19th Nov 2010, 13:33

"Is GM allergic to the US worker, or was it the other way around?"

No it's more like... GM can't afford the US workers anymore. As their supporters admit, they can only survive if they outsource US jobs to foreign countries. They also claim that this saves many jobs in the US.

I keep thinking the more newly designed cars that come along and are outsourced, the more jobs will actually be lost here in the US. I am not sure how this actually preserves jobs for US workers. Sounds like people are reading obscure articles, with no real facts, about this practice. These articles claim that this practice is saving jobs, yet factories are closing year after year here in the US. How is this saving jobs? Now they are even designing the cars elsewhere, as Buick has proven. Who's US job has that car saved as of yet?

19th Nov 2010, 17:23

It cost 5800 to pick your car up in Bowling Green with a few extras thrown in. Or you can buy an import.

20th Nov 2010, 14:40

Great! One more reason to buy a superior import. Thanks for the info.

22nd Nov 2010, 07:35

No, they are saving US auto workers jobs. Yeah right they are, how is building cars in Canada, Mexico and Germany helping save US auto worker jobs? Way to go GM, Ford. Pretty soon, Chrysler will start designing and building their cars in Italy. More US auto worker jobs will be lost, whether you choose to believe it or not. Being biased against Japanese auto makers will not change that. I wonder why there is no mention of German auto makers, and the fact that they are equally foreign.

23rd Nov 2010, 19:56

Comparing German engineering to new American vehicles would be a very nice compliment.

25th Nov 2010, 01:08

"More US auto worker jobs will be lost, whether you choose to believe it or not."

I don't. GM, Ford and Chrysler are ADDING thousands of jobs in the U.S. and opening new plants here. Chrysler is opening a plant in Michigan to employ a huge number of our own citizens. Ford is moving thousands of jobs from Mexico back to the U.S. I realize that import fans will hate to see jobs created for our own citizens, but they'll just have to get used to it. Ford, GM and Chrysler are here to stay.

25th Nov 2010, 01:13

"Comparing German engineering to new American vehicles would be a very nice compliment."

It certainly would... for the Germans. The three least reliable cars according to the latest ratings are BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Ford outranks all German makes except Porsche in reliability.

25th Nov 2010, 07:08

"Comparing German engineering to new American vehicles would be a very nice compliment."

Have you read any of the comments? The issue with some people is that buying foreign cars takes away jobs from the so-called domestic auto employees. So to them, if you drive a German car, my point is you should also be taking away domestic auto worker jobs, since people who drive German cars are not driving GM's, Fords, or Chryslers. German cars, it should be noted, ARE equally foreign. At least many Hondas and Toyotas are made in the US with an American work force.

25th Nov 2010, 09:39

The news I like is that Corvettes have been up 300 percent in Europe vs Ferrari. I like German cars, and owned Mercedes, both the SL and a sedan. But I am driving all American based vehicles today. I am doing my part; we have 5 domestics and 1 import left. I also just bought my mom a new Malibu last month. She helped me.... now's my turn.

25th Nov 2010, 12:11

"Ford, GM and Chrysler are here to stay."

That's right, by building cars everywhere but in the U.S.

Canadians make :

Chrysler - Town & Country, Carvan, 300, Charger, Challenger.

Ford - Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Edge, MKX, Flex.

GM - Camaro, Regal, Impala, Allure, Lacrosse, Equinox, Torrent,

25th Nov 2010, 18:12

So who built my Vette?

25th Nov 2010, 18:26

Please keep in mind the US is not the center of the world. I'm Canadian, and so are a lot of users of this forum. I am very proud to own and drive domestic GM's that were made here in Canada at the Oshawa, Ontario plant.

I have had a few domestics from the US before, and I didn't mind since they were made in North America as well.

I have no problems with the US as a Canadian. Both countries have always been allies.

I would possibly consider buying an import made in the US, but they don't make any trucks that suit my needs.

We live in a global economy, that is inevitable, but you can still help your country by buying something made in North America, where we all live.

25th Nov 2010, 21:32

Good for you, and thank you for supporting American workers. In spite of the fact that it has been reported in national news, newspapers and cable TV shows as well as countless times on this site, people still seem not to understand the economics of the auto industry. No matter where a car is assembled, the financial benefit ALWAYS goes to the country where the company is based... ALWAYS. Less than 10% of American auto workers benefit from the purchase of any vehicle not built by the Big Three. Buy a Honda and you HURT 90% of those involved in the auto industry in the U.S. Buy a Ford or GM, you HELP 90% of your fellow citizens. It doesn't get any simpler to state than that. Why can't car buyers see that??

26th Nov 2010, 07:23

If you're Canadian, you can't classify your GM, Ford, or Chrysler as domestic. They are American.

Yes, buying cars made in North America will help our economy, this in the sense is TRUE of import car makers who build cars in the U.S.A. They HELP our economy by creating jobs for our citizens in auto worker jobs, advertising, media, sales, etc, etc and this gives people money to spend at Wal-Mart.

26th Nov 2010, 12:16

Buy a Chrysler, which is 50% Italian owned, and 50% of its profits go back to Italy.

26th Nov 2010, 12:33

So work elsewhere in the United States vs a foreign car company, and buy an American car and shop at Walmart. I shop elsewhere personally, but drive American cars. My job is non automotive.

26th Nov 2010, 14:07

And why can't you see that supporting these lame businesses is what got our economy in the toilet in the first place? You wouldn't be going on about 90% of workers, this, that and the other thing, if the domestic auto industry had been running efficient operations that didn't overpay their workers and drive themselves into bankruptcy court. If they could truly compete, then this wouldn't even be a discussion. To say buying a Toyota hurts 90% of the auto workers doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. How does this hurt them? Does it force the domestics to outsource yet more jobs? How about the guy who got laid off by GM closing a plant and then hired by Toyota. Was he hurt from someone buying an import?

Also, I don't care what government funded source you believe is the word of God when it comes to economics and the auto industry. It is physically impossible to continue to outsource jobs to other countries and save jobs here at the same time. Take a ride through Detroit sometime. You know, the city that your coveted domestic auto companies built up so many decades ago. They have all but left it in ruins, to go to Canada and Mexico, and build up their communities in order to save a buck on labor. Tell the people looking at boarded up neighborhoods and businesses that the big three care about their livelihood.

The auto industry has dominated this country as far as employment and now we rely way too much on it. The CEO's went to great lengths to rake in the dough with crappy products that did nothing to help our economy or our environment. They started the whole SUV craze, making us so much more reliant on foreign oil, all in the name of profits. They did nothing to prepare for the day when those same foreigners would jack the price of oil to the point where we couldn't afford to drive the behemoths they spewed out for us to drive. They did nothing to try to better themselves until it was too late... and it is still too late. The Chevy Volt is just another ridiculous, overpriced, overhyped car that you can buy a better version of from many other companies for $15K less.

Import car companies are better period, end of story. To waste money on inferior products that cost more to buy and definitely more to own just doesn't make sense to me, just because it is an American company. We pay enough in taxes and other charges in life for the great American way. I am sick of wasting money on inefficient businesses that can't make a decent profit the right way, without sending more and more jobs out of the country they supposedly support so much. Blind support has been the great American way for decades, which is why these companies continue to exist, and it is also why the government is in the negatively controlling position they are in.

But keep thinking that Chevy in your driveway is really changing anything though... really.