Would anyone consider buying an American car with all the trouble now in Detroit?
Of course. There are some really good deals to be had, especially if it is a Ford. Ford is in pretty good shape.
…and my 1998 Honda Civic is an American car. It was made in the U.S.A. with American labor, and I would be willing to buy another one.
At this time, I would only buy 2 Detroit models; the Ford Fusion (built in MEXICO) and the Chevrolet Malibu. Both are good cars, and I’m not worried about the warranty or either company or its division staying in busines in some form.
Sure, but then I have been buying cars since 1965 and I have never chosen a US brand car. They just don’t cater to what I like in a car. That said, I don’t see any other reason to not buy one.
The cars there are few I like but the state of Detroit is irrelevant.
If I had the need for a full size truck/SUV I would not hesitate buying a domestic brand. The other brands cannot even come close to competing with the offers by Ford & GMC/Chevy.
I’m considering buying a Cobalt for my daughter now. The Malibu is a great car, but it’s just too expensive. I also have $3000 GM bucks burning a hole in my pocket. If GM declares bankruptcy in two months when the US government decides what to do about them, those GM bucks will likely evaporate. President Obama said today that the US government would underwrite GM and Chrysler warranties, but I’m not sure he can do that unilaterally. If he can, I’m in. I don’t think I can wait any longer if I want to use those GM bucks.
A Cobalt? It’s good enough. She can spend her own money when she graduates from college for whatever she wants. She needs a car to commute to her teaching experiences and has said that a Cobalt would be great. Hey, it’s the 5th leading compact in sales, believe it or not. Money talks - it’s priced a lot lower than many competitors. Take off $2500 for rebates, $3000 GM bucks, another $700 to get the price to invoice, and maybe another $1000 dealer incentive for “program” cars. That’s almost half price!
Define “American.”
I own an Acura and a Subaru, both of which were built in factories on American soil. Are they “American,” or “Japanese?” To me they’re just vehicles. I don’t care where they come from.
Are they good, reliable vehicles, or not? That’s my main concern.
There are a few (very few) vehicles with “American” brand names, which I would consider purchasing, but some of them are built outside the USA.
I never buy new cars (although it’s tempting right now), so my opinion may not matter. If, however, I were in the market there a few “American” cars I’d consider.
I like the new Chevy Malibu better than the Saturn Aura, even I know they’re basically the same. I also like the Saturn Astra. Other than that, GM has nothing I have much interest in. (Are you listening, GM?)
Ford has the Fusion, which may or may not be an OK car, but I’d have to check it out.
The Ford Focus used to be an OK car as far as I was concerned, but the latest model leaves me cold. My son and his wife have an '06 Focus (they also have a Mini Cooper S), and they say the Focus handles great and is fun to drive.
Chrysler? Forget it. They have nothing that interests me. My most recent experience with a Chrysler product was a Dodge Caliber as a rental.
Please, God, don’t make me have to drive a Caliber ever again. The visibility was so bad, in any direction, it was frightening to drive, especially in traffic.
I wonder, to this day, how they’ve managed to sell a single one.
In summation: Ford, more likely. GM, maybe. Chrysler, no.