The truth about American-made cars

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: Bladecutter

How many of you buy cars you don't like just because they are American?
How many of you don't buy cars you do like just because they aren't American?


I've only owned Fords that were manufactured in the US (MN, NJ, and KY), and haven't bought one I didn't like. I can't bring myself to pay for a vehicle I don't really want, and that's criteria #1.

1. Do I want to drive it every day?
2. Is it durable/reliable?
3. Does it make sense from a utility standpoint?
4. Is upkeep affordable?
5. Is it priced reasonably?

...100. Where was it built?

For me it's simply a matter of what works best for me. Personally, I love the Ranger platform and other vehicles spun off of it. I wouldn't be opposed to owning a Toyota truck or a Nissan truck, but I prefer Rangers. And yes, I have driven plenty of Tacos and Frontiers. They are good trucks too, but the design language of the Ranger works best for me. Even if price/miles/cost to own were all equal, I'd still pick the Ranger based on my first requirement.

I know someone who just had a reman transmission put in her 250K+ mile first gen Explorer. The trans probably cost as much as or more than what she could sell the Explorer for now, but she didn't care because she prefers it to more modern SUVs. The thing still looks and runs great, so why not keep it on the road if that's what you want to drive? She does have the means to buy a much newer or even brand new vehicle, but the last time she looked at something else, it was another first gen Explorer with something like 40K miles on it, but it sold quick and was up North in CT or something. If it was about supportin' 'Murica, she would have bought a new crossover blob "Explorer."

The idea that people only buy American cars because that's all they can afford, or because they can't see past 'Murica is simply false (not saying you said that, but some do feel that way). A lot of people simply really like a certain model of vehicle even if it isn't the newest or most refined thing out there. I know someone who is of Korean descent who owns a new Accord, a new Explorer, and a 1980s Dodge Ram Charger. The Accord and Explorer are good enough, but guess what gets to park in the garage...the old Dodge. I know someone else of Mexican descent who will only buy '95-'01 Explorers and '97-'02 Expeditions...other vehicles simply don't interest him. His main Explorer looks like it rolled off the showroom floor yesterday and it's 18 years old.

I think everyone should buy what they really want to drive as long as they can afford it.

 

[MCompact]

I don't care where my cars/bikes are built; what DO I care about is whether they are entertaining to drive/ride and perform the way I want them to. They usually wind up being European, but that's just me...

 

[mechanicx]

This all reminds me of a relative, who always bought GM, mostly base lower cost models out of necessity. He started making more money, and could easily afford what ever he wanted and went through a new '08 Altima and then a new '09 Accord within 2 years after initially being completely into the cars because he couldn't stand how they rode and drove after owning them for a few months. Went to a new BMW, which he still likes but now says a Mustang would've been almost as good to drive and a better value. I'd say the Camaro would be the way to go, but even I'm not into the styling.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
I don't care where my cars/bikes are built; what DO I care about is whether they are entertaining to drive/ride and perform the way I want them to. They usually wind up being European, but that's just me...


Camaros, Mustangs and 'Vettes have always been entertaining to drive if nothing else lol. Today, I think their handling finesse and ride is often underrated.

One thing GM use to do maybe more than today is offer around 3 levels of ride and handling. There would be the FE1 soft ride, base model, FE2 ride and handling, and FE3 handling tune. Sometimes the tires were most of the difference, but other cases it was a completely different suspension and steering tune and engine option. I sometimes think people would get into a base model GM vehicle maybe even a 2nd hand high milage one and conclude American cars are too softy or don't handle.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx

Camaros, Mustangs and 'Vettes have always been entertaining to drive if nothing else lol. Today, I think their handling finesse and ride is often underrated.


I test drove a manual 2013 GT extensively; my wife was certain I was going to bring one home. To my surprise, it left me utterly cold. The Camaro does nothing for me. Ditto for the Corvette. Again, just my personal tastes.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Originally Posted By: MCompact
I don't care where my cars/bikes are built; what DO I care about is whether they are entertaining to drive/ride and perform the way I want them to. They usually wind up being European, but that's just me...


