Should You Buy American Now?
#1
04-03-2010, 06:20 AM
Should You Buy American Now?
Should You Buy American Now?
Just try'in 2 fill up those empty spaces in your head 
By Jamie Page Deaton
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid (Just wait 4 the Chevy Volt: )
How things change. Last year at this time the news was filled with stories of the demise of the American auto industry. Pundits crowed that years of building poor-quality products, and a refusal to keep pace with changing consumer demands -- not to mention a global recession -- had finally done the American auto industry in.
Now, just about a year later, the story is runaway Toyotas, while domestic automakers reap awards and revenue. So, now that the shoe is on the other foot, should you buy an American car now? Here are five reasons why you should -- and for each of those, a few counter arguments on why you shouldn't.
1. You Can Get a Great Deal
You'd think that domestic automakers making their way back from the brink would be bad news for consumers. After all, amid bailouts and dealership closings, carmakers were desperate for sales and offered some pretty incredible deals. But now, with Toyota in trouble, the venerable Japanese brand is the one rolling out the deals. And American automakers have followed suit. Right now Ford and Chevrolet are offering zero-percent financing on most of their lineup, including customer favorites like the Chevy Traverse and Ford Escape.
More from U.S. News & World Report
Of course, the American brands aren't the only ones trying to match the Toyota deals. Mazda is currently offering zero-percent financing on some of its models, and Volkswagen has brought some of its financing rates down to less than two percent. Finally, you can't forget those Toyota deals -- most of the lineup is available with zero-percent financing, though the deals do vary by region.
2. Quality is High
J.D. Power just released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and it may finally put to rest the conventional wisdom that American brands are short on quality. The top two midsize cars for dependability are the Buick LaCrosse and Mercury Milan, while the Cadillac CTS and Lincoln MKZ land in the top three of the Entry Premium Vehicle class, beating out cars from BMW and Lexus. Plus, seven of the 10 vehicle brands with the lowest problem rates come from Ford and GM. Not too shabby.
But, quality isn't just up for American brands -- it's up across the entire industry. From 2009, J.D. Power reports that overall vehicle dependability has increased by seven percent. The study also found that 25 of 36 brands in the study showed an improvement in dependability from 2009. So yes, it's easy to find a quality American car now, but the same is true of almost any manufacturer.
3. You Can Still Go Green
American automakers have been lambasted for focusing on large trucks and SUVs at the expense of small cars, but that doesn't mean that imports are your only green options. In fact, American car makers have introduced a bunch of well-respected hybrids. The Ford Fusion Hybrid is the 2010 North American Car of the Year, while GM has brought hybrid technology to its large trucks and SUVs. While their fuel economy isn't standout by most hybrid standards, getting midsize car fuel economy from an SUV that can seat eight and tow a boat is still pretty outstanding. Plus, other hybrids like the Mercury Mariner Hybrid have made it possible for families who need space and utility to save on gas and emissions. Finally, the highly anticipated Chevy Volt can run on electricity alone for up to 40 miles.
Of course, lots of imports also have green options. The Toyota Prius is a green movement icon, and the Lexus RX Hybrid gives buyers a luxury SUV option. German makes like BMW, Audi and Volkswagens don't have wide-scale hybrid operations, but they do have clean-burning, ultra-efficient diesel engines in some of their cars. Finally, Nissan is slated to start selling its LEAF electric vehicle, which can reportedly go 100 miles between charges, later this year. Red, white and blue aren't your only options when going green.
4. They're Class Leaders
Today's American cars can not only stand up to the competition -- they can beat it. In U.S. News' car rankings, American cars currently dominate the top spots in the midsize and large car classes. The top five affordable midsize SUVS are American, and when it comes to compact and large SUVs, two of the top three models in both classes are from domestic manufacturers. Of course, you can't forget those trucks that domestic automakers do so well -- the top six full size pickups are all American.
If you're looking for a small car, however, imports tend to beat American entries. Honda has the top two affordable small cars, with Hyundai taking the number three spot. In fact, when it comes to small cars you have to get to the nineteenth car on the list before an American model shows up. Of course, part of the reason is because domestic automakers make fewer small models.
