Response to Malorn's poll about Toyota and Economy

Predictable response, I am anticipating. He's going to mention how you *should* have bought an American car because then the manufacture happens here and the money changes hands to an American corporation rather than a foreign one.

A difference of opinion.

 

You are right about a,b,c, and d. Those are also true if GM or Ford sell a vehicle. The difference is in the production. Say a vehcle COSTS 25000 to manufacture. If the vehicle is made in Japan almost that entire amount is transfered to Japan and dispersed among different Toyota entities and employees. If that vehicle is manufactured by Ford or Toyota that $25000 stays in the United States and is multiplied throughout the US economy. If Toyota manufactures a vehicle in the US, a chunk of the $'s stay in the US but the money for the big $ components (ie engine , trans,etc is usually sent back to Japan. This is the reason that the higher the $ vehicle the less the chance it is manufactured here. Lexus' North American content is 4%--$50000 Lexus and $2000 stays in the US.

 

IBTL

h34r:

 

So what's your point? This is the way it's been for at least a few decades... people have been saying this exact same thing from the very beginning and using this as an excuse to only buy domestic...

But it's happened anyway... american made goods are rare now... but we've gone on to do other things. your beef isn't with Toyota. Your beef is with globalization... so don't go blaming Toyota for all the world's problems.

Globalization has brought McDonalds and Nike brands to all corners of the world, but look at the clothing your wearing... where is it made? China? Indonesia?

How do you propose we change this? Or does this need changing at all?

 

I just want people to know what they are actually doing when they buy. A pair of shoes is one thing, but it takes a # of shoes to equal the dollars in one Lexus. I think education is the best way, and that is all I'm really trying to do is get people to think. Toyota is not an American company, so when they buy that Lexus SUV they will know one of the reasons that school districts, local governments, and many people can not maintain their current standards. Over time the lack of an industrial base will catch up with us, my hope is we realize it before it is too late.

 

These are not tv's or radios, these are $25000 a crack automobiles. This Japanese assault is led by Toyota and is reaching critical mass, Ford and GM are in big trouble and may not make it. When/if they fail you will realize what a part the auto industry plays in the US economy.

 

Funny stuff... who'd you vote for in the last election?

 

What is funny about it?

 

You cannot blame people for doing coming to a decision and buying what they believe is the best possible car for them. If that happens to be a foreign vehicle, that points to a weakness by the domestic vehicles.

If domestic car manufacturers had a compelling offering for what Americans want, then Americans will buy them...

I never liked the thought of buying an inferior American product simply to support an American company... that type of reasoning is backward. American companies should be encouraged to produce better and better products instead of the being encouraged to produce the same inferior quality and have people buy them.

Competition is good... it's good for the consumer... innovation comes from competition.

If GM and the others fail, it's not because the American public turned their back on them, but because GM turned their back on the American public... They'd have failed because they failed to produce a compelling product. Simple as that.

Are there going to be ramifications if GM goes belly up? Of course... should be we be going out of our way to "sacrifice" and buy nothing but American cars to save GM? That seems kind of far off... If GM is going to be saved, they have to do their own saving.

 

That doesn't make Toyota this evil conspiracy you imply. Your tone has changed dramatically from the last thread where you were bashing Toyota on every single talking point... bashing Toyota's hybrids as nothing more than a smoke screen...

I'll say it again: if GM or Ford goes down, it'll be because they made their own mistakes, and Toyota has nothing to do with it. It's business.

You're just whining because your home team isn't winning.

 

The rest of the Japanese manufacturers ride Toyota's coat tails. As Toyota goes, so goes the rest of the Japanese companies.

 

And for every moron who overpays for his dressed up Toyota called a Lexus, how many Japanese consumers buy a computer with Windows on it? Or how many Japanese corporations pay support to Redhat and Novell for Linux? Or how many Japanese kids bop around with iPods, cos lord knows Sony can't compete in that arena anymore. And the list goes on with CPUs, cellphones, etc.

It works both ways.

That said, I think Ford has done a really 180 over the last few years, and over that short span of time probably has a better track record than Toyota. Now GM... alas GM. Time to get your act together GM.

 

So far the poll is going about the way I thought. The overwhelming majority think a Toyota sale has a net positive effect on the US economy. Maybe in the future I will try clarify what "net effect" means.

 

So what? If you really want the domestics to survive, instead of bashing Toyota, you should be encouraging GM, Ford, and Daimler Chrysler to get off their butts and start making better cars, or find a way to make their process more efficient to save more money...

 

You're only trying to prove how stupid everyone else is... :angry: Well we're not going to fall for it.

You're a piece of work. You're probably judging all of us as unpatriotic americans for driving around our Japanese made cars, and propping yourself up because you drive a Chevy. Wonderful.

 

Its perception. The media has a huge hand in that. So somehow Ford and GM need to get that across to the media.

 

Not unpatriotic, just short-sighted! I compare it to the new documentary out about the real cost to consumers of Wal-Mart's low prices