Read article in USA Today March 12 2002

fletch · #1 (**permalink**) 03-12-2002, 11:32 AM

I read usa today just about everyday at lunch. Today I saw an article about consumer reports top 10 vehicles issure that is out now. In the article they mention a economics professor that they call an "analyst" who thinks the results are rigged and biased agaist Detroit. "They can't even find any American trucks that they can call acceptable," Hoffer says.Check it out , its on 3b. Interesting cause they rate Tundra #1 in the truck catagory.
Fletch

fourtoys · #2 (**permalink**) 03-12-2002, 02:35 PM

It's not as if detroit can't build a reliable vehicle,they just choose not to...keeps the sales numbers up if people buy new every few years.Look at classifieds for detroit commercial trucks sometime... 2-3 million miles on many of them,still worth big bucks.

Agent WD-40 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-12-2002, 05:05 PM

Isn't it also true that the dealers make the most money in vehicle repair (as compared to vehicle sales)? So it would make sense that the auto companies would want to help the dealers out too. If the cars made suck, the dealership will make money selling more new cars (to replace the crappy ones) and make money repairing the junk.

I also think that the Americans were resting on their laurels and by the 80's it got really bad. They didn’t have to make a good product because of course people would still buy American; none of the foreign junk for a real American. But they were wrong; people got smart and bought the better product. The foreign competition has turned up the heat the Americans are being forced into making a better product. Even Mercedes-Benz was not doing too many exciting things in the 80's. The competition has gotten stiffer in that market though. Now that market (of European cars) has lots of exciting cars coming form it. So Mercedes-Benz was forced to follow suit or lose their suit.

I guess I am not a fan of cars from the 80’s. But the manufacturers sure have been cooking up some cool stuff lately. I guess capitalism is not too bad. Just better make sure the competition doesn’t let up soon. That is just my thought on the matter.

tundrawes · #4 (**permalink**) 03-12-2002, 08:12 PM

Here is the link to the article

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/2...2/3931760s.htm

oopsulost · #5 (**permalink**) 03-13-2002, 12:04 AM

Considering Detroit's quality track record in recent years, that would be a fair bias.