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It's like parrots all over this thread from the right wing extremists repeating over and over what they have been programed by fox news.
US automaker sales have been skyrocketing as of late and GM is close to beating toyota as the world's #1 auto company.
in what manner are you suggesting that american automakers are not competing with foreign automakers? the F series pick up has been the best selling vehicle for more than 33 years, despite the recession. from 1986 to 1996 or so, the taurus was the best selling car in america. for many years through about 2005 ford had five of the top ten best selling vehicles in america. GM as no slouch either in the sales department.
are we then talking about performance cars? class for class the domestic cars are as quick, and handle about as well as their foreign counterparts.
quality? nope, there again foreign or domestic quality is similar.
so in what manner are domestic automakers not competing with foreign automakers?
American automobiles also tend to have mile-long lists of options and too many colors; if you've ever seen the base model of the Cruze next to a fully-loaded and substantially larger Hyundai Elantra, there's little doubt that, as recent reviews have pointed out, not only is having five different trim models for the Cruze indefensibly asinine and horrible for overhead, but it's horrendously overpriced, brisk sales notwithstanding.
Those outsized UAW contracts ($20.00+ per hour compared to the competition according to published reports), are still a major deterrent for success for the Detroit 3.
I have wondered this for years I have owned a lot of cars and have found a few good American Cars but a lot of good Japanese cars. We can complain about health care ,Unions and Management all we want but a good car begins in the engineering phase. Reliable Japanese cars are being built by American workers. A friend of mine who is working in China as a production engineer says their approach starts with the very machines used to make cars, IMO The problem is the best American cars are always the one very few people can afford like the Lincoln or Cadillac and Japan can consistently make reliable cars in every price range. I don't know if JD power is still the authority , but I have always used reliabily instead of sales to judge which auto maker makes the best cars
Last edited by thriftylefty; 05-29-2011 at 09:14 AM..
American automobiles also tend to have mile-long lists of options and too many colors; if you've ever seen the base model of the Cruze next to a fully-loaded and substantially larger Hyundai Elantra, there's little doubt that, as recent reviews have pointed out, not only is having five different trim models for the Cruze indefensibly asinine and horrible for overhead, but it's horrendously overpriced, brisk sales notwithstanding.
Those outsized UAW contracts ($20.00+ per hour compared to the competition according to published reports), are still a major deterrent for success for the Detroit 3.
It just boggles my mind, someone who has worked for decades that $20 an hour is astronomical in the year 2011. It's chump change is what it is and not even close to inflation. In the 1960s $10 an hour was a fair wage, I'll repeat--fair.
I have wondered this for years I have owned a lot of cars and have found a few good American Cars but a lot of good Japanese cars. We can complain about health care ,Unions and Management all we want but a good car begins in the engineering phase. Reliable Japanese cars are being built by American workers. A friend of mine who is working in China as a production engineer says their approach starts with the very machines used to make cars, IMO The problem is the best American cars are always the one very few people can afford like the Lincoln or Cadillac and Japan can consistently make reliable cars in every price range.
Make no mistake many countries place huge tariffs on our cars in their perspective nations. My cadillac Deville new was around $50,000. Sold in Japan it would be around $200,000 give or take.
You know its funny that both the European and Japanese auto makers were able to encroach upon the American automobile market with a strong unionized work forces. Of course arguing that unions were the cause of the demise of the Big Three, isn't quite as much fun as looking at the type and quality of cars that domestic manufacturers were cranking out isn't nearly as fun or fitting of the agenda of our reactionary brothers and sisters would care to advance.
One comment: the quality of cars doesn't depend directly on unions, hourly payments and health insurance to retirees. You can design an innovative car, with or without unionized work force. You can make reliable cars with or without unions. GM cranked out a variety of new models in last 5 years that are rated better in reliability then VW or Audi. Who prevented them from debuting the Camero, Cruze, Cadillac CTS, buick lacrosse before? They designed those cars with the same problematic unions as always. And Ford Mustang?
But who needs a Cruze when you can sell Chevy Blazer at high profits? BTW, the best selling Corvette was more then once in danger of being killed by GM management and only a bunch of engineers who worked extra hours without pay, saved it from its destiny.
Last edited by oberon_1; 05-29-2011 at 11:16 PM..
Reason: B
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