Jay Leno tells Detroit to make better cars.

[a_v_s]

Originally Posted by vam29

for the past 30 years or so our country, for whatever reasons, has allowed the Asian Central Banks to manipulate their currencies and keep them low enough

The US government really has no control over this, so you can't really fault our own government. We can't tell/force another currency to have a specific value to their money, so if a country like China decides to peg their currency to ours, we have no control over that... But even then, China removed the peg to the US dollar on July 21, 2005.

When a country like Japan buys a bunch of our currency, we have no control over that as well. Even if we tried to regulate who can "purchase" our money, there are always ways around it. They could simply buy gold, and then exchange that gold for US currency.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by yamahr1

The only semi-glaring hole in the domestic lineup is a Civic-beater, which is strange when you consider it's long been a car-company strategy to pull 'em in young and keep trading up as they get older. If I were 20-something again, it would be a hard sell to get me into a Cobalt instead of a Civic--can anyone argue that? Although I'd probably buy something like a Mustang instead.

Good point.

Having driven both the Cobalt and the Civic back-to-back, the Civic felt much better put-together. Love the feel of the Corvette and Cadillacs, and Chrysler 300, though.

Though things are changing with the Astra and upcoming Fiesta (and the Focus, before Ford let it get long in the tooth), it seems the domestic automakers' traditional strategy is to make their smaller, cheaper cars as undesirable as possible, so their buyers will upgrade to more profitable premium vehicles as soon as possible. But now, with rising fuel prices, they will have to provide more stylish, desirable small cars like the Europeans and Asians do.

[vam29]

Japan keeps its currency weak to aid its exporters by keeping its interest rates artificially low even at the expense of higher inflationary pressures. Right now the Japanese rate is only.5% (1/2 of one percent) which enables investors and speculators all over the world to use it for the "Carry Trade" where they borrow vast sums of yen and sell it to buy dollars which in turn strengthens the dollar and conversely weakens the yen. This in turn makes their exports into the US cheaper and hurts GM and other domestic industries.

[olds307]

1. I've driven a few Cobalts and they are MUCH nicer than Civics or any other competitive small car. Civics are just plain ugly inside, and out. And when will Honda ever figure out how to build an automatic transmission shifter. WHY do they stop at 3 instead of D??? I had a summer job valet parking, and when I would parallel park a Honda, instead of reverse I was always going into neutral... STUPID DESIGN.

2. People in DC don't want to be seen in an American car??? I would be embarrassed to be seen in a Japanese car. A car is unique is that it is a large investment that you are seen with anywhere you go, and your car makes a huge statement about who you are.

3. American cars always have been, and (hopefully) always will be the finest in the world. I drive a 1981 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with 140,000 miles, 130,000 of those miles strictly city... Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The car still runs like a new car, it's never needed any internal engine work, and the transmission has only been rebuilt once. I frequently take it on 1000+ mile trips in complete confidence, and it has never left me stranded. By the way, where are all the early 80s Japanese cars? I see about 2 a year around here.

[mikehamm45]

i agree about the chicken-leg turn signals

[AMERICA 123]

It all depends on how you read what he said.

Or really in terms of importance, the heck with us here, what really matters is how does the public who reads this interpret what he said.
If there is an 'omission/error' here, its seems to be one of two types.

1. ) At least a head nod as to the 'why and how" and a mention of those factors ie level playing field issues (- which are enormously important on small, cheap, high fuel economy product. ) and how our people and their products are at least making progress any way. ( The real question is - is it fast enough )

2. ) Current domestic product thats already there - especially in light of Toyota and Hondas current 'pullback' on some of the very things he mentions.

There is a great truth in that last line, "- all things being equal - "

Again, it gets down to how you read it.

If you include perception and marketing in " - all things being equal - " there is IMO a real vein of gold to be tapped - a large enough, useable number of Americans do want to buy American - even if the American product is slightly 'off' ie price etc.
Even up or better , gets more positive results - if you read it that way Jays OK.
If you see that as specifically referencing all current American three product ( outside of whats mentioned positively ) - in a negative way - yea, then its off.

