Is this unreasonable?

[The Boston Dangler]

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here's grandpa's new american truck

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: zoiks
She's being reasonable. Ultimately the profits go to Japan and the honchos in charge there.
Besides, the newer American vehicles are actually pretty good and in some cases better than their Japanese counterparts.

Three words: Publicly traded company.

OP, tell your mom to buy Gramps a Honda CR-V. As an American, it will make me richer, because I own stock in Honda of America. When Honda makes a profit, I make a profit. And frankly, he'll love the CR-V.

 

[senseamp]

She is entitled to her preference for American cars, just like people who insist on buying only Japanese cars.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Tiamat
That's not too unreasonable. For example, what is unreasonable is Chinese adults in USA that do not buy Japanese cars because of the oppression that their relatives suffered.

lol how is that any different than op's grandma? Everyone has their own reason for doing or not doing something. You can either try to change their mind or let them be.

 

[Spineshank]

Originally posted by: JujuFish
My grandfather wants to purchase an SUV to replace his Chevy Blazer that's nickle-and-diming him to death. My mom has POA and handles all of his finances. She refuses to even consider any automaker that isn't American. In fact, she's only barely even considering Ford, preferring to stick with Chevrolet.

Her argument was that she's supporting American jobs. I pointed out to her that, for example, Toyota owns or contracts 8 manufacturing facilities in the US. After that, she changed her stance and said that she wants to keep the money in America. I didn't really say much about this, because I don't know how the financial structure works, but these are all multinational corporations anyway.

Am I just crazy or is she being somewhat unreasonable?

My dad is the same way. But he used to work a steel frame factory and lost his job due to outsourcing.

 

[kalrith]

How American is that car?

A Toyota Sequoia, for example, has 65% of its contents from the US/Canada and is assembled in Indiana. A Chevy Equinox has 50% of its parts from the US/Canada and is assembled in Canada.

Edit: I'm not saying that buying a Toyota will provide more US profit than buying a Chevy. I just wanted to provide some additional information to this thread.

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: MixMasterTang

Originally posted by: MiataNC
Buying a car built in America supports the Americans who work in the plants.

Any dealership you buy from and have your car serviced at supports the Americans working there.

The money they get in their paychecks is then spent within the US supporting other Americans.

In my opinion it ultimately does not matter where the "profits" go if a person really wants to support the American worker.

One you thing you better make sure she is aware of is that buying Ford/Chevy/Dodge does NOT mean the car is built in the US. Most are built in Canada or Mexico.

Let's play a game them, to give you a chance to back up your statement. I will list Ford/GM/Chrysler cards made in America, and you list the ones that are not. If your list is bigger than mine you win and your statement holds true.

<snip>

Thanks for actually taking the time to make this list. It drives me absolutely ape shit when the import biased AT members say "zOMG but American cars are actually mostly built in blah blah blah and the imports built more cars here". The FACTS are domestics have more plants, employee more, build more cars and have a bigger impact on our economy. All it takes is a little research.

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: evident
meh, big 3 brainwashing as far as im concerned. i'll buy american built hondas/toyotas. tell the employees that build those vehicles that profits are going back to japan and see what they say.

:disgust:

Either way good for you for buying those Toyota/Hondas that were built here and not the non-US built ones.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: zoiks
She's being reasonable. Ultimately the profits go to Japan and the honchos in charge there.
Besides, the newer American vehicles are actually pretty good and in some cases better than their Japanese counterparts.

Not really, the profits go to whoever holds stock in the parent company. So a lot of the profits Ford and GM get, go outside the country, and some of the profits for say Toyota come to shareholders here in the US.

I prefer to base buying decisions on where the product is made/built, not where the parent company is located.

 

[jagec]

It's also worth mentioning that the "head honchos" in Japan make peanuts compared to CEOs on this side of the pond, so the stockholders are probably more of a valid metric for where the real money is going. Also, while it's true that you send a decent chunk of money to Japan every time you buy a new Toyota, you send just as much money to Saudi Arabia in the first two years of driving it. Frankly, if I have to pick a country which has sent suicide pilots against the US, Japan's attempts were decades further back and they've stopped doing it recently.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

IMO buying the best product for the money and sending a big F U to inferior products is the true american way

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: zoiks
She's being reasonable. Ultimately the profits go to Japan and the honchos in charge there.
Besides, the newer American vehicles are actually pretty good and in some cases better than their Japanese counterparts.

Errr the profits go to the shareholders, except in the case of chrysler...

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: evident
meh, big 3 brainwashing as far as im concerned. i'll buy american built hondas/toyotas. tell the employees that build those vehicles that profits are going back to japan and see what they say.

I think it was actually UAW that pushed that BS

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
IMO buying the best product for the money and sending a big F U to inferior products is the true american way

Quoted for truf. If you subscribe to the "only buy american" mentality, you're really saying that american companies can't hack it anymore.

That being said, if the products are on-part, it's probably more rational to buy the one assembled here.

