It may not be unpatriotic to buy a foreign car, but is it more patriotic to buy an American car because you?

Question

want to support your own economy?

When you buy an American-made Chevy, you not only support more American workers, but also American investors, owners and stockholders. When you buy an American-made Toyota, you may help your Uncle Bob if he’s on Toyota’s payroll, but you’re hurting Uncle Sam since American companies pay about three times as many taxes to the U.S. Treasury compared to foreign-owned companies. That’s something to think about the next time you hear we have to cut benefits or raise the retirement age simply because the U.S. Treasury doesn’t have enough funds to meet its obligations to Social Security or other benefit programs.
It may seem that your car-buying decision would have no effect on your personal prosperity or that of your country, but it does. It really does matter if you buy an American-made Chevrolet instead of an American-made Toyota.

GM spends over $1,500 per automobile just to provide health care to their employees, retirees and their dependents. By comparison, Toyota and Honda spend only a few hundred dollars per automobile, mainly because GM has been operating in the United States since the invention of the automobile and Toyota, for instance, only built their first plant here in 1987. Yet they still accuse that GM is “living in the past” even though the Chevy Impala beat the Toyota Camry in initial quality and Consumer Reports detailed how Buick now beats BMW in reliability.

Answer 1

There are plenty of good American cars it's just not as trendy to own one.

So when people are filling up their BMW at a Dutch gas station while sipping their Colombian coffee out of a cup made in China, on their way to pick up some shoes made in Argentina, they can complain about how they can't find a good American job.

Answer 2

The assumption that forigen auto maker don't provide health care is inaccurate. It just happens that the United States spends more on health care than anyone else, yet only get a fraction of the outcome.
I concider my choice of a Toyota Prius to be more Patriotic than someone who buy a GM Hummer. Where the initial cost of my vehicle will export only $15,ooo to a friendly trading partner (Japan) and Roughly $3,ooo in fuel from unfriendly and undemocratic trading partners, a Scummer will export $5,ooo in manufacture components and $16,5oo in fuel from those unfriendlies. In all, I have sent out less money, mostly to allies, while the Scummer *** will send out the bulk of it's lifetime costs to people who want to kill us. Although comparing a Prius to a Tank is not apples to apples, it makes the point. My Prius is the first time I didn't buy a Ford. The American Auto makers have failed to build anything even close, otherwise I'd have bought it. I bought the car that burns the least amount. My new pickup is a Diamler Chrysler, Ram 15oo(German), all because Ford wanted $7,5oo more for the same features. All things being equal, I buy American, but as far as autos go, forigeners make better cars. I wish them luck.
- P.S.- I buy my gas from Valero exclusively. American oil and American Refineries.
By the way, to try blaming the Social Security troubles on auto purchaces is kind of ignoring the 8oolb gorilla. The only source of return on SS funds is future tax revenue, which completely wipes out the benefit of compounding intrest. Untill some of the real principal of current deposits are secured in intrest bearing accounts this can't change.

Answer 3

Somehow, cars have different standing than cameras or DVD players. Of the big 3, GM, Ford and Chrysler. GM is probably the least incompetent. Ford had the Pinto, the Escort and the Taurus. I bought an '87 Escort in '96. It was less than 10 years old. When it had a mechanical problem, I couldn't find one mechanic who thought the cost of repairs was justified compared with the market value. At the time, the Escort was my NEW car. Here's my fleet. I own 5 cars which are driven by 4 drivers, myself, my wife, my son and my daughter. '86 Toyota MR2. Paid $550 6 years ago. 37mpg. Daily usage by my son. '88 BMW 735i. Bought on eBay for $2400 3 years ago. Nice car but not fuel efficient. I bought to replace my '82 BMW 733i which I bought for $600. '88 Volvo 240 wagon. My daughter drives it. Just passed test-only smog in California. She drives it daily. '91 Toyota Tercel. I just replaced the head gasket. It was worth fixing. '91 Honda Accord wagon. That's my daily driver. In the current condition it could easily run 3 to 5 more years. My yearly maintenance bill for 5 cars is less than $1000. Back to my tale of woe about American cars. A family friend bought a new Chrysler or Dodge minivan. The transmission failed. They were stranded on the side of the freeway. They now drive a Toyota minivan. Live and learn. - - - Subversive? For decades the only thing sustaining the democratic party was the labor unions, especially the autoworkers. Where do you think people like Bill Clinton get their votes?

