Foreign Cars.

[NoHeartAnthony]

I do not currently own a car.

At least no money of mine went into this vehicle. If I was in a position where I had to take a job in a factory here owned by a foreign company like Kia, I would proudly park a GM, Ford or Chrysler vehicle in the parking lot with a BUY AMERICAN sticker on it. I would also feel like I needed a shower.

Would it make me a better father if I praised her on her accomplishment of getting her mother to buy her the car of her dreams, lying the whole time?

It would make you a better father if you worried more about her grades and issues in her life than what car she buys.

[DC48080]

Spot on assessment Wazootyman. I could not have said it better myself.

[lilpup]

Fast forward to today, I drive a 1996 Saab 900SE, and a 1991 Saab 900S.
The both have about 170,000. miles on them, and they have required nothing more than regular maint., and one new clutch.
What American made car can go the distamce ?

Ken

My last Escort has 250K+ on it when I sold it and my current Escort is approaching 190K. And my Escorts were a shitload less expensive than your Saabs.

[jtf1972]

It would make you a better father if you worried more about her grades and issues in her life than what car she buys.

Tried that. She just screams & shuts me out completely. Being a non-custodiial father who lives out of the area, I was negated to the point of telling here that I saw it makes no difference what I say & that one day she might realize that her decisions impact nobody greater than herself. I told her if she fails, life goes on for everyone else including me. I told her how I'd be disappointed, as I want the best for her & want her to succeed. Her grades actually picked up a bit since then.

If you look, my stipulation included grades. If her mother chooses to buy her a vehicle that increases her own odds of unemployment & teaches her practically no responsibility, there's not much I can do [[save for grin like a Cheshire cat if she has any problems, as I have heard Kia's tend to.) She could have even got a discount on a GM, but hey... it's all good since the Lions won a game.

I will continue to let my dog piss on foreign cars though..

[2blocksaway]

The problem with Detroit isn't all about foreign cars.

my 16-year-old daughter's mother .

Family situations like this aren't helping.

[wash_man]

"It's not deceptive unless you don't actually read the label."

Really? Try reading this window sticker from a Fusion and tell me where it says "Mexico" on it.

http://services.forddirect.fordvehic...HP0HA7AR199342

[wash_man]

Here's another one. A Chrysler 300. U.S./Canada content lumped together at 63%. Since the car makers require most suppliers to congregate near the assembly plant, it's logical that most of that 63% is Canadian. That would make this "American" car less than 50% domestic.

http://www.chrysler.com/hostc/getWin...KA43D19H574891

[lilpup]

Since the car makers require most suppliers to congregate near the assembly plant,

We left the 1960s quite some time ago, dear.

[wash_man]

We left the 1960s quite some time ago, dear.

Do you even have a clue? If anything, suppliers are moving even closer to the plants, sometimes even under the same roof. [[Toledo ring a bell?)

[darwinism]

Just to add a few more citations and resources to this thread for those who are not wearing "blinders".

Outside of Michigan ..... the rest of the United States consider the Toyota Camry the most "American" car today:

Link to CNN's article

Link to the Wall Street Journal's article

Link to Cars.com's "2009 Most American-Made Index"

When it comes down to it, all of the so-called pro-domestic supporters here are actually NOT pro-domestic ..... they are actually chanting "What You Drive, Drives Southeast Michigan" because all they care about is that Chrysler has a building in Auburn Hills. They have absolutely no concept of business-sense and trying to educate them is a lost cause. It is ignorance like that which is the downfall of this entire Southeast Michigan region.

Link to a discussion in a Seattle newspaper for yet another perspective of what folks think in the other parts of the nation that make up the United States of America

*p/s: Oh ..... just in case some of you failed Geography in school, Michigan is NOT the entirety of America ! When you say Buy American, please remember that Michigan is just 1 out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia !! When someone buys a Toyota and Honda, the states of Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio and Indiana are actually pretty happy ..... because for them ..... buying Toyota and Honda is indeed Buying American.

[Bearinabox]

Just to add a few more citations and resources to this thread for those who are not wearing "blinders".

Outside of Michigan ..... the rest of the United States consider the Toyota Camry the most "American" car today:

Link to CNN's article

Link to the Wall Street Journal's article

Link to Cars.com's "2009 Most American-Made Index"

When it comes down to it, all of the so-called pro-domestic supporters here are actually NOT pro-domestic ..... they are actually chanting "What You Drive, Drives Southeast Michigan" because all they care about is that Chrysler has a building in Auburn Hills. They have absolutely no concept of business-sense and trying to educate them is a lost cause. It is ignorance like that which is the downfall of this entire Southeast Michigan region.

