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*Thank You To All Donors*
Posted on 10/19/2011 9:16:54 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
The article says the average selling price for a new imported car climbed to a record high of $31,536 in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. That was $7,614 more than the average domestic-made car, the biggest gap since December 1999. With Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics in short supply, more Americans have turned to Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Fiesta cars.
Buy what you want, but just remember that the US equivalent of your $15,000 civic would cost you $40,000 in japan because of the barriers they put up to keep out our products.
So what?
And let's be real....many parts of "American" cars are made in other countries.
I would challenge you to find an "American" made car..that all it's parts are "Made in America".
I know how you feel. Some vehicles just won’t die. I gave my then 10 year-old (mid-1980s) Toyota SR5 2WD pickup to my nephew, who learned to drive a manual with it. He, in turn, gave it to his little brother. That nephew gave it to his cousin. Unfortunately, the dark blue paint is now badly faded and there are dents and rust all over, but it still runs on its original transmission and engine (I just replaced my Grand Cherokee transmission after 165,000 miles - possibly too much towing of the duck boat). The truck was so basic that the cousin can make most repairs himself. That’s good because he’s so cheap he gave his girlfriend a book of coupons for her birthday.
What I meant Joe is that if you buy cheap, you’ll likely end up with more repairs and breakdowns and resale will be far less. I understand that everyone can’t afford an expensive new car, but that’s not what the article is about. Foreign makers are just building a better investment vehicle with superior materials and workmanship.
Congratulations on being a libertarian. I’m a vegetarian.
Going on about ten years ago now, I built the house I live in. It is about 2,500 sq feet, larger than I wanted, and smaller than my wife wanted. It is well designed, easy to heat with wood in the winter, and easy to cool in the summer. It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a kitchen large enough to feed all the grandchildren at the table. It exceeds all building codes, and looks nice. I bought all the materials, did all the work, and less than a year after I started it, my family moved into it, debt free, all for under $31,000, not counting the property, the well, septic tank and power that collectively hit me for another $30,000, paid in cash. For the same amount of money, I could be living in a rental with two new cars parked out front, and a mountain of debt. The last new car I bought was back in 2000, and it will probably remain the last one.
Must be a required article from the White Hut’s department of sophistry.
Well, I just looked at a $45,000 Ford Edge and a $50,000 Ford Explorer, last week-end. The dealer didn’t have any plain vanilla models to show us.
Granted the $50,000 Explorer was as nicely appointed as a foreign vehicle of the same price, but who is going to by a Ford, when they can get a luxury foreign model for the same price, that will hold it’s resale value, long after the Ford is worthless?
No one wants to buy a Government Motors vehicle?
A friend of mine bought one of the early Ford Edges, fully loaded for about $35,000, today the same vehicle is $45,000.
I’m driving a 1995 Volvo station wagon that was sticker priced at $36,000. It has NEVER been in the shop for anything other than maintenance, like brakes, fluid change, oil change, etc in 17 years that I have owned it.
I want a new car so badly, this one doesn’t even have cup holders, let alone bluetooth radio or Ipod connection. Every time that we drive it to a car dealer to look at new cars, the salesman says to my husband, you’re not going to trade in that VOLVO are you? “That car is the kind of vehicle you hand down to someone in the family because it will go forever, but let me know if you decide to get rid of it, because I’ll buy it.” So, I don’t get a new car.
Well aware of that. In response to Ron Reagan's threat to put tariffs on japanese cars, they began to open assembly plants here. Quickly they learned to love assembly in the US because they could get municipal/state gov'ts to compete against each other for those facilities, to the point that US taxpayers would be forced to pay for those assembly plants.
Also, they quickly learned that employing low wage Americans instead of high wage japanese was good for the bottom line, and came with little or no drop off in quality.
They love the fact that they can keep the high tech portion of the auto manufacturing in japan, they can buy up any American-sourced suppliers so that all profit returns to japan, all the while keeping almost all our products out of their domestic marketplace.
And let's be real....many parts of "American" cars are made in other countries
Far too many (for my taste)
I would challenge you to find an "American" made car..that all it's parts are "Made in America".
I challenge you to find a non American-made part on my 1971 Dodge Charger 500 (not saying their aren't any).
From Edmunds.com Your friend got ripped off. Here’s the top model with navigation, everything on the Ford Edge. Should be able to knock 10% off MSRP.
2011 Ford Edge Sport SUV f34View photos
Sport
3.7L V6 engine
Automatic transmission
Up to 18 cty/25 hwy mpg
All-wheel drive
Navigation System
Bluetooth
iPod input
Satellite radio
Side/Curtain Airbags
Stability Control
Traction Control
DVD player (Optional)
View All Features & Specs
MSRP from $36,925
Spoken like a guy who has no idea what he is talking about. My S Class Mercedes is better built and better designed than my Town Car could ever dream of being. Plus I get the added benefit of the plasticy interior on the TC falling apart and rattling or the electronic displays failing and needing replaced because of a retarded design on a water leaking bulkhead seal that needs replaced every 2 or 3 years.
As far as your theory on cost of ownership on Fords and Mercs, you are ass backwards. As Packard used to say "Ask the man who owns one".
I've owned 3 new cars in my life - all Fords. I still have 2 of them. The one I no longer have was an $8,400 '88 Escort bought in '87. Combined, I have put 530,000 miles on them and have been stranded a grand total of 1 time (broken timing belt).
The '88 was in the shop 3 times - 2 just after I bought it, for a minor warranty repair, and once at about 230k miles for a front wheel bearing.
My $9,400 '96 Escort has been in the shop once - after 11.5 years and just over 200k miles for a major engine repair. Been perfect in the over 4 years since.
My '07 Fusion has been perfect so far.
I don't expect perfection from mass-produced consumer products, but I've gotten pretty close to that from the great old American Ford Motor Company, and I'm a customer for life because of that.
I don't feel that I've suffered in the least from my choice to purchase vehicles made by Americans that are employed by an American company.
As a libertarian, I believe in the theory of free trade. As Americans, we've collectively (and unilaterally) practiced that theory just about to the point of economic collapse.
That’s good and I’m seriously happy for you. Now that 71 Challenger really piqued my interest. Good luck.
SJB
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