Why do you buy foreign cars?
 

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?

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

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!

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.

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.

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......

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.

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

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

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)

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.

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

only 2 american cars
 

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:

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.

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.

Interesting graphic from the April issue of Car and Driver:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...merica-feature

Bill :)

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

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.

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

WAR EAGLE!!Army Guy

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.

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.

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...ntary-recalls/

[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.

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."

We have never owned a foreign car.

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

We are a Honda Family
 

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.

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

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

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

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!

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

They should rerun it every year or two.

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.

Curious where you got your info
 

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

...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..........

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

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.

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.

......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.

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.