5. You'll Help American Workers
When the federal government gave bailout money to General Motors and Chrysler, few people were happy about it. But the decision rested on the fact that allowing those two companies to fail would have not only hurt those two companies, but would have caused a ripple effect through the economy. Think about it: if GM went under, its suppliers would have lost business, and its dealers would have gone under. Even seemingly unrelated industries, like radio and TV, would have suffered from lost advertising revenue. Now that the industry is stabilizing, by buying American you're supporting a giant part of the economy. The sale doesn't just help the dealer. It helps everyone connected with the dealer, from the people who clean the dealership floors at night to the radio station who runs the dealership's ads, to the factory worker who assembled your car and the suppliers who provided the parts to do it. Plus, if Chrysler and GM increase their sales, the taxpayers could get more of their money back.
The flip side is, the same is true when you buy from almost any dealership. While other car makes may not have gotten U.S. government funds, all are enmeshed in the economy at both the local and national level. All of the dealerships, regardless of what kind of car they sell, employ people in your community, so a sale helps them out too. Plus, most imports have factories and suppliers in the U.S. as well. Then there's the dirty little secret that while most American cars are built here, many aren't. Buying American doesn't necessarily mean that all of your purchase money stays here any more than buying an import means that all your purchase money goes overseas.
Sign on the Apple Pie-Encrusted Line
When you come down to it, there are a lot of complex reasons why you should or shouldn't buy an American car right now. But the answer to the question itself is pretty simple: You should buy an American car if you want to. While consumers may have had concerns about American quality, that's not the case any more. If there isn't a domestic car out there that fits your needs and tastes, you've got plenty of import options to choose from. The bottom line is, no matter who built the car, you need to find one that fits your lifestyle.
Member's, are you buying American ?
Canada,
our World &`Space 
Last edited by Space; 04-03-2010 at 07:15 AM.
#3
04-03-2010, 08:59 PM
Always a good time to buy American. Get people back to work so we can all pay our bills and provide for ourselves and our families.
Welfare and unemployment checks are not supposed to be a permanent solution.
I'm not getting on anyone on welfare. When you find your self out of a job no fault of your own, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Get people working again. Buy American.
Welfare and unemployment checks are not supposed to be a permanent solution.
I'm not getting on anyone on welfare. When you find your self out of a job no fault of your own, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Get people working again. Buy American.
#5
04-03-2010, 09:49 PM
Here in Windsor, it's an all too familiar sight also.
At one time all three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) had multiple plants in Windsor. This is the same Windsor that made the famous Ford engine, the 351 Windsor. That plant has since been closed and demolished.
Of the 3 or 4 plants that Ford had here, one remains. But there's a future for it. As of the 2011 model year, the Ford Mustang will have a 5.0 litre Windsor engine.
GM had two plants here. A trim plant that made interior upholstery and such. And a transmission plant. The GM Trim plant closed years ago, and sat vacant. It was torn down before Christmas. The transmission plant will close at the end of the current model year, and be abandoned by GM.
Chrysler had 3 or 4 plants here at one time. Only one left is the minivan assembly plant.
And as all of you know. With the closure of a major factory, countless smaller feeder factories and suppliers close also. Tool and die shops, etc...
This is the kind of thing that is happening all over the US and Canada. Michigan has been hit really hard.
We all need to get the message out to the manufacturers and our politicians that bringing jobs back here is important to everyone.
Not just cars either. I want to be able to go into a store and see "Made In USA" on a majority of the stuff. I'm tired of seeing "Made In China" on everything.
At one time all three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) had multiple plants in Windsor. This is the same Windsor that made the famous Ford engine, the 351 Windsor. That plant has since been closed and demolished.
Of the 3 or 4 plants that Ford had here, one remains. But there's a future for it. As of the 2011 model year, the Ford Mustang will have a 5.0 litre Windsor engine.
