This is a guest post by Ben Rozema from a San Diego auto repair center, robertsautoservice.com.
By any measure, the US is one of the biggest and most prolific users of automobiles in the world today. Despite popular misconception, America didn’t invent the automobile. That recognition goes to German Karl Benz, who took out the first patent for a motorcar in 1885. Americans did, however, industrialize the love of the automobile. America loves big, fast cars, and for many decades American car companies shared the biggest slice of the auto industry pie. In the 1980s that began to slip as Japan and Germany introduced affordable cars that had high quality. The American car industry has seriously eroded over the last 2 decades, nearly becoming its own landslide in the last year. Just why do Americans prefer foreign automobiles to their own homegrown vehicles?
Fewer Errors on the Assembly Line
Although this has become less true as many foreign cars have begun to be produced in the United States and many American cars are made outside US boarders, American cars have a reputation of being problematic when they first role off the assembly line. Typically, you drive an American car home from the dealer and you spend the next few months figuring out what’s wrong with it and getting it into shape. These can be small problems like a faulty air conditioner or malfunctioning CD player, but the list tends to be a lot longer than a Honda or BMW for example.
In the 1980s, the American auto industry faced considerable construction problems with many flaws in the resulting production. It’s gotten better, but in general American cars remain problematic, a reputation the American auto industry won’t easily shake.
American Cars don’t Tend to Last as Long
American cars generally aren’t designed for longevity. The car companies know that you will come back for a new car sooner if the car doesn’t last as long. Why sell you a car every decade when they can sell you one every 4 years? The problem is that you can easily get 200,000 to 400,000 miles off a Toyota, where you’ll practically be throwing your American car a retirement party if it comes close to 100,000 miles. American cars just aren’t built to last like some foreign models. Instead of buying the next new American car every 4 years, many American consumers save themselves a headache by getting a foreign car they’ll get more use out of.
Granted, some foreign car companies have realized they may be able to sell more cars too if their cars didn’t last as long, so many of the newer foreign cars might not get the same longevity as they did a few years ago. Still, they will generally last longer than most American models.
American Cars Lack Efficient Design
For years, American automakers marketed their most expensive cars more extensively in order to make a bigger market. These were the gas guzzling fuel hogs so popular at the turn of the millennium. The problem is that gas prices surged beyond $4, but American car companies didn’t listen to demand. They continued to market the gas-guzzlers, even though research showed that car consumers wanted more efficiency. Foreign automakers, sensitive to a global market that better valued fuel efficiency, were better on board with marketing efficient cars. Many Americans gave up on homegrown models and went with the more fuel-efficient foreign alternative.
Loading ...By any measure, the US is one of the biggest and most prolific users of automobiles in the world today. Despite popular misconception, America didn’t invent the automobile. That recognition goes to German Karl Benz, who took out the first patent for a motorcar in 1885. Americans did, however, industrialize the love of the automobile. America loves big, fast cars, and for many decades American car companies shared the biggest slice of the auto industry pie. In the 1980s that began to slip as Japan and Germany introduced affordable cars that had high quality. The American car industry has seriously eroded over the last 2 decades, nearly becoming its own landslide in the last year. Just why do Americans prefer foreign automobiles to their own homegrown vehicles?
Fewer Errors on the Assembly Line
Although this has become less true as many foreign cars have begun to be produced in the United States and many American cars are made outside US boarders, American cars have a reputation of being problematic when they first role off the assembly line. Typically, you drive an American car home from the dealer and you spend the next few months figuring out what’s wrong with it and getting it into shape. These can be small problems like a faulty air conditioner or malfunctioning CD player, but the list tends to be a lot longer than a Honda or BMW for example.
In the 1980s, the American auto industry faced considerable construction problems with many flaws in the resulting production. It’s gotten better, but in general American cars remain problematic, a reputation the American auto industry won’t easily shake.
American Cars don’t Tend to Last as Long
American cars generally aren’t designed for longevity. The car companies know that you will come back for a new car sooner if the car doesn’t last as long. Why sell you a car every decade when they can sell you one every 4 years? The problem is that you can easily get 200,000 to 400,000 miles off a Toyota, where you’ll practically be throwing your American car a retirement party if it comes close to 100,000 miles. American cars just aren’t built to last like some foreign models. Instead of buying the next new American car every 4 years, many American consumers save themselves a headache by getting a foreign car they’ll get more use out of.
Granted, some foreign car companies have realized they may be able to sell more cars too if their cars didn’t last as long, so many of the newer foreign cars might not get the same longevity as they did a few years ago. Still, they will generally last longer than most American models.
American Cars Lack Efficient Design
For years, American automakers marketed their most expensive cars more extensively in order to make a bigger market. These were the gas guzzling fuel hogs so popular at the turn of the millennium. The problem is that gas prices surged beyond $4, but American car companies didn’t listen to demand. They continued to market the gas-guzzlers, even though research showed that car consumers wanted more efficiency. Foreign automakers, sensitive to a global market that better valued fuel efficiency, were better on board with marketing efficient cars. Many Americans gave up on homegrown models and went with the more fuel-efficient foreign alternative.
I have never owned and will likely never own a “foreign” car, unless it is handed to me. Not because I am elitist, but more so because they don’t make anything that interests me enough or suits my needs. I have been through 5 Ford trucks and 1 Dodge Magnum. 4 of the 5 ford trucks did not/do not have a decent competitor from the foreign market. No foreign company makes anything big enough to compete with the F350 and F250 I have owned. No foreign company makes a performance truck to compete with either of the Lightnings I have owned (though the L is built in Canadia).
