I’ve been struggling lately with the prospect of buying a new car. I am cognoscente of the implications of the impact my dollars have, based on the products that I buy, ergo the corporations that I support. So I’m faced with the paralyzing question, which brand of car would be the most “American†to buy?
Let’s first rule out completely the European based cars. Most are usually over priced, have a poor track record for reliability, and the most glaring fact, every dollar spent on these vehicles supports the European style socialism that most Americans abhor.
That leaves me to choose from the domestic and Asian brands. At first glance, the choice of domestic would seem obvious. But recent events, along with past events, surrounding the American car companies, makes me second guess this option.
Here is a list of reasons I hesitate on buying a domestic vehicle:
1.They took bailout money (all except Ford). Money which was essentially stolen from the taxpayers to support a failing business model.
2.They took bailout money! Again, this subsidization offers these car companies no incentive to create better cars.
3.Unions. Attached to the prices of every domestic car, is an inflated union salary and pension. If I buy a domestic car, I contribute to the survival of the unions that are inefficient and tend to always support bigger government by vote. Most union workers also have no incentive to work harder or longer because they know it is difficult, if not impossible, for the company to fire them.
4.Warranty. Nearly all the domestic manufacturers don’t stand behind their product very well. The normal warranty on a domestic vehicle is only 3 years/36,000 miles.
5.Reliability. While reliability has improved greatly in domestic cars over the years, they still lag behind their Asian competitors.
6.Outsourcing. While the logo may be American, many of the parts and components of the cars are manufactured in foreign countries. One can never know how much of their car is truly “Made in America.†It’s more likely only “Assembled in America.â€
7.Fuel Efficiency. This may be the most important point because domestic cars almost always are less fuel efficient than their Asian competitors. Environmental impact aside, this means that every time I drive a domestic car, I send more and more money to Middle Eastern countries that hate our guts.
Now for the reasons I’m considering buying an Asian based vehicle:
1.No bailouts! Asian car companies did not reach into the pockets of American tax payers and steal money to support a failing business model.
2.No Unions. Most of the Asian manufacturers do not have unionized workers and therefore have workers who can be easily fired easily. When a worker can be easily fired, they are inclined to work harder , longer, and do a better job, ergo, build a better car.
3.Warranty. Asian manufacturers almost always, (especially the up and coming Korean based manufacturers) have a better warranty than domestic manufacturers. Thus, less overall cost to keep and maintain the vehicle.
4.Reliability. Asian cars tend to be more reliable than domestic cars.
5.Insourcing. Many Asian cars are assembled here in the USA. So while the bulk of the profits go overseas, many Americans are employed by these corporations.
6.Fuel Efficiency. Again, probably the most important to me, is the fact that for every gallon of gas I don’t have to buy, is three to four bucks that I don’t have to send to an Arab country who would like nothing more than to wipe us off the face of the earth.
While I’ve articulated bullet points that seem to favor Asian manufacturers, I’m in no way saying that they make perfect cars. They have many problems too, as seen in the recent events surrounding the Toyota Prius. Nonetheless, they are points that are hard to ignore.
So I ask you…. What is the more “American†thing to do when buying a new car?
