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Can Detroit Ever Effectively Challenge The Japanese?
Remember the good old days? When GM, Ford and Chrysler cranked out news SUVs and pick-up trucks that were better--and often bigger?

Back then, Detroit designers and execs focused so much time and energy on the big rigs because they were more profitable and more in demand than cars. Well, times have changed.

With the shift to cars and fuel efficient crossovers, Detroit designers will be tested. So will they come up with the new models that will beat the Asian automakers at their game?

If that question seems ridiculous, think again. In the last 10 years, the Big 3 have struggled to come up with sedans to beat the Camry, Corolla, Civic and Altima. In fact, if you look at the top 10 best selling cars right now, only 4 are American models: The Ford Focus, Chevy Cobalt, Malibu and Impala.

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Can Detroit Ever Effectively Challenge The Japanese?



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M35MTM35MT - 5/30/2008 1:35:33 PMView My AgentSpace
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While you vaguely make a valid point I still think you're a tool.

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07G35J07G35J - 5/30/2008 1:38:47 PM
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I agree with the first part of your comment. I don't know about the last part.

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0to600to60 - 5/30/2008 2:03:28 PM
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Maybe the IS350 just sucks! j/k. Its not that bad of a car, it just doesnt have the sports sedan feel. Its just a fast car. The 335 and even the G offers more of the sports sedan feel. They just overall perform better than the IS. But good try for Lexus however they left out some ingredients somewhere.

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almadyalmady - 5/30/2008 2:15:38 PM
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Agent009 could you give us you source of the top 10 best selling cars right now which included Ford Focus, Chevy Cobalt, Malibu and Impala !!!

However, The GM, Ford, Chrysler, got the geographic advantage.

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91z4me91z4me - 5/30/2008 3:21:56 PM
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MichaelTaylor,

Where I live almost all Lexus owners bought their cars for the Lexus badge and they really think they're above everyone else because they drive a Lexus.

Look at the Lexus guys on this forum? Bunch of blind and biased fanboys who can't give credit where credit is due for example like when it comes to the IS350 vs 335i or IS-F vs M3 issue for example.

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Kraut_godKraut_god - 5/30/2008 4:00:12 PM
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WELL SAID MICHAEL WELL SAID!!!

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tattedtwicetattedtwice - 5/30/2008 6:11:10 PM
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WELL SAID 91Z4ME WELL SAID!!!

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07G35J07G35J - 5/30/2008 1:35:44 PM
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Never have, never will.

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lexusrox123lexusrox123 - 5/30/2008 1:40:53 PM
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although detroit is starting to come around again (malibu, CTS, etc.) i dont think itll ever beat japan.

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sold2earlysold2early - 5/30/2008 1:45:23 PM
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Not while the UAW continues to drag them down.

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kpaxxkpaxx - 5/30/2008 2:00:32 PM
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YES


They are doing it now and always have been!


Remember there are many market segments that Detroit invented. Minivan, utility pickup, SUV, there is yet to be a segment the asian car manufacturers invent.



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Htay7500Htay7500 - 5/30/2008 3:24:14 PM
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they made the compact suv segment. (hence the rav4, crv)


Htay7500Htay7500 - 5/30/2008 3:24:14 PM
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they made the compact suv segment. (hence the rav4, crv)


olscuulolscuul - 5/30/2008 7:09:51 PM
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rav4, cr-v? i guess you never hear this 4 letter word before - jeep!


0to600to60 - 5/30/2008 2:01:26 PM
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Quality and reliability became big for Americans. And thats what Honda and Toyota offered. Americans caught on to that and thats why they succeded. That along with appealing styling should be the American car companies focus.

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StarStar - 5/30/2008 2:03:11 PM
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I think they can do it. I mean is not like going after the masterpieces built in Germany. We are talking about the lowly appliances made in Japan. I think that if the American manufacturers will use better quality of materials working to improve especially the interiors of the cars they can really take on the Japanese.
Germans cannot be challenged when it comes to cars we all know that but I don't see any reason for the American car manufacturers not to surpass in the future the fairly low standard of quality in the Japanese cars.

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almadyalmady - 5/30/2008 2:16:10 PM
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Agent009 could you give us you source of the top 10 best selling cars right now which included Ford Focus, Chevy Cobalt, Malibu and Impala !!!

However, The GM, Ford, Chrysler, got the geographic advantage.


