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Chinese cars should never be allowed on US soil. They're death traps.
Crash Test 1
Crash Test 2
bigfootstew
The U.S. DOT would never let those cars on American streets without being built better. We are already losing the car market to Japan, so this doesn't bug me much. I WANT a cheaper, easier-to-fix, more reliable and more valuable car ...
What I am more concerned with is the bigger picture. The US needs to gain any ground that was lost elsewhere. So we lose the cars, but maybe we become the number one exporter of .... gypsum or custom=built log cabins, video games or ... porn. Whatever.
The US needs to maintain a top producing position in the world.
Not even that. Their products lack originality and quality that even Chrysler is beginning to show. Based on styling alone I wouldn't get caught sitting in a Chinese car. Maybe an Indian car. The Tata Nano continues to intrigue me.Chinese cars should never be allowed on US soil. They're death traps.
Crash Test 1
Crash Test 2
bigfootstew
Well having foreign manufacturers entering a local market is never a good thing for the economy, this obviously gives consumers the choice of an outsourced product. Not only is this a product from elsewhere, but if these proposed vehicles are the ones you are referring to http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/CheapChineseCarsSpeedTowardUS.aspx ; then I feel that the North American markets are going to suffer severely, all things considered with the state of the car corporations.PistolGripPump
The problem I see is not with having foreign manufacturers in the US. The Japanese and Germans have great engineers and make some of the best cars in the world. They've opened plants in the southern US which have created a lot of jobs.
My problem is specifically with the Chinese. They have no sense of quality and do not value human life. They make shoddy and dangerous products and are content to be the world's sweat shop. The last thing we need them making are our cars. Need I remind you of their lead toys, poisoned pet food, poisoned baby formula, or corrosive dry wall that emits noxious sulfur compounds and has cost thousands of people their homes?
[QUOTE="bigfootstew"]
Chinese cars should never be allowed on US soil. They're death traps.
Crash Test 1
Crash Test 2
my_mortal_coil
The U.S. DOT would never let those cars on American streets without being built better. We are already losing the car market to Japan, so this doesn't bug me much. I WANT a cheaper, easier-to-fix, more reliable and more valuable car ...
What I am more concerned with is the bigger picture. The US needs to gain any ground that was lost elsewhere. So we lose the cars, but maybe we become the number one exporter of .... gypsum or custom=built log cabins, video games or ... porn. Whatever.
The US needs to maintain a top producing position in the world.
Sure they would if someone handed them a big enough bribe. You can do anything in this country if you have plenty of money and lobbyists.
And the scary part is that plenty of people would buy them. The same people who now buy Kias, Hyundais, and other crappy cars.
Well having foreign manufacturers entering a local market is never a good thing for the economy, this obviously gives consumers the choice of an outsourced product. Not only is this a product from elsewhere, but if these proposed vehicles are the ones you are referring to http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/CheapChineseCarsSpeedTowardUS.aspx ; then I feel that the North American markets are going to suffer severely, all things considered with the state of the car corporations.PistolGripPump
If they can do it better, and cheaper, why not? Going by what you're saying every market should be closed to trade, which would ruin every economy in the world. Free trade is good.
[QUOTE="PistolGripPump"]Well having foreign manufacturers entering a local market is never a good thing for the economy, this obviously gives consumers the choice of an outsourced product. Not only is this a product from elsewhere, but if these proposed vehicles are the ones you are referring to http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/CheapChineseCarsSpeedTowardUS.aspx ; then I feel that the North American markets are going to suffer severely, all things considered with the state of the car corporations.daqua_99
If they can do it better, and cheaper, why not? Going by what you're saying every market should be closed to trade, which would ruin every economy in the world. Free trade is good.
The Chinese don't do anything better. Just cheaper. Chinese products are garbage. Dangerous garbage.
I'm all for free trade, but I wouldn't shed a tear if we banned the import of all Chinese made goods and moved production elsewhere.
[QUOTE="PistolGripPump"]Well having foreign manufacturers entering a local market is never a good thing for the economy, this obviously gives consumers the choice of an outsourced product. Not only is this a product from elsewhere, but if these proposed vehicles are the ones you are referring to http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/CheapChineseCarsSpeedTowardUS.aspx ; then I feel that the North American markets are going to suffer severely, all things considered with the state of the car corporations.bigfootstew
The problem I see is not with having foreign manufacturers in the US. The Japanese and Germans have great engineers and make some of the best cars in the world. They've opened plants in the southern US which have created a lot of jobs.
