Cafferty's 4pm question: "Time to buy a Chrysler or GM car?"

[Bozita]

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/

May 19, 2009
Time to buy a Chrysler or GM car?
Posted: 01:04 PM ET
Here’s my question to you: Is now the time to buy a Chrysler or GM car?

Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.

And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.

Filed under: Auto Industry



Add a comment | Permalink

[Occam Bandage]

1. If I were shopping for a new domestic car, it would be a Ford.

Ford has shown the most innovation recently, it's shown the most willingness to restructure and reconfigure for the economy and the auto markets of the future, and it's managed to keep itself the healthiest of the Big Three as a result.

If I'm shopping for an American car, I want to reward the manufacturer that can provide me with the best car and provide America with the best car company. I don't think the purchase of my car should amount to charity for auto manufacturers that are suffering under their own bad business decisions.

[Initech]

I'd buy a Fusion hybrid before you could blink if I had the money.

[retsnomregaj]

9. happy with my honda

I agree that Ford is doing the best out of a group of companies in pretty sorry shape, and I like to support local business as much as possible, but I'm very happy with my Accord. I'd therefore recommend it as a good choice when shopping for an American car. Honda may not be an American badge, but it was built in my home State of Ohio, by Ohio workers. When I was looking for new car, I liked that idea much better than the idea of buying an American badged Ford Fusion, which was made in Mexico. Between this and the lower lifetime cost of ownership for Honda products, I think my decision both supports of local business (as local as a car company can be, anyway), and wastes a minimum of time, effort, materials and money on repairs.

[NightWatcher]

2. let me see, damn I guess I left that other 20K in my other pants

Who is looking to buy a new car and why would they risk it on a company that might be bankrupt in a few months?

I know, I'm being a bad Liberal American for not throwing money that I cant afford to a company that wasted how many years on Hummers, H2's and H3's.

[Mari333]

3. my car has 125,000 miles on it

and I intend to drive it til it blows up. who in the world has money to buy a car?

[liberal N proud]

4. The problem with a recession is

The deals are great, but you don't have the money to take advantage of those great deals.

[LeftyMom]

5. Can't think of any I'd want if I magically had the money.

:shrug:

Not to shit talk domestics, I drive a Saturn but they don't make a new one similar in size and design to my existing wagon. Chevy makes a wagon but it's just unacceptably ugly and the interior is dreadfully badly designed and very cheap feeling. Chrysler has a couple of wagons that would work but I don't trust their reliability.

Currently, as far as wagons go, all of the options that would be acceptable to me in terms of balancing size, reliability, safety and fuel economy are imported. :shrug:

[rocktivity]

6. Using what for money?

Or even credit with no job security?

:shrug:
rocktivity

[2Design]

7. always owned gm or chrysler - but their sheinaigans have turned

me away - they are hurting their workers and shipping jobs out of the country on tax payer money - they will not get anymore money from me

[Bozita]

8. Check this comment from Cafferty's site ...

Bernard Clark May 19th, 2009 4:12 pm ET

Many potential drivers are currently banned from the roads due to ’suspended’ and or ‘revoked’ “driving privilages.” America needs to recognize that driving should be a right and not a privilage. Before cars American’s transported themselves on horseback. Maybe a plan to link getting one’s license back and buying American made cars (i.e., Chrysler or GM) we could create a financial boom within our economy. We must understand that some of the practices of the past helped us get in this ditch in the first place. This is the time for creative ways to dig ourselves out of this meltdown.



I can just picture good ol' Bernie driving a brand spanking new Hummer.

[retsnomregaj]

11. Linking Restoration of Driving Privileges to Purchase Choice a Poor Idea.

Many potential drivers are currently banned from the roads due to ’suspended’ and or ‘revoked’ “driving privilages.” America needs to recognize that driving should be a right and not a privilage. Before cars American’s transported themselves on horseback. Maybe a plan to link getting one’s license back and buying American made cars (i.e., Chrysler or GM) we could create a financial boom within our economy. We must understand that some of the practices of the past helped us get in this ditch in the first place. This is the time for creative ways to dig ourselves out of this meltdown.


While creative solutions are often among the best, I don't see a lot of upsides to this idea. First of all, I definitely don't want those with revoked driving privileges back behind the wheel because they bought a new Chrysler. Such reasoning is a akin to releasing knife murderers because they bought a new set of (American Brand) Calphalon knives: Buying an American-made version of a tool previously used irresponsibly does not indicate reformation.


Second, that sort of government subsidy would have negative effects on the company's product line. It would add pressure to create a product targeted to those who wished to reinstate their licenses. (Most likely the cheapest possible POS car possible to buy and drive temporarily until the license is restored and the driver can go back to his Prius/BMW/Chevy/(insert your car of choice here). In short, why would you buy anything more than you had to in order to get your privileges back?


Third, any attempt to rectify the point immediately above by further regulating what is to be purchased just adds another layer to the interminable bureaucracy of the BMV we all know and loathe.


The whole point of driving being a privilege, not a right, is that it is something that has to be earned by some initial and continuing demonstration of personal responsibility, rather than simply purchased.

[rocktivity]

12. And why should driving be a right?

People lose their driving privileges because they're negligent, not because they're poor!

:rofl:
rocktivity

[Vinca]

10. I might have purchased one, but after hearing they're outsourcing

American jobs to China, they can go to hell. What nerve after taxpayers bailed them out.