[eiram21]

Okay, here's a thread that's sure to get lots of attention!!

why do American-made cars get such a bum wrap?
My answer is that according to all the "hype", American cars are not as dependable as their foreign counter parts. Plus, IMHO, they are not as stylish....is this something the American automakers could ever overcome??? Isn't it awfully hard to rebuild your reputation once it has been tarnished???

Anyone else care to chime in???

[Jwo85]

I think if the UAW went away, the rest of the nation would start looking into buying Detroit 3 cars. The nation doesn't view the UAW as American since they are not hard workers. They are lazy and expect to be paid good money for doing less work (Collecting unemployment plus full paycheck during plant switch over shutdowns.) Going on strike and making demands doesn't help their image either during a recession like they did in 2007 and 2008. I remember one Union member that got interviewed said "he doesn't want to pay for health care." That guy should have known that the rest of America does pay for their health care.

I know I gripe about the automotive industry but Detroit could have the U.S. Automotive market if the UAW didn't exist.

Toyota would have thought to put their HQ here instead of in NYC.
Nissan would have thought to put their HQ here instead of in California or now Nashville.
VW had theirs here but saw the dangers of what was coming with the UAW vs the D3 and left and moved to Virgina and wonder if they would have stayed if the UAW broke up.
Honda would have thought to put their HQ here instead of in California.

Then all the Auto plants those companies have would have been put in Michigan.

I wonder how Detroit would have turned out with all that cash flowing into the city from these companies. The Warren mayor is talking about tax incentives to get GM HQ and how the move would generate money for his city. So giving tax incentives does help the city generate money.

[nycsydj4]

It's the weight of too many years of bad reputation. It will take time to undo it. Plus, it's spelling "rap" with a w.. "wrap"? Seriously, though, Ford is starting to make some progress, I think, from a public perception standpoint. I believe that the Ford Focus, for instance, is the #1 small car in Europe at the moment. Ford also has a great reputation here in Australia where we currently live.

Jwo85 makes a good point. Things could have been very different for Detroit as the Japanese and other foreign automakers began to build capacity in the US. It's likely that any of them would have preferred to put their operations in and near SE Michigan, given the concentration of applicable expertise.

I was raised in MI and would love to move back to Michigan in the next few years, but I worry that the future is just too bleak economically for it to make sense for a young family like mine. The bad reputation of the Detroit 3 (at least, two of them) is a big part of that story.

[alleghenyangel]

Personally, I find most American cars to be better-looking than most of their Asian and European counterparts. For example, I don't think there is anything particularly attractive about a Toyota Camry in comparison to, say, a Mercury Milan. I have never been displeased by the reliability of American cars. I have owned several cars, from a Buick Roadmasters and Chrysler New Yorkers to Ford Focuses and now a Dodge Stratus. All were very reliable and required few if any significant repairs besides regular maintenance. I think there are lots of people who don't maintain their cars properly and maybe they have some complaints..

The main problem with American cars, in my opinion, is the high retail price. Who wants to pay $18000 for a new Chevy Cobalt?

[Jwo85]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Personally, I find most American cars to be better-looking than most of their Asian and European counterparts. For example, I don't think there is anything particularly attractive about a Toyota Camry in comparison to, say, a Mercury Milan. I have never been displeased by the reliability of American cars. I have owned several cars, from a Buick Roadmasters and Chrysler New Yorkers to Ford Focuses and now a Dodge Stratus. All were very reliable and required few if any significant repairs besides regular maintenance. I think there are lots of people who don't maintain their cars properly and maybe they have some complaints..

The main problem with American cars, in my opinion, is the high retail price. Who wants to pay $18000 for a new Chevy Cobalt?

Another thing is many of GM cars use a Toyota Engine. GM should be heavily marketing this. Show a Toyota car with a voice over saying "If you like this" and fade out everything except the Toyota engine then fade in the GM car with the engine being put in and have the voice over say "Then you should like this, Our cars are built with the reliable Toyota engines that Americans crave for."

[eiram21]

Originally Posted by Jwo85

I think if the UAW went away, the rest of the nation would start looking into buying Detroit 3 cars. The nation doesn't view the UAW as American since they are not hard workers. They are lazy and expect to be paid good money for doing less work (Collecting unemployment plus full paycheck during plant switch over shutdowns.) Going on strike and making demands doesn't help their image either during a recession like they did in 2007 and 2008. I remember one Union member that got interviewed said "he doesn't want to pay for health care." That guy should have known that the rest of America does pay for their health care.

I know I gripe about the automotive industry but Detroit could have the U.S. Automotive market if the UAW didn't exist.

Toyota would have thought to put their HQ here instead of in NYC.
Nissan would have thought to put their HQ here instead of in California or now Nashville.
VW had theirs here but saw the dangers of what was coming with the UAW vs the D3 and left and moved to Virgina and wonder if they would have stayed if the UAW broke up.
Honda would have thought to put their HQ here instead of in California.

