12th Oct 2009, 10:21

Just to state my piece on the matter!!! There are more Honda and Toyota's built in the US than Chevy, Ford and Dodge combined!!! That Ford Focus you speak of was made in Mexico, so Ford doesn't have to pay American wages!!! I live in the Norfolk area where they just shut down a F150 plant to move in to Mexico!!! Keep buying those Fords to support other countries!! That really makes sense!!!

12th Oct 2009, 11:16

20:13 How would Toyota or Honda have overinflated pricing to offer a 100000 mile warranty? Logic would dictate that the vastly superior quality would not cost a dime to offer or would it? If a customer had a low mile sludging issue or trans failure, maybe it's a no brainer and have the comsumer come up with the 4 or 5k to fix as an illustration of rapid out of warranty that can potentially occur.

The other comment on why we get a paycheck... we are working to make our employer profitable, not just open an envelope for showing up 40 hours. It is not that people are incapable necessarily. I was marched in a group to be downsized. We were done. The comment on imports is cars only; it's all kinds of lost business gone, and you expect it's to each their own. We all ultimately pay. I am concerned about every order that is lost at our facility. Year end I can be out of work quickly again. It's not pretty; at some point it's likely a masters degree will have no more value than a high school diploma had 20 years ago, even with ongoing education it is a tough job market. I feel every order is important to keep our paycheck. I am off all kinds of imports wherever possible. It's going to affect me indirectly with others indiscriminately forgetting who feeds us.

12th Oct 2009, 15:20

Here it is, straight off CNN. Yes, buying the Ford Fusion, even though it is "made in Mexico", really does help American workers more than buying a Toyota made in Kentucky:

"When it comes to longer term benefits, a lot of activity happens in the country in which the company's world headquarters is domiciled".

http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/12/autos/most_american_car/

12th Oct 2009, 15:47

The army is just a cross section of the country. I was in the army, and I knew people that thought imports were great. They just bought them because they were cheap, used cars and they needed a car. Others thought they were getting something better or more stylish by buying a Camry or Accord. Actually, one guy who I know who is still in the army was so proud to call American cars junk, and anybody who drove an American car was a stupid redneck, and was so proud to get his new Honda Accord --- until the transmission died within 6 months. Does he sound like somebody who sounds particularly patriotic? The army is just a job for many people, so lets not attach the gospel to somebody's point of view just because they are in the army.

By the same token, my dad is a WWII vet from the Marines--Iwo Jima, Saipan, Tinian. He has forgiven all those grudges, but when it comes time to buy cars, he buys Cadillac and Mercury and would not buy Japanese. On the other hand, he has bought several small motorhomes based on the small Toyota truck chassis because they were good deals, and that's all.

13th Oct 2009, 07:37

"20:13 How would Toyota or Honda have overinflated pricing to offer a 100000 mile warranty?"

Please slow down and actually read the comments BEFORE posting. My "overinflated" comments were aimed purely at domestic cars, not imports.

13th Oct 2009, 07:47

Yes and CNN is the word of God... ha ha ha... Plus who cares? This has nothing to do with being patriotic.

Don't forget... the reason the domestic brands have so many workers is because they are inefficient. They have huge overhead that they obviously can't cover, which is why they needed us to help them pay their own employees and to stay in business financially.

We would have been better off had they failed, dissolving the UAW, forcing the industry to go in a more productive leaner direction that would have been a benefit to us all. Smaller companies building less cars would be better overall as they could be more quality intense. The other advantage is we'd have maybe twice the number of American companies building cars, which would really ramp up the competition for buyers. How good do you think the cars would get then?

13th Oct 2009, 08:01

The people in Wayne MI would be offended that you called them all Mexicans (except for those that may really be from Mexico of course). That is where the Focus is made. The Fusion is made in Mexico. This is the problem with American Companies. Everyone that lives and works here has become accustomed to living higher than they should be. We are all guilty of that.

But what does that lead to? High overhead. If you owned a company and someone told you that you could cut your manufacturing costs in half by moving your operations to Mexico, what would you do? Americans all want to be paid too much. The auto industry is the worst for that. It is no wonder they are close to failure and in need of taxpayer cash to survive. Go ahead and be patriotic buying your domestic. Just remember as soon as they find cheaper labor, which many of them already have, they will send American workers packing... but still expect them to buy their cars. This is also a big reason we can't drill our own oil and survive without the Middle East.... overhead! It is too expensive.

Honda and Toyota are looking pretty good now eh?

13th Oct 2009, 08:21

Why do the domestics offer a far better warranty than Toyota then? I would rather have a vehicle the mfr believes in vs expecting a 4 to 5000 repair that can and have occurred to import owners with short warranties. That should be 100000 miles minimum vs overinflated repairs for sludging issues etc. That was the point, not the way you interpreted overinflation costs to consumers.

My opinion is offer a great warranty as standard on all well made 2010 vehicles. If the vehicle is so great and great quality as mentioned, it will not add a dime more for the mfr to offer it. If it's so well built there is no extra expense to anyone, correct?

13th Oct 2009, 09:49

So, you don't like the idea, and therefore must attack the source? Nice. Also, you miss the point. Buying a Ford, GM, or Chrysler (American cars) really doe help more workers in the US, and help the American economy more than buying a Toyota (a foreign car) assembled in Texas or Kentucky. How do you feel about destroying your own economy and country?

13th Oct 2009, 11:12

Look, I drive a Jeep, but I still and always will believe that we as Americans have the right to purchase & drive whatever make of vehicle we want. I also believe that the poor business practices of American companies has a lot more to do with the economy than does my next door neighbors Honda Civic.

I am so sick of the Fusion guy accusing import owners of everything from turning their backs on hungry children to plotting the downfall of our country. It must be really sad to hold so much contempt for your neighbors.