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Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61
My boss helped make my day today. After informing all of us that until further notice we would have no further work, he invited me to lunch with him today. Our area has been hard hit by closed dealerships, supply companies and delivery services. Although our business SEEMINGLY has no connection to the auto industry, the loss of jobs has made purchasing ALL goods and services more difficult. EVERYONE is suffering. Like many Americans my boss had been duped by the ad hype and false claims of reliability and bought himself and his wife Japanese vehicles. Today over lunch he said "You were right. We SHOULD have all done more to support AMERICAN businesses. Now we're ALL seeing the damage we've done." He further informed me that he has replaced his wife's import with a Cadillac and will be replacing his import with a Ford Fusion. If more people like him had listened earlier, we'd still have jobs. Fortunately he and I are wealthy enough to survive a while without incomes. Most people aren't so blessed.
That's why I'll KEEP emphasizing "Buy American" until maybe a few MORE people see the light.
Yes, and the Fusion shared its platform with the Mazda 6.
"By the way, where was your TV made? Your microwave? Your MP3 player? How about he computer that you are writing your comments from? What about the gasoline that you are burning in your American car?'
My TV's (all four) are made in the good old USA. My 29-year-old Microwave was made in Ohio. I don't HAVE an MP3 player and don't want one. My computer is built by a company that is less than 3 miles from my house (and has a 2 year longer warranty than any others). I buy my gas from an American oil company (I wasn't aware that we HAD Japanese oil companies!!).
Today I went to help my boss trade his Honda for a new Fusion. I was amazed that there were only a couple of 2009's left. The lot was sparsely filled with mostly 2010's. My friend at the Ford dealership told me that many people are waking up to the need to buy from U.S. companies. He said the sales of the Fusion is setting records, and that virtually every trade-in is a Japanese car. He pointed out a whole row of late model Camrys, Accords and Altimas on the used car lot.
It is VERY uplifting to begin to see a glimmer of patriotism in more and more people. As I said in comment 23:12, I will continue to reach out to more and more people with the "Buy American" message, but after seeing the incredible example of patriotism at the Ford dealer's lot today (it was PACKED with buyers) maybe the patriotism thing is finally catching on.
"Yes, and the Fusion shared its platform with the Mazda 6"
So?? Ford OWNS Mazda. Ford is an AMERICAN company. We owned a Mazda before Ford took over and dramatically improved the quality. It was made in Japan and was one of the worst built cars we ever owned. Mazdas are now very good cars thanks to Ford. The same can be said of Jaguar. Ford took over Jaguar and took it from one of the least reliable cars on the planet to tied for the most reliable along with Buick (J.D. Powers, 2009). Ford no longer owns Jaguar (it was sold to Tata of India) but the quality studies ranking it tops were done based on 3-year-old vehicles, which is when Ford still owned it.
Such silly arguments as "Ford shares it's platform with Mazda" mean nothing. Ford is, was, and hopefully always will be an AMERICAN company, contributing to the AMERICAN economy. Allowing Foreign-owned companies to take over industry in this country has caused much damage to our economy, and, apparently, to our clear thinking. If a company is not based in the U.S., I'm not buying ANYTHING from them... PERIOD.
"10:47, are you saying the 9% of Americans that found jobs building Hondas, Toyotas, or whatever don't count or don't matter?"
No, I'm just saying that helping 91% of the people beats the heck out of helping just 9%. Our last president wasted our nation's largest surplus helping only 1% of our citizens. We all see where THAT thinking got us.
The angry tone shown by many of those beating the "Buy American" drum is very troubling.
Yes, I like to buy American made products whenever possible, but I have an open mind.
These angry tirades evoke memories of McCarthyism as well as isolationists.
And the American economy was stronger as well. Maybe a return to that pride and helping our own economy is better. I quit buying imports 2 years ago due to drop in quality. I discovered there are nice domestics that are even better.
Thank you 05:51!! It's good to know that other Americans are not "troubled" by the idea of supporting our own industry. I never thought I'd live to see people actually OFFENDED by patriotism. We'll never own another vehicle from a company that is foreign owned. If Chrysler sells to Fiat we'll buy only GM and Ford.
Please don't try to twist my words or take them out of context. Leave that to the politicians.
I am not "troubled" by people wanting to buy American, and I am not "troubled" or "offended" by patriotism.
What is troubling is:
The us vs. them mentality.
The seeing everything as black or white, without allowing for the possibility that everything is really gray.
The being blind to the fact that many of these "American" cars are built in Mexico & Canada (which by the way is taking jobs away from Americans). As well as the fact that many of the components of these "domestic" vehicles are built in other countries.
The anger towards other countries.
The intolerance of others right to choose.
