Just because a import manufacturer has opened a few assembly plants does not in any shape or form compare to the size and contribution the domestic manufacturers contribute to the economy and way of life for many Americans. Honda or Toyotas foot print in the USA is considered minuet when compared to the domestic manufacturers.

Don't confuse American assembled import any great triumph for Americans or the American Economy on a whole. Final assembly is but a portion of the cost in overall vehicle development and production.

 

This is exaclty it. The more Toyota, Nissan or Honda sells and build here it only makes it more of a case for any domestic car company to find a cheaper alternative to getting parts, weather here or outsourcing to another country. Let me ask you this is GM was having the sales that Toyota has every year and not a loss in market share you really think they would be closing plants, putting jobs out of the country? no, they would not they would not break something if it was not broken and cost effective. Loosing market share and cost and trying to be competative is one reason outsourcing is so popular.
The other is our idiotic goverment. I hope things change as far as levleing the feild to compete again, health care and what not. I think if GM didnt care about being here they would not of gone to the goverment to ask for help in a big way. Labor and trade and unions. If all this gets ironed out then you will see the diffrence in buying an Import to an American car designed, supplied and produced here. Right now Toyota does not have the problems GM has.
Like I said I do not blame Toyota Nissan or Honda I blame the people that think its okay to play in thier sandbox and good for the economy. They are gaining ground while we are loosing it on our own turf.

 

No one here has said that the non-domestic brands have as big a “foot print” in the US as does GM or Ford. No one has said that Toyota or Honda or the rest contribute as much, it total to the US economy as does GM or Ford…that isn’t and hasn’t been the point. The domestic 2.5 are huge and contribute a huge amount to the US GNP – no one is denying that.

The point was that when an individual goes to a Toyota dealer and buys a domestically produced Toyota, that sale, in every tangible, objective measurement has the same relative benefit to the US economy as if he had gone to a Chevrolet dealer and bought a domestically produced Chevrolet.

By the same token, if you go to a Chevrolet dealer and buy a vehicle that was made in Mexico, it’s, at best, only marginally more beneficial to the US economy than if you purchased an imported unit from any other manufacturer.

No doubt that GM and the UAW would like people to think the non-Detroit based automaker does all the “real” work in Japan or Germany or wherever and then simply imports the pieces into the US and bolts them together into a vehicle – that is simply not the case - most of what it takes for a Toyota or a Nissan or a Honda to build a vehicle in the US happens in the US; even as basic as buying rolled steel and stamping out body parts and building frames.

I’m not saying that everything; that every facet of producing a vehicle in the US is identical between Toyota and Honda and GM and Ford but at the end of the day, the actual differences between a Toyota built vehicle in the US and a Chevrolet built vehicle in the US are far, far fewer and far, far less substantive than GM would ever like the public to know.

 

All due respect...........You are full of ****! If not for the American brands, this country wouldn't exist right now......period. Keep singing your song, its BS anyway! You are either 1, trying to justify your purchase of a product, from a company who's home country (france) has been stabbing America in the back for decades, or 2 you work for said company in some capacity. No matter how you slice it, dice it, or dress it up, a steaming pile of **** will always be, just that!

 

but then it goes back to the parts list of what percentage is made here or there. Then of course it does. BUt wasnt that your argument before in all of this the % of parts and justifying your claim on its impact.


can say the same if you bought the import that was shipped here.

 

Absolutely and completely wrong.

From an earlier post from Fbodfather:

STATEMENT: “OH YEAH? WELL MY TOYOTA/HONDA/BMW/MERCEDES IS BUILT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES!”