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Agent009Agent009 - 5/30/2008 2:28:01 PMView My AgentSpace
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That was CNBC source not ours.


theoptimisticpessimisttheoptimisticpessimist - 5/30/2008 4:16:23 PM
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tattedtwicetattedtwice - 5/30/2008 6:09:46 PM
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There is nothing earth shaking or superior about the japs, they are selling on name only. Period. It takes time to build and to break a reputation. Now that GM and Ford are better than ever, and honyota stands still and in some cases goes backwards, people will eventually catch on and wise up.

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damikcodamikco - 5/30/2008 7:48:31 PMView My AgentSpace
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you know im tired of the union bashing anti american stuff being said here. First of all Domestics are doing well in the past years saturn aura chevy malibu most the entire saturn line up and most of the cadillac line up corvette the up coming chevy volt has the japanees scrambling, and as far as the union....dont forget we live in a union (the state of the union, is the was happing noww in the U.S) lets not forget by living in the U.S we have freedoms and rights we all enjoy that does not let us be just pushed around in this country, a union at work does thge exact same thing by giving the comman man (ie, a citizen in this country) a fair wage and certain rights in the work place, unlike Toyota which just begain paying some of its workers for working over time.

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mercuryguymercuryguy - 5/30/2008 8:40:56 PM
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It is not an Energy Crisis, It is a Monopoly Crisis.
In recent years, car sales have been down steadily, mainly because the market has been saturated with new cars and SUVs. Everyone who wants one already has one. People are still buried in debt on car loans. The Billionaires know this. So their marketing campaign is to instill fear and panic, to get people back into the showroom. CEOs of car companies play golf with CEOs of oil companies. They sit in think tanks asking questions like “How can we get more people into new automobiles” “Let’s build smaller cars to get everyone into driving a car, even people who ride bicycles to the corner store”

The Dot com crash, the mortgage Crisis, the Energy Crisis, the list goes on and on. Relentless Capitalism. It’s just a way to get people to spend more money they don’t have.

To trade your vehicle in now at a fraction of what you paid to save a few miles per gallon is ridiculous. The FTC needs to investigate these fraudulent practices. Of course, today our government doesn’t want to interfere with “Market Forces”. These politicians are on the same golf course with the CEOs.

“There’s one born every minute”


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mercuryguymercuryguy - 5/30/2008 8:43:28 PM
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I've got a bridge, I mean car I want to sell you! Just sign here.

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mercuryguymercuryguy - 5/30/2008 9:05:50 PM
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Star: “I think that if the American manufacturers will use better quality of materials working to improve especially the interiors of the cars they can really take on the Japanese.”
Detroit did use great materials like Aluminum, Steel and cast metals.
My father had a new 1980 Chrysler Lebaron wagon. This car was really built and had rich interior He also had a Dodge Mirada, another nice quality car. These cars had real metal and chrome door handles. Last of the good cars from Chrysler. These cars had real steel and aluminum frames under the dash board. The interiors had rich wood, at least rich enough for the price. Yes, I admit Ford had the cheap contact paper wood decal, but only for a few years.
Then the joke K-Car came out and the industry went into the tank.
The Government tightened the screws and imposed the CAFÉ standards. Where Detroit messed up was switching to plastic screws and nylon parts to reduce weight. They should have invested in 8-speed transmissions and Diesel engines. They chose the cheap and dirty road to meet the government compliance.

I tried to mount a toggle switch under my the dash of my 2007 Chrysler 300. There is nothing to drill into. It is just cheap plastic and cardboard. The only solution is to use sticky tape or Velcro. All cars built today are built on the disposable principle.

I get a kick out of the Motor Trend experts talking about “Fit and Finish” we are talking about plastic and cardboard here folks! Not much to really talk about. Detroit was forced down the road of no return.


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truckmentruckmen - 5/30/2008 9:21:04 PM
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Toyota has definatly slipped in quality for the last 10 years or so but Honda has continued to improve, and in my opinion is the most reliable car you could buy. If I were going to buy a high end car I would concider the Cadillac.

