Civic comes to America; Aaron goes to bed
Let's take the second part first -- I've spent the last few days a) traveling and b) sick as a dog, so most of my time has been either in a car, on a plane or in bed -- hence the lack of activity on the site. The cold has almost run its course and I have one more trip, so things should be getting back up to speed soon.
Okay, let's talk about the Civic. Up until now, Honda's wondercar has been imported from Japan. Last week, Honda began producing Civic sedans at their new factory in Greensburg, Indiana. The plant is currently running a single shift with about 900 employees. Honda plans to bring a second shift online next year, and eventually 2,000 employees will be turning out as many as 200,000 cars. The Civics built in Indiana use engines built at Honda's plant in Ohio. Kudos to Honda for creating both the jobs we need and the cars we need. The Civic is a long-time favorite of mine. Find out why:
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to bed. And then I'm going to get on a plane. And when I'm back home, I'm going to go fill up the car -- here in LA we're at around $3.43/gallon and falling. And that makes me feel a lot better. -- Aaron Gold
The Civic has been built at the East Liberty, Ohio factory and Alliston, Ontario, Canada factory for many years. The new Indiana factory simply adds capacity to build more Civics in the USA.
I was going to leave the same comment, but Joe beat me to it. The Ohio plant has been open since 1984 churning out Civics and Accords. My 1998 Civic and 1990 Accord were built there. The only Civic to come from Japan currently for the US market is the Hybrid, and we here in Indiana do not get to produce that model (yet?).
Yes it is good that Honda builds cars in the US but I am really tired of people not giving US car companies a fair shake.
The Ford Fusion is a very good car, has gotten great reliability marks, and good mileage.
They problem is too many people when looking for a fuel efficient car skip the US makers and just buy Japanese. Kind of like the guy guy with “I Love Unions” on the back of his Prius.
Yes the US car companies have produced a lot of stinkers but Ford and GM have really seemed to turned around. Crysler actually seemed to have gone down hill after they buy out and buy back.
Since you mentioned the price of gas…I’m happy to report it fell below $3.00 here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The lowest I saw this weekend was $2.96!!!
U.S. auto manufacturers build to many cars in any one line to ever be profitable.
GM needs to integrate the GMC line in to Chevy and make one new line of trucks.
GM must concentrate on the profitable cars/trucks and drop all the rest to ever pull it’s self out of this mess it’s in.
Chrysler needs to be completely revamped to produce a line of vechiles that the public wants and will have good resale value.
Im tired of seeing dodges bought for 24-27K and being worth 10K A YEAR OR LESS LATTER.
Im not talking about the current car sales problems just Dodge resales over the past 15+ years.
Since the price of gas has been mention, I just filled up for $2.89 p/g here in Austin, Tx.
I have a 2007 Saturn Vue-4cyl with which I am very pleased. I get 20-22 mpg in city driving. I have never gone on more than a 25 mi ride, that being to work with the IRS, so I don’t have any good hway mileage to report. I think people are not giving US cars makers enough credit for the autos they are producing.
Its a perception thing, if its foreign made it must be better made and perform better than US made vehicles. I don’t believe that. Thats my 2-cents worth.
2001 Volkswagon Golf TDi, 7 year old car with tons of horsepower upgrades, 45 MPG. New Jetta TDi, 50 MPG. Prius…45 MPG. US mfg’s scream 30 mpg and folks are proud they are getting 25 mpg…that still puts the US manufacturers WAY behind the curve for fuel efficiency. Ford has a small diesel vehicle out in Europe which gets 60 MPG. Repeat that, a U.S. manufacturer builds it and they DON’T EVEN SELL IT IN THEIR OWN HOME MARKET! The Ford Transit Van…perfect small business van, available with a diesel in Europe…gets 30+ MPG…Ford decides to only sell the Gas version in the U.S. at 22 MPG. Absolute insanity. THAT is why I look and hope and pray…but still won’t buy an American car.
Ok, so I am guilty of making the complaint about US automakers lack of quality. I’ve owned a few US made vehicles in my time and all of them had problems (particularly a Dodge who’s transmission exploded after only 3 years of driving). As a frequent business traveller I have also driven my fair share of newer US made rentals (baselines, true, but still total garbage in performance, looks, and just plain polished quality). After getting burned by the big 3 too many times, I tried VW for a while. Happy, yes, but not blown away. I have now settled down comfortably with Infiniti (pricy but totally worth it! On my third one now and will definitely come back for a 4th).
With all that said, my wife recently hit the market for a new car as we are expecting our first child and need a more practical family car. And this time we did not rule out any maker or vehicle type. We tried SUV, Wagon, Sedan, you name it. And I must say I was very impressed by what Saturn and Ford have to offer these days. The hybrid Vue is great and I was seriously leaning that way except for a problem being able to open the rear door fully while parked next to another vehicle (a test we started to be sure to have easy access to the car seat while at any full parking lot which means anywhere in LA). We did look at GM but nothing interested us, and Chrysler’s product line was so weak we didn’t even consider it. Ultimately we ended up with a Mazda 5 (great milage, sporty look and performance, capacity and access convenience of a mini-van… trifecta for the budding family!).
So what does mean? I agree that US makers often get a bad rap, but then some of it is deserved as they allowed their quality to dip in the 80s and 90s. They now have to rebuild their reputation as Hyundai is still struggling with, and it will take some time. I agree Ford is turning out some nice stuff lately and GM is also picking things up (looking forward to the Volt). Chrysler is lost completely and they need to either clean house (exec and design) or close up shop. Until then I still expect my next purchase will be Japanese for more factors than just a bias or lack of trust in Detroit.
