Ford aims to stay in the LE game.

[eaglegrad]

I don't know of any vehicle that is 100% made in USA.

Toyota Camry is the best selling AMERICAN MADE CAR.

Vehicles have the percentage of parts that are 'domestic' listed on the window sticker.... too bad 'domestic' includes Canada so there really is no way of being able to easily tell how much of a vehicle is made in the USA.

US auto manufacturers would make cars in Mexico if they could get out of all their union contracts... they could careless....

American ASSEMBLED, not made. There is a difference.

Also, I don't know if I necessarily believe your last statement. However, if you are right, then they need a history lesson. The auto industry did not take off until Henry Ford implemented the $5 a day wage, which was unheard of in that time. People thought the company would go bankrupt because the people on the line were making so much money. However, Henry Ford realized that if the guy on the line could afford to buy the product he was making, he would. He was right. I don't know if CEO's have that kind of thinking anymore, but that's just me.

[Unit453]

Midsize Car: Pontiac G6 (Soon to be Chevy Caprince, Chevy Malibu/Sebring, Ford Fusion

That Caprice is not a mid sized car. Its a full size, rwd, much like it used to be in the 90's. It is NOT based on the G6 platform.

[eaglegrad]

That Caprice is not a mid sized car. Its a full size, rwd, much like it used to be in the 90's. It is NOT based on the G6 platform.

You're right. It's the G8 that's is going to be the Caprice, not the G6. I often get those confused. My apologies.

[Unit453]

Actually, it isnt based on that either:

For those of you thinking that this is a Pontiac G8 in disguise – think again. The car is actually based on the Zeta-platform, which underpins the Chevrolet Caprice in the Middle East.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/10/05...reets-in-2011/

But this has already been beat to death since GM released the news.

[eaglegrad]

Actually, it isnt based on that either:

For those of you thinking that this is a Pontiac G8 in disguise – think again. The car is actually based on the Zeta-platform, which underpins the Chevrolet Caprice in the Middle East.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2009/10/05...reets-in-2011/

But this has already been beat to death since GM released the news.

Again my apologies. I had remembered reading that GM had planned on continuing the G8 in the form of the Caprice, however, I never saw that that statement had been retracted.

[JD_TO]

American ASSEMBLED, not made. There is a difference.

All Chargers Challengers and 300 are made right down the street of me in Brampton,Ontario Crown Vics in St.Thomas, Ontario.

[Unit453]

I like the Crown Vic personally. It gets me around just fine.

Yes, it needs more power but other than that, I my only other complaint is the non power drivers seat that dosent move up and down. I feel like I sit too low. Then again, I drive a 2500HD Silverado that isnt exactly stock either.

If they dropped the 5.4 in that thing, or even one of the less anemic 4.6's, maybe out of the explorers or mustangs, it would be pretty decent. Getting outrun by 95% of traffic on the road is kinda pathetic.

Either way, the motor is tough and I think we can all attest to that. A 5.4 with 350 h.p. and 400 lb of torque and that thing would be tough as nails...

[eaglegrad]

All Chargers Challengers and 300 are made right down the street of me in Brampton,Ontario Crown Vics in St.Thomas, Ontario.

No car is made one place. There are two different types of car factories. Parts plants and assembly plants. Engine blocks are made in one place. Drive shafts are made in another place. Sway bars made in another place. Parts plants do make several different parts for a car though. And so on and so forth for the rest of the vehicle. That's why there aren't any cars that are entirely made in the U.S., because some parts are manufactured overseas.

When you say that those cars are made in Brampton, you actually mean they are ASSEMBLED there. That's what an assembly plant is, the place where all the parts that make up a car go so they can be put together. There is a bit of a common misconception. When a sign says "this car made here", it really means assembled here. The parts that make up the car come from all over. There are more parts plants, than assembly plants. American car companies have more parts actually manufactured in America, then any other car companies.

