Is this right? US policy to turn against Japanese car makers?

How many of you remember the days back when the US was making horrid cars, and the Japanese cars were higher quality ones. The US cars rusted out, looked ugly or boring, handled like wheel barrows or couches on wheels. The Japanese manufacturers voluntarily raised their prices so they would no longer have a price advantage (and to avoid economic sanctions), and to give US auto makers an opportunity to catch up. Anyone recall those days gone by?

Well, here we are, decades later, and history repeats itself. The giants are dying. Or most certainly, in failing health. Meanwhile, Chrysler is building cars that are making people stand up and notice, like the 300. And strangely, Chrysler is not bleeding red ink in the billions.

In all honesty, GM and Ford do not produce a sea of crummy cars. They do make some that are notable. But those few notable ones get lost in a river of mediocrity: Tons of models, and too few that merit a second glance.

Combine that with the "Americana" mindset: It's your *DUTY* to buy American. Buy an American car and support your neighbor. Damn those foreigners. Even American are tiring of Americana, and they're voting with their greenbacks. They are buying better styled, better handling, more reliable, less defective, better value Asian cars in record numbers.

It's no secret: If an auto maker makes great cars, people will buy them. GM and Ford just need to design and make a few great cars, and stop the flow of mediocrity.

How many of you remember the days back when the US was making horrid cars, and the Japanese cars were higher quality ones. The US cars rusted out, looked ugly or boring, handled like wheel barrows or couches on wheels. The Japanese manufacturers voluntarily raised their prices so they would no longer have a price advantage (and to avoid economic sanctions), and to give US auto makers an opportunity to catch up. Anyone recall those days gone by?

Well, here we are, decades later, and history repeats itself. The giants are dying. Or most certainly, in failing health. Meanwhile, Chrysler is building cars that are making people stand up and notice, like the 300. And strangely, Chrysler is not bleeding red ink in the billions.

In all honesty, GM and Ford do not produce a sea of crummy cars. They do make some that are notable. But those few notable ones get lost in a river of mediocrity: Tons of models, and too few that merit a second glance.

Combine that with the "Americana" mindset: It's your *DUTY* to buy American. Buy an American car and support your neighbor. Damn those foreigners. Even American are tiring of Americana, and they're voting with their greenbacks. They are buying better styled, better handling, more reliable, less defective, better value Asian cars in record numbers.

It's no secret: If an auto maker makes great cars, people will buy them. GM and Ford just need to design and make a few great cars, and stop the flow of mediocrity.

The issue at both Ford and GM is the appalling decision-making in their new product development portfolios. This is the fault of Senior Executives - and the reason why many of their new products appear to be getting merely a mediocre reaction.

Fire the senior executives at Ford and GM now. Replace them with people who understand the concept of product design, and portfolio risk taking, and supplement these new executives with an advisory board of AutoSpies readers. The readers could give input on the design and specifications of GM or Ford new products years before these are finalized. Within three to five years Ford and GM would have successful new products, rising sales and bumper profits.

The first step is the toughest, throw-out the incumbent executive teams. If you're an employee, or an investor and you don't do this - then in my opinion you lose the right to complain as Ford and GM shrink further in the US.

After Car & Driver had their $55,000 luxury sedan showdown, I decided to spend considerable time with the major players in that article over a period of two weeks. I test-drove and heavily evaluated the Acura RL, Lexus GS300 (a 430 wasn't available), Infiniti M35 & M45, Audi A6 3.2 & 4.2, and the Cadillac STS V6 & V8. I experienced the BMW 530i when it first came out. I drove the Mercedes-Benz E320 several times at one of those driving events they give. For kicks, I looked at the Corvette and Audi A8. After all that, it was clear to me that my favorite car was my current car, a 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6 coupe, although I LOVED the way the 530i handled business on the road.

Since I'm a die-hard car guy, and all of those cars looked so great in the magazine, I found a way to test drive and spend virtually unlimited time with the ones that mattered most to me -- go to the dealer when they first open Sunday or Monday morning. The salesmen loved it because it got them out of the dealership for a long time early in the day.

My comments were extensive for each vehicle I drove. In the end, the Cadillac was a huge disappointment, even bigger than my disappointment of the RL.

When I sat in the Vette, it was clear that it was built to a different standard than anything else GM produces. Were it not for the lack of headroom and a SERIOUS problem with the footwell when exiting the vehicle, that car would be in my garage.

Anyway, in my opinion, GM needs to look at three car companies -- Hyundai, Nissan, and Audi -- when remaking itself. GM needs to get it together and give people a reason to seriously consider their vehicles beyond scary OnStar commercials.

