CAW Boss Buzz Hargrove: Ban Imported Cars
Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove knows what's killing the North American auto industry: imports from South Korea and Japan. He's upset that Canada imports more vehicles from Asia and Europe than Canada ships to those areas. And if the problem continues unchecked, he's predicting GM and Ford will be in bankrupt within 10 years. His solution? The Globe and Mail reports Buzz wants Canada and the U.S. to ban imports from Japan and South Korea until they open their markets to North-American-built vehicles. Reality to Buzz: they don't want your vehicles. If you've never been to those countries, roads are narrow, city streets are clogged and parking is at a premium. The average GM, Ford or Chrysler product from this side of the globe would fit in there like an orca in a fishbowl. Also, I don't know about Canadian sales, but the majority of Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, and Mitusubishis sold in the U.S. are bolted together in North America, not imported. He needs to put the blame where it belongs: on the auto companies that sat by complacently resting on their laurels and denying the imports were a threat until they lost customers they'll never regain.
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Buzz has been saying this "comment" for several years now, I heard him on a local Radio station a few days ok saying the same thing, he was saying people should endorse J.D.Powers and not CU or Phil Edmonston Lemon-Aid books, all these media publications have a "bias" imho! I do agree if both Honda and Toyota plants here in Ontario where under the blankett of the CAW, he would not be saying the same things.
@terrior: I read plenty. J.D. Power is pretty much up there with "Consumer Digest" with impartiality (ie NONE) I've even done one of their "surveys" a whole 3 months after I bought the car. Some measure of reliability there. You want impartial, check an AutoTrader. See which holds its value more, a Civic or a Malibu. In the great equalizer that is known as the used car market, a 2005 Civic is worth $14K, the 2005 Malibu (a supposedly more upmarket car) sells for $10K. For those of us who eventually want to trade in our cars (ie Everybody) a foreign car makes for a much more sensible choice. Also, on a personal level... I've owned GM and Ford products. I've also owned Hondas. Guess which brand provided the best ownership experience?
The domestics *have* improved in quality. Now their next task is to build something I actually *want* to buy. I don't want a truck. I don't want some dowdy vanilla sedan. I don't want some SUV/CUV that the industry is terrified to call a wagon. I don't want some pseudo-retro "halo" car. It's already been mentioned that the horrific resale/trade-in value certainly doesn't reflect the improved quality either.
I rode all over S. Korea in a Hummer. It can be done :)