I didn't want to defile the Pearl Harbor threads with a jacking about import vehicles, but wanted to address a post... So, here it is for anyone who wants to get down with it...
Could you imagine how all those men would feel if they saw all the people in America driving around hondas?? its disgusting.
I know a ton of WWII vets, and the vast majority of them drive import cars. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Honda, Toyota etc...
In additon to being a great compass for us from a hard work, honor and integrity perspective, I think that their generation regards value highly. Hence the import vehicle purchases.
I have owned only domestic vehicles my whole life. I have held the title on over 40 vehicles myself, and every single one of them was a Dodge or Chevy, save two huge Ford mistakes. With what is out there right now, the best vehicle for my needs was a Toyota. Didn't even occur to me that I was buying an import. Most of it was built here after all.
I think that if we want to start building vehicles with the styling, features, performance, economy and value of the Japanese imports, people may buy them.
One of the guys who works for me just bought a new Honda hybrid and I have gotten to ride in it a couple of times. I also took a new Chevy "Cobalt" for a ride recently.
No comparison. The Chevy is trying, but when American manufacturers try to build an import competitor, they ususally mess it up in my opinion. Maybe we suck at making plastic look nice, or maybe we don't do as good of a job of designing in the first place or something, but plastic interiors in imports seem a lot nicer than plastic interiors in domestics.
Within a couple of days of ownership, I had the interior of the FJ stripped down to parade rest. Amazingly, all of the clips that hold the interior on are not only reuseable, but they are replaceable. Lots of stuff is physically attached by screws with covers, and many things are really easy to work on. Complete contrast to the domestic credo of "if you ever have to pull this part again you are screwed".
I am becoming a convert. I am just getting done with a lease for Audrey's BMW 5 series, and she is getting an Infinity G35 next. Truck is sold, so there are no domestics in the family any more. But even when I had my 2500HD, the engine (by far the best part) was a Japanese engine... Hopefully, my next vehicle will be a Ferrari, so that will be imported too. I only buy imported motorcycles. Ducati, Yamaha and Suzuki in particular.
Does anyone really hold that much racial bigotry anymore that they consider a Japanese vehicle supporting our enemies?