So maybe mention of perception was missing in some sense as well.

Maybe, completely inadvertently, Jays comments are indirectly illuminating some of the same old targets in a new way.

Toyota does a better job of fighting the 'net than the rest of the industry combined.

Same with influence pedaling and getting advertorials placed.

And, slightly apart from Jay's comments but still important, - from the looks of it, they hold more sway in certain financial market 'circles' and the EPA/NHTSA as well.

[PA Dweller]

I think most people would consider an American car even if it was priced slightly more than its Japanese counterparts. As long as they can give customers relaibility/quality equal to Japanese cars. Throw in beautiful styling like the CTS and Malibu its a done deal.

[AMERICA 123]

Originally Posted by PA Dweller

I think most people would consider an American car even if it was priced slightly more than its Japanese counterparts. As long as they can give customers reliability/quality equal to Japanese cars. Throw in beautiful styling like the CTS and Malibu its a done deal.

YEP.

As those two are proving - even in this market.

[osiris]

With todays technology there is no reason why every car can't be super-sexy and well made. The bean counters ruin everything and GM is slowly realizing that fact. They let the enthusiasts and engineers run wild with the new Cobalt SS turbo and - like the Malibu - it will be an import killer. Put those dollars into design and development- success will come altogether naturally.

[PA Dweller]

Originally Posted by AMERICA 123

YEP.

As those two are proving - even in this market.

The Malibu and CTS should be some of the first cars that shows GM gets it when it comes to Reliability, Quality, Design, and Aesthetics. They are selling extremely well so hopefully GM will get the message and do the same with the rest of their vehicles.

[I-Love-Pontiac]

I totally agree with Jay. American automakers have really terrible inexpensive cars. The Vibe is probably the most refined small car GM has. And we all know where that came from...

I don't think they will get better anytime soon. Because GM's legacy costs are so high, it's almost impossible to make a decent buck on their small cars. So in a way, I would imagine GM doesn't want people buying their small cars. For them is all about the Impalas and Tahoes. I think the biggest problem with this is GM doesn't have anything that appeals to kids. So they are growing up loving Toyota and Honda.

If you go around asking random kids what they think about American cars, 4/5 will tell you they suck and / or Asian cars are better.

[5.3Avalanche]

Originally Posted by I-Love-Pontiac

If you go around asking random kids what they think about American cars, 4/5 will tell you they suck and / or Asian cars are better.

It's so true.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by ksr

Leno adds, "I believe that, all things being equal, Americans will buy American. It just has to be as good as the competition; it doesn't have to be better."

I don't think this quote is true. I've heard many people say, including in these forums, that American cars need to be the best, not just "as good as."

There's so many perception issues as well. I used to live in the DC area, and my friends there won't even consider American vehicles. They'll trot out the tired old line about competition has made all cars better. Which is true - but it's old news - competition HAS made all cars better. And they say something half-hearted about how American cars are improving (sounds like something out of CR).

But they won't actually buy an American vehicle. For a lot of them, they just wouldn't consider being seen in a Buick or Ford or Chevrolet. Why someone would think it's more socially acceptable to be seen in a Toyota than in any American brand vehicle is just baffling to me. And why some people care so much about what other people think of the vehicle they're driving is even more baffling.

Depends on who you are selling to. If you want to stop the bleeding, that is, stop people who have always bought domestic vehicles from switching, "as good as" is good enough. But if you want to win back Honda or Toyota or BMW drivers, it'll have to be better.

Plus, it's not the quality of the current vehicles that really matters; it's the quality of the last generation of vehicles. That is, if somebody owns a 2003 Chevy, but it's a piece of junk and he's always had problems with it; he's probably going to buy a Camry next time. If it was "okay" at least, he'll stay put.

The quality of the domestics (well, maybe not Chrysler) is probably high enough, and has been for awhile, that this problem is finally starting to go away...just in time for another problem. That is, the shift from pickups and large SUVs to cars and CUVs. Not only do the domestics make less money on cars and CUVs than they do on large pickups and SUVs, there are a lot of people who have had split loyalities-domestics for pickups, Japan for cars. Now, they are just looking to the second.