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Jay Leno advises Detroit on how to get Americans to buy American. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24714435/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dodge_Rams1.jpgJay Leno - MSNBC - May 23, 2008

The type of vehicles America makes best are, unfortunately, not the type of vehicles that people really want anymore. Nobody builds better trucks than the Americans do. Not even the Japanese build as good a truck as the Ford F-150 or the Chevy Silverado.

It’s the same with performance cars. The Corvette Z06 has 505 horsepower, comes with a big warranty, and can hit 200 miles per hour. It weighs almost exactly the same as a half-million-dollar Porsche Carrera GT and gets higher mileage — 26 miles per gallon.

Where we seem to lose it is in the low-bucks econocar. I used to be able to identify any American car from 25 yards. Now they all have this jellybean look. It’s a mystery to me, because the one thing we used to do better than anybody else was build cheap, extremely high-quality cars. We did it for decades, all the way back to the beginning of the industry… http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24714435/

Well said. I think he's exactly right. Compare what some of these same companies are offering in Europe - they're much higher quality than what we're offered.

I laughed at this, though:
One last thing: No matter what happens, do not expect all American cars to go Eurosize. American buttocks are not getting any smaller.

I'd argu ethat American Cars (think Mercury) have great quality these days - they just tend to overpower their cars

GM, Ford, Chrysler have some of the best engineering talent in the world that is hampered by the most insulated, out of touch management in the world. With a 6 year development process for new models they are going to have a hard time catching up.
The emphasis on fuel effeciency just has not been there and now they are caught with a huge amount of inventory that no one wants. With $4 gas they will have a hard time giving some of the vehicles away.

I am not an expert on trucks, I never owned one, but I would question the statement "Not even the Japanese build as good a truck as the Ford F-150 or the Chevy Silverado".

I was very impressed with the Toyota Tundra. They developed auto valve advance that gave you power when towing, but economy otherwise. Very innovative.

I am not an expert on trucks, I never owned one, but I would question the statement "Not even the Japanese build as good a truck as the Ford F-150 or the Chevy Silverado".

I was very impressed with the Toyota Tundra. They developed auto valve advance that gave you power when towing, but economy otherwise. Very innovative.

They have just in the past few years started making a tundra that could compete with people who actually use their trucks as trucks. The problem is they are as or more expensive and have no advantages over the American trucks.
Jay is right given all things equal most Americans will buy American, at least in the truck crowd.

For me, it's been Toyota's...that's all I've ever driven since I started driving back in 1990. I'd love to buy from an "American" company...that is if one really exists. Go look at the sticker of origin on several "American" cars....some are only 50% American. Some foreign cars are more American than "American" cars...go figure. If I had to buy another vehicle now, it would be either Toyota or Honda. You can't beat'em for quality.

For me, it's been Toyota's...that's all I've ever driven since I started driving back in 1990. I'd love to buy from an "American" company...that is if one really exists. Go look at the sticker of origin on several "American" cars....some are only 50% American. Some foreign cars are more American than "American" cars...go figure. If I had to buy another vehicle now, it would be either Toyota or Honda. You can't beat'em for quality.

It's a good article, and I also laughed at the "American butts" comment. Though I would quibble and look at the above post. No car in this age of globalization can claim to be "American" or "Japanese" etc. When Toyota, Subaru and Honda have "American plants" and
"American car makers" sell (smaller) "American cars" in Europe and make the cars in Mexico, who knows what it means to "buy American" anymore.


--des

if the economy falls our butts will get smaller..

I've always been more interested in japanese cars and euro cars, especially the ones I can't have. I wait three years to find the right subaru XT.

I believe my Odyssey is more Canadian than Japanese. Go figure.