What are the pros and cons to buying a foreign-made car and an American-made car?

Question

I'm looking for a 4-door, newer than '95, power locks and windows, less than 100,000 miles, and small (no truck, suv, van, etc.), if that even matters. I'd really appreciate fact-based responses rather than opinion-based. Thank you.

Answer 1

Generally speaking, Japanese cars have better reliability and value, which is why they tend to hold their value a little more than comparable American makes. I'd suggest a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. These two are rated the highest by Consumer Reports, both on reliability and road test score.

Answer 2

Look in my life time, I have owned both. Got to say the imports seem to hang in there a lot longer than the American made ones. The imports can run over 100,000 miles with less problems. Like say a Ford Taurus have you checked out the recalls on this car on line? I had a 1993 Ford Taurus and it had over 241 recalls on just that car, you ran any year of those kind of cars and still recalls. Ford knew their was problems but they kept making the some problems over and over. Sure imports have recalls but not 241 worth, I think when an import company finds a problem with their cars, they fix that problem and does not keep making the same problem over again. Look to buying a Honda, the resell on these cars are great, so if you buy one with two or years down the road you can trade it off and do well. But try that with an American made car. I guess when you buy that car, you better check the internet and check recalls on it. Then go from there. Hope this helps some.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

As far as the economic impact goes it doen't matter since it's a used car. It's kind of hard to answer your question since there is a very wide range in the quality of American or foreign carts depending on their manufacturer. One of the biggest myths is that japanese cars are more reliable than those from america or europe when actually the most reliable car in the ratings for the past 2 years was the Buick Lesabre. I Personally bought a VW cause I prefer German cars and their stiff suspension/ good handling. I would say just to pick out some cars that you think look good and are fun to drive, then go on msn or jdpower.com and check their reliability ratings.

Answer 5

Well, if you are an American and buy an American-made car, then you are potentially supporting your own economy instead of driving the already-thriving economies of Europe and Asia, which have currencies worth more than the USD...although, it's quite hard to find an [all] American-made car, as, even though they said it was made in the USA, most of the parts were probably made in Mexico and then only assembled here. For reliability and safety, it might be good to know that the bulk of roller coaster parts come from Germany, which is also well-known for their quality cars - Chrysler, Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen. I would definitely go with a German-made car if you don't give a rat's about the US econ.

Answer 6

I would buy American. There are more of them and the parts are cheaper. If the American resale value is bad, then that benefits you because you are buying used and then you'll pay less.

If foreign parts have to be shipped from overseas, it makes sense that they'll cost more.

I've had new foreign cars and they were crummy, I've had American cars, some better than others, but I've always been able to get them fixed. I've also had one with over 200,000miles on it and never had to work on the engine.

Go American

Answer 7

parts for japanese cars are usually double or triple the price of American parts and even then you usually have to order them and wait meaning you will have nothing to drive until the ship form japan gets here. I have over 310,000 miles on my general motors car and have still not had to do any engine repairs and it runs like new. if you look around you will see thousands of 15 year old American cars still in good running condition compared to few 15 year old japanese cars still running....the facts speak for themselves....take the challenge and look around for yourself....you will see that it is true

Answer 8

It's hard to describe an "American" car. Do you want a Ford made in Mexico or a Toyota made in Kentucky? Or a Nissan made in Tennessee?

The Japanese car companies are kicking butt. You would do well with a Toyota anything.

Answer 9

1) I wouldn't pick a car based on which country its from. Pick a car you like that suits your needs (styling, performance, cost).

2) No one really makes cars. Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota really just assembles cars. All the parts come from various suppliers and they get shipped to a factory where it is all assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. With domestic cars such as Ford, most of their parts are from America. Ford has most of its plants in the U.S. and a couple of plants in Mexico and Canada. With foreign cars, the parts are usually from that country (Toyota parts from Japanese suppliers). Those parts get shipped to similar factories where they are assembled.

3) Depending on how much you have to spend, look for a car that is certified as pre-owned by the car maker (Ford, Honda etc.) With that, you get a factory backed warranty and a vehicle that must pass certain quality tests as a used car.

Answer 10

i have a 98 ford escort with 140,000 miles on it. it runs like a champ. had a timing belt done at 92,000 miles. take care of the car and the car will take care of you. american made all the way!!