New prius built in USA.

What other 90-95% are you talking about. Camry's, Matrix, Corolla? these vehicles are built in the US by US workers for the US market. they aren't exported unless it is export to North American Markets. Our wealth in this country was diluted when Unions over priced labor and cut profits to the companies that feed them. When Nafta came around and it became cheaper for companies to build their products in 3rd world countries rather than having the over priced american worker make them, then they did so. It's actually just good business sense. If you can cut the cost of manufacturing and not have to pay the penalty to import back those goods, why wouldn't you? So my point is, until cost of doing business outside the US outways cost of doing business here, this exporting of wealth will never change.

 

Gee, those Japanese line workers sure do look stiff....

 

you do realize that our standard of living will fall faster than the standard will rise in the other nations. I would hardly categorize Japan as third world and it is nearly the largest producer of auto in the world. It is politics, not economics that got the US into this mess. Think about it,is it cheaper to produce some of the Wal-Mart plastic crap(little or no labor) in China, ship it seveal thousand miles ?

The 90-95% of the vehicles are the non-hybrids toyota sells in the US.

 

It is below original expectations. The surge in fuel prices should help. Lther Toyota in Mpls has '10 priuses on the lot.

 

Again, the comments directed at producing things in 3rd world countries or countries with labor costs far below US labor costs had little to nothing to do with Toyota and everything to do with what the american worker has created in this country. I am sorry i am so hard nosed about this but I have lived it my entire life. there are so many workers that I hve met with this sense of entitlement that it just sickens me. the work they produce is sub par and for that they expect to be paid premium wage for. I have a lot of pride in my country and the products we could produce here if cost was effective. And yes, that cheap plastic crap that walmart produces in China does cost less to produce there than it does here and ship thousands of miles when it is produced at quantity and shipped at quantity otherwise there would be no reason for the company to do it. Please remember that all these industries and companies we speak of are for profit businesses. If there weasn't a bigger bottom line for them to do something where ever it may be, they wouldn't do it. they have a responsibility to its stock holders to make sure of that.

 

China and japan articficially deflate there currencies to encourage exports and in the case of Korea and China often the transport is subsidized as is the energy, health care etc.

My favorite example of this are nails. Very little if any labor, and almost all made in china. Very heavy to transport and yet it is cheaper to bring them from China?

 

Yes probably for the simple fact that the guy running the machine the conveyer on there has a salary of oh say for a rough estimate of $5.00/hr where that same guy here would cost $20. Look I am really all together tired of this debate because it has nothing to do with this forum and should be taken soemwhere else. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to continue an arguement that you can't win.

 

Japan and China are flush with US dollars and you think that was by chance and/or some sort of economic "natural selection" taking place? Do you think it is also coincidence that Japan produces more than 11 million vehicles a year and the market is just over 5 million and imports are less than 3% of the market? Is it coincidence that China is removing more than $1 billin/day from this country and financing the debt. do you think that will go on forever? do you want your kids to be indentured servants speaking mandarin? do you think it is all chance or is it part of a strategy and industrial policy? i will pm you and you can convince me that the US trade deficits of the last few decades have helped the US?

 

Like my 14yr son said to me back in Nov 2008, "Dad, I don't want to be paying for their poor decisions. Every company eventually fails. Besides, if they had a GREAT product, they wouldn't be in this situation."

Now my son, and many of his friends, are ANTI GM and ANTI Chrysler. There is a new generation coming up that hates what's going on in America because they are being forced to pay for the very short sided decisions of others.

Well, Malorn, at least you keep the dialog going. Thanks.

 

malorn,

Current Household Vehicles: 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, 2009 Chevy Traverse, 2009 CTS-V, 2008 Chevy Silverado Crew.
Tahoe "HYBRID" 21 mpg
Traverse 19 MPG
Silverado "CREW" (1500) 17 MPG
CTS-V 16 MPG.

What the hell are you doing on this board ?? Your the antithesis of an environment friendly person/family.

Carl

 

Two points. 1) Toyota Camry is the car made with the most American parts and made in America. 2) Then why is our Congress bailing out GM and Chrysler when they will eventually FAIL. Costing my kids and your kids tens of thousands of dollars and a standard of living that will be less than ours. Its more of that short term thinking....it's stinking thinking!

BTW, my last Camry had 150,000 miles on it when I sold it. It had the original spark plug wires, radiator hoses and rear brake shoes. Oh no!...I had to change the front disc brake pads once. It NEVER went into the shop and NEVER broke on me. That's why I'm sold on Toyota. I have owned American quality before and shame on me for buying American over and over and over. Well, I finally learned to quit WASTING my money. The Air Conditioning is far superior than ANY of of the big three and the guy that bought the car didn't even drive it. He wrote me a check on the spot!