Apologists for imported cars and the downfall of the Domestic Auto industry

[DainBramaged]

Just like those who say they support Union membership yet shop at WalMart (even when there are alternatives), Import apologists only contribute to the downfall of Unions and the products they make. When the choice between a Union made product of equal quality is available, yet the apologists buy the imported goods, be it a car, motorcycle, appliance or tool, they deserve no sympathy when jobs in this country go overseas because the foreign corporations only want to give them cheap crap.

And don't let the one or two gas saving "hybrid" car models from Toyota and Honda fool you. The Japanese auto manufacturers are no more Eco-responsible than anyone else. They just found a niche to fill, but the rest of their fleets are only capable of meeting the bare minimum in CAFE millage standards. And their "luxury" divisions leech off the CAFE bonus from the parent company's hybrids.


Everyone tells us how wonderful their hybrids are (especially at Union friendly Democratic Underground), but what would they have owned if they weren't available? And will they buy a domestic hybrid if given the opportunity? Probably not.

The Japanese marketing behemoth has seen to that.

Why Toyota is quietly suing the EPA to delay the recently passed future CAFE standards is beyond me. I thought they were responsible citizens. Not.

What a scam.

[sam sarrha]

1. i bought on the basis of....quality ratings and safety ratings.. GM failed, last car i bought was 10

years old and i drove it 15 years. but i an disabled, need a higher entrance/seat, cant work on it anymore, this is my last car, i'm 59, and i need to carry a wheel chair in it, Honda Fit actually has a wheel chair tie down for a wheel chair folded upright behind driver/perfect. and 5 air bags. great gas mileage, sorry, i did look at the american cars. but the paint on the Fit sucks..

[DainBramaged]

2. Good for you

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. Build me a car that is a tangible improvement over my ancient Toyota...

and I would be delighted to buy it.

[Terry_M]

4. That is my view as well.

I'm being told by other toyota owners that if I take good care of my 2000 toyota, it'll last another 100,000 miles.

[DainBramaged]

6. My 1998 Blazer is on it's second 100,000 miles and well taken care of

And YOUR car will rust out long before mine does. But I digress. If you are happy with your old car, good for you. Maybe you can't afford a new car. Many of us can't.

[DainBramaged]

5. If you are happy with your ancient Toyota, why buy anything else?

Good for you.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

14. I have been planning on replacing it for several years

There is just nothing out there that seems worth the expense, build me a car that is a worthy replacement and you guys can have my money.

My brother (Dodge Neon), my parents (Mercury Sable), my neighbors (Ford Focus) and my girlfriend (Saturn L) have all in the last three years taken these cars off the road, I am frankly terrified of buying a new car.

[NV Whino]

7. If American car manufacturers built the cars I wanted

I would buy them. Ford, GM et al have done themselves in by concentrating on SUVs. And by the way, Toyota and Honda are actually building cars in the U.S. Ford has moved to Mexico and Canada.

I like my Honda Fit. It gets great mileage, carries a shitload of stuff... and the paint is just fine. (This first model happens to have been made in Japan. I suspect within a couple of years they will re-tool American plants and make them here.)

And just for the record, no American car could match my Honda Prelude, my '77 Toyota truck, my Corolla (used) or my Celica. I did buy a 2002 Ford Ranger after my 25-year-old Toyota truck died, and it had to be the worst piece of shit car I've ever driven.

You want me to buy American cars? Then build the kind of car I want.

[DainBramaged]

8. Good for you

All you've owned is Japanese and a single Ford. We aren't ever going to build what you want because all you've owned is Japanese and small cars to boot. What, you didn't like the Vega? LOL. You wouldn't buy an American car if it bit you on the ass and asked to take you home.

Give me a break.

[NV Whino]

11. Actually my first two cars were Fords

I liked the '57 coupe all right. But the '58 stationwagon (inherited from my father) got about 10 mpg... and that was when gas was cheap. Got rid of it fast. Then I had three VWs (two of them built in the good old U.S. of A.) and then a piece of shit Rabbit... the one that wrote the Lemon Laws.

And, you're right, I wouldn't buy an American car if it bit me on the ass, because that's probably exactly what it would do.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Why do you care where the corporate headquarters happen to be?

They certainly don't give a rats ass about national geography.

[DainBramaged]

10. Do you support Unions and the right to organize?

Why won't the Foreign transplants let the UAW in? Why do you not care about that?

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Yes of course.

Was Chrysler a domestic corporation when Mercedes Benz owned it?

The criteria isn't 'domestic' vs 'foreign'. That is bullshit used to swindle us.

[madrchsod]

13. yes it is a scam

[demosincebirth]

15. I recenty purchased a Cadillac CTS, and its the best running car

I have ever owned. Also, gets around 28 mpg on the highway

[fed-up]

16. first car was Ford Pinto (exploding gas tank), Capri, Honda Civic, Honda Wagovan, Toyota van

Ford Pinto was the one with the exploding gas tank-nuf said

then I had a Capri-Crapi

then I bought my first brand new off the showroom floor Honda Civic in 1984 and drove it until 1996 when I needed a larger car to fit my mom's wheelchair- I seldom had problems with it and it was the perfect car for a mom who was sole support of a child

I moved up to the 1989 Honda Wagovan in 1996 bought used with 112K miles. I managed to rack the miles up to 263,000 with minimal problems.

When I sold my house I bought a 1985 Toyota van with 123,000 miles. I hope to drive it for another 100K miles or 20 years, whichever comes first (I am only driving at the most 5K miles a year now that I live in town and seldom travel due to health reasons).


I like the price and the quality.

[eilen]

17. We have a Saturn L series 1998, it has over 120,000 miles and is still going strong.

Our other vehicle is a 2001 Chevy Blazer. I'm sorry but it sucks. I generally have to put in about $3.000 per year between brakes and suspension issues. The brake pads they make for this don't last very long.

When we do purchase a new car, I was looking at the Saturn green Aura. My dh is IBEW, we don't buy foreign made vehicles. Although, most of the components of US made autos are made overseas in non-union environments. I read a series on that from the Wall Street Journal that just disgusted me. It started right after NAFTA was passed. They moved the factories to Mexico then to Asia.