First off, I want this to be a real, serious discussion and not a bunch of slapping and suckerpunches.
A radio program I listen to had a rather interesting show today, and there were a few good arguments made. The one that stood out to me, though, was this: Would you rather buy a Honda or Toyota, who employ American workers in American factories, or a Ford/GM/Chrysler that is built by Mexicans in a Mexican factory?
In this day and age, what really constitutes a domestic vehicle? Seriously, is it more important what country the vehicle is produced in, or where the home office is? Is there even really such a thing as "domestic" with the global economy and attitude?
And before you jump all over me, everything I have on the road right now is US built, two Fords and a Jeep.

 

to me a domestic built car is one that is built in the US by a US company.

 

First off, both my vehicles were made here. A Focus & F150.

Secound, about a month ago i was comparing small SUVs. IIRC the "foreigns" for the most part had as high of domestic part percentages (includes Canada) as the "Domestics".

NOw that Ive said that, Ill also say the "Foreigners" dont pay their American workers like the "Domestics" do. From the janitors to the management, the workers at "Foreign" plants usually get around half or LESS than workers at the domestics plants! So yeah, your Honda or Yota may be built here, but it didnt put as much money into our economy as the Chevy or Ford.

Now! Is this a good or bad thing? If Ford & GM COULD pay their workers less would they be having to move plants to Mexico? Are American auto workers getting over paid? Obviously its profitable to build plants in the USA or over seas companies wouldnt be doing it. Im usually pro-union, but...

 

I second bf250.................therefore, the only thing domestic is a harley/buell, and trailers at your local supply store.

 

Where the profit (net, gross??) goes. Ford/GM stays in the US, Honda/Toyota's goes overseas. Yes they employ a few workers but that's only a small piece. Anyways that is my thought.

 

Great question!

I think Bf250 touched upon the answer that most Americans (used as a noun referring to a U.S. citizen) would give . That is to say, that a domestic vehicle is a vehicle that has the moniker of one of the traditional auto manufacturing companies that were founded, and have since been associated with the United States, and possibly even assembled on U.S. soil. Unfortunately, this is a poor definition that doesn't stand-up to scrutiny and really has no real grounding in today's global economy.

So, I guess the definition of a domestic, or "American made", is whatever best suits your agenda. And a foreign, or import, is any vehicle that's not a domestic.



P.S. If you're in college, taking a Logic & Reasoning class, please feel free to use what I just wrote as an example of how not to form a definition!

 

"global economy" to me is just a fancy catch phrase meaning "we are pursueing cheap labor and reduced environmental costs"

there is no global economy, it is no more global then it has been for the last 500 years.

in my opinion it is a global labor force, due to efficency in logistics, this has been possible.

if it was such a global economy, then these places the US companies outsource to should have the same, or close to the same purchasing power as US consumers.

it is quite obvious that is not the case. one could even take mexico for example, how has the "global economy" done there? oh yes, before when they did not have a job or had a job paying $5 a day, now it pays $6 a day (just random numbers) point is there is no global economy if companies are not paying global prices, of course the middlemen and such are getting rich, but that is just creating the typical rich/poor divide.

in the mean time, because of the little buying power that has come with the global economy, we in the US are forced to pay even higher prices for raw material, so in effect, we are paying double as a consumer.

of course this is just a short passage of my opinion, so don't mind the lack of details.

so i still stand by my original statement on what is a domestic car.

if it was where the money goes, then what if the only thing ford had in this country was a small office in a strip mall with 3 phone operators? while the rest of the corporation was located outside of the US? still domestic? only to the bank and finance companies in which ford funnels their profits, if heck, even those are american.

 

I'd buy whatever fits my needs at the monent

My sd might be from mexico, my durango probably isnt from here either

 

jake00, that sums it up best right there also. i drive an xterra, but there is not a domestic made that is comparable to it. not that i went out looking for it, but when it came down to wheeling and dealing, it was the only thing i came up with.

 

I only drive American vehicles. All my cars and trucks were built in the US.

 

LMAO @ this thread!!!.............I've asked this EXACT question for years now.

The ignorant "where do the profits go" always rears its ugly head.

Oh, and ag, you'd better check where the electronics/carbs/EFI/suspension is made on those "All American" Hardley Abelsons.

 

I'll buy that...........which makes all Fusions, MKZ's, Milan's, my Super Duty, and a lot others, foreign....

 

Domestic production = the money is paid to workers building cars/trucks in the US. The wages paid to these workers goes into the US economy.


What good does it do for the United States economy to pay workers in Mexico and Canada? The money paid in wages goes to the Canadian and Mexican economy.


In a news article yesterday (autonews), it said that Mexico will soon be the largest supplier of vehicles and parts.

 

It was your sig that made me almost post a very similar thread last week.
I can guarantee that my vehicles came 90%+ from the US, with the exception of the Jeep- 70 Galaxie, 69 F250, 72 F100. All three now have made in china parts, but even the engine and tranny castings are from the us on all three.
The Jeep is a 90, so it's got the usual mutt mix of AMC/Renault/Japanese/ who knows parts. Not to mention this was when Mopar was starting to really screw with the Cherokee, there are three different braking system options for this year.

 

Want a better one. Using Bf250's definition, his Xterra is a domestic vehicle.

It's produced by Nissan North America Inc. Which is incorporated and headquartered in the state of TN, making it, by definition, a U.S. company. And by building the Xterra at their Smyrna, TN plant, that satisfies both the built in the U.S. and by a U.S. company requirements to be labeled a domestic.