Link to a discussion in a Seattle newspaper for yet another perspective of what folks think in the other parts of the nation that make up the United States of America

*p/s: Oh ..... just in case some of you failed Geography in school, Michigan is NOT the entirety of America ! When you say Buy American, please remember that Michigan is just 1 out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia !! When someone buys a Toyota and Honda, the states of Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio and Indiana are actually pretty happy ..... because for them ..... buying Toyota and Honda is indeed Buying American.

As someone who has never failed geography in school, I'm aware that I live in Michigan, and that Michigan's economy is what is immediately relevant to me. If people in Kentucky or Alabama have jobs, that's great for them, but I don't care any more about them than I care about people in Mexico or Japan.

[lilpup]

Toyota still imports almost 50% of what they sell in North America. Don't bitch at us because the average American car buyer is an ignorant fuck.

[skyl4rk]

Power to the consumer. The consumer should buy the car that fits their needs the best.

Having said that, the feds need to crack down on unfair trade.

[darwinism]

Toyota still imports almost 50% of what they sell in North America. Don't bitch at us because the average American car buyer is an ignorant fuck.

Please allow me to put your words in a way that is easier for folks to understand:

DetroitYes forumer buying Ford to support Mexico + Southeast Michigan = Genius

Average car buyer representing 49 states and the District of Columbia buying Toyota, Honda to support Kentucky + Indiana + Alabama + Ohio = Ignorant fuck

[tahleel]

Having said that, the feds need to crack down on unfair trade.

How do you expect them to do that? Tax any automobile assembled outside the United States? It would harm all manufacturers because all of them have foreign plants.

-Tahleel

[wash_man]

How do you expect them to do that? Tax any automobile assembled outside the United States? It would harm all manufacturers because all of them have foreign plants.

-Tahleel

Exactly. That's why the D3 are not screaming for it. Imagine the outrage when someone went to purchase an Impala, a Fusion or a 300C and found out they had to pay an import tax on it. On the other hand, it might persuade them to move the production back here.

[tahleel]

Exactly. That's why the D3 are not screaming for it. Imagine the outrage when someone went to purchase an Impala, a Fusion or a 300C and found out they had to pay an import tax on it. On the other hand, it might persuade them to move the production back here.

It could definitely persuade them to move production back here. The catch to it is, they probably won't come to Michigan. Building a new plant in another state that would give them tons of incentives is cheaper than retooling a closed/existing plant here in Michigan.

-Tahleel

[Jared9903]

Personally, I just bought a 2009 Chevy Malibu ..... one of the most "American" vehicle around. And I bought the car before June 1, 2009 - so, GM was still very much an American company at that point in time, although very much tethering on demise nonetheless.

Jared9903, glad that you are committed to buying American automobiles. And when you make such declarations, please be prepared to go to a showroom and sign on the dotted line for a new vehicle, because buying a used American car doesn't really help the cause. As mentioned above, your only option is Ford right now. Let us know when you drive home your 2010 model Ford, Jared9903.

Ladies and gentlemen, you see, I hear from many, many die-hard hard-core American car enthusiasts every single day. But at the end of the day, these folks are just all talk. That's all they do, they swear their devotions to American cars, but guess what ..... they don't put their money where their mouths are.





When I bought the 2009 Malibu, the car saleswoman thanked me over and over for choosing a Chevrolet. She said that too many people are just talkers. She is absolutely right, chances are most of the folks right here on DetroitYes who proclaimed that they will never buy foreign, and that they will always buy American ..... well, they are the same people who shop at Wal-Mart, the Dollar Store and driving a pre-2000 GM, Chrysler or Ford vehicle that they bought USED. So much for being pro-domestic cars, posers. In case it is not already obvious enough, from Toolbox and terryh above, the unions are quite the hypocrites.

By the way, I do not drive a pre-2000 GM, I dont like walmart, and there is nothing worth $1 at the dollar store. I love the idea of an American car. Some people here are just defending their position, I never said I HATE foreign, I said I would never buy one. If my wife went out and got an Accord, so be it, but some people are saying "your car was assembled in foreign countries, and your money goes towards foreign people, but Hondas arent!" ok. so they are saying NOTHING from Honda is made in another country, hard to believe, seeing as GMs downfall is affecting Honda because, with GM in debt, the part makers the Honda also gets parts from are experiencing hardships. When I park next to a Honda or Toyota, I honestly don't care. I don't want one, I think they all look pretty average looking, but I'm not an extremist on the situation. My first comment on this thread was worded to try and avoid crazy arguments, because, though I am opinionated, I dont hate them. I grew up with GM on one side of my family, Ford on the other. It's the way I was raised. I'm proud of American cars, or "American cars", as some of you think they should be called, because when I see one, I dont care if the half of it was constructed in Italy or China, I am proud that it was started a few cities away from me, that my family has always been involved with it.

[detrola]

I'm shocked that Iheartthed, and Buyamerican are such strong proponents of OUTSOURCING. It is true, when you buy a Ford product that is manufactured in Mexico, the profit does indeed stay here in America. However when you engage in this kind of job costing behavior you only encourage further outsourcing of American jobs. You guys should be ashamed for promoting the outsourcing of American jobs.