Then all the Auto plants those companies have would have been put in Michigan.

I wonder how Detroit would have turned out with all that cash flowing into the city from these companies. The Warren mayor is talking about tax incentives to get GM HQ and how the move would generate money for his city. So giving tax incentives does help the city generate money.

WOW!! I never thought about this - that is truely sad. I know there are strong arguments for having unions, but the one I remember most is that they were created in times before the laws protected many of our workers. It does seem that they do a bit more harm than good these days...I have to wonder. VERY sad indeed!!!

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by eiram21

My answer is that according to all the "hype", American cars are not as dependable as their foreign counter parts.

Maybe years ago, but personally I believe it comes down to maintaining ANY car properly and they will last a long time. Personally the vehicles I have owned from the big 3 have outlasted any of them I have owned from other automakers. EVERY "American" vehicle I have owned easily went 125,000 miles, and a couple 250,000+ miles. I sold a mid 70's Cougar with 225,000 miles on the odometer and the guy I sold it too drove another 5 years daily before he traded it in and got a newer vehicle. My old work/fishing Truck has 280,000 miles on it and in the last year I took it on a trip over 1500 miles pulling a heavy trailer without a second thought. Would do it today if I needed to.

Every foreign vehicle I have owned has been in the scrapyard by 100,000 Miles. All (Foreign and Domestic) get the exact same treatment and all stick to a more rigid maintenance schedule than recommended.

Plus, IMHO, they are not as stylish....

Bleeech on the styling of most Foreign vehicles for me personally. Most of them all look like the same. A lot of them really are not well thought out at all when it comes to actually using them, they seem centered on "design" and not "function". Rounded, and/or sweeping lines will only go so far; when they interfere with the function of a vehicle it is too much (Think of that abomination the Honda Ridgeline).

[daniboi81]

I agree with the comment regarding the UAW. IMHO, I don't see the value or benefits in unions. If you work your "butt" off and perform without cutting corners, then you should be compensated as such, otherwise you should be let go without the protection of a union....period. I think that's the main contributor of MI and the American auto industry of failing. Even though I don't work in the auto industry, I'm glad I got out of MI last year.

[jmlowman]

My first real new car, after the hand-me-down Chevy coupe my dad gave me in high school, was a 1969 Pontiac LeMans. I loved that car and drove it to and from college out of state, about 600 miles, the last two years of college. When I went in the Air Force and had 4-year orders to Japan after tech school, my dad sold it for me. No problems at all, but two years is too little time to tell.

When we returned to the US, we bought an AMC Gremlin (don't laugh - we must have put 250,000 miles on it, but the speedometer and odometer quit around 225,000) and the only problem was sensor failure in the distributor that caused the engine to cut out. This was a major problem on the freeway, naturally. I sold it to a co-worker so that his son could drive it and learn to maintain cars.

After that we had Isuzu mini-pickups. My wife's ran forever and I had mine for about 5 years until I got t-boned and it was totaled. We then bought a Rodeo. The mini-pickups had one problem, and that was that the manifolds cracked easily. The Rodeo was not far out of warranty and had to have major transmission work done (in a 5-speed stick, no less!) and the headgasket had to be replaced.

We drove all of these previously-mentioned vehicles years beyond the point where we had paid them off, with nothing more than minor repairs other than the expensive ones on the Rodeo.

Before he passed away in 1997, my dad gave me his 1994 Buick Century Custom. It was his pride and joy and was maintained as such. I drove it from FL to CA and and up until late 2005, when I bought my Chevy Avalanche. Other than putting about $600 into repairs for the cooling system, it was running well before I donated it.

Now, at 3-1/2 years in, nary a problem with the Avalanche. I love this truck, and probably would buy another Chevy or GMC pickup when the time comes.

I would agree with those who said that proper maintenance will make any vehicle last nearly forever.

Sorry for the long post.

[cocosbuddy2]

I come from a family who has a long history with American cars. My grand-fathers, my father, his brothers etc. all are car crazy! One believes Chevy is tops, the other Chyrsler, some Ford, you get the picture. In my younger days just starting out I drove American. This would have been the late 70s and early 80s. However, I just got tired of all the misc repairs, over and over again. The last American car I owned was a 1982 Buick Regal. Since then, the only cars I have owned are BMW's. Fabulous cars! They are the cars I drove my kids to school in, we made our family trips in, everything. Now that we have an empty nest, I told my husband I would like a VW. So now I drive a VW Gulf GTI. I just love it!!! I just do not think I would ever drive a car that is not German Engineered. My husband of course prefers a Chevy truck to drive, however, he is wanting to buy another BMW. He misses the 5 series. America could build a wonderful car also....so why do they not?