I agree that it is great to buy American products, and I agree that the Fusion is an excellent car.
I just don't agree that only one opinion is right or wrong in this case.
"Yes, and the Fusion shared its platform with the Mazda 6"
"So?? Ford OWNS Mazda."
What??? That's sort of like saying that Chrysler used to own Daimler Benz.
To set the record straight, Ford owned 33% of Mazda, and is selling 20%, which would leave them a 13% share. 13% is not exactly a controlling share. Is it?
"The angry tone shown by many of those beating the "Buy American" drum is very troubling."
It would be a lot to expect that people who lose their jobs, homes, retirement won't be angry. So the anger itself doesn't bother me. My discomfort is that I don't know who to be angry at. The MBAs who wrote billions of dollars in unsound housing loans? The UAW? Congressmen who write legislation that promotes unsound business practices? Auto retirees that have gotten more in post-retirement compensation than they ever earned while working? Bondholders who got 10% returns? Foreign companies who set up factories not encumbered by retiree and healthcare costs? Voters who won't vote in national healthcare that would relieve that burden from the automakers? Auto workers making $30 an hour pushing brooms. CEOs with lucrative stock options flying in corporate jets?
The last people I feel like being angry at are the consumers who have bought whatever car best suited their needs. The newspapers have been reporting GM had a $1400 cost disadvantage per vehicle relative to the foreign makers. My friends in the business tell the me the real number was $2000. Most of us have had that to overcome when thinking about being good providers for our families. But supposedly with all the bankruptcy proceedings at GM and contract renegotiations at Ford, the difference will be down to a few hundred dollars.
I'm just glad it looks like Ford will survive all this and my Ford minivan and sedans are good reliable cars.
Yes, the downfall of our economy started with Ronald Reagan and his policies of allowing financial institutions to follow no regulations and W. put the final nail in our econom's coffin with his "Give everything to the rich" policies. And yes, U.S. automakers DID indeed get some rather exorbitant medical and retirement benefits. If our country provided universal healthcare, like every other truly civilized country on the planet U.S. automakers would have been in a far, far better shape financially.
With all that said, it STILL does not justify paying thousands MORE for a car manufactured by a foreign-owned company. I read a lot about how U.S. autos haven't been "cost competitive" with the Japanese and can only shake my head in confusion. When I bought my Ford Mustang new in 2007 I looked at a Nissan Altima coupe. It cost $25,000 and had no extras... NONE. It was a bare-bones 4-cylinder stick shift. I bought my top-of-the-line Mustang premium pony V-6 for $4680 LESS. It has automatic, leather, large alloy wheels with 55-series tires, satellite radio and every other option Ford offered. A 4-cylinder stick shift Accord goes for $28,000. You can buy a Lincoln MKZ for that with every conceivable option. So you'll have to excuse me if I seem a bit confused. I don't see any "cost disadvantage". What I see are people paying thousands MORE for LESS and hurting our economy in the process.
I test drove a Fusion on Saturday, and also a Honda Accord. Seems to me buying either one would help an American salesman bring home money, and an American dealer stay in business. And since that Accord was built in the USA, buying one would also support the jobs of a bunch of US citizens.
Re.:16th Jun 2009, 11:32.
I completely agree with this comment. One more reason for the sudden drop off in sales: cars last longer. Once the easy credit vanished and fear of job loss took hold of people, drivers keep their rides another year or even many years. Don't forget the trade-in values have crashed as well.
"I test drove a Fusion on Saturday, and also a Honda Accord. Seems to me buying either one would help an American salesman bring home money, and an American dealer stay in business. And since that Accord was built in the USA, buying one would also support the jobs of a bunch of US citizens."
For the MILLIONTH TIME: Japanese and German car companies only employ NINE PERCENT of the people in auto-related jobs in the U.S!! American car companies employ NINETY-ONE PERCENT. When you buy a German or Japanese car, you HURT 91% of the U.S. citizens who work for U.S. owned companies... PERIOD. It DOES NOT MATTER if Honda builds cars in Mayberry USA and Ford build Fusions in the Antarctic!! Those are the figures, PURE AND SIMPLE. Buy a Honda, help 9% of U.S. auto related workers. Buy a Ford, help 91%. If you want to hurt 91% of our auto workers, you have that freedom, just admit it and don't pretend it doesn't matter.
Also, as a former Honda owner who now drives a world-class Fusion (which is rated higher in reliability than Accord) I can't imagine ANYONE who drove both choosing to pay $5000 MORE for the Accord. Sounds like a victim of ad hype to me.
If you just HAVE to throw away more money, you can go to virtually any Ford dealer's used car lot and buy a used Accord (or Camry) trade-in. That DOES help our economy, even though you are still paying more for an inferior car.