The only true way to support American auto workers is to buy cars MADE IN AMERICA. This includes Honda, Toyota etc. These are facts. This is the world we live in today. Wakeup and support American Manufacturing.

[Jared9903]

I'm shocked that Iheartthed, and Buyamerican are such strong proponents of OUTSOURCING. It is true, when you buy a Ford product that is manufactured in Mexico, the profit does indeed stay here in America. However when you engage in this kind of job costing behavior you only encourage further outsourcing of American jobs. You guys should be ashamed for promoting the outsourcing of American jobs.

The only true way to support American auto workers is to buy cars MADE IN AMERICA. This includes Honda, Toyota etc. These are facts. This is the world we live in today. Wakeup and support American Manufacturing.

I am not necessarily arguing with what you are saying, but there are many more jobs in making cars than the manufacturing, so there are still many jobs in America in these industries
27 American Ford Plants totaling around 14,000 workers
3 American Honda Plants
yes, there are Ford plants in other nations, quite a few, but there are plenty here as well. Again, not arguing your statement, so no hostility intended, but 14,000 people are being paid here when Ford cars are purchased

[econ expat]

My last Escort has 250K+ on it when I sold it and my current Escort is approaching 190K. And my Escorts were a shitload less expensive than your Saabs.

Using BuyAmerican's logic,
Saab is indeed an American Car,
GM owns Saab, profits go to GM execs and shareholders.

[darwinism]

I wonder if the few pro-domestic extremists here on DetroitYes have ever analyzed their investment portfolio such as their mutual fund holdings and stocks ownership.

BuyAmerican should have all his/her retirement 401k investments, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and etc. allocated to auto companies that are based in SE Michigan. There better not be any signs of companies like Anheuser-Busch [[Brazil-Belgium), Samsung [[South Korea), Hitachi [[Japan), Arcelor Mittal [[Luxembourg), Siemens [[Germany), Nestle [[Switzerland), BASF [[Germany), Nokia [[Finland) or Prudential [[U.K.).

By the way, owning a "Southeast Michigan" car is only the beginning ..... what about the fuel to run the car ? Sure hope BuyAmerican has alternative plans to gas up his/her vehicles because this list of companies should not be a stop to buy gas from.

Companies and total barrels of crude imports from the Middle-East

[crawford]

BuyAmerican should have all his/her retirement 401k investments, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and etc. allocated to auto companies that are based in SE Michigan. There better not be any signs of companies like Anheuser-Busch [[Brazil-Belgium), Samsung [[South Korea), Hitachi [[Japan), Arcelor Mittal [[Luxembourg), Siemens [[Germany), Nestle [[Switzerland), BASF [[Germany), Nokia [[Finland) or Prudential [[U.K.).

Totally agree, but Prudential Financial is based in the U.S., in Newark, NJ.

There is also a U.K.-based Prudential, but it's an unrelated smaller organization that does not have a U.S. presence.

Keep in mind, too that more than half of adult Americans do not have an investment portfolio or even a 401K, so this discussion doesn't matter to most.

[wazootyman]

I wonder if the few pro-domestic extremists here on DetroitYes have ever analyzed their investment portfolio such as their mutual fund holdings and stocks ownership.

BuyAmerican should have all his/her retirement 401k investments, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and etc. allocated to auto companies that are based in SE Michigan. There better not be any signs of companies like Anheuser-Busch [[Brazil-Belgium), Samsung [[South Korea), Hitachi [[Japan), Arcelor Mittal [[Luxembourg), Siemens [[Germany), Nestle [[Switzerland), BASF [[Germany), Nokia [[Finland) or Prudential [[U.K.).

By the way, owning a "Southeast Michigan" car is only the beginning ..... what about the fuel to run the car ? Sure hope BuyAmerican has alternative plans to gas up his/her vehicles because this list of companies should not be a stop to buy gas from.

Companies and total barrels of crude imports from the Middle-East

When you've got arguments like these, who needs intelligent discussion?

[darwinism]

When you've got arguments like these, who needs intelligent discussion?

Exactly !

Many of the folks on here are such extremists that they thought they know it all. They perceive themselves as the most intelligent beings on earth, and everyone else outside of Southeast Michigan are just idiots. Come on, give me a break.

Many of us try to be more reasonable, such as Jared9903, who prefers domestic automakers, but wouldn't go absolutely batty over his wife purchasing an Accord or Camry. I am the same way - although I just bought a 2009 Chevy Malibu, and believe that I have done my part to put my money where my mouth is. If my brother buys a Nissan, so be it. We also have folks who see the big picture, like wash_man and tahleel, who understands that American means more than just Southeast Michigan.

So wazootyman, it really is quite subjective on DetroitYes how you categorize "intelligent discussions", my friend.