27th Sep 2010, 08:53

It is amazing what greed brings on isn't it? There is a great email going around about how we bombed Nagasaki at the end of WWII and they show pictures of it today as a thriving vibrant city. Then by contrast they show pictures of Detroit in ruins as it sits today with boarded up houses and desolate business districts. Maybe we should have nuked ourselves back then?? We have been on top too long and our time has come and gone. It is a sad end to a great empire, and the auto industry is just one of thousands of businesses that went down the same path of greed before intelligence!

27th Sep 2010, 11:15

Toyota employs 192,663 US workers. Nissan and Honda also have close to that number each as well. Toyota has plants operating in 6 US states. Nissan is getting ready to make the new Nissan Leaf - an all-electric car - in Nashville TN. In other words, more than a "handful" of US workers. Also - unless everything in your home is from the 1950's - including your computer, then you're no different than anyone else here. Most of the things in your house are undoubtedly either made in the US with a mixture of domestic and imported components or made in China/Japan/Korea with a US branded badge slapped over the front. It doesn't really matter if you buy a HP, Dell, or Sony computer: The guts and the entire computer for that matter are ALL made in China.

You mentioned refusing to buy Japanese products because it enriches the Japanese economy and puts wealthy Japanese businessmen in yachts. So are you saying that it's much better to stuff money into the pockets of a domestic automaker's CEO so they can enjoy their yacht over putting money into the pockets of a Japanese automaker's CEO to do the same? Both examples matter little in regards to the "little man" who will never see any of those profits.

Lastly, using the Corvette argument is out of context. It's a $70,000 car. A Malibu or Camry is $25,000. They are not in the same class as a Camry. Even so, I actually test drove a Corvette at an event out on by GM. The cars are a rip-off. The interior was shoddy and cheap, and the handling was lackluster for a car costing as much as it did. Under the hood was a LOT of welding splatter, cheap-looking plastic and rubber tubing, and just an overall lack of attention to details. My $10,000 Tacoma has a better build quality than the Vette I drove. So yes - if you want to keep on arguing about how great your Corvette is, well you lose that argument too, because in my opinion it's simply an overpriced paperweight.

27th Sep 2010, 12:09

That's right, 50% of Chryslers profits now go to Italy. Yup, that is so American.

27th Sep 2010, 14:37

Great post!! Corvette owners seem to believe they are in some sort of elite league. Too funny. I wish people wouldn't waste time on Camry threads if they want to talk about their Vette. Chevy will never be in the same league as Toyota... never. And NO, I don't care what the ratings companies say!!

27th Sep 2010, 17:39

You test drove a new Corvette and bought a Tacoma? That's great. I went the other direction; started with a new Toyota, and because of raises and promotions, bought my favorite car after many years. It's been far less problematic than an Acura. I even considered a new NSX; not a cheap car either when new.

27th Sep 2010, 20:06

"Both examples matter little in regards to the "little man" who will never see any of those profits."

This is so true. People seem to think supporting these overpaid executives that mismanage their companies is the way to go. It has no positive effect on America to do so anymore. What jobs are you really saving? If the domestic car companies find a way to outsource every job they have in order to spend less money, don't even think for a second they wouldn't jump on the chance! They did not support the average consumer when they had the chance. They have always been concerned more with their profits than safety or reliability. To me Imports are just better all the way around. Better companies and better cars!

28th Sep 2010, 06:16

I wonder how much profit on a new high volume Toyotas or Hondas stays in America, vs all back to Japan?

28th Sep 2010, 08:50

Sounded to me like they already had the Tacoma when they test drove the Vette and was thankful to get back to their higher quality Toyota. Vettes are overrated by a long shot.

How long ago are you talking here? A new NSX? Who even remembers those overpriced slow cars?

I'd sooner take a Mustang even over a Vette. Who needs to get to 60 faster than the mid 4 second range anyhow? The new Boss coming in the spring should be a sweet car to drive given the 2011 GT already is. I'd rather have a car I can live with on a daily basis than something hard to get in and out of and hard to see out of. Plus at least the Mustang has a little more room and isn't claustrophobic.

28th Sep 2010, 09:01

I wonder how much of the profits the domestic cars get from their overseas branches...

Does it really matter? We sell cars over there and they sell cars over here. Why are Americans so worried about global competition?

If you have a good product it will sell everywhere as is the case for the imports, obviously, as they are hugely popular over here. If the domestic companies can't compete, then so be it. I'd rather force a good product out of them, by supporting both import and domestic, then just letting them get away with the continued sub-par quality and poor business practices they've graced us with for decades now!

Remember, all of the good things, the good ideas in the domestic car companies that have surfaced over the past two decades have been import originated ideas. Domestics have always trailed imports for innovation and design and are finally starting to learn something. Who knows, in the future when there is a turnover of CEOs and management, maybe they will be as good as their import competition at running a good business. To reward them repeatedly for what we've gotten out of them so far?? No thanks!

America has become all about looking the other way when incompetence is involved. We just keep blindly supporting lame businesses like it will all go away and things will return to the glory days. Good luck!!