1. They need to offer a balls-to-the wall warranty, one better than what Hyundai offers. Ten years, 100,000 mile powertrain, 5 years, 60,000 bumper-to-bumper coverage, free maintenance for 60,000 miles, free OnStar for at least 2 years, free roadside assistance for 100,000 miles. The dealers need to treat me like I purchased a Bentley. They need to pour on the free stuff. Pick up my Cadillac or Buick when it needs a tire rotation, and leave me a nice loaner car. Look at what Hyundai has done in 10 years. Impressive. So impressive that they have a new manufacturing plant in this country. Dare I say it, but their cars are interesting to me.

2. They need to put real passion into developing cars like Nissan did when they remade their product line. Everyone may not like the styling, but no one car argue with the results -- the company was saved, it is highly profitable and they have the most expressive lineup of vehicles for every segment.

3. GM needs to make real commitments to ergonomics and interior design. They need to feel better than a Lexus LS430, perform better than a BMW 545i. Buy the same bits and pieces from Toyota and Honda if they have to, copy the way human bodies fit in a BMW 5-Series down to the millimeter -- something has to be done, because these are the reasons why I won't buy a GM vehicle.

The Japanese and European manufacturers get the basics right, like window switches. That fact shows up consistently across their product line, from their basic models to the most desirable ones.

I noticed too many things wrong in the STS, things that were never an issue in the Pontiac G6 or Corvette. Those cars need help too, but nowhere near as much as the STS. I was especially disappointed with the STS because I had really high hopes for the car, especially when hearing that it would be changed to rear-drive. The interior was a joke, considering the resources spent developing the car and the asking price for the finished product. The push-button for the starter looked cheap. The button on the Lexus GS looks precision-crafted, and its the same one used on the Prius. The speedometer and tach were too small. The power window controls weren't fit for a Geo, the rear-view mirror was from the parts bin of the Tahoe, the dashboard reminded me of the super-hard, super-cheap plastic used in the last generation Ford F150 Super Crew. There wasn't a fancy antenna for the GPS or satellite radio. There was a tacked-on, off-center black plastic mass for OnStar and XM radio, though.

I loved the exterior styling and presence of the STS, but the LED stoplamps seemed insufficient to alert drivers of my intentions. Plus, there were no rear amber signal indicators, a major pet-peeve of mine regarding most domestic and a growing number of imported vehicles. The design of the doors looked cheap. The doors on the G6 looked better.

In short, I didn't feel special when driving that car. I felt special, even priveliged when I drove the other cars. In fact, I felt more special in my Accord than I did in the STS.
It seems like GM doesn't care about creating something special when its new. The impression is that GM makes cars so thay can become acceptab

ALL ABOVE BLOGGERS ARE CORRECT! MY NEXT TRANSPORTATION WILL BE A TOYOTA TRUCK BUILT IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. DESIGNED, BUILT AND SOLD HERE IN THE USA BY HARD WORKING AMERICANS HERE AT HOME! KEEP JOBS AT HOME INSTEAD OF GERMANY NOW! BUY AMERICAN BUY TOYOTA, HONDA, NISSAN OR HYUNDAI.

ALL ABOVE BLOGGERS ARE CORRECT! MY NEXT TRANSPORTATION WILL BE A TOYOTA TRUCK BUILT IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. DESIGNED, BUILT AND SOLD HERE IN THE USA BY HARD WORKING AMERICANS HERE AT HOME! KEEP JOBS AT HOME INSTEAD OF GERMANY NOW! BUY AMERICAN BUY TOYOTA, HONDA, NISSAN OR HYUNDAI.

Sure the Jap cars are assembled in America but where do the profits go? Overseas! What happens when they determine it's too costly to produce here or China turns a new leaf and woo's them to open factories there? American jobs will be lost again and you'll have nothing to fall back on. How long is this country going to last by servicing each other? Manufacturing is going out on a daily basis and to continue to watch the American companies die a slow death is very painful. You need to grasp the big picture if you feel all is well because theres some Honda plant in Ohio that gives your cousin an hourly wage. We can continue to say things like "we vote with our pocketbooks" and choose those cars over ours for whatever reasons but reverse the situation for a moment. Ask yourself if the Japanese would convert and buy American cars in their country if ours were "better" for the same reasons we like to mention.

Here is where we differ...

I find Solutions to the Problems.

