24th Sep 2007, 18:39

09:38 Yes, I think you are being a little dramatic.

I live in Pennsylvania, and have no inclination to become a Japanese soldier! Come on... Look, I know I'll never get any of you Ford/Chevy guys to admit it, but you know as well as I do that Toyota has set the gold standard for quality in automobiles. They have a very well - EARNED reputation for making vehicles that generally run smoother, are more efficient, and break down less than anything else. How many times can I say this; look at the reviews given by all of the auto magazines ANYWHERE in the world and you'll see that Japanese-built automobiles hold the top reliability ratings year after year.

Yeah, sure, you'll see a Buick now and then, and even possibly a Ford or Chevy in there once in a while, but Japanese vehicles always come out on top, because they're built better and with more care than anything else. I can and do separate the facts from the propaganda, and I won't deny that Toyota has its problems. So what? They're growing incredibly fast and expanding with their truck segment, so it's growing pains.

Shall we look back at the histories of Chevy, Ford, and Dodge in their down times? Surely YOU are smart enough to admit that what those 3 put out in the 80's and most of the 90's was terrible. I've used this example before; my aunt just got rid of an '89 Cavalier she barely drove, that blew up at 100,000. Oddly enough, she found a good condition '89 Camry that she bought. Side by side, those cars look like they are from different planets, and the Cavalier is so flimsy and cheap looking next to the Camry that it's actually funny.

Think about all of the Toyota trucks to date, up till '96 when they became Tacoma's; then think about all of the Tacoma's; you can't kill those trucks. I could cite example after example about how much abuse they can take, way more than any other truck ever built anywhere in the world.

And I don't need to hear from the people that tell me they don't take abuse well because they can't haul a 90 foot horse trailer full of bricks or whatever like an F-350 can. That's two different topics, towing capacity and just general 'toughness' of the vehicle. No other truck will last as long being run hard, over-revved, and generally just driven hard and fast like a Toyota truck will. And that's not to speak of their cars, which are just as incredible. The Camry and Corolla have been the industry leaders for years. As well as all of the Tercels, which in my opinion are the most reliable cars ever built by anyone. They're incredible. They just keep running no matter how you drive them.

The point of all of this is, if I'm spending my hard-earned American dollar on ANY investment, I'm going to buy the best I can get for my money. This does not mean that I wish to see the U.S. economy collapse, or that I want the Japanese to take over. That's a pointless argument anyway. Whoever is reading this, look at anything electronic in your house, computer, stereo, appliances, the list goes on... most of it is made in Japan, China, Taiwan, whatever. Does this mean that you are a traitor because you own it? Does driving the best truck on the road (a Tacoma) mean that I am one? And for those of you who write in that Toyota quality is a 'myth'; give it up. The American public knows better.

25th Sep 2007, 09:27

To 9:38, I could not have said it any better, and I totally agree with you. You'll never convince them, they've been brainwashed in their second generation by Japanese video games and cartoons pushing Japanese products. You are absolutely right -- if the dashboard cracks on a Chevy then "all American cars are junk" but if the engine blows on a Toyota, it's a "rare occurrence from the world's quality, premier auto maker." If a Honda transmission blows at 50,000 miles, it's a "fluke" but if a Dodge goes 300,000 miles it's also a "fluke". It's like going to a re-education camp to learn Newspeak.

I will also keep driving my used domestics because it's like having money in the bank. Driving older domestics has allowed me to pay off my house in only 10 years, and have a retirement fund flush with cash because they are so cheap to run. Let them say what they like, I know better.

25th Sep 2007, 10:41

09:38,

First of all, the vast majority of the products sold in the US are made in China. That also includes many of the components in many domestic and foreign brand vehicles. In fact, a vast majority of the Japanese brand consumer electronics are also made in China. Why? because just like we did in the 70's and 80's, the Japanese are finding that manufacturing at home is not always the most economically viable option. Do you think China is also trying to take over the economy?

With your argument in regards to Japanese plants being setup on free land, well this is isn't exactly true. You see, in many cases these plants are setup in Southeastern locations: KY, TN, NC, AL, and so on. These states offer a variety of advantages over other more traditional manufacturing states. For one, the cost of labor is signifigantly less. A second MAJOR advantage is that the tax on business is a small fraction of what it is in say- Michigan. States like TN and KY provide tax incentives for companies from either out of state or from other country to setup business in their areas because they want to attract business. So for example, Nissan North America was headquartered in California a few years ago. The tax, environmental restrictions, high cost of labor and high cost of living made operations in CA prohibitive. TN offered a tax cut and lower operating costs not necessarily because they specifically offered it, but more because the cost of living and doing business in TN is about 1/3rd the cost of doing so in CA. So yes- they do get incentives, but it isn't free, nor is it specifically Japanese companies getting this treatment: Any company that relocates to a less expensive area will greatly benefit.

To conclude, I think the notion that we're being victimized by the Japanese, who some think are overtaking our economy is absurd. Simply put, if US car manufactures produced better products, then there would not be the problem of these companies losing market share. Nobody is stopping GM from making better cars and trucks, so if they go out of business, then they have nobody to blame, but themselves for failing to meet the demands of a free market consumer.