOSTLY built in Korea....Hmmm!

[mrfixit]

Interesting graphic from the April issue of Car and Driver:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/a-graphic-representation-of-whats-really-made-in-america-feature

Bill :)

...Thank You "BRILLO" for the link........NOW dang it BILL ...you gotta STOP taking credit for all the Superb things that Brillo posts for us..........

[mrfixit]

We have purchased Honda for eons. They use less gas, need less reapairs, and last longer. You can argue that if you like but I know I can count on it to start everytime. Since I work call this is p-aramount. That being said, the Honda Accords which I purchased were manufactured up the road from me in Marysville, Ohio. Honda locating there saved that town.

.....could that kind of HONDA quality be a part of the reason that....EVERY MOTOR running in the INDY 500..Has been HONDA...

[BobKat1]

Went to several intenet sites and all of them said that Hyundai's are MOSTLY built in Korea....Hmmm!

In the link from Car and Driver provided by Bill n Brillo some information is under the Lincoln, Alabama heading. About 355,000 cars came out of the facilities last year. Another 210,000 from West Point, GA. Kia (a good % owned by Hyundai) is also producing more vehicles in the U.S.

The whole automotive maufacturing picture is murky these days.

[rubicon]

OK for the sake of argument let's assume all the components to build a car in the USA are not made in the USA.

So we are now talking about assembly plants only.....which used to be done 100% here in the USA (with over 90% of the components and parts also made in the USA).

So as more foreign companies build their cars here the US car assembly plant jobs eliminated are offset by the foreign assembly plants new jobs.

The cars that are bought here in the USA and not built in ANY plants here in the USA have eliminated assembly plant jobs that have not been offset by these companies having assembly plants here.

Soooooo, if all the cars that are not built in assembly plants here in the USA were no longer purchased, the consumer would in turn buy a car assembled in America only. There would be a SIGNIFICANT increase in the need for assembly plants to make the cars that are currently made OUTSIDE the USA.

Now while you are trying to figure out what all the above means....also think about all the material used in our clothes, all the sneakers, all the electronics once upon a time were all made here. As those products and materials are made outside the USA all the jobs that used to be here to do all that stuff are gone.

In closing I will give one more example. Many, MANY years ago I used to work for GE in Appliance PArk Louisville, KY. When I first started there employment was around 10,000 (1965)....in the mid 70's employment was over 20,000....and we used to take pride in bragging that "...at least all the major appliances were still made in the USA...". Fast forward to 2010....employment in Appliance Park Louisville, KY is less the 6,000.......and almost none of GE's major appliances are made in the USA.
All manufacturing jobs lost.

No longer MADE IN AMERICA and all the associated jobs for all the products and services that used to be provided....are gone.

Yes we are a global society. Yes globalization is a way of life.....to a point.

But PLEASE do not state of infer that not buying MADE IN AMERICA is not the issue. Why do you think emerging countries like China have improving economies? Because just like the USA was in a manufacturing upswing from the 1900's to the 1950's providing growth of the middle class. China has been in the growing manufacturing mode accommodating all the products and jobs that since the 1950's.....THAT USED TO BE DONE HERE IN THE USA.

Not buying American in the numbers we have during the past 20 years has greased the skid we are currently in. And it won't change much until such time as NEW manufacturing starts here in the USA....like pursuing products made here in the USA that replace energy produced by foreign oil.....this initiative alone would provide countless new manufacturing jobs. Why this is not being pursued is something to be discussed...AGAIN AND AGAIN... in the political forum.

I do my damndest each and every day to buy MADE IN AMERICA as much as practically possible....when ever possible.

There now I feel better....again.

btk

btk: Your history regarding GE may explain why GE appliance are so inferior today.

At the center of this debate is that economic term "competitive advantage".

American Unions destroyed that aspect by demanding higher wage and benefits while ignoring the quality/productivity side of this equation. An assembly job, etc is worth only so much. It is an economic reality, unless of course you belong to a union and the union bosses begi to tell you your entitled to m ore profitsa from a comapny just because. In that same vein I believe that many seniuor executive are well over paid but contin ue to get a bonus etc just because. So the obvuious result is that American buyers shop where they believe they can buy quality mand a more reasonable price.

On a personl level, I was willing to forego that Acura and was going to buy a Cadillac to prove I'm a good american until I read that the unions wanted back the benefits they agreed to forego during the bailout and owing to the big bonuses GM senior executive where awarded themselves. I called the salesman and told him why. He was of course speechless. By the way in my research found the Acura was heads above its competitors.

