[jthomas1600]

If I had a dollar for every time someone has told me "Detroit just won't make cars the American people want. All they make is big gas guzzlers." Perhaps the American people just won't buy the cars "the American people want", so American auto makers sell them other places. Here is a link to Chevy Brasil and as you can see most of them are compact or subcompact.

http://www.chevrolet.com.br/action/s...bSection=Celta

And here's a Ford link.

https://www.ford.com.br/Default.asp

[JerryLove]

Originally Posted by jthomas1600

If I had a dollar for every time someone has told me "Detroit just won't make cars the American people want. All they make is big gas guzzlers." Perhaps the American people just won't buy the cars "the American people want", so American auto makers sell them other places. Here is a link to Chevy Brasil and as you can see most of them are compact or subcompact.

Well... different communities point at different cars that they want.

Trucks, like the F150 are some of the best selling cars in America. The reason that American companies focus on big cars here is because they make more money on them. It's not for a company to make a decisions that a well-made or well-performing small car might undermine sales of their more profitable larger cars.

But I'll assume you are discussing "small and reliable"; and to say "Americans don't buy them" is to say that he Honda Fit, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, etc. are not selling well: they are.

Me personally: I like a very safe, relatively efficient performance car that has great traction. American muscle cars, IMO, have poor ergonomics; awful visibility, and sloppy handling. They have power: but that's about it (very expensive cars perhaps excepting). I drive a BMW.

The communities of enthusiasts I spend time with would love to see some of the European lines from Ford or GM for sale in the US.

[Folk_guy]

I just bought a 2008 Chevy HHR and it's a great vehicle. The gas mileage for a vehicle it's size is fantastic too.
I took a long trip recently and was getting around 31 to 32 MPG. For a vehicle with the cargo space and roominess of the HHR that is a great. It's one of the most comfortable and quiet vehicles I've ever owned too.

[JerryLove]

My experience with an HHR is pretty different. I found the rear visibility poor and the seat position very uncomfortable on a long ride. Similarly, I found the ride lout at high speeds and have no faith in the traction in bad weather.

On a long (highway) trip, 31-32 is poor mileage. I do better in my BMW. My friend's Accord pulls more like 37 in steady highway driving (as will the HHR's main competitor the Matrix).

[jthomas1600]

Originally Posted by JerryLove

Well... different communities point at different cars that they want.

Trucks, like the F150 are some of the best selling cars in America. The reason that American companies focus on big cars here is because they make more money on them. It's not for a company to make a decisions that a well-made or well-performing small car might undermine sales of their more profitable larger cars.

But I'll assume you are discussing "small and reliable"; and to say "Americans don't buy them" is to say that he Honda Fit, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, etc. are not selling well: they are.

Me personally: I like a very safe, relatively efficient performance car that has great traction. American muscle cars, IMO, have poor ergonomics; awful visibility, and sloppy handling. They have power: but that's about it (very expensive cars perhaps excepting). I drive a BMW.

The communities of enthusiasts I spend time with would love to see some of the European lines from Ford or GM for sale in the US.

I guess part of what prompted this post was I've heard several times during the bailout/bankruptcy talks people suggesting that there be stipulation that American auto makers must make more economy cars like the people want. Because the cars you mentioned are selling well we can assume that people want them. But does the public want more? If there were really a vacuum in the market place why wouldn't GM market these cars here. It seems to me that that particular segment of the market is being taken care of.

Is it also possible that some people take pride in owning, say a Honda, because it says something about them and they wouldn't buy a Detroit auto no matter how much it suited there needs? I mean the same can be said about the "buy American" segment of our population. Maybe there are just not as many "buy American" people out there right now.

[JerryLove]

Originally Posted by jthomas1600

I guess part of what prompted this post was I've heard several times during the bailout/bankruptcy talks people suggesting that there be stipulation that American auto makers must make more economy cars like the people want. Because the cars you mentioned are selling well we can assume that people want them. But does the public want more? If there were really a vacuum in the market place why wouldn't GM market these cars here. It seems to me that that particular segment of the market is being taken care of.

It's a good point. I would imagine all segments (perhaps until recently not hybrids, as they was more demand than availability) are being taken care of.

So you are right in thinking that "small cars" is a segment that isn't unfulfilled and that would require actually taking customers away from the people fulfilling it in order to sell.

But that's what the market is all about.

Now it's certainly possible for a company to specialize more than that. Honda doesn't have a line of big trucks after all. And companies like Mack and International don't make cars at all. Lotus, Ferrari, Porsche (though they now make an SUV) are also specialized. Even my beloved BMW (no pickups for example).

But that doesn't seem to be what they've actually done. Instead they have (way too many) models and cars that aren't selling.

Is it also possible that some people take pride in owning, say a Honda, because it says something about them and they wouldn't buy a Detroit auto no matter how much it suited there needs? I mean the same can be said about the "buy American" segment of our population. Maybe there are just not as many "buy American" people out there right now.

My Toyota Corolla was made in Kentucky. My last Buick was made in Mexico.

As a person who hasn't owned an American brand in 20 years (and I have looked at American brands every time I've gone shopping for a new car) I can guarantee you that where it was built and the logo on the car had almost nothing to do with it (I admit that with the car before the BMW, my corolla, reliability was *very* important in my buying decision, which put Toyota and Honda ahead for their demonstrated record there)

[Art]

I rented a Ford Fusion on a very recent trip, and put close to 1000 miles on it. I loved that car. The only thing I did not like about it was the drive train, which did not affect me at all on that trip.

Meh, I don't have a lot of time, so I won't get into it much just yet.