15th May 2015, 19:00
None of that comment addressed anything mentioned above. But everyone has their choice. Buy what you feel personally is the best product for you - not just because it happens to be American or Japanese branded.
In regards to the article, it fails to mention that the Big 3 have laid off 100's of thousands of workers over the past few decades. Had Japanese automakers not come to the US and setup plants, then many, many more of those laid-off workers wouldn't have found jobs then would they?
15th May 2015, 19:21
9 jobs and in your early 30s. I have had 3 and went to school 8 years at night to finish a degree. It use to be a plant was opened in the south to save costs due to foreign pressure. Now it is taking away jobs at a domestic company moving assembly operations overseas. As you get older, you may find it harder to go from job to job. My efforts may be minimal, but I support as many small family businesses as I can in my home town. I would rather buy GM or Ford than Toyota. In the end people are going to buy what they want. It's not going to change opinions on here. Unless there are innumerable recalls or severe mechanical issues to be aware of. That's what I like about this site. Hearing issues to avoid.
As far as a workplace environment, I feel great that we had once a caring environment that cared about workers and their families. Now it's dog eat dog and a single meeting can be a cattle call escorted out the door as a group. You can buy a home and not know if you will be working to pay for it. Moving about so many jobs is pretty telling. In my mind, pretty extreme from stress level alone.
16th May 2015, 13:54
The big three have rebounded and have hired many more workers. 2/3 of current auto production in America is right in Detroit. It did address who it helps. Maybe you did not read it. The import mentality is strong. And we have owned many imports, but own 4 late model domestics at the moment. Swaying opinion on buying decisions is a very personal matter. You are all about Toyota. But don't discount the significance of the domestic auto workers. The import brands have just a 1/3 of it. And they can uproot at any time back to foreign soil. Let's watch the upcoming growth and analyze the results. The article may mean little to you, but it's very accurate. I actually owned imports during our booming period. I left over quality issues with major mechanical defects, and wasting time in continual recalls. Don't have the time or desire to encounter it again. In the interim we are helping the big 3 and seeing increased durability and quality. A home run. Quality utmost retains customers even before politics.
16th May 2015, 19:35
I have a new domestic 0-60 under 4 seconds, but if I say its name on a Toyota review, someone will no doubt cry foul.
18th May 2015, 17:56
Nobody said anything about 0-60 times... moving on.
To the person who said I am all about Toyota, I own BOTH foreign and domestic nameplate cars. I own a Toyota truck pushing 20 years old that just keeps running and running, a used Chevy Volt which has been a fantastic car, and a '55 Mercury.
These cars represent the core of my previous comments.
The '55 Mercury is basically 100% made in the USA with all-American parts.
The Toyota is about 55% made out of US-sourced parts and was manufactured in Fremont, CA.
The Volt is about 45% US and Canada-sourced parts with another 17% Japanese and 18% Korean. It also has parts from Italy, Austria and who knows where else. It was manufactured at the Hammtrack facility outside Detroit.
This represents today's manufacturing situation, whether it's a car, TV or cellphone. You take apart any PC, TV set or phone and you'll see parts from American, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and European manufacturers to name a few... the same way that cars are much the same.
I grew up in the rural South, and the Japanese, American and European automakers helped get the entire region out of a slump. There's a BIG Nissan plant in Smyrna TN and all of the cars they came out of there had TN state stickers on the windows, which was a source of pride for us: People we knew were making these cars. So when it comes to the comment about supporting local economies, well I can honestly proclaim that buying either a Toyota, Honda, Ford, BMW, or Nissan made in my region... helps people in my region. Wasn't that what this whole debate is about anyway?
18th May 2015, 23:14
The rural south benefited with cheap labor and rural real estate. However, heavily populated Northern auto workers took the big hit. How is that growth or balance?
The 0-60 activity started on earlier posts on the Camry vs domestic muscle cars of an earlier era. I can't see that segment on here wanting to waste their time racing Camrys.
We all are going to buy what we like as a personal decision. Fortunately the big three have significantly rebounded and are doing 2/3 of the total auto production in America.
19th May 2015, 17:42
Manufacturers tend to operate in areas that are more favorable from a financial standpoint. The South had been in a state of economic stagnation for over a century when these automotive plants started to be built there. When they were built, people from other parts of the country moved down. As seen when states like Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and other former manufacturing powerhouses have lost huge chunks of their populations. Where did they go? They followed the money. It's nothing new: Americans moved west in the 1850s. The South has been one of the biggest success stories of the last few decades. On top of that, if given the choice, most people would probably prefer to live somewhere that isn't absolutely freezing cold and snowy 6 months out of the year anyway.
What the South has done that Midwestern and Northern states should be doing is offering incentives: Tax breaks, discounts on land and whatnot. Want to make your state more desirable to make stuff? Show those manufacturers you want their business.
19th May 2015, 21:06
Quality of living and quality of life matter. I will take New England. Interestingly enough the Subaru Outback is the popular import in my area. I had an opportunity to transfer to Mississippi. Did not feel like a great option. If I were single with no family, I guess I could live anywhere and change jobs every few years.
21st May 2015, 15:15
I agree with quality of life mattering: I grew up in the rural South and lived for a few years in the Northeast. Sorry, but the Northeast is painfully expensive, housing is expensive... food is expensive... and lastly - it's freezing from October to May. No thanks. But to each their own.
To add to this continuing story, just in the last few days there has been some serious discussions regarding building a new factory in Alabama... to make Aston Martins. So there you have it: A UK car company now with the possibility of being built in Alabama, whereas now they are all made in the UK. Hence brand-new American jobs where none existed before.
14th May 2015, 20:45
I am staying with the big 3. As far as helping American car workers, I will go with this https://www.cars.com/articles/2012/07/american-made-index-which-automakers-affect-the-most-us-workers/