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.