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deepwaterdeepwater - 5/31/2008 3:58:55 AM
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The cars are too complicated and expensive. If one manufacturer find the cheap technology to build a car with low cost, reliable, safe, confortable and greener, they will gain the market.
Toyota slipped in quality lot, they have to change their policy. Until Toyota is profitable, they wouldn't. In othe hand the legendary Toyota felixibility, fast reaction on market trends, customer first policy is gone. Toyota now a big and massive company, not to follow fast the changes of customer demands.
GM and Ford have chance to be the winner, because they are in trouble. They must to do something, therefore they will implement immediate actions, new engineers, new procedures and technologies to gain.
For ma Chrysler is question. If they find a proper partner (who would like to enter on exoand in US), they can make some surprise. I can imagine strong cooperation between Chrysler and VW group. VW would expand in US, therefore VW will design new carline and they are looking for the local partner to improve their activity. (localisation, design, network...)
Chance to win: GM and Ford
Possible surprise: VW-Chrysler, Hyundai-Chrysler
Loose: Toyota-Lexus-Subaru, Honda, Nissan
Disappear: Mitsubishi
No change: BMW, Mercedes

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ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 5/31/2008 6:16:54 AM
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hey Dupe, i mean Deep--

you must have been in the water too long and got water on your brain.

gm and ford may turn around, but it ain't gonna happen overnite. they've barely staunched the flow of red ink, and only lately were making profits. SMALL profits. which may vanish again, as the recession deepens.

toyota has been making more profits than the rest of the INDUSTRY combined. no way are they ever gonna end up "loosing."

the euro brands are gonna REALLY be struggling for awhile, just to keep their heads above water. the plummeting dollar means they're gonna have to boost their prices drastically here. on cars ALREADY overpriced for what they offer, in comparison to u.s. and asian offerings.



A4ORCEA4ORCE - 5/31/2008 5:43:36 PM
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Just a random thought... WWII, Japan takes out US navy, dominates pacific for a while. US reacts and ultimately defeats Japan.

Japan takes out US auto industry. US begins comeback.

Japan excels at planning ahead, but you can never count out the US. Our products aren't exactly competitive, but you can't deny the quality of some of the new products like the Malibu and CTS. The Volt is promising as well. Also, Toyota hasn't had major labor problems yet. I say yet because it's only a matter of time. Meanwhile, GM and Ford are in constant talks to bring down labor costs (healthcare, pensions, etc.).

Next decade should be pretty interesting.

I am afraid of the US auto industry going the way of the British auto industry, but I'm not familiar enough with what happened to the British other than they couldn't make a quality car and they ultimately failed as a whole...

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ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 6/3/2008 4:01:12 AM
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speaking of the british auto industry, i recall a program that showed why the brit motorcycle industry died.

there were numerous factors. among the most interesting:

as late as the 1950s and early '60s, they were still using machine tools made in the 1900s - 1910s!
they had little to NO COMPETITION, before japanese bikes came along. harley-davidson was JUST AS backward, with engines hardly changed since the 1930s. the german and italian bike companies were still recovering from ww2.
but then, starting in the mid-1960s, japan's bikes came on the scene.

one scene forever got fixed in my mind. a reporter went to a showroom, and asked a salesman just why was it that brit bikes were hardly selling anymore, while japanese bikes were flying out the door.

so the sales guy said, "well, let me show you how to start the respective bikes." and he demonstrated, starting with a brit bike. "First, you turn the fuel cock on. then, you 'tickle' the carbs to ensure the bowls are full; hopefully you won't get too much petrol on your finger in the process. Next, you fold down the kick starter, and kick the engine thru a few times, to charge the cylinders. And finally, you switch on the ignition, and kick again a few more times. And if all is right with God and all is well in the Kingdom, the engine will cough to life."

"Now, allow me to demonstrate how to start a japanese bike." he walks up to the machine. simple switches the ignition on. hits the starter button with his thumb. still not saying a word more, the viewer HEARS a brief 'RRRrrrRRR...vrooMMMM!'

"Any more questions?"

thru the 1980s, detroit was ALMOST (but not quite) as backward vis-a-vis the japanese. fortunately, they weren't as proud, DID RECOGNIZE they had to change drastically, and the rest is history.

have they actually caught up? it is still an open question.


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ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 6/3/2008 4:14:58 AM
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but, hope springs eternal. brit bikes have RISEN FROM THE DEAD!

after closely flirting with total collapse, Triumph got bought out by the workers. with fresh designs, a work force now AWARE of having their desiny in their own hands rather than absentee owners/stockholders, the help of add'l capital and other necessities of running a modern company, Triumph motorcycles are once again being made and exported. a friend flew 400 miles to buy one (have not seen him nor bike yet; hope he made it ok).

and, an elderly gent who used to own the "Farthest North BMW Dealer/service facility" gave up the franchise to the local HD/Honda dealer. and he now holds the alaska ROYAL ENFIELD franchise.

he was showing off a bike he was in the process of crating and shipping out to a buyer. it is STILL an antique design. HOWEVER, its beauty is in its very simplicity! (and ultra-light weight.)



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