GM had two plants here. A trim plant that made interior upholstery and such. And a transmission plant. The GM Trim plant closed years ago, and sat vacant. It was torn down before Christmas. The transmission plant will close at the end of the current model year, and be abandoned by GM.
Chrysler had 3 or 4 plants here at one time. Only one left is the minivan assembly plant.
And as all of you know. With the closure of a major factory, countless smaller feeder factories and suppliers close also. Tool and die shops, etc...
This is the kind of thing that is happening all over the US and Canada. Michigan has been hit really hard.
We all need to get the message out to the manufacturers and our politicians that bringing jobs back here is important to everyone.
Not just cars either. I want to be able to go into a store and see "Made In USA" on a majority of the stuff. I'm tired of seeing "Made In China" on everything.
#7
04-04-2010, 08:56 AM
Don't even get me going on this one! Too late!
To start, I'm an AMERICAN tool & die mold maker.
History repeats itself. Everyone agrees on that. IF & WHEN we get into WW3, WE are going to get our *** WOOPED! China has all the manufacturing capabilities, thanks to us. You think we are going to be able to make the planes n tanks n guns like we did before? WHERE? in China? YA RIGHT! We're screwed! We NEED to be totally self sufficient to survive, and we are SO far from that, well.....
Anyone buying ANYTHING not made in the USA is squeezing that trigger just a little bit more. Walmart has destroyed our economy AND our manufacturing capabilities by requiring SO many things be made cheap. What about clothes? If China quit exporting anything, is there enough capabilities in the USA to make clothing to cover our citizens?
We're screwed. No other way to put it. A country not self sufficient will NEVER survive. Look at the history books and find even ONE time in history that there is an exception to that.
Politicians and businessmen ONLY think like bean counters. They ONLY look at the bottom line. The bottom line is coming, and we're going to be in the RED! I'm not saying we couldn't turn things around, but without dropping a nuke on Washington DC and starting the government over, the good ol' US of A hasn't got a chance for survival in the worst of times. You think we got it bad now, this is nothing. Things WILL change, but it's not for the better. Not until we bring manufacturing BACK to the USA and become once again totally self sufficient.
This isn't about cars, clothes, computers, or MP3 players, this is about survival in the future, Not today. Not tomorrow. But someday.
I have learned the hard way, "hope for the best, and expect the worst, and you will never be caught unprepared". Is this a "doomsday" attitude? No, it's a realist attitude. History repeats itself, and we're in trouble people.
So ask that question before you purchase ANYTHING, "Is it made in the USA?"
Support our manufacturing system. We need to be self-sufficient as a country. Our future depends on it.
I defy ANYONE to find ANYTHING misspoken in what I have just posted. Study history. We're in trouble people. Well, OK, maybe the part about the nuke on Washington DC is a little over the top, but you get my point. A few well placed warheads would suffice. Besides, the capital needs to be in the center of our country, AWAY from the borders. Didn't someone once say the capital should be in Indianapolis?
To start, I'm an AMERICAN tool & die mold maker.
History repeats itself. Everyone agrees on that. IF & WHEN we get into WW3, WE are going to get our *** WOOPED! China has all the manufacturing capabilities, thanks to us. You think we are going to be able to make the planes n tanks n guns like we did before? WHERE? in China? YA RIGHT! We're screwed! We NEED to be totally self sufficient to survive, and we are SO far from that, well.....
Anyone buying ANYTHING not made in the USA is squeezing that trigger just a little bit more. Walmart has destroyed our economy AND our manufacturing capabilities by requiring SO many things be made cheap. What about clothes? If China quit exporting anything, is there enough capabilities in the USA to make clothing to cover our citizens?
We're screwed. No other way to put it. A country not self sufficient will NEVER survive. Look at the history books and find even ONE time in history that there is an exception to that.
Politicians and businessmen ONLY think like bean counters. They ONLY look at the bottom line. The bottom line is coming, and we're going to be in the RED! I'm not saying we couldn't turn things around, but without dropping a nuke on Washington DC and starting the government over, the good ol' US of A hasn't got a chance for survival in the worst of times. You think we got it bad now, this is nothing. Things WILL change, but it's not for the better. Not until we bring manufacturing BACK to the USA and become once again totally self sufficient.