“The Ford Fusion is a very good car, has gotten great reliability marks, and good mileage.”
They aren’t even built in the us, but buy one if you like them.
I personally have no interest in a Mexican built car on an obsolete Mazda platform.
@Kevin It’s misleading to pick the top 2 mileage earners and claim a complete victory. First those two cars don’t even come close to meeting the needs of most Americans. (See Dfi’s comment). Second compare the gasoline mpg of the GTI to Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt. Both the Focus and Cobalt beat the GTI hands down. And that’s not even looking at the Cobalt XFE which does better than the GTI or Corolla.
Or maybe you were talking mid-size in which case the Fusion and Malibu both get better mileage than the Passat. And the Malibu gets better than a Camry.
It seems by your metric other then the GTI, VW makes some crap cars…
But I will agree that Ford does need to bring their good European products over here.
AARON: I am NOT going to mention any vehicle! I am going to say, DRINK TWO CUPS OF CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP! Take two aspirin, and sleep for seven hours! When you wake up, drink MORE soup. AND…call your MOTHER…she’ll make you feel better as she “mothers” over the phone! Get well!
Joe, Rob – DOH!
Aaron
Why is it because it says Ford, it’s got to be American. If a Honda is built in America with 90% American parts, by American workers, in a plant built by American workers with American materials and the profits are going into an American (American Honda Corp.) company traded on the American Stock Exchange, where we can all be part owners(stock holders)and the company pays taxes to the American Govt. on everything. Yet you call the Fusion American when it is built in Mexico By Mexican workers in…
Guys takes those red, white and blue glasses off and thank God that the “Feriners” are investing in our sagging domestic economy, whereas our supposed American companies continue to open plants abroad, showing no interest in helping our unemployed workers.
Aaron:
Are you feeling any better? Colds are a drag.
LWATCDR:
The Fusion is a good car. (It isn’t for me because they don’t offer it in a wagon, but that’s not the car’s fault). What you’re observing is the manifestation of the fact that a damaged reputation can take forever to repair. It may not be fair, but such is human nature. Perception is everything.
Ah. Chicken soup. Suspected you might not be up to snuff.Be well soon.Looking forward to you being up to speed.
Alright, Aaron. Your neglecting the Americans a little on the EX-L review. Leather in a small car? Optional on the 1996 Saturn SL2 I had (nearly 100% American and the best car I ever owned). A little late is a little understatement (though to be fair, I think the Corolla has had it for a couple of years if you got the right trim). Also 25/36 is the same as the 08 Cobalt XFE. I’ll grant that the Civic review may have been done before the XFE was introduced, and XFE is manual only. But the Cobalt also has more power.
Sorry, just watched the Dodgers lose and needed to vent about something. Thanks and hope you feel better.
Thanks to all who asked about my cold. Only holding it together because of Mucinex. I’m in Pennsylvania right now…sadly, no chicken soup on the fancy hotel menu. Going home to rest on Wednesday.
Agree that the Fusion is underated, btw, but I’d still take a Mazda6. Mazda is owned by Ford and the 6 is built in Michigan. — Aaorn
Direct from the Honda website…
Honda Canada Inc. began operations in 1969 establishing its first manufacturing facility in 1986, followed by a second plant in 1998. Honda Canada Inc. employs approximately 5,100 Associates. At its two facilities in Alliston, Ontario, Honda of Canada Mfg. annually manufactures 390,000 vehicles and purchases two billion dollars of goods from Canadian-based suppliers.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is the world’s preeminent maker of engines for automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment. With more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, Honda now attracts nearly 20 million customers annually. Honda of Canada Mfg. manufactures the Honda Ridgeline, Honda Civic, Honda Pilot, Acura CSX and Acura MDX.
Canada has been part of “America” for a couple of years now…please get your head outta the sand.
“Canada has been part of “America” for a couple of years now…please get your head outta the sand. ”
If you are going to be a pedant, at least get it right.
America is a name commonly used for the United States of America all over the World.
Canada is on the continent of North America.
Canada is in the Americas, referring to the New World (North and South America), Canada is not in America.
I have been wanting to say this for years..so here goes! I drive a South Korean vehicle! I help pay the wages of the dock worker who drives the car off the boat in California! I help pay the wages of the guy who loads it onto a railroad car and it is shipped to the MidWest. I help pay for the Teamster who loads it onto a “portable parking lot” that delivers it to my dealership. I help pay for the guy who preps the vehicle! I help pay for the mechanic who checks the car. I help pay for the salesman who sells me the car. I help pay for the dealership staff who processes the paper work. I pay the use taxes both to the State and to the Federal Government! SO…I am a bad guy for supporting ALL these people! Come on!!!
I always knew you were a patriot Bille Joe! Don’t let these flag waving phonies make you feel unpatriotic, when they’ll be filling up their Mexican built Fords with all those Wall Mart Christmas gifts built in China this coming December! Buy what you feel is the best car for you. It’s a free country and our forefathers fought for that right for us to choose. Don’t let any quasi-patriotic rhetoric deny you your rights, my American friend!
My 94 Doge Caravan was built in Canada and had a Mitsubishi V6 engine. It was sold as “American Made”. This experiment in “buying American” backfired badly as this was a HORRIBLE vehicle! Typical of American efforts of the past few decades, it was poorly engineered, poorly assembled and despite careful maintenance lasted less than 150k miles.
I will not spend my hard earned money on a vehicle based on its supposed country of origin again, I will buy the best I can afford, period.