One final thought do you see any of the American Auto Mfgs attempting to build brand loyalty the way foreign compeitors do? I don't.

[mrfixit]

In the link from Car and Driver provided by Bill n Brillo some information is under the Lincoln, Alabama heading. About 355,000 cars came out of the facilities last year. Another 210,000 from West Point, GA. Kia (a good % owned by Hyundai) is also producing more vehicles in the U.S.

The whole automotive maufacturing picture is murky these days.

......murky it is.....The KIA SORENTO made in West Point Georgia USA----all come with tires labeled with the "KUMHO' brand. Those TIRES are made in MACON Georgia USA...and 2500 HAPPY AMERICANS are producing and trucking and installing the KUMHO tires.... right here IN the USA ..Just down the road from the additional thousands of HAPPY AMERICANS that are working IN and around the KIA PLANT.

[Hancle704]

Question might be asked, should you buy a American car that is built outside the USA or a foreign car built in the USA by American workers.

My feeling is I'd rather buy a reasonably priced, quality built car that will give me reliabilty and good mileage, from a company that also has good dealer service.

[jblum315]

You ask "Why do you buy foreign cars?"
Every single one of the U.S. made cars that I owned between 1958 and 1989 was defective, performed poorly from the get go, and caused me nothing but trouble. In 1989 I bought a Volkswagen Passat and finally understood what a difference fine engineering makes. I owned that car for 11 years, traded it for a new one that I kept for 10 years and traded that one last year just because I wanted a new car. Not one of the VWs was defective in any way.
Why would I ever take a gamble on American cars again?

[mgjim]

I owned a '63 Chevy before I was drafted and I loved that car. I was a Chevy guy through and through and didn't think I'd ever drive anything else although I did get my hands on a '67 Mustang for a while that I really liked. Unfortunately, my experience with American brands after that wasn't very good. After a series of unsatisfactory Fords and Chevys, I drove a couple of Fiats (don't ask) in Europe and finally bought a brand new Plymouth in the late 80's. I had nothing but trouble with that vehicle along with a really bad Ford and another bad Plymouth. My wife really wanted a Buick so we tried the brand in the late 90's. Again, lots of maintenance problems and we finally decided to try a foreign brand. She wanted a Toyota, I talked her into a Honda Accord. Our second car had to be a pickup and I stuck with American...A Chevy S-10 and later a Chevy Colorado. The pickups took up most of our maintenance dollars and the Honda just seemed to get better and better with every mile we drove. After my wife passed away, I had to decide which vehicle to keep so I finally decided to keep the Chevy and sell the Honda. Got $2500 over blue book and I wonder if I made the right decision. I miss the Honda but will drive my Chevy until I don't need a pickup anymore. Then I'll probably buy a Honda again. Reliable, minimal maintenance, and they keep their value. Nothing could be better than that. BTW - the Honda was built in Marysville, OH.

[mrfixit]

......A long-long time ago, we would buy one new GM product each year, and keep a total of 4 units in our driveway. The three+ year old would be replaced.
..........after 30 some years of "tolerating" poor build quality and self destructing motors..........a neighbor dropped off his wifes "foreign" car for us to drive....(Our GM product was once again in-the-shop for repairs ...and ...his wife was away for a while). She returned 3 weeks later.....and...the next day we were at the "foreign" car dealer picking out our NEW car. That was 1995. Have enjoyed the new found reliability and superior handling.... along with the comfortable high end looking (compared to GM) interiors ever since. Did stumble a couple of times and put a GM in the mix. In 2004 got a Chevy Equinox with the self-destructing (at 42,000 miles) engine. And again 3 years ago when an old neighbor offered ANY NEW GM product at a price that could not be ignored.
... Fool me once...shame on you......Fool me twice shame on me.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

...Thank You "BRILLO" for the link........NOW dang it BILL ...you gotta STOP taking credit for all the Superb things that Brillo posts for us..........

Sssshhhhh - please don't tell her I'm doing that!! :a20:

Bill :)

[ilovetv]

......A long-long time ago, we would buy one new GM product each year, and keep a total of 4 units in our driveway. The three+ year old would be replaced.
..........after 30 some years of "tolerating" poor build quality and self destructing motors..........a neighbor dropped off his wifes "foreign" car for us to drive....(Our GM product was once again in-the-shop for repairs ...and ...his wife was away for a while). She returned 3 weeks later.....and...the next day we were at the "foreign" car dealer picking out our NEW car. That was 1995. Have enjoyed the new found reliability and superior handling.... along with the comfortable high end looking (compared to GM) interiors ever since. Did stumble a couple of times and put a GM in the mix. In 2004 got a Chevy Equinox with the self-destructing (at 42,000 miles) engine. And again 3 years ago when an old neighbor offered ANY NEW GM product at a price that could not be ignored.
... Fool me once...shame on you......Fool me twice shame on me.

