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The steadily disappearing American car
- joneholland 9y agoI see plenty of cars on the road. They are Toyota’s and Honda’s. I love how American companies are justifying weak sales as the economy and not their complete failure to make a compelling vehicle in the sedan space.
- jehlakj 9y agoAdding to your observation, I’ve seen far more early 2000s Toyota’s or Honda’s than any other brands that old.
- carlivar 9y agoThey've been making compelling vehicles but no one cares because everyone is still scarred by 70s-90s quality. Would you even test drive a Buick if you were in the market for a Toyota or Honda? Also, there are far more American cars on the road in the Midwest compared to the urban coasts, so your observation should include geographic location.
- tdb7893 9y agoI've lived in the Midwest my whole life and the trucks here are American but the sedans (which most families have at least one of) are still Toyota or Honda
- joneholland 9y agoMy wife owned a Chevy Malibu (mid 2000s) when we met and it was complete garbage from the tired design to the terrible build quality. I’ve sat in more recent American cars and they are the same way still. Even flagship cars like the mustang and corvette have rattles and plastic heavy interiors. They haven’t shaken off the reputation because they are still crap.
- JoshGlazebrook 9y agoHonda’s and Toyota’s are full of rattling plastic as well.
- _tulpa 9y agoYeah well plastic is cheap, but I haven't driven a relatively modern toyota/honda/nissan with interior rattles (including my '98 toyota)
- s2g 9y agoToyota has awful interiors. I actually like the interior of my mustang.
- ianai 9y agoPretty sure you mean "still scared by the quality." At least, the people in my family sure have more issues than they should.
- jjeaff 9y agoI think the new Lincoln sedans (and crossover SUVs) are very compelling. Beautifully styled on the outside with amazing interior. They also comes in hybrid models. Their highest end sedan with extras is comparable in quality and sleekness to a Mercedes or BMW. (And about the same price I think).
- joneholland 9y agoWhy would I buy a Lincoln when I can buy a BMW for the same price? Getting the product wrong is more than just the design and build quality. It’s also picking the right price point and knowing when to rebrand. Hyundai knew they couldn’t compete with their reputation against Audi and BMW, but a new luxury spin out (Genesis) could. American automakers are arrogant fools.
- throwaway84742 9y agoWhy would you get BMW if a Cadillac does the same thing, is more technologically advanced, and cheaper to maintain (after warranty expires, that is)? Or, for that matter, why not get an even more advanced, all-American Tesla?
- solarkraft 9y agoTeslas are actually advanced. Cadillac (to me) has a far worse reputation than BMW & in my mind their cars look worse. No idea about the reliability.
- throwaway84742 9y agoBy some reports Cadillac CT6 has the best autopilot implementation on the market. And as a BMW owner myself, after the 4 year mark things do start to break down, and boy is it ever expensive to fix. I still like the car, but for my next one I’ll be looking at American luxury brands.
- dennyis 9y ago
- bytematic 9y agoWhat's wrong with the Chevy Malibu or Ford Fusion? IMO they look very nice and the dashs make more sense.
- Feniks 9y agoWell what IS an American car anyway? This is a global economy, despite what Trump wants. Toyota and Honda have factories in North America. Once American car makers have fused with European corporations.
- JohnClark1337 9y agoAm I missing the statistics for foreign auto makers? Maybe people just don't like American made cars?
- jpeg_hero 9y agoI’ve heard this said, that Tesla made a big mistake making a sedan Model 3 instead of a cross over suv. Made the wrong car.
- solarkraft 9y agoNope. "SUV"s are more expensive, less efficient (and look worse imo). They have demand for model 3. A fat one will be next.
- toomuchtodo 9y agoModel Y crossover design is currently in progress based on Tesla job postings.
- ianai 9y agoI think bankruptcy will be next. Not sarcasm.
- sowbug 9y agoTesla and Ford are the only major current American automakers who haven't filed for bankruptcy, right?
- fred_is_fred 9y agoHeadline: "The steadily disappearing American car" Story: "People aren't buying Sedans anymore" Title seems a bit clickbait to me.
- rasz 9y agoHeadline: "The steadily disappearing American car" Story: "People aren't buying Sedans anymore" Reality: "People arent buying US Sedans anymore, because US automakers keep pumping trucks"
- closeparen 9y agoAn domestic vehicle is as much a statement about nationalism and trade policy as anything else. Those politics are highly corelated with low population density, and therefore large vehicles. It makes complete sense that most small urban vehicles would be imports, while most exurban SUVs are domestic.
- khhh35575544 9y agoI rented a US built sedan a while back. I remember being amused at the huge panel gaps, cheap plastic everywhere giving off a strong chemical odour, and the fact the thing carried on rocking on its super soft suspension noticeably after you came to a halt. I cannot fathom why anyone would buy something like that rather than a BMW for example if the prices were similar, bar extreme patriotism.
- stephengillie 9y ago> US built sedan > huge panel gaps, cheap plastic everywhere giving off a strong chemical odour Tesla?
- s2g 9y ago> rather than a BMW for example if the prices were similar They aren't.
- s2g 9y agoand here I want a smaller car. I'd actually like a small SUV for the practicality, but I just don't really like them.
- sjg007 9y agoF150 is a class of its own.