ajzepp Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 American car companies have surpassed German manufacturers in quality marks for the past few years. 629811[/snapback] I don't doubt you....I just haven't researched vehicles in several years, so I haven't kept tabs. But beign that I'm German myself, I usually assume we are at or near the top in terms of quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catholic Guilt Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 If Americans made a dependable car, I would buy it. Sorry but that is what is called a free market economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsCelticsAngelsBama Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I don't doubt you....I just haven't researched vehicles in several years, so I haven't kept tabs. But beign that I'm German myself, I usually assume we are at or near the top in terms of quality 629822[/snapback] That attitude caused alot of problems in the 1930's and 40's as I recall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 If Americans made a dependable car, I would buy it. Sorry but that is what is called a free market economy. 629826[/snapback] People say that, but what would make you decide that there was a dependable, American car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 That attitude caused alot of problems in the 1930's and 40's as I recall 629829[/snapback] Those were Nazis....not Germans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Those were Nazis....not Germans. 629847[/snapback] Not a German in the bunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayg Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 This topic pops up from time to time. I have a 91 Saturn with 212,000 miles and running well when I parked it. I have a 92 Formula Firebird 170,000 and still running very strong. I also have a 94 S-10 with 140, 000 running very well. I slipped a little and bought a Pontiac Vibe, but it was what I needed at the time. American cars have come a long way in quality. I've also had two VW's a Fox and a Rabbit,lol, that were pieces of crap. I not saying to buy American but my cars have served me very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 i know alot of you are probably ignore this and/or tell me to shut it, and who cares but you should care. these foreign manufactures are slowing killing the north american middle class. sure they try to convince you that these vehicles are built here, by american workers and they are bringing jobs but wait, where is all that profit ending up? anyway i'm sorry for the mini-rant, but it's little things like this that seem minor but they slowly change public perception. and when our automakers have all gone bankrupt and we are all working for foriegn companys we'll wonder, how did we get here? what happened? 629768[/snapback] Ford owns a chunk of Toyota...GM owns a chunk of Saab...Mercedes-Benz owns Chrysler...Toyota and Hondas are built in the USA. What's a US Auto Company? Face it. The companies our parents worked for don't exist anymore. Nobody makes anything in America anymore. We just shuffle paper. If you really want to be upset, consider that 80% of the US budget deficit (most of which goes to the war in Iraq) is financed by money loaned to us by foreign governments. And more than half is from the Chinese! We owe our a$$es to the Chinese. (This is not a rumour...it was on ABC news last night.) PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 We owe our a$$es to the Chinese. (This is not a rumour...it was on ABC news last night.) PTR 629881[/snapback] ABC said that we have to give our big beautiful American poopers to the Chinese? Damn George W Bush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Ford owns a chunk of Toyota... PTR 629881[/snapback] Read: controlling stake in Mazda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonabb Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 i know alot of you are probably ignore this and/or tell me to shut it, and who cares but you should care. these foreign manufactures are slowing killing the north american middle class. sure they try to convince you that these vehicles are built here, by american workers and they are bringing jobs but wait, where is all that profit ending up? anyway i'm sorry for the mini-rant, but it's little things like this that seem minor but they slowly change public perception. and when our automakers have all gone bankrupt and we are all working for foriegn companys we'll wonder, how did we get here? what happened? 629768[/snapback] Two things.... 1. Build a better product. People want a good product and loyalty and patriotism are meaningless when you're shelling out $30,000 for a car. You want the best and that's all that matters. 2. Unions have killed the American manufacturing economy. The average employee at Dephi is making $27 an hour to do the work a robot can. Is that conducive to a making good, affordable vehicles? These labor high costs mean they have to reduce quality to stay competitive. And don't give me the "that's what the bargained for" or deserve. How can you not pay the ransom demand of thousands of employees when you're threatened with a strike that could cripple your business, cost you a lot of sales and hurt your market share forever? So when that business struggles, are you saying only the employer should take the hit, not the employees. BTW, I recently leased a Chevy Equinox for my wife, after owning nothing but Honda's and Nissan, and the thing is a pile! Can't wait for the lease to expire, another Honda will follow. Best car for the buck and my 1997 accord is a better car than her 2005 Equinox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilsAlum Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 i know alot of you are probably ignore this and/or tell me to shut it, and who cares but you should care. these foreign manufactures are slowing killing the north american middle class. sure they try to convince you that these vehicles are built here, by american workers and they are bringing jobs but wait, where is all that profit ending up? anyway i'm sorry for the mini-rant, but it's little things like this that seem minor but they slowly change public perception. and when our automakers have all gone bankrupt and we are all working for foriegn companys we'll wonder, how did we get here? what happened? 