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One other thing I would like to point out. Both you and Frugal have indicated that you have had good experiences with US brand vehicles. Good for you. Something you might want to look into is something called statistics. This is where a certain number of people are polled on a certain issue, say auto reliability for instance. The pollster takes the data and compiles some sort of average.
BTW, is it OK to buy an Opel? It is a GM car manufactured abroad for foreign consumption. Which begs the question. Ford is bring the Opel Astra to the US as a Ford. Can I buy that?
OH yea, one more question. What percentage of parts in a car need to be US? How do I treat it if the engine was made abroad? It's only 1 part but it’s a really big part.
I'm so confused.
How about this, you just give me a list of cars that meet your "US made" requirements and I'll choose my next car from that list.
I'm just some dumb liberal so please be patient. We are a bit slower then you smart conservative union folk.
Since 1997, I have purchased 4 Chevys (Lumina, 2 Impalas, Equinox) and 1 Toyota Avalon. My wife had a Tercel when we were married in '96. The interior in her Tercel was falling apart since new and it needed rings and bearings at 60K. The Avalon was a '00 and that car would not go a month without the check engine light coming on. I got tired real fast paying $500-$700/mo just trying to stay ahead of all the bad sensors in the car. After 2 years, it had to go. I still have the Lumina, 1 Impala, and the Equinox. I traded 1 Impala in because my wife wanted a new car. I had no complaints with it.Just curious. What brand and model do you own and have owned?
I drove an Astra 5 door diesel w/6 speed for 2 weeks in Eastern Europe last year and loved it. Tight suspension, great little car. Got it to 110 with a tail wind on a slight down grade.From what I remember, in the 1970s and 1980s US auto makers were selling crap whereas the Japanese (and Germans) were selling quality vehicles. Once you're burned by buying a crappy car (it is a big $$$ investment / expenditure) you're very likely not to buy the same brand again. This is reason #1 why IMHO USA auto makers are doing so poorly. If I've had bad experiences with a Ford/GM/Chrysler and try a Honda/Toyota and have a no problems, it is going to be difficult to switch to brands.
The second problem is that USA car manufacturer's often don't offer cars that people want. A great example was the Ford Taurus. It was "Car of the Year" from the late 1980's to the mid-1990's if I'm not mistaken. Unfortunately Ford did nothing to make sure the Taurus keeps up with the Camry - well we know what has happenned to Ford vs. Toyota.
Having driven an Opel Astra in Europe, I recommend that you DO NOT buy this automobile (the transmission was terrible, my grandfathers tractor drives better).
Why don't you check the USA-Canada Auto Pact. It's been around since the 1960's and I believe it is still valid today (even with NAFTA in place). That will answer your question as to what % of the parts of your vehicle need to be Made in USA or Made in Canada for your vehicle to not be considered an import.
Is that the best you can do? How did you get that out of Kev's comment:Just curious, do all Subarus come with rainbow flags and equal rights stickers? They do seem to be popular with those folks. :mellow:
According to the JDPower ratings, Mercury was 8th in over all quality. That was the only US manufacture to break into the top 10. GM started at 13th with Buick, and Chevy. Statistically, you will be more likely to get a quality car with Lexus, Honda, Infinity than with a US manufacture.
BTW, is it OK to buy an Opel? It is a GM car manufactured abroad for foreign consumption. Which begs the question. Ford is bring the Opel Astra to the US as a Ford.
OH yea, one more question. What percentage of parts in a car need to be US? How do I treat it if the engine was made abroad? It's only 1 part but it’s a really big part.
Also, reduced pay for new hires. Sound familiar? I know. Lets throw the future employees under the bus as long as I keep what I have. Some things never change.They have settled. Lots of buyouts of senior employees to get them off the books. Retirement medical to be handled by a trust.
When I shop for a new vehicle, I shop all the models in the class. What I find is without exception, when the equipment is the same, the domestic is usually priced lower, about 3 to 5K. With the new agreement, they should be priced even better. Take a look at the popular import badged brands these days. There have been many quality issues with them. They have been riding on their good reputation for so long that they are now having problems with quality.Back to the topic....
Perhaps GM wouldn't be in such an uncompetitive position if it weren't picking up the entire tab for retiree and current employee health care. It's a great plan, but it also means that somewhere between 5% and 10% of the sticker price of their cars goes directly into paying for employee and retiree health care. That doesn't leave a whole lot of profit margin....
When you buy a Toyota, Honda, or VW, they've got considerably lower health care expenses, which in turn allows them to either lower their prices, make more money, pour more into research and development, or some combination of all three.
(and no, I don't drive a foreign car, I drive a Jeep made in Toledo, OH)
Is that the best you can do? How did you get that out of Kev's comment:
"I sure don't think I'm "saving the world" by owning a Subaru...I just want a car that goes when I need it to."
So the kind of car you drive now defines your sexual orientation? I guess your just curious? I think your comment belongs on the Larry Craig thread. Maybe you should solidify your thesis by doing a statiscal model of the gay community and what they drive. When you are done report back here, Mr. Curious. :unsure:
Back to the topic....
Perhaps GM wouldn't be in such an uncompetitive position if it weren't picking up the entire tab for retiree and current employee health care. It's a great plan, but it also means that somewhere between 5% and 10% of the sticker price of their cars goes directly into paying for employee and retiree health care. That doesn't leave a whole lot of profit margin....
When you buy a Toyota, Honda, or VW, they've got considerably lower health care expenses, which in turn allows them to either lower their prices, make more money, pour more into research and development, or some combination of all three.
(and no, I don't drive a foreign car, I drive a Jeep made in Toledo, OH)
Just curious, do all Subarus come with rainbow flags and equal rights stickers? They do seem to be popular with those folks. :mellow:
From what I remember, in the 1970s and 1980s US auto makers were selling crap whereas the Japanese (and Germans) were selling quality vehicles. Once you're burned by buying a crappy car (it is a big $$$ investment / expenditure) you're very likely not to buy the same brand again. This is reason #1 why IMHO USA auto makers are doing so poorly. If I've had bad experiences with a Ford/GM/Chrysler and try a Honda/Toyota and have a no problems, it is going to be difficult to switch to brands.
The second problem is that USA car manufacturer's often don't offer cars that people want. A great example was the Ford Taurus. It was "Car of the Year" from the late 1980's to the mid-1990's if I'm not mistaken. Unfortunately Ford did nothing to make sure the Taurus keeps up with the Camry - well we know what has happenned to Ford vs. Toyota.