Over the last 10 years American cars have come a long way and are gaining on the foreign cars. But still, American cars (not trucks) lack style and the interiors are horrendous in comparison to the foreign competition. Quality has also been a huge issue for the American car industry to go along with being overpriced to due to what they were paying their union workers.
I could count on my hand the number of American cars that I would even think of purchasing (2, and one just got murked) and maybe one day I’ll own one but no time soon.
I have always said I would buy an American truck but never an American car. I still have my first car, Nissan, and have watched my parents, family, and friends buy several American cars and bury them also. I totally agree with the article in that American cars are not meant to last over 100K miles. Not to mention that standardized interior design is almost childish in comparison to foreign cars.
BTW – Thank American cars for gap insurance.
The interior design argument is one that gets on my nerves the most. I have a hard time seeing the difference and don’t think people compare comparable models. You obviously can’t start comparing a Lexus interior with a Chevy Malibu interior, they’re apples and oranges. I prefer simplicity and easy to reach buttons. Most of the materials are the same that just have a different facade to make them appear different or are thicker to add support and make them more sturdy.
My uncle bought a Corvette. 75K gone and the interior looks just like the Chevy Cobalt. If you spend 75K on any foreign car, you will get all the bells and whistles of a nav system, digital heat/air, heating/cooling seats, and a nice curvy dash.
Look through your local American car sales ads and see how many feel the need to tell you they offer a CD player, FM radio, air conditioner, and power seats. If you buy a foreign car, you will get these standard.
I will agree that the corvette interior is not far falling from the cobalt. I was surprised the Dodge Challenger shared the same interior as the magnum and charger. Like I said before, compare apples to apples. Go take a look at the Nissan GTR interior. The Vette was built to go fast, not to afford you the luxuries of a 75K sedan.
Are you saying the interior of the GT-R is equivalent to the Corvette? You have to be kidding.
I’ve owned one American vehicle. It was a 1996 Cadillac Deville. I purchased the car in 2002. As soon as I drove it off the lot the “Service Engine Soon” light came on. That car was taken to the shop about 10 times before someone finally told me that it was a minor problem that no one could identify or fix.
Their proposed solution was to buy a new engine. I decided to buy a foreign car. I’ve had that car for 4 plus years and my engine works just fine.
GTR
http://www.motormusicmag.com/uploads/images/thefactory/Nissan-GT-R/nissan_gtr_interior.jpg
C7
http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/0/h/9/1/ag_08vette_interior.jpg
So you like you said originally, it doesn’t have a screen in it and you’re comparing a studio pic to one of a base model corvette (not 75k) taken with some shitty point and shoot. Both have shitty plastic buttons for radio control. The GTR is a superior car, but the interior is not where it gains it’s superiority.
Try this pic
http://www.zcars.com.au/images/2009-corvette-z06-interior1.jpg
Stitched dash just like GTR, shitty plastic buttons just like GTR,
Dude…you were using a remote control for the radio in a Ford Escape on Sunday because you said the buttons were too far away….
While I do agree that the Corvette’s interior is lacking, take a look at the current BMW 3-series interior. It looks like it was lifted out of a late 90’s Ford Taurus. Simply horrible.
I disagree. You know how much time I have spent messing around in the current C6 Z06 as well as poking around current and previous GT-Rs and feel that the Nissan’s interior is 10x better in function as well as material construction. Like you said, the Corvette does what it does very well. I would buy one. However, the interior has always been lacking.
Case in point, on the current GTR the beveling around the center console is actually brushed aluminum. On the Z06, its plastic.
Explain how that makes the interior look better?
It is not solely looks but also materials.
BMW makes great engines, but their interiors leave something to be desired. Too much function…no form.
I think the 3 series is designed to make you want to grow up to the 5 or 7 series. The dashes in the beamers were a bad attempt to do something other than what the other luxury car providers were doing.
WHA?
I think the BMW was a new look for luxury interiors. i.e. moving the air controls to the center console.
One reason: marketing. They like the ads, they listen to owners, and they like the styling.
I own 2 Buicks, and would never trade them for a foreign car ever–foreign cars come with import prices (high) on all their parts, and finding experienced, qualified mechanics (unless you go back to the expensive dealer) is always a chore.
Then we have the car manufacturers buying each other out, so foreign models get completely remodeled (involving new parts and new mechanic training), or models die off altogether, making parts a required junk yard search, and repairs a Chilton manual project (if you can find a manual for your car–some cars don’t have one).
Chevy has been around forever, and if you can work on a Chevy, you can work on a Buick–no parts importation necessary. Junk yard searches optional.
Since you are knowledgeable about the junkyards, which types of cars do you see most frequently in the junkyards – American.
And you do not have as many second rate mechanics for foreign cars because there is not as large of demand for it. On the flip side, thousands of American cars need work daily, hence the need for the mechanics.
And you’re so worried about Foreign company buyouts, but you’re not worried about the American companies dropping off car lines and requesting 4 bailouts from the government? Last I checked, foreign companies were buying some of the American failures.
Honda was founded in 1948.
Toyota was founded in 1937.
Volkswagen was founded in 1937..
Chevrolet was founded in 1911.
Ford was founded in 1903.
All of these companies have a long history. So tell me, how many people have gone to a car show and seen a 1957 Honda? How bout a Toyota? A 57′ Hyundai maybe? Raise your hand. Anyone?
Pretty interesting since foreign vehicles are better quality, eh?
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!