1st Apr 2011, 14:42

I didn't make the comment about not caring about the U.S. worker or sending all our money and future jobs to Japan. However, you're right about the change in the economy. The days of a 35 year high paying job with full benefits, and pension upon retirement with a car company are over.

The U.S. economy is no longer a manufacturing economy. Those jobs -- car manufacturing included -- have been outsourced to countries like Mexico and Brazil. If anyone thinks it's bad now, just wait until China starts to export cars to North America. Corporations decide how, who, and where a car will be produced. Buying a GM, or Ford probably does little or nothing to help the U.S. worker. It's sad, but true.

19th Apr 2011, 18:19

Is the Cruze selling well for GM? I know it's fairly new to the market, but I haven't seen any on the road so far.

21st Apr 2011, 16:00

I see Cruzes here and there. I hope the owners know that with a turbo engine, it'll need more frequent maintenance than a normal engine, unless GM found a way to use a turbo that isn't hard on the engine.

22nd Apr 2011, 12:09

We don't buy foreign-made items. It is very simple to check on the internet to determine where a product is made. Our appliances, HVAC units, TV's and other electronic items are manufactured right here in the U.S. by U.S. companies. Needless to say, so are our cars and trucks. You don't have to buy foreign made items unless you choose to, and I don't.

22nd Apr 2011, 14:11

I'm no car expert, but I thought the newer turbo engines weren't as hard on engines as the older ones. I've also noticed that I can't a find a review of the Cruze with the 1.8 litre engine. Every review is of the 1.4 turbo, which I believe is the more expensive model.

23rd Apr 2011, 21:24

Cruze to a Honda dealer? Honda has been making overpriced cheaply assembled junk since 2000, the last time they made a solid car. Believe me, I have driven friend's Honda's and they are nothing to write home about, too many rattles, high maintenance, and everything feels cheap and ill fitted. I will pass on the Honda, thank you.

24th Apr 2011, 14:05

I believe Hondas are overrated and overpriced, too. I'm not saying the Cruze is great, because it's new and unproven for reliability. However, I've never been a fan of Honda.

24th Apr 2011, 18:02

For the commenter wanting a review of the 1.8 Cruze, look them up under "Holden Cruze," as in New Zealand and Australia, they initially came out with a 1.8i and a 2.0 turbo diesel.

24th Apr 2011, 20:46

You drove your friends Honda and that is all it takes to make an informed decision about a car maker? Okay then. Sounds like you had a preconceived notion that Honda was cheaply made and such, and therefore you probably went into driving one with that in mind.

I had a 2008 Accord with the base 4 cylinder engine. It was anything but cheap and rattly. It was smooth as silk at any speed, and really performed much better than my expectations of a base car. I can't even imagine how amazing that car would be with the V6 in it. I actually chose it over the Fusion V6 model that year, because it felt peppier and smoother, even with 2 less cylinders and 44 less HP. It was also a bit larger and more comfortable, but still drove tight and cornered great like a smaller car.

Seems there are so many anti-Japanese car people on here who have such biases against anything they perceive to be Un-American. Ironically, I was reading a great story about the global auto industry just the other day. They asked the question "what is buying American mean?" Well, the Honda Accord is made up of 80% U.S. parts, is designed and built by U.S. workers in U.S. plants. They compared that to the Ford Escape, which is built with 65% U.S. parts, it is designed in the U.S., and it is made in Canada with 0% of U.S. workers. So which one is more American? More and more evidence supports that there is no actual "made in America" when it comes to cars. Just buy what you like! The parent company argument really means little too, as even the domestics put much of their profits into factories and workers that aren't even in the U.S. So, who is benefiting from that?

25th Apr 2011, 13:16

People in Canada don't have this mentality: "Buy Canadian". We see something we like, it's made well; we buy it. My Cobalt was produced in Lordstown Ohio, but you don't hear me complaining I didn't buy a Canadian made car.

25th Apr 2011, 14:26

Good point. Car production is global today, so you should buy what you like. I found it bizarre when I read one Kia review on this site. It was either a Forte or an Optima. The reviewer loved the car, and had nothing bad to say about it. However he put 'no' under would you buy a car from this manufacturer.

When I asked why, I was a given a lecture about how he refuses to send any money and tax dollars to South Korea. That's his right, but it seems like it's his loss, because it sounded like he really wanted the car.

25th Apr 2011, 17:30

I am thinking that you have had quite a few non-Honda autos in the past few years. I have had one Honda since 2001, with 97,000 miles. If you own and drive one, you will probably eschew American designed cars like I have. Rick.

25th Apr 2011, 22:09

Of course you don't have that mentality. Your country doesn't have these large auto companies that make second rate vehicles to the imports. People are crazy to support them just because they are U.S. based companies. I hated most every domestic I have ever owned, because they cost so much extra to keep out of the repair shop.

9th May 2011, 20:34

My first car was a Honda and I hated it. It was awful. It NEVER started in cold weather. The memory stuck with me, and that's why I don't like Honda. Saying you don't like a car brand is not the same as saying they're all bad. However, I still believe they are overrated, and definitely overpriced.

Considering how improved most other manufacturers are, I would shop around before choosing a Honda. You can get just as much value for less money in most Hyundais, Nissans, or even Fords in today's market. But I would still avoid Chrysler and GM.

10th May 2011, 23:20

After a few imports (one German, two Japanese) we are solidly back to American cars. No American car has ever cost us a tenth as much in repairs as any one of our imports. None of our imports made 100,000 miles without very expensive repairs, and not one of our American cars has ever REQUIRED a repair in the first 100,000 miles. In fact, I have never had any domestic in a repair shop for anything in the first 120,000 miles. Not even a front end alignment.