This is a very common story.

People who refuse to even try a foreign car are like the stuck-in-their-ways people who refuse to come and visit The Villages....when they finally see it and the light comes on, they ask "Why didn't we do this 10 years ago??"

[Loveithere]

This is a very common story.

People who refuse to even try a foreign car are like the stuck-in-their-ways people who refuse to come and visit The Villages....when they finally see it and the light comes on, they ask "Why didn't we do this 10 years ago??"

Excellent comparison.:BigApplause:

[Bill32]

A few years ago we had three vehicles.........a Pontiac GP made in Mexico, a Mustang GT conv. made in Canada ( owners manual was in French ?????) and a Honda motorcycle made in Marysville Ohio..............go figure.................

[mrfixit]

I'm certainly not advocating buying a car solely because it is made in US but sure wish we could keep our bucks and jobs here!!!! ....Why do you buy foreign cars? Is it solely because of gas mileage?

.... I asked those with "foreign"....WHY..."they" buy foreign....Respones...."Reliability, comfort, safety and resale value"

.... I asked those with USA brands ..Why the USA brands....."Peer Pressure"

.......Here are some "real-world" stats.....our kids...and some "grands"

.......Parents ..........of the..13 vehicles ....9 are foreign
.......Grandkids........of the....6 vehicles ....4 are foreign


FWIW all are VERY happy with their choices........NO ONE had a "foreign" brand 17 years ago.

[CarGuys]

:024:Love having a Car Show! I get to do this every weekend. There are some in TV who have heard me out of Syracuse. Herv & Dave- " The CarGuys"

So IMHO gang here's a new twist. 95 % of all of you buy what you want for your ride and then use foreign oils.

Yep that I love hanging out in the Legion listening to my peers chew on me!:rant-rave: ( Yes am I a Vet and member but still get beat up by the old school!) :oops:

Change your Oil every 3k miles of 3 months. :icon_bored:You have to do that. :icon_bored:Why?:icon_bored: I can't explain they say?

Dad said so cause Grandpa said so cause Great Grandpa said Great Great Grandpa did that who by the way before cars started out making horse shoes. :crap2:Honest first Auto Tech!

Yep Mobil Oil and the Others - Yes HARLEY OWNERS. So sorry, your American Made Iron Company wants you to use screaming EAGLE Syn which is CITGO! Yep Foreign Oil say's " Love you all! Thank you very much."

So here is a Made in America product by Americans that supports our economy environment and pocketbook!

The product has been around over 30 years, It has not one ounce of Dead Dinosaur Sludge Foreign oil!

Lets you drive 25k miles or once a year on a single Oil change, Decreases the pollution waste stream of used Oil filters and Waste Oil, Increases your fuel economy and extends engine life. And no I'm not out hugging a tree!

Your Jet engine would fall out of the Sky without it. Race Cars have used it for years. Best kept secret in America

You have to PM me for the product or open Car and Driver or Popular Mech. Admin had corrected me on handing out this answer, You real CarGuys will most likely guess the product. This Syn is In!

Well have to get some sleep the head of new product design for Powersports division is coming on.

Herv

[BobKat1]

......murky it is.....The KIA SORENTO made in West Point Georgia USA----all come with tires labeled with the "KUMHO' brand. Those TIRES are made in MACON Georgia USA...and 2500 HAPPY AMERICANS are producing and trucking and installing the KUMHO tires.... right here IN the USA ..Just down the road from the additional thousands of HAPPY AMERICANS that are working IN and around the KIA PLANT.

Yes, when you add in the jobs created by the parts and component suppliers it adds up quickly.

Last I read, the car with the highest % of U.S. sourced parts was the Toyota Camry. The lowest were two Ford models. Murky indeed.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Interesting graphic from the April issue of Car and Driver:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/a-graphic-representation-of-whats-really-made-in-america-feature

Bill :)

......Last I read, the car with the highest % of U.S. sourced parts was the Toyota Camry. The lowest were two Ford models. Murky indeed.