Answer 4

I personally would never buy a toyota american made or not i believe in nothing but supporting the american automobile makers, but at the same time all the american makers are outsourcing more and more so its kind of hypocritical because in essence your buying a foriegn car with a domestic name on it. Anyway this is one American that is a proud owner of 2 American cars and I never plan to own anything foriegn whether it be mercedes or toyota god i hate toyota.

Answer 5

I think it's safe to assume by your question and commentary that you live in Michigan? I do, and the auto economy is down the toilet. I'll be honest with you- in this day and age, with a shrinking middle class and more one income households, people are looking at the $$$$ bottom line. Many of these cheaper foreign cars are not only more cost effective, but they also offer better warranties. GM, Ford and Chrysler need to include these extended warranties with their products as well. Currently, we own two Fords, and are happy with both vehicles, but when it comes time to purchase again, we will have to go with what's most economical.

As far as health care, I don't care what industry you're in, we're all being raped financially by the medical machine. A good example of this is that if you pay cash at my doctors, it's $35, but if you use your insurance, she charges them $160 and my copay is $42... Case in point.

I'll go ahead and say this- While the union protects the rights of our hardworking auto manufacturers, it also costs them a lot in rehabilitation programs for drug and alcohol abusing employees, as well as protects lazy workers from being fired. I know this because I have friends and relatives that complain about these types of coworkers.

Believe me, I want to see the auto manufacturing industry boom again, but as is, I just don't see it :(

Answer 6

Thanks for not really asking a question but instead posting a political column.

If Chevy wants to sell more cars, they need to remain competitive. How can you accuse people of being un-American when they buy a Toyota, while at the same time ignoring that Free-Market decisions are a founding tenet of Americana?

Answer 7

It has nothing to do with patriotism, IMO.

It has to do with not thinking it through. I live in SE Michigan, where the economy is dependent upon the auto industry. And when I see all the foreign make vehicles around here, it makes me wonder what these people are thinking. Do they not understand that their own jobs (for the great percent of them) depend upon other people buying their wares and services? And if the automotive people are out of work, that has a ripple effect throughout the whole economy - from the banker, to the accountant, to the sales clerk to the pizza boy.

By sending money out of the local economy, these people are cutting their own economic throats. Economics 101.

Answer 8

GM passes that $1500 on to consumers and pays its CEO an enormous salary with an over the top benefit and severance package. With so many components being built overseas, I don't feel it is patriotic to buy a car built in the US especially when automotive makers pay so much to the CEOs.

Answer 9

In order to keep domestic manufacturers on their toes, foreign companies should only be allowed to compete on quality, but not on prices. So tariffs should be levied to equalize prices.

But even that fair-trade policy drains our wealth, so the focus should be changed to improving American quality. Logically, managers and researchers should be limited to those with the most talent; it is a narrow application of the incentive principle to ignore the fact that the only way to develop talent is to pay people a salary plus free tuition to go to college.

Answer 10

Personally, I buy a vehicle according to its colour! Yeah, I am that deep.

Seriously though, I purchase a vehicle with an eye on economical use of resources to keep it moving with minimal impact upon our environment. I go by its record of longevity and also how it suits my needs of the time. ie. Minibus for soccer kids as Mum vs small vehicle for older Mom sans kids.

But then, I am not American. Every single darn decision I make does not have to reflect on my patriotic leanings.

I was serious about the colour though!