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[Lethlweapn]

Most Japanese cars sold here in this country are not manufactured here.
While most of them built here are sold here. And are made of mostly US parts as shown in my previous post.

American car companies do not export many vehicles; they are growing their brands in those nations by building facilities there.

Then they also import a lot of vehicles, from those countries like South Korea, Mexico, etc. Mostly the economical cars that get good gas mileage, although that is starting to change now that the American appetite has changed. Making even more jobs go overseas and outside of our borders.

There is too much ignorance in terms of the attitude towards American auto manufacturers.
As there is about foreign car companies building cars here.

I could have also changed that to

There is too much arrogance in terms of the attitude From American auto manufacturers.

Which has gotten the Big three to where it is today.

[ell]

I will add that an updated DVD for my nav system (Acura) runs $185, which is more than some complete portable GPS units run.  So if you are looking to save money, portable is definitely the way to go.

Thanks again for that information.  Heck, I don't think the car I'm driving is worth $185! lol. 

[SidecarFlip]

you can stuff your honda up someones toyota. 

You can stick your Corolla up someone's Tundra.......................

[SidecarFlip]

Thanks again for that information.  Heck, I don't think the car I'm driving is worth $185! lol. 

You can get a hundred buck for the convertor if you saw it off and take it to the scrap yard........................

[ell]

You can get a hundred buck for the convertor if you saw it off and take it to the scrap yard........................

Thanks Flip, I'll keep that in mind.  I guess I could strip the copper out of it too.  I hear copper is around $4 per pound.  Maybe I could break the $200 barrier!

[Keith_G]

Lethl, you listed a few vehicles made here with high American parts content.

The fact of the matter is The Big Three companies across the board use more domestic parts and support more domestic jobs than all of the foreign competitors combined.

From IHT.com

Toyota accounts for 9 percent of automotive manufacturing jobs in the United States and roughly 16 percent of the vehicle market, while GM accounts for 29 percent of the jobs and about 24 percent of the market, Doyle said. "We lose 10 for every one job that they bring," Doyle said.

Your implication that they also import a lot of their vehicles is also incorrect.

From IHT.com (same article)

And despite the start of Camry production in the United States, Toyota will still import 60,000 Camrys from Japan this year, Lentz said. Along with that, Toyota also expects to import about 70,000 more Priuses than in 2006, when it sold just under 107,000 in the United States.

Especially incorrect on the assumption that the good gas mileage vehicles are imported.

Quite the contrary, with General Motors, the Pontiac G5 and Chevy Cobalt are both assembled in Lordstown, Ohio. The Pontiac G6, in Orion, Michigan.

Yes, the Aveo is an exception.

I know more about GM products, that is why I generally use them as an example more often than not.

I will complain less and accept more just as soon as Japan and Korea open their markets up to us as freely as we have opened ours to them. Furthermore, the direct involvement of the Japanese government in devaluing the yen against the dollar to unfairly advantage Toyota and other Japanese manufacturers in this market needs to come to an end.

[Lethlweapn]

Keith,

I know that you sell GM cars for a living, so I would expect for you to defend to the bitter end your position.

My point is, if you think that just because you are buying a Ford, or GM, or whatever, doesn't mean it was made in the U.S., and just because you buy a Honda, or a Toyota doesn't mean it was made overseas.

If you buy a car based on where it was built and how much U.S. Content goes into your vehicle, you don't necessarily have to buy a car from the Big 3. Some cars built buy Toyota, and Honda, are made right here in the U.S. and have more U.S. parts in them than some of the vehicles built by the Big 3.

As far as protectionism goes I'd agree that I'd like to have their markets more open to our products, and I'd like for our government to stop the devaluation of the dollar.

[Keith_G]

Hey LTW,

I can agree with you for the most part ... what you have said is largely true.

I would also like our dollar to gain value but at least the devaluation of our dollar hasn't been artificial to provide an unfair business advantage to our manufacturers. Maybe we should be doing that however.

[Lethlweapn]

Hey LTW,

I can agree with you for the most part ... what you have said is largely true.

I would also like our dollar to gain value but at least the devaluation of our dollar hasn't been artificial to provide an unfair business advantage to our manufacturers. Maybe we should be doing that however.

You MIGHT be right.

[Stubborn]

Honestly I have always been baffled by people having such strong opinons on the subject of 'American Made'. 

Does it classify as 'American Made' if the thing (auto or otherwise) is assembled in the US but owned by a foreigner and uses imported parts?

Does it classify as 'American Made' if it's owned by an American but assembled overseas and uses their local (to us foreign) parts?

Does it classify as 'American Made' if it uses American parts but is located overseas and uses their local (to us foreign) parts?

Our entire economy is based on a global system.  Given that there seems to be dissagreement among people as to what constitutes 'American Made', I think finding something (auto or otherwise) that is ENTIRELY American made is difficult at best.

I can't prove this but my theory is that because so many people want bigger/better/classier stuff but can't afford it(or live beyond their means), and the demand for cheaper products to fufil that is the primary drive in consumerism, I think that companies have outsourced so much to meet that demand.  But that is just my opinion, I can't point to fact or webpage to that effect.

[lordfly]

Honestly I have always been baffled by people having such strong opinons on the subject of 'American Made'. 

Because nationalism trumps reasonable thinking.

I can't prove this but my theory is that because so many people want bigger/better/classier stuff but can't afford it(or live beyond their means), and the demand for cheaper products to fufil that is the primary drive in consumerism, I think that companies have outsourced so much to meet that demand.  But that is just my opinion, I can't point to fact or webpage to that effect.

That's the very definition of consumerism; buy as much stuff you can afford, then throw it away so you can buy more stuff.

[ChadB]

I wonder when we'll see the vaunted, superior Hondas and Toyotas winning demolition derbys?

Clearly, they must be better than some beat up 20 year old Crown Vic, right?

[lordfly]

Anything with crumple zones is doomed.

[shetalks]

As we all know, America was created based on capitalism (competition). The only stuff we should buy are quality products at the lowest price. So, if Honda makes the best compact car now... we should buy one now. This gives incentive for competitors to create a better compact car to beat the competition. Its not any more complicated than that! Personally, my family consists of auto workers including Dodge, Ford, and GM.... but I personally CANNOT wait for the Honda water car to make its way here! If not, let's hope Ford, GM, or Dodge can keep up and create their own water engine!

[Keith_G]

As we all know, America was created based on capitalism (competition). The only stuff we should buy are quality products at the lowest price. So, if Honda makes the best compact car now... we should buy one now. This gives incentive for competitors to create a better compact car to beat the competition. Its not any more complicated than that! Personally, my family consists of auto workers including Dodge, Ford, and GM.... but I personally CANNOT wait for the Honda water car to make its way here! If not, let's hope Ford, GM, or Dodge can keep up and create their own water engine!

I haven't heard anything about this water car.

But keep in mind ... regardless of the type of engine (gas, water, hydrogen) the more we consume the higher the price will go. Water is relatively inexpensive now ... it wouldn't be if we all started driving vehicles powered with water engines.


***** edit:

I just searched for Honda Water Car and this is what I got.

http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/

It appears it is a hydrogen fuel cell. It's quite an interesting concept but the lack of available hydrogen refueling stations in most of this country at this time makes the vehicle functionally obsolete.

***** 2nd edit:

Here is a website dedicated to showing where H2 stations are located throughout the country.

http://www.netinform.net/H2/H2Stations/H2Stations.aspx?Continent=NA&StationID=-1