And also, I'ld like to add somthing in here. Please do refrain from using word like "Japs" next time when you get bored and decide to post some bullshit like you just have is a prudent thing....And, here is "One" reason why: During WWII, your so called "JAPS" or Japanese only made up U.S. Army platoon was the most highest decorated infantry platoon ever to fight during WWII during the entire European Combat Campaigns against NAZI Germany for their braveries, aiight! And, If you thought that these highest decorated Japanese/American boy's families were cheering their son's honorable accomplishments while watching FOXNEWS and downing beer and eating pizza you are dead WRONG. They all were locked up for years like cattles in a prison camps and probably ate dandaline roots and bugs like that fearfactor show just to survive! While their own sons were fighting for a country who displaced you to these god-awful,heinous, atrocious prison camps in the first place.
All, I'm sayin is refrain racial/bigotery words and also get back to reality, okay! Hello?? Hello????? :::::waving my hand front of your face:::::

peace

Here is where we differ...

I find Solutions to the Problems.

And also, I'ld like to add somthing in here. Please do refrain from using word like "Japs" next time when you get bored and decide to post some bullshit like you just have is a prudent thing....And, here is "One" reason why: During WWII, your so called "JAPS" or Japanese only made up U.S. Army platoon was the most highest decorated infantry platoon ever to fight during WWII during the entire European Combat Campaigns against NAZI Germany for their braveries, aiight! And, If you thought that these highest decorated Japanese/American boy's families were cheering their son's honorable accomplishments while watching FOXNEWS and downing beer and eating pizza you are dead WRONG. They all were locked up for years like cattles in a prison camps and probably ate dandaline roots and bugs like that fearfactor show just to survive! While their own sons were fighting for a country who displaced you to these god-awful,heinous, atrocious prison camps in the first place.
All, I'm sayin is refrain racial/bigotery words and also get back to reality, okay! Hello?? Hello????? :::::waving my hand front of your face:::::

peace

Status of American car makers.

GM : "Lost in Space" in makeing cars.
Ford : Produce a buch of "Crap" cars.
Chrysler : Cars from an "Alien" planet.

It's only my view, no need to agree or disagree.

FACT: $36.55 for the average American auto worker, says automotive consultant John Hoffecker of AlixPartners.

I know my grammer sucks but let me just try my best to explain to you folks something in here b/c not a single person have mentioned this issue in here so far, surprisingly!

Everyone wants to blame G.M. exec. but I remember in a small town of 3-rivers, MI G.M. plant had to shutdown completely for weeks on end. Plant workers walked out of the job for weeks resulting in the plant having to shutdown entire production line.

WHY?????? Well, what happened was G.M. decided to raise health care benfits and changes in the retirement pay. I'm sure it was still a damn good pay and all..but my point is this...I blame not just G.M. exec but its employees. Yes, tha's right! G.M. workers were too damn greedy for their own good.

Yeah, I'm sure putting on a little screw to a platforms on a car is a tough and arduous laboring job but folks lets get real here. They were getting paid very well, had excellent benefits, good retirement pays and etc. working for G.M. but they still walked out over and over..burning cars and pickiting on the streets and so on...ranting about pays and not getting their teeth white enough..

Did you know that Workers in China earn an average of $1.96 an hour? I'm sure they also work more hours also with sub standard health care, retirement plans and so on....Do you think for a moment that raising few bucks to clean their fangs would make these people to walk out of their plant and start rioting like we did here? Heck no!

In summary, I believe that 50% of the G.M. workers didn't give a crap about what they were doin. Too much of me, myself and I attitude.

In retrospect, foreign factory workers in Asia are 100% dedicated to their job..they eat, sleep and shit focusing their life to their jobs no matter what their pays are!

My relative traveled to China 3 months ago and told me this. In China- if a worker gets hired for a job -First thing they want to know is this: How much of hours can I work for you? Instead of how much am, I going to get paid?!

Also, in Japanese auto factories are opposite in comparison to American car factories in that: They listen, study, disect to an inch when an assembly line workers suggest a problem or solution..what, I'm trying to say is that..suggestion goes from down and up instead of top to bottom like American car companies.

Yeah, sure we can blame the inciped models after models pumping out and point our little thumbs down on their reliabilities and so on but the point, I'm trying to make is that overpaid, beer bellied workers dipping copenhagens while screwing little bolts and nuts had it too good - getting paid $36 bucks an hour and still complaining not getting their teeth whitened by UAW dental plan for even cheaper is to me unacceptable behavior and I blame these idiots as much as the top G.M. CEO for making some of stupidest investments I have ever read about..for example- 4 billion dollar investment on a fiat for a stupid diesel engine technology with no future but maybe handful only in Europe. Believe me..Europeans are very passionate about homemade prouducts. Even if G.M. was successful on this "diesel" engine foreray and built a solid diesel engine and sold it in Europe with a ford badge in Europe it would not have been a success...I can tell you right now..Europeans would buy their homegrown product like VW over a Ford at any given time..and this shows you that G.M. didn't do a good homework studying the background and its showing horribly like my grammer.

FACT: $36.55 for the average American auto worker, says automotive consultant John Hoffecker of AlixPartners.