 

[alkemyst]

POA usually doesn't override the person that gave it to someone.

I'd let him get what he wants.

Most of the cars on that list were probably assembled here in part, but I doubt 100% of their parts and assembly were american.

 

[JujuFish]

For those who are curious, she got him a used 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT (8600 miles) for $19,200.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: JujuFish
For those who are curious, she got him a used 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT (8600 miles) for $19,200.

He really got it himself though...she was just the agent.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Originally posted by: zoiks
She's being reasonable. Ultimately the profits go to Japan and the honchos in charge there.
Besides, the newer American vehicles are actually pretty good and in some cases better than their Japanese counterparts.

Not really, the profits go to whoever holds stock in the parent company. So a lot of the profits Ford and GM get, go outside the country, and some of the profits for say Toyota come to shareholders here in the US.

I prefer to base buying decisions on where the product is made/built, not where the parent company is located.

Not so unless the stocks pay fixed dividends, and even then you are talking about a very small portion of overall income.

The price of a share of stock is determined by the market, and any price increase is paid by the buyer of the stock, it is not paid from the company's profits. Yes, if Honda does well, then Americans who have invested in Honda's stock will profit, but it is still Honda itself that gets the money from the consumers. The owners of stock receive their money from whoever they sell the stock to.

ZV

 

[BassBomb]

my Honda was made in North America

 

[Squisher]

Text

Autos impact on U.S. economy
Job creation

5
Jobs created for each auto job

355,000
Workers employed by automakers in the U.S.

783,000
Workers employed by suppliers

1.972 million
Workers employed by supplier vendors

1.1 million
Workers employed by dealers

Indirect impact

10%
Of all U.S. employment related in some way to vehicular transportation

1.7 million
U.S. jobs that rely on auto production, such as restaurant, retail, etc.

Economic clout

3%
Of GDP produced by auto sector

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
That cuts off a LOT of cars. As already said Honda and toyota make a lot of their cars here. Heck even BMW has a plant in SC.

Mine is made in Germany

But, to be honest I'd probably give the American cars a second look if I was buying a new car.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

this is so stupid. "buying american". of course you are free to do with what to do with your money, but people that limit their selection of the market (auto market in this case) are making irrational decisions. there are better options if you consider every car in the market. for example, if you're looking for the highest performance car for about $80k and don't consider the skyliner (gt-r for all you "Americans") then you're making an irrational decision.

your mother is making an irrational decision in not considering all options for the type of car she is buying.

"BUY AMERICAN" lol... not

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: JujuFish
My grandfather wants to purchase an SUV to replace his Chevy Blazer that's nickle-and-diming him to death. My mom has POA and handles all of his finances. She refuses to even consider any automaker that isn't American. In fact, she's only barely even considering Ford, preferring to stick with Chevrolet.

Her argument was that she's supporting American jobs. I pointed out to her that, for example, Toyota owns or contracts 8 manufacturing facilities in the US. After that, she changed her stance and said that she wants to keep the money in America. I didn't really say much about this, because I don't know how the financial structure works, but these are all multinational corporations anyway.

Am I just crazy or is she being somewhat unreasonable?


Update:
For those who are curious, she got him a used 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT (8600 miles) for $19,200.

Wow! She got fucking raped on the price of that thing. :shocked:

A quick search of Autotrader.com found 75 2007-2008 Trailblazers within 75 miles of me.

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[SparkyJJO]

I'm a GM guy myself. You won't catch me buying a honda/toyota/etc too willingly. I just don't like them. My dad's 04 camry has the most uncomfortable seats in it. I can sit in my Camaro all day (basic seat without any power options on it) while my dad's camry makes me uncomfortable after 30-45 min (power seats fully adjustable).

I used to drive a Ford, it was OK, but it was really old and began that nickel and diming and rusted away. There was no sense in replacing the suspension on a 14 year old car with 150K miles that was developing cancer that was spreading rapidly.

BTW, I heard that for every american employee that Toyota has, GM has 8, or something like that. GM employs a heck of a lot more american workers than toyota does.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
IMO buying the best product for the money and sending a big F U to inferior products is the true american way

Quoted for truf. If you subscribe to the "only buy american" mentality, you're really saying that american companies can't hack it anymore.

That being said, if the products are on-part, it's probably more rational to buy the one assembled here.

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: evident
meh, big 3 brainwashing as far as im concerned. i'll buy american built hondas/toyotas. tell the employees that build those vehicles that profits are going back to japan and see what they say.

I think it was actually UAW that pushed that BS

I think you are right. My friend's dad is a big union guy, and argues with me about buying american all the time. I tell him that my car honda was made in the states, and he starts telling me about how they aren't unionized and get paid so much less and are basically slaves... I don't know what the working conditions are like and im sure they don't get paid as much as UAW workers but I find it hard to believe that the honda and toy employees are making minimum wage.

I really :heart: my accord. It is grade A machinery and im proud it was made here!