I love the looks of my 2007 VW GTI but not the mileage or the fact that it is a foreign car. I am from Michigan and want to buy a Ford. I still owe some on my GTI (less than it is worth so I’ll still come out ahead) and prefer to trade it in rather than sell privately. I live alone and don’t feel comfortable selling/test driving my car with someone. I would like to buy a Ford Fiesta hatchback. I am looking for any advice on how to get the best deal as I have never done purchased a new car before. Ideas?
You mean you want an American sounding named car…The 2011 Ford Fiesta is currently in production at the company?s Cuautitlan, Mexico. That’s not helping Michigan.
My advice is to research models actually made in America if you don’t want a foreign car. Maybe the Focus to 2010 and beyond.
I didn’t know that. I just want to support an American company. I have also been thinking about the 2012 Ford Focus hatchback. Maybe I will wait for that to come out.
Go to 3 Ford dealers and get them to write their best deal on a Fiesta with your car as a trade. Don’t sign any papers, just get the price and leave your phone # with the salesman. Tell them you are shopping around before deciding on a car.
Then compare your deals and wait. In a week or so the phone will ring. Tell the salesperson you have a better deal than he offered you but you haven’t bought yet. Let this go back and forth on the phone a few times over a couple of days. If 2 or 3 salespeople call even better. When you get a deal you like, then you can go back to the dealer to finalize the deal. They will try to say you misunderstood something and so you might have to walk away again. Eventually you’ll get a deal and it will usually be just before the end of the month.
I commend you on your willingness to support American companies who produce goods here, It’s not easy keeping up with their place of origin and you may have to research even more when it’s time to buy. That info is posted on the windows of new cars with the sticker price.
What’s an American car? A Chevy Geo made in Korea or a Toyota made in the US? Cars are global these days.
I bought a Toyota Sienna that was assembled in LaFayette, Indiana. The salesman told me that they had some Boilermakers from Purdue put the cars together. I assume that this means my Sienna has a steam engine.
Hondas are made in Marysville, Ohio and have a very high US content. The new Chevy Cruze is made in Lordstown, Ohio and although the original design was German, it’s been modified to be a real US car.
Many years ago in college I dated a minister’s daughter form Michigan. He was strongly pro-US and pro-Michigan. He drove a Chevy, all the appliances were Whirlpool (Benton Harbor, Mich) and he even had an Argus camera, made in Ann Arbor. Their furniture came from Grand Rapids, and he wore Hush Puppies around the house (made be Wolverine Shoe near Grand Rapids). Needless to say they ate Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (Battle Creek) for breakfast.
Nothing wrong with supporting your local industry, as long as it gives you value for money.
Hopefully the salesman didn’t mean the workers had some boilermakers and then put your car together.
As two-tone said, cars are more global these days, you gotta look at the stickers closely if you’re really concerned about where your car is built/where the parts come from. Visit various dealership websites and see if they have the window sticker for you to view online and check it out.
With that said, buy what you want because you like it, not because it’s made in one place over another
The Cruze is an outstanding car, but is not available as a hatchback. If you can settle for a coupe or sedan, put the Cruze on your list.
Here’s a list of all the cars that the UAW and CAW build. You can be sure of where it was assembled, but the list is not complete. There are manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, and BMW that build cars without UAW or CAW participation, yet they are assembled in the USA or Canada.