Mom, Apple Pie and...Toyota?

Wall Street Journal ^ | May 11, 2006 | JATHON SAPSFORD and NORIHIKO SHIROUZU

[LowCountryJoe]

Yet, by a crucial measure, the Sienna is far more American than the Mustang. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that were publicized in "Auto Industry Update: 2006," a presentation by Farmington Hills, Mich., research company CSM Worldwide, show only 65% of the content of a Ford Mustang comes from the U.S. or Canada. Ford Motor Co. buys the rest of the Mustang's parts abroad. By contrast, the Sienna, sold by Japan's Toyota Motor Corp., is assembled in Indiana with 90% local components.

[snip]

[snip]

"As the son of a union member, I'll admit that free trade is an issue with which I've struggled," says Republican Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, who has a Nissan Titan pickup truck in his garage. But he adds: "Remember that every Nissan built in Canton also was engineered by Americans, for Americans."

[spetznaz]

'Buy American' is not what it used to be.

[al baby]

Toyota trucks rule

[Hodar]

Don't care where it's manufactured, or who it's manufactured by.

Chevy didn't give a rats rectal-function about me spending every last dime I had keeping a 2 year old Mazda running. They didn't care that it left me stranded time after time. 2 engines and 2 transmissions later, I scrapped it with a whopping 65,000 miles on the odometer.

My old Toyota pickup had 168K on it when I sold it to my best friend. My Lexus has 180K and is going strong, it has never let me down. My new Tacoma Quad-cab is rugged.

American cars did me dirty, when I could least afford it. I'm now making 6-figures; and American car companies will NEVER see a dime of my money. I don't care what the product it, I don't care what it costs; it's PERSONAL.

Yes, when they go down; I'll be the dude dancing and singing on their grave.

[Huck]

My friend's Nissan Pathfinder has over 230K on it and still going.

[Hodar]

My spelling and grammar teacher would be appauled.

"I don't care what the product it (should be 'is').

American motor company complaints really get's my blood boiling....

[BW2221]

"Chevy didn't give a rats rectal-function about me spending every last dime I had keeping a 2 year old Mazda running. They didn't care that it left me stranded time after time. 2 engines and 2 transmissions later, I scrapped it with a whopping 65,000 miles on the odometer."

What does Chevy have to do with Mazda? Ford owns a large percent of Mazda, but there is NO association between Chevy, or any other part of GM, and Mazda.

[Hodar]

I've got no beef with Nissan. Nissan, Accura, Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Infinity are all fine vehicles. I have no use for Ford, Dodge, Lincoln, Mercury, Chevy and the rest.

When I figure that I'm going to be paying for my vehicle for the next 4 years; I do not consider myself as being out-of-line for expecting my car payment to be the ONLY major expense on that vehicle. Sure, tires, gas and routine maintenance should be expected. But anything else is unacceptable.

American car companies didn't lose me as a customer. They abused me, cheated me, and did their best to chase me to the competition. For some strange reason, Japan seems to like my business - so they are going to be getting the rest of my business.

[MaDeuce]

I'd like to see Toyota make a 4X4 diesel truck that could compete with the Ford F550 or a GMC 5500 ... the truck size I need for my next truck.

I wish Dodge would make a Cummins 5500 model ... I need a 4 door dump body with a 10K payload capacity.

[TommyDale]

Flying home last night on American Airlines aboard a Super 80,
I picked up the information card about the aircraft to read,
"Final Assembly in America". Where were the sub-assemblies made?

[Hodar]

Sorry, I got stuck with the 4 cyl Chevy Monza, not Mazda. I blame it on the sugar and caffeine :-)

[Proud2BeRight]

A burger from a Tokyo McDonalds made by a local burger flipper is still American. A toileta assembled in the US is still a Jap car.

[Cousin Eddie]

All the Japanese have increased their American content in the past 8 years, and all of the Big 3 American companies have decreased their American content. Yeah, the Japanese must really believe that American workers produce an inferior product (be it a part or finished car) --- that's why they buy so many domestic parts and expand their assembly operations here.

We own one of each (American SUV and Japanese sedan), however my wife's favorite replacement for her 2000 American SUV is a Japanese SUV built in Indiana with something close to 90% American content.

I admit to an emotional dilemma. On the one hand the profits on a Toyota SUV or Minivan go to a foreign company, however an extra 25% of the cost of the car goes to employ Americans and enure to the profits of American businesses.

So if I buy a $20,000 car with 90% domestic content and a 10% profit margin, then 90% of the manufacturing cost or $16,200 (90% of $18,000 ---- $20,000 minus the $2,000 profit) stays in the U.S. employing U.S. workers and profiting U.S. firms. $3,800 leaves the country ($2,000 profit plus $1,800 of the manufacturing cost).

On the other hand, if I buy a $20,000 American car with 65% domestic content and a 10% profit margin, then the $2,000 profit plus $11,700 (65% of the $18,000 manufacturing cost) stays in the paying U.S. workers and profiting American businesses. In other words, only $13,700 stays in the U.S. But $6,300 of the purchase price leaves the country because a Big 3 firm sent the money over the border to buy parts.

[al baby]

You don't want much do you

[ErnBatavia]

Don't care where it's manufactured

There can be a rather slight difference...in 1997 we bought two new identically equipped Camrys four months apart...the white one was made in the U.S., but the gold one came "off the boat".

Over the ensuing 95-100,000 miles on both, the gold one that came from the Land of the Rising Sun has proven superior in it's "tightness", paint (no EPA rules!) and suspension.

Just 30 days ago, we traded in the white one on the new Yaris compact...made in Japan.

[al baby]

And to pay union labor to sit and do nothing

[buccaneer81]

Chevy didn't give a rats rectal-function about me spending every last dime I had keeping a 2 year old Mazda running.

Did you mean Monza?

[Spktyr]

I had an 82 Toyota pickup that simply wouldn't die for the longest time, despite the fact that I actively tried to kill it. It finally expired at 450K.

[buccaneer81]

What does Chevy have to do with Mazda? Ford owns a large percent of Mazda, but there is NO association between Chevy, or any other part of GM, and Mazda.

I think he meant Chevy MONZA. Mid '70s piece of you know what. Like the Vega.

[Hodar]

Just 30 days ago, we traded in the white one on the new Yaris compact...made in Japan.

Thinking of picking that one up for commuting (MPG is great). What are your impressions?