Need A Little "homework" Help

[denslexusgx470]

Ok guys here's what I have going on. For one of my classes I had to choose a debate topic for my final this semester. I came up (with my partner who doesnt really care too much so I get my way this time lol) with "Why foreign cars are better than American cars"

Should be kinda easy right? Lexus and Toyota are pretty much a lot better in most aspects but I need a little help. I need a few good sources that states (can't be biased so it can't just be Toyota/Lexus but it has to include like Honda, Acura, Nissan, Infiniti, possibly Hyundai since they are "foreign") for a fact that foreign cars are better in a lot of apsects like reliability, value, economical (gas), etc.. I know a lot of you are always reading news articles or websites regarding car reviews so I thought I'd make a post here and see what you guys could help me out on.

Thanks!

[GDixon]

Ok guys here's what I have going on. For one of my classes I had to choose a debate topic for my final this semester. I came up (with my partner who doesnt really care too much so I get my way this time lol) with "Why foreign cars are better than American cars"

Should be kinda easy right? Lexus and Toyota are pretty much a lot better in most aspects but I need a little help. I need a few good sources that states (can't be biased so it can't just be Toyota/Lexus but it has to include like Honda, Acura, Nissan, Infiniti, possibly Hyundai since they are "foreign") for a fact that foreign cars are better in a lot of apsects like reliability, value, economical (gas), etc.. I know a lot of you are always reading news articles or websites regarding car reviews so I thought I'd make a post here and see what you guys could help me out on.

Thanks!

Buy the recent Consumers' Reports. It is their auto issue and has repair data and a wealth of other information about foreign and domestic cars and trucks.

For the matter of why foreign car manufacturers are better than American car manufacturers you may need another source. That is, if the debate topic is expanded to include the intent of the business. It is a matter of process vs. product. On the other hand, dealing with both aspects may strengthen the point.

[RX in NC]

Good thing your subject is "cars" and not "trucks". The Big Three's pickup trucks always have been and still are hands-down better than any other pickup trucks on the planet....

[GDixon]

Good thing your subject is "cars" and not "trucks". The Big Three's pickup trucks always have been and still are hands-down better than any other pickup trucks on the planet....

Opinion, opinion. :P

Consider the Tundra in the 1/2 ton class.

(I currently own a Ford F150, BTW. In the past there have been F250s, and F350s as well. OK, a Ford Ranger, too, but that is not a real truck.)

[denslexusgx470]

Ya I'm going to get a Consumer Reports magazine soon but I would also love to gather some websites that (are credible) also mention foreign cars being better than American cars.

I'm probably just going to talk about the performance, reliability, and economical aspects of the company. I think it will get too complicated if i talk about the business aspect of the companies but that is a good idea though. Thanks for the tip. I dont think my debate requires that much but I will definitely keep that in mind just in case I need to add more to my debate. Thanks. :)

[SW03ES]

I would talk about pension and retiree obligations and the UAW too.

[denslexusgx470]

I would talk about pension and retiree obligations and the UAW too.

Hey Steve. Sounds like a very good debatable topic but honestly I'm not into politics too much and I try to stay away from political debates hehe I'll also keep that in mind though but I'm not too sure at this point if I can change my final debate topic.. I'll see... Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks guys .. :)

[JENunnez]

Here's something that you may be able to use.

http://www.mcafee.cc/Classes/BEM106/Papers.../351/Toyota.pdf

http://imvp.mit.edu/papers/93/Nishiguchi/nishi-2.pdf

[RX in NC]

dens,

In your preparation, don't forget to include at least a page or two on the very real potential of bankruptcy for all three American manufacturers. If warranties, service, parts, and favorable consumer relationships decline dramatically in the eyes of U.S. customers, many would argue that this alone would cause them to abandon their current domestic vehicles and consider only foreign vehicles going forward. That may not be a "quality of product" issue right off the bat, but it certainly becomes a "quality of life" issue for the domestic manufacturers as well as for the car-buying public. And it is certainly at the top of the list of concerns for everyone in Detroit these days....

[SW03ES]

I would talk about pension and retiree obligations and the UAW too.