I know my grammer sucks but let me just try my best to explain to you folks something in here b/c not a single person have mentioned this issue in here so far, surprisingly!

Everyone wants to blame G.M. exec. but I remember in a small town of 3-rivers, MI G.M. plant had to shutdown completely for weeks on end. Plant workers walked out of the job for weeks resulting in the plant having to shutdown entire production line.

WHY?????? Well, what happened was G.M. decided to raise health care benfits and changes in the retirement pay. I'm sure it was still a damn good pay and all..but my point is this...I blame not just G.M. exec but its employees. Yes, tha's right! G.M. workers were too damn greedy for their own good.

Yeah, I'm sure putting on a little screw to a platforms on a car is a tough and arduous laboring job but folks lets get real here. They were getting paid very well, had excellent benefits, good retirement pays and etc. working for G.M. but they still walked out over and over..burning cars and pickiting on the streets and so on...ranting about pays and not getting their teeth white enough..

Did you know that Workers in China earn an average of $1.96 an hour? I'm sure they also work more hours also with sub standard health care, retirement plans and so on....Do you think for a moment that raising few bucks to clean their fangs would make these people to walk out of their plant and start rioting like we did here? Heck no!

In summary, I believe that 50% of the G.M. workers didn't give a crap about what they were doin. Too much of me, myself and I attitude.

In retrospect, foreign factory workers in Asia are 100% dedicated to their job..they eat, sleep and shit focusing their life to their jobs no matter what their pays are!

My relative traveled to China 3 months ago and told me this. In China- if a worker gets hired for a job -First thing they want to know is this: How much of hours can I work for you? Instead of how much am, I going to get paid?!

Also, in Japanese auto factories are opposite in comparison to American car factories in that: They listen, study, disect to an inch when an assembly line workers suggest a problem or solution..what, I'm trying to say is that..suggestion goes from down and up instead of top to bottom like American car companies.

Yeah, sure we can blame the inciped models after models pumping out and point our little thumbs down on their reliabilities and so on but the point, I'm trying to make is that overpaid, beer bellied workers dipping copenhagens while screwing little bolts and nuts had it too good - getting paid $36 bucks an hour and still complaining not getting their teeth whitened by UAW dental plan for even cheaper is to me unacceptable behavior and I blame these idiots as much as the top G.M. CEO for making some of stupidest investments I have ever read about..for example- 4 billion dollar investment on a fiat for a stupid diesel engine technology with no future but maybe handful only in Europe. Believe me..Europeans are very passionate about homemade prouducts. Even if G.M. was successful on this "diesel" engine foreray and built a solid diesel engine and sold it in Europe with a ford badge in Europe it would not have been a success...I can tell you right now..Europeans would buy their homegrown product like VW over a Ford at any given time..and this shows you that G.M. didn't do a good homework studying the background and its showing horribly like my grammer.

Not ford badges..I meant G.M. badges.

Not ford badges..I meant G.M. badges.

2 billion initial investment on Fiat and another whopping 2 billion to bail out from its ties.

2 billion initial investment on Fiat and another whopping 2 billion to bail out from its ties.

Two Recalls Affect 260,000 Big Ford Vehicles
Possible Problems Found In Pickups, Vans, SUVs

POSTED: 5:18 pm CDT June 13, 2005

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 260,000 vehicles because they have engines that can stall without warning or fuel lines that can separate.

One recall affects more than 180,000 pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans with diesel engines.

Those include the 2004 and 2005 models of F-Series Super Duty pickups, the Ford Excursion SUV, and E-350 and E-450 vans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the vehicles can stall without warning, possibly leading to crashes. The recall stems from a problem with fuel injection control modules.

Ford also is recalling more than 78,000 F-series trucks because the fuel line can separate from the connection to the main fuel bundle.

Two Recalls Affect 260,000 Big Ford Vehicles
Possible Problems Found In Pickups, Vans, SUVs

POSTED: 5:18 pm CDT June 13, 2005

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 260,000 vehicles because they have engines that can stall without warning or fuel lines that can separate.

One recall affects more than 180,000 pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans with diesel engines.

Those include the 2004 and 2005 models of F-Series Super Duty pickups, the Ford Excursion SUV, and E-350 and E-450 vans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the vehicles can stall without warning, possibly leading to crashes. The recall stems from a problem with fuel injection control modules.

Ford also is recalling more than 78,000 F-series trucks because the fuel line can separate from the connection to the main fuel bundle.

The rumor is a fact. First Chinese company that will be sold in the U.S. and Europe will be called Visionary Vehicles.

The rumor is a fact. First Chinese company that will be sold in the U.S. and Europe will be called Visionary Vehicles.