17th Jun 2009, 10:34
I am not taking sides, as I believe there is no 100% right or 100% wrong answer. I also would prefer to buy a Ford Fusion as well, but, and it is a big but - Wouldn't it be better if Ford put Americans to work by building the Fusion here in the USA, instead of putting Mexicans to work in Mexico?
At least those Toyotas being built here are being built by Americans who are employed.
I know, I know, 91% vs. 9% - but those 9% would be out of work if all Americans bought vehicles from US companies but built in Mexico instead of Toyotas or Hondas etc. built here at home.
Again - I prefer the Fusion, but there is no completely correct answer.
By the way, please don't call me unpatriotic - I own a Chrysler and a GM.
17th Jun 2009, 12:01
How is buying a Japanese vehicle made by Americans (instead of buying an "American" vehicle made in Mexico) hurting the other Americans who work for American manufacturers?
Wouldn't buying the vehicle made in Mexico be hurting those same Americans who work in Automobile assembly plants in the USA?
Wait a minute... do you mean buying "American" vehicle manufactured in Mexico would be helping the wealthy share holders and executives of the American companies become even wealthier - regardless of the plight of the American workers?
Whereas buying the Japanese vehicle built by US workers would be only helping those "working class" Americans and the company they work for, and not the wealthy executives who have out-sourced our manufacturing jobs to other countries?
I get a headache trying to figure this one out.
17th Jun 2009, 14:14
My car was well-beyond the 175K mark before it started having even minor problems. Also, Honda Accord places higher than Ford Fusion in ownership costs although Fusion does supposedly give the customer "more for your money." Accord is more stylish and far less bland than Fusion.
17th Jun 2009, 14:19
The appropriate response would be that you wouldn't cling rigidly to the car. As "bland" as the car may have been in appearance, the performance, quality and durability FAR outweighed the style or any other weaknesses the car may have had. In 20 years, it NEVER LEFT ME STRANDED ONCE other than for tires that blew out. Nissan Titan and Armada are US-manufactured is the reason they have been so undependable. There are very few Japanese-manufactured Nissans that have plummeted from quality issues. You stick with Mercurys and I'll stick with my Nissans and we'll just leave it at that. I don't care if the US auto industry fails because they have not been turning out anything but junk the last several decades anyway.
18th Jun 2009, 12:55
Confusing the number of jobs actually held by U.S. auto-related industries is a favorite tactic of Japanese companies. The U.S. auto industry employs 91% of all auto-related workers in the U.S. The Japanese auto industry employs only 9%. It doesn't matter if Ford builds Fusions in the Antarctic or Honda builds Accord in Mayberry USA. Those are the figures: 91% versus 9%. If you buy a car manufactured by a Japanese company, you are choosing to benefit 9% of U.S. citizens while HURTING 91%. That is simple math.
18th Jun 2009, 16:51
To - 18th Jun 2009, 12:55.
Well let me try again - HOW ON EARTH is buying the Ford made in Mexico helping ANY of the US Autoworkers?
If you buy the Camry built in the USA aren't you at least helping an American Autoworker (in that they have a job).
I know your 91% vs, 9% argument - but it makes no sense when no American autoworker built the car you are advocating.
By the way, do you own a camera or a wristwatch?
Where were they made?
Do you not get that out-sourcing our jobs is HURTING the American people?
And please don't resort to saying I'm not a patriot - I drive a domestic car built here in the USA.
18th Jun 2009, 17:07
I have a 2008 Accord V6 and am very disappointed. Oil consumption, poor mileage (21 mpg combined) are just the tip of the iceberg. Add rattles, vibrations, and things I haven't figured out yet and I have decided this is my last Honda. In the past few years I have had a 1997 SE, 1998 EX, 2001 EX - V6, 2003 EX - V6, 2007 EX V6 and now a 2008 EX V6. All of my prior Accords were great cars and I am sorry I did not keep any of them because all were better than the 2008. My first Honda was a 1978 CVCC bought new. That was a great little car too. I will be trading in my 2008 soon and will be glad to see it go. Funny, but all of my prior Honda's were traded in and in each case a buyer was waiting at the dealership to buy it. No one will be waiting for the 2008! So long, Honda.
20th Jun 2009, 11:20
How does it help if a certain domestic model is manufactured overseas (not the entire line)?... the profit still goes here, not overseas to corporate Japan.
We are in the process of losing the second automotive manufacturing and final plant in Delaware. For every job lost it has been indicated that 10 others are affected as well. I suspect the remaining ones still employed such as myself will have to pick up the slack. Many of my neighbors in the 15 mile radius of both Chrysler and GM are certainly affected. Maybe buying a new Honda is a great way to be focused entirely on oneself and not the community.
In the end I am sure the large job losses, someday selling my home will not be any easier, my taxes will likely rise, and suppliers and the plants using utilities etc. will go away. I think on the end you pay... buy a new import. I would rather have seen the plants remain and contribute to our local economy. I just see it as a slap in the face in 2009... maybe I have empathy for my local community and wish others were more supportive like us by buying new domestics. I am extremely sorry to see my friends lose their jobs and am not rolling up in a new import. I also feel the quality of new domestics is great today.
17th Jun 2009, 10:05
I agree most automotive publications DO tend to be biased toward Japanese auto makers, making their ratings highly suspect. However, even J.D. Powers and Consumer Reports rate Ford higher in reliability than Japanese brands. The two vehicles tied for the top slot with J.D. Powers are both made by American owned companies (Buick and Jaguar, which is/was Ford owned). Mercury is very close to the top as well. The Ford Fusion is ranked higher in reliability than any Japanese make by Consumer Reports. The longest lasting vehicle reported on in Consumer Reports (488,000 trouble-free miles) is a Ford, though in typical biased fashion the cover of that magazine used a photo of a Honda (which had the LOWEST mileage of any of the cars featured in the long-lasting vehicle article).
Japanese companies make good vehicles. You can't honestly say ANY car sold currently in the U.S. is all that bad. It's just that domestic vehicles are as good, and in MANY cases BETTER, and when I see uninformed people calling very reliable automobiles "crap" and making statements that "they won't last", I'm going to keep responding with the truth. Many of our domestics lasted over 200,000 miles with few (or no) problems. Conversely, not a one of our imports (including German) ever went that far without major problems.