My problem is specifically with the Chinese. They have no sense of quality and do not value human life. They make shoddy and dangerous products and are content to be the world's sweat shop. The last thing we need them making are our cars. Need I remind you of their lead toys, poisoned pet food, poisoned baby formula, or corrosive dry wall that emits noxious sulfur compounds and has cost thousands of people their homes?
It's obvious that their products aren't up to spec, but when they finally attain the standards what then? After a certain point I think that we'll need another "kia" type car brand. Since both the Korean brands are now rather upmarket.[QUOTE="bigfootstew"][QUOTE="PistolGripPump"]Well having foreign manufacturers entering a local market is never a good thing for the economy, this obviously gives consumers the choice of an outsourced product. Not only is this a product from elsewhere, but if these proposed vehicles are the ones you are referring to http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/CheapChineseCarsSpeedTowardUS.aspx ; then I feel that the North American markets are going to suffer severely, all things considered with the state of the car corporations.Angry_Mushroom
The problem I see is not with having foreign manufacturers in the US. The Japanese and Germans have great engineers and make some of the best cars in the world. They've opened plants in the southern US which have created a lot of jobs.
My problem is specifically with the Chinese. They have no sense of quality and do not value human life. They make shoddy and dangerous products and are content to be the world's sweat shop. The last thing we need them making are our cars. Need I remind you of their lead toys, poisoned pet food, poisoned baby formula, or corrosive dry wall that emits noxious sulfur compounds and has cost thousands of people their homes?
It's obvious that their products aren't up to spec, but when they finally attain the standards what then? After a certain point I think that we'll need another "kia" type car brand. Since both the Korean brands are now rather upmarket.They will never be up to spec. The problem is specifically with their culture.
Germans, Japanese, even Koreans strive for perfection in their engineering. The Chinese have absolutely no sense of quality. It's just not a concern for them.They want to make things as cheaply as possible. And if it breaks right away, even better for them, because you'll have to buy another one right away.
[QUOTE="daqua_99"]
[QUOTE="PistolGripPump"]Well having foreign manufacturers entering a local market is never a good thing for the economy, this obviously gives consumers the choice of an outsourced product. Not only is this a product from elsewhere, but if these proposed vehicles are the ones you are referring to http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveonaCar/CheapChineseCarsSpeedTowardUS.aspx ; then I feel that the North American markets are going to suffer severely, all things considered with the state of the car corporations.bigfootstew
If they can do it better, and cheaper, why not? Going by what you're saying every market should be closed to trade, which would ruin every economy in the world. Free trade is good.
The Chinese don't do anything better. Just cheaper. Chinese products are garbage. Dangerous garbage.
I'm all for free trade, but I wouldn't shed a tear if we banned the import of all Chinese made goods and moved production elsewhere.
Banning all imports from China would absolutely ruin the economy. Whilst yes the Chinese do make dangerous goods, it is also the responsibility of regulators and consumers to make sure products are safe for the market. Don't get me wrong, I believe the Chinese have a lot to answer for in terms of quality, but when it comes to things s important as food and as dangerous as cars, there needs to be restrictions on every import, not just those from China
I love my Toyota Tundra, and my wife loves her Camry.
I'm going to stick with the highest quality cars I can find. Unfortunately, U.S. automakers are hamstrung by ridiculous regulations and unions. No such problem in Japan.
[QUOTE="bigfootstew"]
Chinese cars should never be allowed on US soil. They're death traps.
Crash Test 1
Crash Test 2
my_mortal_coil
The U.S. DOT would never let those cars on American streets without being built better. We are already losing the car market to Japan, so this doesn't bug me much. I WANT a cheaper, easier-to-fix, more reliable and more valuable car ...
What I am more concerned with is the bigger picture. The US needs to gain any ground that was lost elsewhere. So we lose the cars, but maybe we become the number one exporter of .... gypsum or custom=built log cabins, video games or ... porn. Whatever.
The US needs to maintain a top producing position in the world.