Camaros, Mustangs and 'Vettes have always been entertaining to drive if nothing else lol. Today, I think their handling finesse and ride is often underrated.

One thing GM use to do maybe more than today is offer around 3 levels of ride and handling. There would be the FE1 soft ride, base model, FE2 ride and handling, and FE3 handling tune. Sometimes the tires were most of the difference, but other cases it was a completely different suspension and steering tune and engine option. I sometimes think people would get into a base model GM vehicle maybe even a 2nd hand high milage one and conclude American cars are too softy or don't handle.



That probably was a big factor for a lot of people who swore off domestics. Their first American car may have been old and beat, so when they got the money to go out and buy a new car, of course a factory fresh Japanese car seemed great in comparison.

And who can really blame domestics for offering cushy suspensions and seats when focus groups and clinics probably told them that's what people wanted? My dad bought a Civic Hybrid new when they first came out simply because the technology interests him and the car works well for his type of driving when it's not in the shop. When he rode in my truck not too long ago he said "I forgot how comfortable this thing is."

My aunt used to buy smaller Japanese cars because they were economical, but she was looking for more room and utility last time. She ended up with an Aztek, and she loves it. She's had it for something like 8 years now and likes the kind of mushy minivan characteristics.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
Originally Posted By: Mykl

Wise man.

thank you - there are a few of us around here that believe in true 'economy' cars!


I get mine from the junkyard.

 

[artificialist]

The thing that irritates me is when an automaker says how much it does for the USA, and then builds that model somewhere else makes my blood boil. In fact, I didn't mind having a VW Jetta that was made in Mexico because VW didn't try to send that message. That is also why my father wouldn't buy a Ford Fusion.

Anyway, my 2003 Saturn ION was such a pain, only one car in my family was worse.... A 1985 Nissan Maxima.

Anyway, I have stated it numerous times, I will never buy a new GM, Chrysler, or Fiat, EVER due to the events of 2008.

I didn't care that my Mitsubishi was made in Japan, or what it did to people over there. I said fine, that means someone else gets screwed for the benefit of Mitsubishi's assembly line workers.

I don't care if something is union made or not, so long as it is built somewhere that doesn't treat the environment or laborers as disposable.

The other thing I keep thinking about is how much machinery replaces laborers. Some people may be able to reduce the amount of things built elsewhere, but what happens when a machine replaces nearly everyone?

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
EDIT - I now see you're from America's Hat,


What's "America's Hat"?
Is it anything like "Canada's Briefs"?

 

[morris]

"American-made cars"? well he might be a dictator but hes MY dictator.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
The real story of where the money is really going on transplant produced cars has never been fully investigated and revealed at least not by popular media.


Correct; and I wager that it's such a complicated and interwoven mesh of figures that NOBODY knows the "real story". It'd be like trying to assess the impact that any one person had on a 10-person team who completed a project. Some tasks will have been done by one person, some tasks will have been done by a combination of people, and perhaps some tasks will have been done through collaboration with other employees of the company. Trying to accurately measure the impact of ONE individual person would be nearly impossible. I feel the same way about this topic.

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
If you really care about that then you should want to know, otherwise just admit that you don't care.


I've already said as much. Everyone will choose cars for different reasons. If person A wants to buy a car from GM or Ford because they're based in Michigan, that's fine. If person B wants to buy a Japanese-built Mazda because they like the way it drives, that's fine. If person C wants to buy an Ohio-built Accord because they like the color, that's fine. We can all co-exist as long as we understand that everyone buys the cars they buy for their own reasons. I said this before (or something similar to it): buy what helps you sleep at night, and recognize that others are doing the same.

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
So they deserve a lot more consideration and cross-shopping than it seems they receive.


I do agree with this. I know you've read my many postings about how much I like the 2012 Malibu we have at work. And how much I like the 2008 Dodge Ram that I drive at work every day. And how much I liked the two Cadillacs I once owned. American-branded cars are objectively competitive with others. It often comes down to what has been mentioned more recently in this thread, like suspension tuning. American-branded cars have traditionally been tuned on the soft side, and European- and Japanese-branded cars have traditionally been tuned on the firmer side. That is changing, but it takes a while for perception of the buying public to catch up.