[That Guy]

As far as buying things with higher quality over American products, that's a persons own choice. But as much as people like to bring up the founding fathers, I wonder if anyone realizes what they gave up as far as material possessions went. Instead of buying the finer, higher quality products imported from France, Italy, or England, they bought things from their neighbors instead. Yeah, they got inferior products, but they helped their neighbor and boosted the economy in the process. If only we had the same sense of loyalty to our neighbors today. And if a municipality isn't willing to help out their fellow citizens by buying American made cars for their employees, that's just a travesty... imho.

Well nowadays money has to last longer and people expect quality. I really don't believe JD Power as every new car model that comes out seems to win their award. Consumer Reports is group I tend to trust as its made up of owners.
Its great American cars are getting better. Until I see years of consistency then I may drift that way. Again why the wait to make a better product? They could have has this 10-15 years ago? The reputation will take awhile to change.

TGY

[Sarge048]

Does anybody know what this new Ford is going to look like???

I wish they would give me my 1987 Chevrolet Caprice back.

[Unit453]

Does anybody know what this new Ford is going to look like???

I wish they would give me my 1987 Chevrolet Caprice back.

What I wouldnt give for a 96 LT1 9C1 in pristine condition...

[eaglegrad]

Well nowadays money has to last longer and people expect quality. I really don't believe JD Power as every new car model that comes out seems to win their award. Consumer Reports is group I tend to trust as its made up of owners.
Its great American cars are getting better. Until I see years of consistency then I may drift that way. Again why the wait to make a better product? They could have has this 10-15 years ago? The reputation will take awhile to change.

TGY

I tried to look up Consumer Reports ratings for cars, but you have to subscribe to it in order to view them. Do you have a subscription to that, because I would like to find out what the ratings are.

[kc12]

Consumer Reports lost all creditability with me when they came out and admitted they rarely tested Toyota's vehicles because their quality was so high. They were making recommendations based on the reputation of the company not on the facts of the vehicle. They said they were going to stop doing this, but that one incident raised one serious question, what else are they fudging on.

I read an article the other day co-opted from CR that was supposedly ranking cars based on reliability and providing recommendations, but surprisingly they were unable to test certain cars. The cars were still listed based on other company's research but did not received a CR recommendation. Personally I would have held the article or simply listed the cars at the end of the section they belong to stating the vehicles were not tested and no information would be included. If the manufacturers want their cars listed (free advertising and promotion) then they would provide the vehicles for comparison. Conversely if the reporter/editor/photographer can't provide information about all of the cars in a timely manner don't publish an incomplete report.

[That Guy]

I do have a subscription and they do list the top cars as Toyota, Honda, and Subaru. Ask any of the owners and they will tell you the same. This years 2009 Car mag did list several American cars as "top picks" for the year. They also list reliability on used cars and Americans fall behind. I have been an avid reader and they are spot on with a lot of stuff and I have yet to be disappointed with their ratings and I take them into consideration on ALL products they test. Most of the foreign car data is also complied by Motor Trend.......

They did have an issue several years ago which they said they corrected due to a rushed report but I don't recall what the product was. CR works for me and until I buy something that doesn't work then I will think twice.

[JSD73]

I'd like to see an American product. I doubt Toyota could build anything that could handle the abuse of day to day patrol and not fall into a million pieces.

Run a Camry or Avalon for 100k miles and run it hard and lets see how well it hold up.

Hmm, did that. Had a 1989 Toyota Camry, ran it hard, ran it often, ran it to 225,000 miles before I sold it. The only thing that went kaput was the A/C at 120,000 miles. I was on patrol one day and saw 'my' car and pulled up next to the girl driving it. I told her it was my old car and asked how many miles it had on it....running strong at 235,000, still no A/C.

We run the hell out of our CVs, 12 hours per day, and they fall apart just fine...they are no more sturdy than any other car that could be 'built' for police purposes.