20th Aug 2012, 14:11

Now we are counting dealership employees vs all the large factories producing new domestic vehicles throughout the United States.

The dealer down the street in my city has several car manufacturers, all at the same site. You can walk in buy a brand new Buick or a new Honda, or a new Volvo or a Jaguar, a new Saab or a new GMC truck; same ownership. Another in town has new Chevrolets or new Mazda and Kia, and so on. It used to be standalone dealerships.

Out of the 2 huge shuttered GM and Chrysler plants in my city for decades, I doubt these new car dealerships have anywhere near the thousands gone from the plants.

It is pretty entertaining as well, hearing individuals trying to make an import into a domestic. Maybe it would be easier to put an American flag in each grille vs a Toyota nameplate or a Honda nameplate to convince otherwise. I feel that the American public is pretty savvy for the most part, to know where brands are based, and who gains the greatest proceeds. People will buy what they want; it's up to the rest to make an educated judgement call. There are people here that do make and ship their products overseas. Maybe they want to buy from whom buys from them. My company does absolutely no business overseas, so I want to support domestic factories like ourselves, vs becoming another statistic.

21st Aug 2012, 09:52

Anybody else find humour in the fact that this domestic vs. import debate is on a review for a 2011 Toyota Corolla from Australia or New Zealand?

I guess the anti-Toyota/import commenter who started this debate didn't notice or it just didn't matter. It was a opportunity to bring out the them vs. us soapbox again.

21st Aug 2012, 10:24

Why do you think plants set up in outlying areas? It's cheaper. Also start up pay is less. I never said it was substandard, but it's not growth. If you shut down plants in one area and move to areas where the pay is a bit better than before, people will think it's great. But the pay scale is likely lower, and will put others out of work to do so.

If anyone feels isolated, it's those that are now out of work. The part no one addresses is why they don't look at all domestics in their price range.

Also, I am among others who have made a very good wage in America. The problem is that I have remained, and am doing work done by 3 others at the same wage. Maybe I have some empathy for those that worked with me and were downsized. It's cheaper to not have benefits and the heath care expenses. There are many thousands out of work, and I know quite a few as family as well as friends. I guess it bothers me to see this. I can decide where and what I purchase. Not everyone else is as fortunate. I can say I work and earn an honest living too. But 3 others are gone, and I can buy whatever I feel like. Look at everyone besides yourself when you address issues. It is more realistic. We have less people working, so consider that vs worldwide opportunities to buy elsewhere

21st Aug 2012, 10:38

The argument here never was about whether a foreign name plated car was actually foreign in its origins brand-wise. The argument has been about the differences between a domestically produced car versus a foreign produced one. In that case the name doesn't matter.

But to once more prove the point, which has been proven repeatedly, do a comparison, and this time, we'll just compare the basics.

Two factory workers stand side by side. One works for one factory that makes one brand and the other worker works for another making a different brand. Both workers get paid good salaries and receive good benefits. Both workers are US citizens, own houses, buy groceries, raise families, and pay their taxes from the wages their respective companies pay them for making cars. The question is what's the difference between these two?

That's the first question.

The second question is that let's compare two vehicles, one from one company, and one from the other.

Vehicle one is put together in a US factory using 85% domestically produced and sourced components. It was also designed, engineered, tested, and now built in the US.

Vehicle two is put together in Mexico and the vehicle itself rides on a foreign platform using a foreign engine. It was designed in numerous countries and is sold as a differently badged product in other countries.

So the second question is which one of these two is technically "foreign"?

21st Aug 2012, 12:38

Yeah, and that's why they were junk.

21st Aug 2012, 12:54

"Sorry, but those vehicles were built with mitsubishi parts"

Yeah, maybe so, but they didn't share that vehicle platform with any different brand of car outside the Chrysler corp.

Now can we please let this subject die already.

21st Aug 2012, 23:39

The concept of "the good of the many outweighs the good of the few" has long ago fallen by the wayside in America. Foreign car companies employ only 10 percent of the total workers in the auto industry in the U.S., but import owners staunchly maintain that helping the 10 percent is just as good as helping the 90 percent. We are indeed a mathematically challenged country.

22nd Aug 2012, 07:46

2 guys standing side by side does not equate to the literal thousands out of work in 2012. If I honestly researched and test drove every single domestic car, and could not find one single exceptional car, I would go buy an import. I did not have any issue finding great Fords.

I may not find every low ticket item made here, but I am making a effort to examine the packaging. It's pretty easy to spot Made in America. I have been downsized twice, and am tired of this crap. Continued my education for less pay and benefits. Tends to mar your enthusiasm over buying a new import, 10 percent or not.

22nd Aug 2012, 11:51

The anti-import folks will never let it drop. Either way, it's tiresome to continually disprove their same statements over and over again. So I'm letting it go. I'll keep on driving my actual American-Made Toyota that supports American jobs. If others want to drive their American cars, even if some are actually made overseas, then good for them.

23rd Aug 2012, 09:57

If that's your point, then buy made here and corporate here. That's what we did. Profits stay here.

24th Aug 2012, 19:53

There is no such thing as ":disproving the statements" when those statements just happen to be facts. Buying a Toyota, whether it's made here or on Mars, benefits a Japanese corporation and bolsters the Japanese economy, while turning your back on 90% of America's auto workers and a mainstay American industry that is responsible for millions of U.S. jobs. Try to justify your disloyalty to our country all you want, but sorry, I don't buy it (OR Japanese cars).

25th Aug 2012, 10:02

I researched every single made here, corporate here, car in my price range. I found plenty of Fords that are serving our family very well. The quality and amenities are far better than Japan based imports we tested as well.