Haha. Hmmm reminded me of Slavoj Zizek. "If i am asked, how to prevent that this will return? But it is returning in China. It is in power. It is a more efficient capitalism than western capitalism itself. That's what we should worry about. Not old communism coming back to power. But old communists there already in power organising a more efficient and exploitative capitalism than in the west. How will You beat them?"lol those crash tests are terrible. Compare them to Mercedes crash tests... But anyways they would surely be modified to pass North American safety tests if they decided to sell in North America. Don't know if they'll make it, though. The automobile industry is one where quality and aesthetic are still incredibly important.
US car makers need to improve their standards. One of the best ways to achieve this is through competition.Bourbons3So true. It disgusts me when americans complain about outsourcing or losing to foreign markets. I see nothing wrong. Learn to compete or parish. Competition drives improvement of products. Its free market capitalism at work which many Americans stand for. Don't cry when your suddenly on the losing end.
[QUOTE="Bourbons3"]US car makers need to improve their standards. One of the best ways to achieve this is through competition.STAR_AdmiralSo true. It disgusts me when americans complain about outsourcing or losing to foreign markets. I see nothing wrong. Learn to compete or parish. Competition drives improvement of products. Its free market capitalism at work which many Americans stand for. Don't cry when your suddenly on the losing end. But it's not good for the local economy.
US car makers need to improve their standards. One of the best ways to achieve this is through competition.Bourbons3They have improved, just look at Ford's line up. The F150 is the best selling truck in the US, the Fusion was named North America's car of the year, they just revealed an updated Focus, they brought back the Taurus, the Mustangs are getting a major performance revamp this year, etc. GM has cut the fat and dropped unnecessary brands, and they've focused on their Cadillac branch a bit more. They're also releasing the Cruze and the Volt for 2011. Chrysler hasn't really done much so far, but their deal with Fiat looks promising. Many Americans still have a negative image of the American auto companies, and this shouldn't be the case anymore.
I read somewhere a long time back that GM sold the molds for the 1955-1957 Chevy to India.
That irks me: they should be in the Smithsonian.
[QUOTE="Bourbons3"]US car makers need to improve their standards. One of the best ways to achieve this is through competition.dk00111They have improved, just look at Ford's line up. The F150 is the best selling truck in the US, the Fusion was named North America's car of the year, they just revealed an updated Focus, they brought back the Taurus, the Mustangs are getting a major performance revamp this year, etc. GM has cut the fat and dropped unnecessary brands, and they've focused on their Cadillac branch a bit more. They're also releasing the Cruze and the Volt for 2011. Chrysler hasn't really done much so far, but their deal with Fiat looks promising. Many Americans still have a negative image of the American auto companies, and this shouldn't be the case anymore. I agree, Ford have improved. And they've done quite well with hybrid cars. But it took near-bankruptcy to get this far. Every other car company needs to follow. Fuel efficiency is one of the most important factors in buying a car, and more companies need to build cars that achieve 30+MPG, as well as more hybrid or electric cars.
American cars and German cars should be the only cars allowed in America. We live in America, for God's sake. Why support the Japanese or Korean economy? German cars are fine, because German companies trade fair, but Japanese and Korean car companies... pft. Scumbags.
Even Americans buy mostly Japanese cars. Maybe it has less to do with protectionism and more to do with just plain overpriced American cars...American cars and German cars should be the only cars allowed in America. We live in America, for God's sake. Why support the Japanese or Korean economy? German cars are fine, because German companies trade fair, but Japanese and Korean car companies... pft. Scumbags.
Vivian7
"Scumbags"? More like their cars were worth a damn. They won fair and square. Germany and the US can go home crying.
Of course this doesn't mean I'm against protectionism - but it's too late for that now. Japanese and Korean companies already hire many employees in the US.
Even Americans buy mostly Japanese cars. Maybe it has less to do with protectionism and more to do with just plain overpriced American cars...[QUOTE="Vivian7"]
American cars and German cars should be the only cars allowed in America. We live in America, for God's sake. Why support the Japanese or Korean economy? German cars are fine, because German companies trade fair, but Japanese and Korean car companies... pft. Scumbags.
Famiking
"Scumbags"? More like their cars were worth a damn. They won fair and square. Germany and the US can go home crying.
Of course this doesn't mean I'm against protectionism - but it's too late for that now. Japanese and Korean companies already hire many employees in the US.