Average Domestic Content

GM: 82%
Honda: 49%
Toyota: 41%
Nissan: 38%
BMW: 11%


Jobs Created in the United States Per 100 Vehicles sold

GM, Ford and DCX: 23.4 jobs
Japanese competitors: 13.3 jobs


Capital Investment in the United States

GM 1999-2003: $20 Billion.
Toyota 1980-2003: $10.7 Billion.
Nissan 1980-2004: $2.8 Billion
Honda 1980-2003: $5.6 Billion


Contribution to the GNP:

GM’s contribution to the U.S. Gross National Product (GNP) is 4X that of Toyota

Got better numbers? Let's see them. I tend to trust Fbodfather because we know who he is and who he works for, so if he's disseminating bad information, he can get called on the carpet for it. Someone who we "don't know what they do, and it's none of our business" randomly spouting that "buying import is the same as the US" is rather less credible, thank you very much, especially if said person might have a vested interest in a competing company's success.

Finally: buy what you want . . . but don't try to convince yourself (or us) that it's the same as buying domestic.

 

I was wondering how long it would take for those numbers to come back to life!

'Bout time I just couldnt find them.

 

How you can make that statement and still maintain that GM is an “American” company is humorous. A true “American” company does not outsource jobs to India or build cars in Canada while US plants and facilities sit idle. A truly “American” company employs Americans; not workers offshore.

Yes…they would…they would if their main motivation for closing US plants and putting jobs out of the country is greed which I believe it is…they would if they put their bottom line and the selling price of their common stock above what is good for the US which I believe they do.

 

It's frightening how many Americans believe this garbage! The bottom line is this, nisson, honda, toyota, and the rest of the foreign brands, will NEVER be AMERICAN companies........EVER......! I don't care how hard they try, or how much brainwashing their friends in the press, and/or well placed moles, step up the BS, in the end, that's all it is is BS! There is tremendous history with these companies (the American brands), that "some" of US will NEVER forget! Patriotism is offensive to some people, to me it is essential to our existence. Maybe those who chose to ignore this history, are the same people who are offended by my patriotism, and my flag, and would like nothing more, than to bring down this great country! Open your eyes Americans, supporting American brands is not a choice, it's something people NEED to do, for the strenght of this country!! JMO!

 

Yeah right! I'll have to print them out again, so I can use em' to open peoples eyes! I think the last time, someone took it, and didn't give it back to me, cuz I printed it out before!

 

Repeating the same numbers over and over doesn't make them any more correct nor does it make them any more to the point.

As has already been said, no one here is denying the GM is a big company or that it doesn't contribute a huge amount to the US economy so continuing to spout the same numbers to prove a point that isn't being disputed is a pointless exercise.

As I said, there are those here, and maybe you are one, who would continue to hold out GM as the "great American Company" even if all they had left in the US was their dealership network and an office building in Detroit while every other job and manufacturing process was done in Mexico, China, Canada and India.

 

No; I would say that what’s frightening are those who measure patriotism based on whether the vehicle they drive has a GM or Ford or a Toyota nameplate on it.

You know the type…they deride anyone who doesn’t spout the “GM gospel” and label anyone as “unpatriotic” if they drive anything that doesn’t have a GM nameplate on it…they usually do this while on their way to the local Wal-Mart to spend their paycheck on all the Chinese made crap filling Wal-mart’s shelves

 

I wont take up for Wal Mart by any stretch, but they are just good at what they do. But that is the Same train of reasoning you use to bash others in your first paragraph. lol

Although Wal'Mart stores are in America. American owned. Employ thousands of Americans and give nice benefits and save Americans a lot of money and time so it isnt ALL bad with Wal Mart.

But you Can be patriotic by buying a nameplate because you know it has the most domestic content.

 

My problem isn't with Wal-Mart, its with the crap they carry made by a true enemy of the United States who would like nothing better than to drop a few nukes on our heads.

As to the domestic content...look at any given GM vehicle and a comperable Toyota made in the US...the domestic part content difference is minor and will only continue to be more so as GM sources more and more if its parts from offshore.

 

Patriotism is supporting your country through thick and thin, and not turning your back on the companies who had a hand in building this country, just because they are having financial troubles! GM is the best in the business......period! That is why I buy GM, it is an added benefit, that in doing so, I'm also supporting my country. You have no idea where I shop........so try to act like you do!