zinzindorff9 said:
If you don't agree with the premise that the economy of the US would be much better if the American car manufacturers were the predominant in the market then the subject is closed. I have found nothing built elswhere any better than those made in the US and lets scratch windshields and some runs of engines. The French stick with French built, The Germans with German built and even the Italians like their own cars. The Japanese build some cars in the US because it is "cheaper" to do so. Just about all nations are finding with the advances in automation negating cheap labor, that transportation costs are now becoming a dominate cost. These are skyrocketing while manufacturing costs are becoming nuetral everywhere. (1) Now if you don't agree with me that I feel my new Buick is hands above the Camry then there is no argument. (2) I just wonder how long it has been since you last owned an American car. (3) I like my Prius but I think it is being purchased by previous Japanese car owners who are satisfied with the complete lack of instrumentation and who are completely happy with "IDIOT" lights. (4) If GM holds on to it's statement of all hybrids in 2007, I'll be able to again purchase a "real" automobile.
Oh my, what a condescending post. Normally, I'd chalk it up to some union hack's ramblings, and I would just skip past it.
However, this is an important issue. I believe your denial is indicative of the problems in the American auto manufacturing industry; unwillingness or inability to see or admit that there's even a problem!
Where do I start? I won't bother with the whole post; that's just too tiring to think about. So I'll just make four points:
1) What do you mean "if I don't agree with you that your Buick is better than the Camry?" I don't get that statement. I have owned neither car, so whether or not I agree with you is a moot point.
2) I have owned and driven Pontiacs, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, a Mazda, a BMW, and my current Toyota Prius. I've probably driven close to three-quarters of a million miles in my adult life, so I think I have enough experience to be able to comment on my automotive encounters.
3) Just because I have driven two Japanese cars is no reason for you to make comments about my preferences with regards to "idiot lights." That's sort of condescending and insulting. And in fact, I must state plainly that at least my controls all function (or functioned)
correctly in my Japanese cars. In fact, I have never had to take my non-American cars' dashboards apart to fix something. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my so-called American-Built cars. "Idiot lights" or not, I require functioning and dependable instrumentation.
4) I define a "real" automobile as one that gets me where I need to be, safely, on time, and with a minimum of fuss. A "real" automobile must be dependable, and must NOT spend so much time in the shop that it continually and repeatedly forces me to rent a substitute. My GM cars, the most expensive one in particular, spent far far too much time in the shop to be considered "real" vehicles. Several times, I had to have my reasonably new GM vehicles
towed to the garage, because they wouldn't make it on their own power.
When a car seems to spend more time BEHIND and ATTACHED TO the towtruck than it does PASSING the towtruck, then there's something wrong with that picture.
Finally, I will say that I sincerely HOPE that the American manufacturers can turn it around. But the only way they will is if they wake up and recognize that there is a problem to begin with. People want the dependability of Toyotas and Hondas. And they're increasingly wanting hybrids. Today. Not tomorrow. Not "later." Not in 2007. Not "when we get around to it."
Finally, we don't want to hear "light hybrids will be good enough for you because we, The Big Car Company says so."
The manufacturers who ignore these things do so at their own potential peril.