Protectionism is **** and only benefits the sub-par companies that can't compete with the better foreign product. The US has been hailing the Capitalism! motto since forever, how about putting your money where your mouth is?American cars and German cars should be the only cars allowed in America. We live in America, for God's sake. Why support the Japanese or Korean economy? German cars are fine, because German companies trade fair, but Japanese and Korean car companies... pft. Scumbags.Vivian7
How are they scumbags? I'm really interested in why you believe this. You provided no logical reason (or even an illogical reason) for the disdain that you have for the Koreans and Japanese. Furthermore, the only developed economies of note that don't "trade fair" are China and the U.S. Japan has problems in terms of how their businesses and government are run, but these problems don't really translate to many trade-oriented issues.
US car makers need to improve their standards. One of the best ways to achieve this is through competition.Bourbons3You're absolutely right on simplistic terms, but an overall analysis of this specific topic - the possible introduction of Chinese and Indian cars into the American market, would not have that impact, for a couple of different reasons; in fact, the impact that it would have is arguable. First, we have to pretend that the Chinese or Indians have cars that meet DOT regulations (which they don't). Between them, they own brands such as Hummer and Lotus, but these cars are still largely assembled in the U.S. and U.K. respectively. They are only "owned" by foreign firms. They are operated, employ, and generally benefit the U.S. and European economies. Provided their own automobiles (such as the Nano) were brought up to DOT guidelines, they would likely drive down the price for automobiles, which isn't a good thing for GM, Ford, and Chrysler-Fiat. But this is assuming that the cars would be manufactured elsewhere and sold here, but this would not be the case. This only occurs for high-end manufacturers. As a rule of basic economics, discount goods need to be manufactured locally, which means that after meeting DOT standards, they must also develop some semblance of a manufacturing infrastructure in the U.S. and Mexico, in which case the vast majority of the "economic good" from entering the North American market benefits North America, along with investors around the world (Interestingly, this is what has happened with Toyota - a firm just as American as GM). Realistically, based upon precedent (the entering of the Japanese and Koreans into the American market), such efficient low-cost production negatively effects American manufacturers by forcing them to compromise on a number of different variables in production. Your statement is theoretically true, but only in a simplistic purely competitive market under ideal market conditions, which isn't the case for the American market (obviously). While this occurring would benefit the American (and Mexican) economies, it is arguably less beneficial than keeping them out, especially when American-Japanese manufacturers are gradually increasing the cost of production to develop or implement new technology that conforms to American-Euro-Japanese emissions and performance regulations (or those regulations that will gradually be put into place over the coming decades). It could be argued that the introduction of Japanese cars, and the possible introduction of Chinese and Indian cars, did and will cause U.S. manufacturers to lower their standards in order to compete. One of the reasons why the Japanese impacted the U.S. manufacturers so drastically was because of price, so U.S. manufacturers continued to attempt to provide luxury while simultaneously lowering prices, thus using sub-par materials. While this was somewhat offset by some brands who did not compromise for cost, Cadillac and BMW being great examples, this did not, and could not, alleviate the pressure placed on U.S. (or German) manufacturers by the Japanese or Koreans, nor will it alleviate the pressure placed on them (and the Japanese) by the Chinese or Indians, though the Koreans probably wouldn't be affected in such a way, if only because of the "economy of scale" that they (Hyundai) have developed concerning all forms of transportation, thus minimizing the negative impact that changing conditions in the personal automobile market can have on them. Sorry for the ramble...
Regardless of all of this, the Chinese will not be entering our market any time soon. Tata, on the other hand, just may. One of their stated goals is meeting American-Euro standards, and, remembering an article that I read recently (in The Economist), Tata has made it clear that it would like to begin manufacturing and selling within Eastern Europe by 2015. Ambitious, yes, but certainly possible.
It's obvious that their products aren't up to spec, but when they finally attain the standards what then? After a certain point I think that we'll need another "kia" type car brand. Since both the Korean brands are now rather upmarket.[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"][QUOTE="bigfootstew"]
The problem I see is not with having foreign manufacturers in the US. The Japanese and Germans have great engineers and make some of the best cars in the world. They've opened plants in the southern US which have created a lot of jobs.