This isn't about cars, clothes, computers, or MP3 players, this is about survival in the future, Not today. Not tomorrow. But someday.
I have learned the hard way, "hope for the best, and expect the worst, and you will never be caught unprepared". Is this a "doomsday" attitude? No, it's a realist attitude. History repeats itself, and we're in trouble people.
So ask that question before you purchase ANYTHING, "Is it made in the USA?"
Support our manufacturing system. We need to be self-sufficient as a country. Our future depends on it.
I defy ANYONE to find ANYTHING misspoken in what I have just posted. Study history. We're in trouble people. Well, OK, maybe the part about the nuke on Washington DC is a little over the top, but you get my point. A few well placed warheads would suffice. Besides, the capital needs to be in the center of our country, AWAY from the borders. Didn't someone once say the capital should be in Indianapolis?
#9
04-04-2010, 09:37 AM
ford is in talks on building new manurfacturing plant in windsor they still own the land they tor down the old building's do to safty issues. they are getting ready to rebuild there plants there do to the demand of ford products. with chevy they are still in the rebuild state of the corperet sited it will be anouther year befor talks for rebuild the plants and rehire emploies. with mopar i have no idea whats going on with them there product line is kind of shy of quality. look at there line up there was a charger pull up to me it was wining as in some thing wrong with the engine wine no supercharger wine but wine of heavy engine nock on the bottom end it was a new one the 09-10 give or take. chevy is a great vehicle make do to the compotition with ford. if chevy didnt have ford to compete with ford they will be hurting badly still. when there was a bail out for the big three chevy and dodge needed help. ford pleaded with the government and said without chevy we will fail as in no equel car manufacturer. dodge i still see them hurting do to how many i see smoke as in burning oil. heavy engin nock and shotty body parts. i wouldent have my worst enimy drive one. it is a shoty manufacturer that puts chevy and ford a bad name. with majority of the clothing plants and tools that were made here
going over seas need to come back snap on tools cornwell tools and craftsman tools were made in amarica then they went over seas but slowly and shurly they are coming back to amarica. to be made for the profecinals or for the do it yourself guys. iit is way to late to protest it is a little to late. it should have been done back in 2000-2001 when pres bush was in office his administration made mad money. do to off shore manurfacturing, other country oil wich those people hate us and getting every thing for use to use in our daily lifes. granted look at our computers t.v. dvd players bed frames. some like bed frames are made in the bed frames beds light bulbs elevators escelators houses wiring for houses shingels things like that are still made in the u.s but still not alot. some food in cans jars are made in other countrys but there is still slowly and shurly amarica is coming back. we need to speek up. and say is it usa made or no if it isnt tell them i want the amarican made equivelent and say i want my amarican bretheren made things like clothing and every thing else i mentioned. i want my amarican nehbor tool that he made at his work. i want those not the things out of the country.
going over seas need to come back snap on tools cornwell tools and craftsman tools were made in amarica then they went over seas but slowly and shurly they are coming back to amarica. to be made for the profecinals or for the do it yourself guys. iit is way to late to protest it is a little to late. it should have been done back in 2000-2001 when pres bush was in office his administration made mad money. do to off shore manurfacturing, other country oil wich those people hate us and getting every thing for use to use in our daily lifes. granted look at our computers t.v. dvd players bed frames. some like bed frames are made in the bed frames beds light bulbs elevators escelators houses wiring for houses shingels things like that are still made in the u.s but still not alot. some food in cans jars are made in other countrys but there is still slowly and shurly amarica is coming back. we need to speek up. and say is it usa made or no if it isnt tell them i want the amarican made equivelent and say i want my amarican bretheren made things like clothing and every thing else i mentioned. i want my amarican nehbor tool that he made at his work. i want those not the things out of the country.
#10
04-05-2010, 03:02 PM
Monte Of The Month -- August 2009
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Highland, IN
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