Smart cars and hybrids..

[cs_whypt2]

Hey Dianne,

No doubt you saw the other thread where I've been looking at some numbers...

Here's 5 of the top numbers I've been looking at...

Aveo $12170 Max tow(unbraked): ? lbs, 27/37 annual fuel: $1824, 5 year total: $21290
Cobalt XFE $15070 Max tow(unbraked): 1000 lbs, 27/36 annual fuel: $1844, 5 year total: $24290
Ford Focus $14395 Max tow(unbraked): ? lbs, 24/35 annual fuel: $2000, 5 year total: $24395
Matrix/Vibe $16190 Max tow(unbraked): 1500 lbs, 26/32 annual fuel: $1976, 5 year total: $26070
Corolla $17550 Max tow(unbraked): 1102 lbs, 26/35 annual fuel: $1908, 5 year total: $27090

Now I don't know about where you live, but if you were to drive a Geo Metro or an Aveo on the highways here where I live, you're just inviting disaster. Safety is more important here than fuel economy. Having said that, I think the smallest car I would consider is the Cobalt. Just my $02 worth!

Mike...

I think I glanced at that thread. I have been doing alot of that type of looking because I was thinking of owning a beater to get to school and back and then still having my truck, but for the two years I am going to school full time (with out having a career) it would not be worth it. I would only brake even, and that is if I didn't need to buy tires or any repairs (which will never happen).
I have seen Aveos driven around here, and I have driven a Geo around here. Yeah, I get the saftey thing, but I wouldn't have a problem driving one around here.

Dianne

[angib]

I like that it is an American car.

Well, it has an American badge - but it's made in South Korea.

Andrew

[H@nk]

What about this one, it is deliverable with a diesel engine and runs only 50 km/hour
http://www.ligier.nl/v1/models.asp

[cs_whypt2]

I like that it is an American car.

Well, it has an American badge - but it's made in South Korea.

Andrew

Yeah yeah yeah

At least the 'profit' is in America.

Dianne

[angib]

At least the 'profit' is in America.

It raises the interesting point, for folks that want to 'buy American', that they may do more good to the US economy by buying an American-made Honda or Toyota (at 50-75% US content), than by buying an imported GM or Ford (at 10-20% US content).

This reached an extreme case some years ago in Britain where the most British large sedan was made in Sweden by Volvo, who bought lots of parts in Britain, whereas all the large sedans by 'domestic' makers (and Ford and our local GM subsidiary are seen as 'domestic') were imported from Germany.

Andrew

[cs_whypt2]

At least the 'profit' is in America.

It raises the interesting point, for folks that want to 'buy American', that they may do more good to the US economy by buying an American-made Honda or Toyota (at 50-75% US content), than by buying an imported GM or Ford (at 10-20% US content).

This reached an extreme case some years ago in Britain where the most British large sedan was made in Sweden by Volvo, who bought lots of parts in Britain, whereas all the large sedans by 'domestic' makers (and Ford and our local GM subsidiary are seen as 'domestic') were imported from Germany.

Andrew

But if the owner is not American, then the profits are sitting in a different country. Who owns the ships that are transporting the cars? (Really, I don't know)
Kind of like Miller. It was sold. It is owned by a South African company. The profits of Miller are now owned by someone else is a differnt country. Yes the beer is brewed here in Milwaukee, and the grains are bought from American farms, (and the used grains are sold / given to Wisconsin dairy farmers, that is why Wisconsin cows are happier, they eat Miller Beer grains) but the profit made off of the beer if going to a non-American human.
I would rather the money go to an American to recirculate in the American economy.

Dianne

[mikeschn]

There are two types of money being discussed here...

1) The corporation's profits
2) The money that is paid via payroll to the employees

Which one is more likely to ripple thru the economy? My vote is for the money that is paid via payroll to the employees.

That said, I guess if I was looking to pick a car that would help the country, I'd pick one that was assembled here, as well as one that used a high content of parts that are made here.

And sadly, I don't think my Ford Fusion qualifies. I should have bought a Mazda 6 instead... it is built right here in Flat Rock, Michigan!

Mike...

P.S. Only 30% of the parts in the Ford Fusion are from the US. If I had known that at the time, I probably wouldn't have bought it.

[Miriam C.]

Oh it is still going. I bought my Nissan because it was assembled in Smyna Tenn. All those workers employed to say nothing of the workers who made the robots to help. Ripple

When you are talking corporations that trade in the US I dare say most of the real profit and bonuses stay here.