629768[/snapback] All I know is that darn power loom has put me and my hand loom weaver buddies out of business. We've formed a new club called the Luddites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olaf Fub Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I've always bought American cars (used), haven't had a real problem with any of them. It's not like the Bills are anti-American. Toyota offered them money, they took it. What's wrong with that? I'm sure the team would have been just as happy to take Ford or GM's money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRT88 Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 i know alot of you are probably ignore this and/or tell me to shut it, and who cares but you should care. these foreign manufactures are slowing killing the north american middle class. sure they try to convince you that these vehicles are built here, by american workers and they are bringing jobs but wait, where is all that profit ending up? anyway i'm sorry for the mini-rant, but it's little things like this that seem minor but they slowly change public perception. and when our automakers have all gone bankrupt and we are all working for foriegn companys we'll wonder, how did we get here? what happened? 629768[/snapback] funny my old Toyota was made in Indiana but my friends Chevy was made in Mexico. Exactly who is taking US jobs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRT88 Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Two things.... 1. Build a better product. People want a good product and loyalty and patriotism are meaningless when you're shelling out $30,000 for a car. You want the best and that's all that matters. 2. Unions have killed the American manufacturing economy. The average employee at Dephi is making $27 an hour to do the work a robot can. Is that conducive to a making good, affordable vehicles? These labor high costs mean they have to reduce quality to stay competitive. And don't give me the "that's what the bargained for" or deserve. How can you not pay the ransom demand of thousands of employees when you're threatened with a strike that could cripple your business, cost you a lot of sales and hurt your market share forever? So when that business struggles, are you saying only the employer should take the hit, not the employees. BTW, I recently leased a Chevy Equinox for my wife, after owning nothing but Honda's and Nissan, and the thing is a pile! Can't wait for the lease to expire, another Honda will follow. Best car for the buck and my 1997 accord is a better car than her 2005 Equinox. 629910[/snapback] My mother had a Honda Accord and it was the best car she ever had. I loved driving it. Her current Toyota Camery isn't half bad either. Maybe if the American car companies were more concerned about quality over quanity, especially back in the 1980's when they blew the car market wide open for Toyota, Honda and the like, we wouldn't have to waste space on football oard talking about crap like this! I'll take the Jap car because they are better. If i had the $$$ I'd buy a BMW or Benz but as long as I have to work for my cash, I'll buy the sure thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambler Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 My mother had a Honda Accord and it was the best car she ever had. I loved driving it. Her current Toyota Camery isn't half bad either. 629961[/snapback] Camry and Accord are both made in America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan Trapped in Pats Land Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Camry and Accord are both made in America. 629993[/snapback] I still think it's not the manufacture so much as the engineering. My dad bought a Tahoe, brand new, maybe 4 years ago. I was at home a few weeks later, and based on the interior I could just as easily been in an '85 Suburban. American cars just feel chintzy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 funny my old Toyota was made in Indiana but my friends Chevy was made in Mexico. Exactly who is taking US jobs? 629957[/snapback] Tacomas are made in Mexico. A large percentage of the Camrys are still imported from Japan. Priuses are made in Japan... Most of the Japanese and Korean factories in the United States were induced to their present locations by wasteful tax breaks. For example, Alabama is paying $100-$200K a year for each Hyundai job from that new plant down there. While factory workers and some engineers are employed in this country by foreign car companies, the profits go back to the HQs in the home countries. The factory workers are paid less, fairly or unfairly. When or if GM and Ford go bankrupt, the pensions will be dumped on to the government (taxpayers to pay.) People can buy whatever cars they want. You are not obligated to buy a car based on where it's from or what company makes it. However, I think it's silly to think that it is more altruistic for people in this country to buy a foreign make rather than a domestic one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 2. Unions have killed the American manufacturing economy. The average employee at Dephi is making $27 an hour to do the work a robot can. Is that conducive to a making good, affordable vehicles? These labor high costs mean they have to reduce quality to stay competitive. And don't give me the "that's what the bargained for" or deserve. How can you not pay the ransom demand of thousands of employees when you're threatened with a strike that could cripple your business, cost you a lot of sales and hurt your market share forever? So when that business struggles, are you saying only the employer should take the hit, not the employees. 629910[/snapback] um, auto workers in japan and germany make more and have better benefits than their us counterparts. and germans are more unionized. fortunately for them (and for canadian workers), they have a government-funded health care system rather than the insane American system in which employers fund key aspects of the social welfare state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 um, auto workers in japan and germany make more and have better benefits than their us counterparts. and germans are more unionized. fortunately for them (and for canadian workers), they have a government-funded health care system rather than the insane American system in which employers fund key aspects of the social welfare state. 630012[/snapback] Please tell me you're joking about the healthcare thing..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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