BobKat - Though the Car and Driver graphic noted above is from April 2011, it still is pretty current. Give the numbers noted a look-see!

Bill :)

[Dbinac]

Our new Fiat 500 was assembled in Mexico but the engine and many other parts came from the US. Engine was made in Michigan.

[Reefer]

I started buying Toyota's in the seventies after too many American lemons. I decided to buy an American car in 1985 and again I got a terrible car. I went back to Toyota and that's all I will ever buy.

Same here...have been burned by too many Chevy lemons throughout the years. Never have had a problem with my Camrys and now have moved up to lexus... '04 RX 330 for the wife and an '06 ES 330 for me. Bought them used with few miles and will run them forever.

[Growersmarket]

Have you ever noticed where your fruits and veggies come from? How about fish and shrimp?

[mrfixit]

Have you ever noticed where your fruits and veggies come from?
How about fish and shrimp?

....
....
.... Welcome to TOTV " Growersmarket".....I am glad you have joined us..

[Vinny]

Do you mean like GM and others made in Canada or Toyotas and Hondas made in the USA? Wake up. We are in a Global economy. Everything has foreign parts except simple items with only a few components. I worked in the Import/export industry and even Harley Davidson imports. Ford has their electronics made in Mexico and foreign car manufacturers make some of their cars in Foreign Trade Zones located mostly in our Southern States and employ a lot of US labor.

Also keep in mind that when you buy American you take income away from truckers, terminals, warehouses and many other industries who earn their profits from our imports. All you are doing is taking money away from one US worker to give to another. Most Americans are not even aware of our impotence/export industries or the types companies engaged in it. Do you know what a Cutoms Broker or Freight Forwarder is? Most do not or know of the many other professions that make their living from imports.

We should strive for a balance of trade rather than shutting out imports. Heck, even our military have been buying Italian pistols since the eighties.

[CarGuys]

I have to agree.

If you are like me we have seen the American Dream of 100% total parts and labor vanish like the Dinosaur.

Is it sad, Yes. Sorry folks engines, transmissions, electrical, software tires you name it! World made. May be assembled here but World made.

Many would not believe their transmissions are the same, manufactured by multiple companies. Companies are sharing technology to survive.

Twist the grip on that new Harley. It has no throttle cable! It is a drive by wire system. Manufactured by a Chinese owned company.

SIGH!

[mrfixit]

Went to several intenet sites and all of them said that Hyundai's are MOSTLY built in Korea....Hmmm!

...did you check the date ( year ) those internet sites posted that info???

...It is fact that the current Hyundai SONATA and the Hyundai ELANTRA are made in Montgomery ALABAMA USA.

...Hyundai also owns KIA and makes the KIA SORENTO and the KIA OPTIMA ...AND... the HYUNDAI SANTA FE at the KIA plant in West Point GEORGIA USA.

...The cars currently SOLD IN the USA are MADE in the USA

... There are THOUSANDS of happy AMERICAN workers because these plants chose to come to the USA. ... PLUS..... they PAY their workers HIGHER WAGES THAN GENERAL MOTORS pays their NEW hires.

...a relative hired in at GENERAL MOTORS Lansing Michigan and makes LESS than $16 /hr after 16 months

...a relative hired in at KIA Georgia 22 months ago....STARTED at $20. /hr.

......BOTH work on the assembly lines....BOTH install windows in the cars.

[thistrucksforyou]

i never have and never will. And the car is always one made in the usa.
Almost all the excuses that everybody still uses for buying a foreign car are from the past and they are all gone i.e. Quality, mileage, dependability, etc.

I subscribe to the global economy thing but that is not the reason to not buy a car made in america!! Real manufacturing has declined for the past 40 years...jobs that is...all gone overseas.

I believe if one is really interested in making america strong again that means making some choices that will ultimately result in manufacturing (jobs) reviving in america.....buying cars made in america is a major contributor to that happening.

If one is out of work and driving a car made else where and can't find a job...you can always eat your import.:jester:

Btk

amen :

[Mikeod]

I don't think buying an "American" car will accomplish anything regarding bringing back jobs from overseas. Buying an "American" car these days only reinforces the belief in the corporate world that the decision to outsource these parts/jobs is working, not that it is a mistake. Once these positions have been moved overseas, the only thing that will bring them back is when the costs of outsourcing exceed the costs of doing it here.

[2BNTV]

....
....
.... Welcome to TOTV " Growersmarket".....I am glad you have joined us..

Ditto.