The "Detroit 3"

[rowyn]

One of my LJ friends, detroitfather, has been working in the US auto industry for 17 years. He made a very interesting and informative post about the current crisis in the industry here. Go take a look!

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

I am sorry to contradict a statement here. It is not my intention to be rude. But I have driven two US made cars recently - the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Stratus. Both felt heavy, vibrated terribly even at idle, and rode so rough my butt would have preferred a horse and saddle. So I bought a Honda Civic, made in Ohio. It is quiet, smooth, light and gets about 25% better gas mileage than the 4 banger Dodge.

I wondered about the quality metrics so I rented a couple of cars from a couple of the manufacturers. I can only guess that somehow the numbers are fudged in the same way that no movie from Hollywood ever makes a profit; my own first-hand experience led me away from the big 3 because their products felt like they were flying apart just sitting at idle.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Well, anecdotal evidence is tricky.

My own case is rather the opposite. I drive a GM car, one that is perhaps one of the most complex and technically challenging production cars made in the US. (At the new Lansing, Michigan plant.)

I'm very happy with it -- I leased it new, drove it for three years, then elected to purchase it from the lease company. It was the first time I've ever done that, and I've leased over a dozen vehicles and owned several times that.

It's now four years old, but compares favorably with anything out there in terms of ride, handling, comfort, and features. There are no squeaks or rattles, and I'm very pleased with it. I just drove it about two thousand miles in the last three weeks or so.

The only significant repair I've had to make has been to replace the windshield; such a thrown rock could happen to any car.

===|==============/ Level Head

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Which statement are you contradicting?

I can speak with authority about the Mustang, and everything that you complained about is either (A) something most Mustang owners don't care about; or (B) something they actually want ("rough" ride). Ford makes an intentional trade-off here, favoring good limit-handling to smooth ride.

It sounds like, for the type of vehicle you were seeking, the Civic is a good fit.

The quality numbers ar not fudged. They are done by independent groups such as Consumer Reports and J.D. Power, both of whom in the past have been very unfavorable toward the Detroit 3.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

If the quality improved, it must have been in the last ten years. My '96 Neon was a piece of crap, and so were the endless succession of cars we had to replace every three years when I was growing up, until we bought a subaru when I was 12 that my sister drove until I was 28.

My stepfather's a union worker (not the UAW for most of his career -- several machinist unions), and the way he tells it, the union is often corrupt... in collusion with management to embezzle money out of the company for the top union officials and top management. They do throw some unnecessary perks at the union rank and file to keep getting re-elected, but the companies go down the tubes because the money is being funneled into off-shore accounts.

And when they want to close a plant, all they have to do is neglect safety until enough people die that the health department shuts it down for them. He lost several jobs that way.