Hey Steve. Sounds like a very good debatable topic but honestly I'm not into politics too much and I try to stay away from political debates hehe I'll also keep that in mind though but I'm not too sure at this point if I can change my final debate topic.. I'll see... Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks guys .. :)

It has nothing to do with politics and it fits perfectly with your topic. To me, as a fairly well read observer of the automobile industry, this is THE reason why foreign carmakers are better and can make a better product than domestic carmakers.

Part of the real reason that the domestic carmakers have serious financial problems, and one of the big disadvantages they have when competing with foreign companies are the pension and retiree obligations they have. The UAW has strong armed them into these hugely expensive pension plans and healthcare for their retirees until they and their spouses die to the point where I read a figure where $4,000 per vehicle goes straight to paying those obligations. It doesn't take an economist to realize that foreign carmakers, who don't have those obligations, have much wider profit margins.

RX is also very correct. My accountant has wanted a Corvette all his life. Being as financially conservative as he is he planned out when he would buy it, this year. He's going to wait, why? Because he wants to wait and see what happens to GM...

[RX in NC]

There's no question that U.S. consumer behavior will change dramatically if the Big Three all go belly-up. But no one can predict exactly how and when....

For me and my much-beloved 10-year-old Dodge Ram 5.9-litre V8 pickup, if Chrysler bites the dust I'll have to sit down and create a spreadsheet of parts most likely to break on this truck based on general failure history for my particular model and year. Then I'll have to determine which of those parts can be suitably acquired from aftermarket sources and which must come from a dealership parts department. At that point, I'll have to decide if I want to lay in a supply of any commonly-failing parts that must be purchased from the dealer (I believe that list will be very, very short, but at this point that's simply a guess)....

So even though I don't even think about unloading my Ram in the event of a Chrysler collapse, I still will spend what may amount to several days of research building my contingency plan to keep it. Prior to now, who has ever had to do that for any of their Big Three vehicles? You just drove them and never worried about parts availability. That is a major shift in consumer behavior right off the bat, one that the Big Three want to desperately avoid since it will cost them significant new sales, probably sooner rather than later....

You've got many different ways to approach your debate prep, dens. Once you've prepared your documentation, be sure to post it here. I'm sure it will make for very interesting reading as well as some lively debate on this forum as well....

[SW03ES]

Yeah absolutely, keep us posted!

[nc211]

I also think the answer lies in the business model and revenue streams most focused upon for the company. I think also takes into account a certain level of product pride from the individual line worker. It seems to me, and again just my personal opinion, but the asian community has a stronger work ethic than we do, with more pride taken from producing the best possible product they can, versus a job that provides the best possible paycheck that it can. With that said, the business model and revenue streams can be easier to identify. GM, focuses more on the ongoing servicing of the vehicle, ie, alternators, water pumps, etc... Toyota seems to focus more on the retention of the customer for future sales, which is why you rarely see a Camry with a failed alternator at 40k miles, in comparison to a Chevy Cavalier. Most anyone will tell you the profit margins are higher in the servicing bay, then on the show room. I think over time, as the asian car makers began to build bigger "more american friendly" cars, folks began to realize there was an alternative to the Malibu and it's on-going repairs. When a 50k mileage Avalon drives nicer than a new Malibu, you've got a problem.

But at the end of the day, it comes down to the pride of the product in the specific individual versus the pride of the paycheck and living lifestyle afforded to that individual. Not saying american autoworkers aren't proud of what they do, but you don't see a lot of Honda/Toyota/Subaru plants with strike lines out front.

[denslexusgx470]

I will definitely keep you guys posted! You guys have really opened a new door for me on this topic... It's not going to be a HUGE debate as this is just in preparation for my final in an English 3 (Critical Thinking) class this semester. I had to get a topic this soon because the teacher wants us to get working on it already and I have a 2-3 page essay due fri on some research that we've looked up based on MY side of the topic (now it's my partner's problem to figure out his side of the debate lol)...

I might be able to post up the essay here tomorrow if I don't become too busy

:)

Sorry it's been a hectic schedule for me. Horrible brutal Chemistry test today, and now this essay... <_<