Automobilis

[Blitzkommando]

This area has always been quite bad at the, "BUY AMERICAN OR YOU'RE A FUCKING COMMUNIST!" schtick. I suppose that's understandable with a number of GM plants in the state and with the big Delphi plant in Vandalia. But, really, this has gotten old after hearing it for decades now.

Not only is it old, it's a stupid excuse today as well. "Support American workers!" I hear crowed. Well, yeah, my Mazda 6 did just that. It was built in Michigan and 85% of the parts originated in the United States. The same can't be said of many of Ford and GM vehicles today. Which is just the point. We live in an internationalized economy and just knowing the headquarters doesn't tell you much of anything as to where the majority of the impact is on the economy. Funny how the issue was skirted around during the 90s with Chrysler vehicles.

If you really feel passionately about supporting US auto workers, look on the inside of the driver's door. It will tell you the nation of production as well as the origin of the parts, broken down by percents. But, in the end, no matter which company you choose it boosts the US economy because you made a purchase. I don't have a problem with you wanting to support US workers, but please, PLEASE get your facts right at least as to where your own vehicles are produced if you are going to make attacks on other people for driving 'foreign' cars. After all, you don't want to look like an idiot when you look on the inside door of your Ford Focus only to find it was built in Mexico, do you?

[Ketchup345]

Luckily I don't hear it too often.

I have seen at least one commercial though where they are advertising a Ford Fusion (I believe) and really emphasizing that it is American, though it is really assembled in Mexico. I chuckle a bit every time I see the commercial.

In addition to what you said about an international economy, GM and Ford own or invest/share with many foreign automakers. Ford used to own 33% of Mazda's stock, though I know the current economic situation made them sell most of it, they are still holding onto a decent amount.

Serious question: I'd like to know how many of the "buy American" people responded to say, a company like Geo, which was set up to let GM work with some other car manufacturers by placing GM's Geo badge on a foreign car, such as the Geo Prizm (also known as the Toyota Corolla). It appears the other major contributor to Geo was Suzuki which provided the Swift to become the Geo Metro and Suzuki Sidekick was also the Geo Tracker.

[CelestialBlade]

The only issue I have related to this is the people who swear by import cars and think they're so much better just because they're imports. I heard someone ranting and raving about this while a Volkswagen sputtered and squealed by. Oh yeah, "magical" imports.

[Weeaboolits]

I have seen at least one commercial though where they are advertising a Ford Fusion (I believe) and really emphasizing that it is American, though it is really assembled in Mexico. I chuckle a bit every time I see the commercial.

I dunno' why, but it reminds me of that ad for the Tiburon where they spent the whole commercial making a big deal about people mispronouncing it, only to mispronounce it themselves. I couldn't help but laugh at that one.

[KodiaX987]

Volkawagen did the same thing with the Touareg as well.

Blitz, don't ask me why, but I see your neighborhood as consisting of clones of Red Foreman now. :P

[Neith]

The only issue I have related to this is the people who swear by import cars and think they're so much better just because they're imports. I heard someone ranting and raving about this while a Volkswagen sputtered and squealed by. Oh yeah, "magical" imports.

Somewhat related, but it always makes me laugh when car companies launch a new 'executive' section aimed at the US/Western world. It makes me laugh even more when people buy the import version instead. For example Lexus (part of Toyota, Lexus IS200 is a rebadged Toyota Altezza- the only difference aside from that is higher insurance on the Toyota, for being an imported model), Infiniti (originally part of Nissan, I believe). I can't remember entirely, but I think Acura were originally rebadged Hondas too, though they might make their own unique cars now. I guess it creates the false impression that the brand is for the Western people, even if most of the time, the only difference is a badge. Having national pride in a brand, especially in the automotive industry is stupid, because most vehicles are manufactured through many countries.

That's like me, being British, having pride in the UK car industry, but there's not much to be proud about:
- Jaguar (while the HQ is in Coventry, the company is owned by Tata, which are Indian)
- Lotus (generally manufactured in Malaysia)
- Aston Martin (joint owned by Ford, and businesses from Kuwait)
- Rolls-Royce (owned fully by BMW)

Hell, even the latest Mini (the original being somewhat of a British icon) is owned by BMW.

[Blitzkommando]

Yes, Mazda was pretty heavily invested by Ford during the time which mine was built.

Something that I chuckled at though was my father's CR-V. Looked in the door frame expecting Canada as the nation of origin (where most 2003s came from in this area) only to find it had been built in the UK. This explained why it uses different fuses and bulbs than the manual said it uses, something that frustrated him when he found replacement bulb that was incorrect yet was the model stated in the manual.

[Kylie]

I've only heard stuff like that on television, which surprises me because we have a GM plant here. I'm pretty picky about... well, everything, so I wouldn't listen to people if they said that anyway. I'll get what's best for me.

[Ketchup345]

Somewhat related, but it always makes me laugh when car companies launch a new 'executive' section aimed at the US/Western world. It makes me laugh even more when people buy the import version instead. For example Lexus (part of Toyota, Lexus IS200 is a rebadged Toyota Altezza- the only difference aside from that is higher insurance on the Toyota, for being an imported model), Infiniti (originally part of Nissan, I believe). I can't remember entirely, but I think Acura were originally rebadged Hondas too, though they might make their own unique cars now. I guess it creates the false impression that the brand is for the Western people, even if most of the time, the only difference is a badge. Having national pride in a brand, especially in the automotive industry is stupid, because most vehicles are manufactured through many countries.

The rebadges are often just different skins of the lower end cars, but might have some changes and are considered to be a luxury brand. The luxury brands usually are the first to get new technology (see things like lane departure from, Infiniti I think, auto-parallel park, or the smart cruise control systems). Usually the luxury brands have many options included by default. As far as I am aware, almost all luxury brands only come with leather, no cloth option (sadly, I and many others I know can't stand the way leather amplifies temperature).
Luxury brands often do not have smaller cars (at least in the US). I do remember hearing something about Audi considering bringing a small car to the US, though that may have changed now that fuel prices are so low (see the lack of thinking about the future- sales of larger vehicles rose since fuel prices started dropping).
Another difference is reliability. If you look at one of many lists for reliability, there is usually at least some difference between a brand and the luxury brand(s) it owns. The luxury brands often place a few spots higher.

And you are correct about Infiniti being tied to Nissan and Acura being high end Honda.

[CelestialBlade]

Does "high-end Honda" mean "it actually has torque?" XD