15th Sep 2010, 08:58
I truly wish that were the case and I had never owned anything by GM anyway! I would have $thousands in the bank instead of dumping it into their sub par vehicles. And the latest one I've owned was a 2004 that I traded a month ago so not so long ago!
Should we only be reviewing brand new cars when we talk about domestics? I guess they would be better if we did huh? Not sure why anyone thinks so much has changed in the past 5 or 6 years with GM... it hasn't. Not sure what is so outdated about the domestic auto industry. They are still overpaying their workers, and they will surely get into financial trouble again in the near future because of it. Nothing has changed really, so what is outdated?
And who isn't supporting American industry? Buying a Toyota or a Honda gets you a car built by U.S. workers. I guess you'd rather have a car built by Mexicans or Canadians?? Huh, funny way to show support of the American worker. Ohhhh, you mean the American companies, yeah, the ones that failed by their own incompetence. Yeah, I think they should have failed and restructured myself, as they are not doing anyone any favors by continuing the same old crap they have done for decades. I'm not going to blindly support them anymore. I have wasted enough money on them, thanks. And again...when the ratings companies offer to pay up for repairs on my domestic cars, I'll start taking their advice on what to buy.
15th Sep 2010, 12:18
"Although GM trails Ford in both quality and ratings, they still lead most imports."
Many of your "domestics" are imported from Canada.
Chrysler - Town & Country, Caravan, 300, Charger, Challenger.
Ford - Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Edge, Flex, MKX.
GM - Camaro, Impala, Allure, Lacrosse, Equinox, Torrent, Terrain.
And this "domestic" is Mexican - Ford Focus. So you see, when you are bashing imports, please include your imported domestics as well.
15th Sep 2010, 13:12
I agree with you, except the Focus is built in MI. The top ranked Fusion is built in Mexico!
15th Sep 2010, 14:05
Yeah, go ahead buy a GM or a Ford supporting workers in Mexico, Canada, Korea and elsewhere. Most Fords or GMs is no more 'American' than Toyotas.
15th Sep 2010, 22:43
Where the corporate is defines an import. Cutting wages and benefits to the point where a typical domestic autoworkers can't afford to buy a nicer home anymore is not progress to me. Time will tell if our standard of living improves as before. Guess more will rent vs buy.
16th Sep 2010, 09:07
An import or domestic profits go to where the company is headquartered. That defines what it is. If a Japan vehicle is designed, engineered and all profits reinvested go to corporate in Japan, it's a foreign based operation, If some workers are hired in Pennsylvania to build an import, the wages paid locally is not determining where all the profits go. If the same workers are paid less and have less benefits as before working in America, is that an upgrade? I guess better than nothing, right?
I buy even further than all this on a test drive; best warranty, minimum 100,000 miles in this day and time, ride handling vs a political debate when I buy with a new dealer salesman.
16th Sep 2010, 09:20
Sorry, but overpaying people to the point where you are going out of business just doesn't make sense. Not for nothing but you have to be able to justify your overhead and make sure it isn't too high to support the products you are producing. Obviously the domestic car companies have realized their mistakes in letting factory worker salaries get so ridiculously high. The crazy retirement packages are out of control too. The domestic car companies are now outsourcing more and more factory jobs to other countries in order to counter this problem.
What would progress be to you? There is only so much profit in a car. If a company overpays the employees that build it how can they survive? It is simple economics. Maybe they should go to complete automated assembly lines? To me, supporting companies that have this great need to hire people from other countries to do their work while they state that they are U.S. companies is kind of a joke. Who are you really supporting? Some people have said this practice of outsourcing saves jobs. Since the domestic companies are continuing to build factories elsewhere I really can't see how this saves U.S. jobs.
16th Sep 2010, 12:44
Agreed 100%. Pretty soon Chryslers will be imported from Italy.
Maybe when people get their facts straight we can stop this domestic vs import once and for all.
For an accurate comparison it really should be a car brand vs another car brand and not domestic vs import, which has a hidden agenda.
17th Sep 2010, 07:15
I guess in your opinion it would be alright to send Chrysler's profits to the Italians, since they own half of Chrysler, and their FIAT headquarters are in Italy!
It would be equally alright to pay one or two corporate VP's a big salary at the expense of the 10 of thousands of assembly line workers who build Honda and Toyota's (what you refer to as imports). I always thought Americans worked at Honda and Toyota assembly lines in America.
17th Sep 2010, 11:44
And let's not forget Government Motors that is now paying itself back the tax money they "borrowed". It is amazing how people defend these lame business practices in our country as long as they "support America". Sorry, but if supporting American industry means creating more jobs for Canadians and Mexicans, then I will be passing on it! Yes, Honda and Toyota make profits from American car sales, but they also employ Americans to do their work here in the U.S. even down to much of the designing. Those U.S. workers have jobs for it, not some Mexican or Canadian. This practice of outsourcing labor to foreign countries by the domestic car companies is on the rise, it is not going away. They continually are building new facilities and shutting down U.S. factories, and that is fact. Again, if this is your idea of support of the U.S. worker, then I just don't get it.
17th Sep 2010, 11:50
Let's not forget that currently the best that Chrysler has to offer (Challenger, Charger, 300C) are all riding on Mercedes platforms, and would never have seen the light of day if not for Daimler-Benz! So who are you supporting there? Did Daimler get any profits when they owned part of Chrysler? You can bet on it!
17th Sep 2010, 18:37
Great point. If you compliment a domestic, point out that the profits stay in America, or point out flaws in an import, you are accused of lying or being hired by the car companies. But that doesn't change the fact that Toyota is ranked 21st out of 33 car makers in quality or that their cars are the most recalled vehicles in the history of the wheel. How anyone can argue that there is ANY benefit to buying an import is hard to imagine.
14th Sep 2010, 19:51
So if your former Camry let you down and you switched due to an engine failure, should you remain silent. If you were having recent success from new domestics, why not share and warn others with issues. You had with Toyotas. Maybe tuck your head between your heels and suffer alone. I do not sugar coat my bad luck.