1st Jun 2011, 16:43
So you say a rating of the Grand Prix was higher than Toyota. You also go on to say you weren't impressed with the Grand Prix. So, exactly what does that tell you about the ratings and what real use they are to you? Every rating company in the world can put one car above another. In the real world it is a totally different story. Ratings are like advertising. They are only worth the money used to buy them. They are useless as far as any real indicator of which car is best is concerned. So keep buying underpowered and poor handling cars, because some ratings company tells you they are better. I'll stick to what I know is better from proof of many years of ownership.
1st Jun 2011, 21:14
"Buying an import was never an option for me."
But then that begs the question of what did you buy? Chances are very good that the co-called American car you bought is either imported or made heavily of imported parts. On the other hand, the Avalon is made in the USA.
Oh - and by the way, my brother's Avalon has over 300,000 miles thus far. I have so far never heard of anything Pontiac made that lasted that long.
2nd Jun 2011, 12:01
If a car has less than 80% American made parts or is made by a foreign-owned company, I refuse to even consider it. Our current massive economic problems are a clear result of the "I hate American workers" attitude that is so prevalent in this country. When there are no jobs left but flipping hamburgers at a fast food place, I hope you all enjoy driving your imports to the unemployment office.
2nd Jun 2011, 12:27
"Thousands of US auto worker jobs were saved"
Cars that are made in Canada using a Canadian work force are:
Chrysler: Town & Country, Caravan, 300, Charger, Challenger.
Ford: Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Edge, Fiesta, MKX, Flex, Escape.
GM: Camaro, Cruze, Impala, Allure, Lacrosse, Equinox, Torrent.
The Buick Regal is imported from Germany. And how many cars are made in Mexico using a Mexican labor force? Ford Fusion, Milan.
How is this saving American jobs? Some people seem to have a warped sense of reality, and believe only what they want to.
2nd Jun 2011, 16:48
So you'd be looking at an Accord or Camry then, both of which are at least 80% American content, and actually built in the U.S. Vehicles like the Ford Escape are around 65% American parts. It will be tough for you to determine which cars are actually made with the most American parts. I have come to the conclusion that just driving what works best for you is the only logical solution. This whole import vs. domestic argument is tired and flawed anyhow, and not really worth the effort. Had people been so focused on all of the other industries that pulled out of the US in favor of cheaper labor, then maybe things wouldn't be so grim today. Holding onto that last straw, which is the domestic auto industry, is futile at best.
3rd Jun 2011, 11:22
But that makes zero sense. A car made out of 80% domestically produced content is for all practical purposes an American-made car. That goes for both the Accord, Camry, as well as the Tundra and a whole ton of other Japanese branded cars. Where did "I hate American workers" come from? Nobody said that. If anything, I support American workers and I support companies - any company - that chooses to invest in American labor. Toyota and Nissan both contributed heavily to my home region - the South.
Either way the folks who argue that they only buy "American" cars lost the argument a long time ago, because that argument is a moot point. It doesn't matter these days. Either a car - regardless of brand - is made in the US... or it's not. Simple as that. Not buying a domestically produced Camry proves absolutely nothing, and does nothing to benefit the American labor force. End of story.
3rd Jun 2011, 11:48
We generally test drive many vehicles before buying. We found the Accord scary (too much problems reported with transmission issues), Nissan has a reputation for lacking reliability and Toyota has had more recalls (22 million) than many companies have made cars. It has also dropped to the bottom third in build quality of all cars sold. With that in mind, I can't see buying an import, even if 50% was made by U.S. subcontractors.
The May auto sales figures for the U.S. just came out and GM was tops, followed by Ford and Chrysler. Toyota was a distant 4th and sold only 900 more cars than Hyundai/Kia did. GM currently builds the highest mileage non-hybrid in the U.S. (the 50 mpg Cruze Eco). Ford has the new 44 mpg Focus. It's good to see Americans rejecting ad-driven myths and returning to real American cars made by American companies. We support them, and will only buy vehicles made by U.S. companies.
3rd Jun 2011, 13:00
So don't buy anything made by Chrysler then, it's 50% foreign owned. How convenient that you forget Chrysler is 50% owned by Italians. Before you know it, they'll be shipping over their Fit It Again Tony's.
4th Jun 2011, 17:17
I just read a comparison test of compact cars. The car coming in last place was Toyota. I wasn't remotely surprised. 22 million recalls does not speak much for quality.
4th Jun 2011, 19:16
What "real American cars" are you referring to? Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are both about 80% American parts, they are assembled in the US and even designed here. Go check out any of the cars you mentioned as "real American cars" and then compare. You are hardly buying anything but an American badge on a car filled with import parts. The fact they shut most of the major domestic assembly lines due to lack of Japanese parts after the disaster there, is truth enough just how "American" your favorites really are!
The only hype is that American cars are American anymore!
5th Jun 2011, 12:06
I recently test drove the new Kia Optima and loved it. However the window sticker indicated that over 90% of the components were foreign made. Sorry, but there is no way I intend to send 90+ cents out of every dollar of my car-buying money out of the U.S. Even if a few foreign car makers employ a handful of U.S. workers, that in no way justifies sending the bulk of my money out of the country. At any rate, domestics now are ranked ahead of Japanese cars in quality, so there is no reason to waste money on them. Last month GM, Ford and Chrysler led all automakers in U.S. auto sales. In a compact car comparison, Toyota finished dead last. That's how it should be.
1st Jun 2011, 13:35
I was in the market for a new car in 2007, and did a lot of research before buying. At that time the Pontiac Grand Prix was, indeed, rated the best large sedan by owner surveys over the Toyota Avalon. I was surprised by the rating, but it was based on actual owner experience with the cars, so I give that a lot of credibility. I was not impressed with the Grand Prix because of lack of power and poor handling, and bought a Ford. Buying an import was never an option for me.