My problem is specifically with the Chinese. They have no sense of quality and do not value human life. They make shoddy and dangerous products and are content to be the world's sweat shop. The last thing we need them making are our cars. Need I remind you of their lead toys, poisoned pet food, poisoned baby formula, or corrosive dry wall that emits noxious sulfur compounds and has cost thousands of people their homes?
bigfootstew
They will never be up to spec. The problem is specifically with their culture.
Germans, Japanese, even Koreans strive for perfection in their engineering. The Chinese have absolutely no sense of quality. It's just not a concern for them.They want to make things as cheaply as possible. And if it breaks right away, even better for them, because you'll have to buy another one right away.
racist much??
[QUOTE="bigfootstew"]
[QUOTE="Angry_Mushroom"] It's obvious that their products aren't up to spec, but when they finally attain the standards what then? After a certain point I think that we'll need another "kia" type car brand. Since both the Korean brands are now rather upmarket. dontshackzmii
They will never be up to spec. The problem is specifically with their culture.
Germans, Japanese, even Koreans strive for perfection in their engineering. The Chinese have absolutely no sense of quality. It's just not a concern for them.They want to make things as cheaply as possible. And if it breaks right away, even better for them, because you'll have to buy another one right away.
racist much??
I know it is nit-picky, but that is ethnocentric, not racist. He/She even specifies a concern for Chinese culture. He applauds the Japanese and Koreans, and few if any people are racist against one East Asian ethnic group and respectful of the others. Likewise, his criticisms are actually somewhat reasonable, though they do show a clear misunderstanding of the inevitable characteristics of economic growth.Those are exactly my concerns. Pretty much all China and India bring to the table is a low price (with the Nano being estimated at $5,000). Indian and Chinese auto manufacturers get to benefit cheap labor at home, while the domestic auto makers have to deal with unions. So where do they have to cut the price from? Quality. Then it's up to the consumers to decide between quality and price, and judging how everything people buy is made in China, they will most likely go with a lower price.You're absolutely right on simplistic terms, but an overall analysis of this specific topic - the possible introduction of Chinese and Indian cars into the American market, would not have that impact, for a couple of different reasons...
HerrJosefK
Let me clear up what I said; free trade is good, however when foreign countries introduce a product which has clearly been deemed unsafe when in a crash, why should they be allowed to bring it into our market? Sure it may be cheap, but you can't put a price on a life. I'm assuming there must be a safety regulation established within government that could restrict these cars.PistolGripPump
The reason why there is still no single Chinese car for sale in North America is because they have failed several crash tests, so if they bring them here, that means they would have passed (albeit probably not excel) safety regulations.
[QUOTE="dontshackzmii"]
[QUOTE="bigfootstew"]
They will never be up to spec. The problem is specifically with their culture.
Germans, Japanese, even Koreans strive for perfection in their engineering. The Chinese have absolutely no sense of quality. It's just not a concern for them.They want to make things as cheaply as possible. And if it breaks right away, even better for them, because you'll have to buy another one right away.
HerrJosefK
racist much??
I know it is nit-picky, but that is ethnocentric, not racist. He/She even specifies a concern for Chinese culture. He applauds the Japanese and Koreans, and few if any people are racist against one East Asian ethnic group and respectful of the others. Likewise, his criticisms are actually somewhat reasonable, though they do show a clear misunderstanding of the inevitable characteristics of economic growth. Forget the racist bit. People buy Jags, Aston Martins, and VWs, and all three have had a terrible track record in terms of reliability. The Japanese no longer care for quality. Hell, Korean cars were considered piles of steaming crap a few years ago. The one culture that lacks any kind of quality would be the American culture. Since the 80s the U.S has lacked a good car due to our love to disposable cars. Drive it for a year and buy a new one. The Chinese like the Koreans and the initially the Japanese will pull their quality up. You don't sell crap on a market flooded with gold. With your logic it's a surprise we let our own cars in our own country. To say that the Chinese build crappy cars and the Germans perfection show that you haven't done much research.It doesn't irk me much. They'll have to pass mad safety inspections to sell them. Personally, I probably wouldn't buy one. I doubt they'd be anything like Japanese automobiles in terms of quality. I don't see them harming the U.S. auto industry much, although the only one I really care for is the Ford group. Why not allow them to sell cars here?
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