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Trump Wants to Stop German Luxury Car Imports to US

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
American car companies make an obscene amount of money on SUV's and trucks. Are they more complex or require 2-3 times the effort and materials to make than a car? I don't think so. In 1993, when the Grand Cherokee came out, they weren't particularly expensive. Mid 20's or so. Chrysler made an average of $7,000 on each unit. Why is Ford only making (save the Mustang) Trucks and SUV's for the US market? Profit, pure and simple. If they're successful, I expect more US automakers to follow suit. They don't care about selling you a quality vehicle for a reasonable price, they care about what they can get away with, selling you vehicles with crappy interiors and crappy styling.
 

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
Aren't the majority of German cars (and SUVs) sold in the US made in the US?

And what about the American cars that are made in Canada and Mexico? Will those get it up the tailpipe as well?

By robots.

They should. The Camaro (as American as apple pie) is made in Canada.
 

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie
Location
SE MI
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport DSG
Why is Ford only making (save the Mustang) Trucks and SUV's for the US market? Profit, pure and simple. If they're successful, I expect more US automakers to follow suit. They don't care about selling you a quality vehicle for a reasonable price, they care about what they can get away with, selling you vehicles with crappy interiors and crappy styling.


They made the decision based on the fact that small and midsize car sales have been plummeting recently. The Fiesta and Focus do not generate a profit for them. As for the Fusion, consider this: sales of the Nissan Altima dropped 48% year-on-year in April. Honda's brand-new, class-leading Accord sedan isn't selling, to the point where they're sitting on 140 days supply of things. It's gotten so bad that Honda's Marysville assembly plant is going to be idled for 2 weeks this summer, which hasn't happened since it opened in 1982. Up to now, the longest they've idled is 24-48 hours at a time, when they need to change the line to start producing a new generation of Accord. In April, Jeep sold nearly as many Wranglers as Toyota sold Camrys. Those mid-size sedans from Honda/Toyota/Nissan are cars that people actually want, and the Fusion can only compete on (incentivized) price.



The fact of the matter is that the majority of American consumers simply don't want a vehicle that isn't a crossover/SUV or a pickup. FCA saw the writing on the wall 2 years ago, when they stopped building the Dart and 200. At the time, everyone thought they were crazy, but they were ahead of the trend. It's pretty sad, since today's Fords and GMs are 1000% better than the garbage they were selling from the 1970s to mid-2000s, but now no one wants them.
 

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie
Location
SE MI
Car(s)
2017 GTI Sport DSG
I fear my next vehicle will be a crossover.


Only if you want it to be. If current sales trends continue, the pre-owned market will be awash in used sedans and compact cars that no one wants anymore. If you must have a new car, there will always be options, some more affordable than others. Even during periods when the economy wasn't great, Mazda still offered the Miata. I believe they'll continue to carry the torch for the enthusiast/keen driver who doesn't want a tall wagon. I mean, their market share is pretty tiny to begin with, so they can only gain if they're one of 2-3 companies offering a fun midsize sedan that isn't a BMW/Merc/Audi.
 

TheWombat

Go Kart Champion
Location
Vermont
Oh, there will be non-SUV/crossovers to choose from, for sure. For enthusiasts, or anyone wanting something not somnolent, the pickings will likely be getting a bit slimmer unless your wallet is fat. The luxury models will continue to plug along I'm sure, along with their luxo-SUVs. And yeah, there will be affordable models but I predict fewer choices maybe. Already, it's hard to find stuff in the mid territory between the GTI at the high point of the low, and the mainstream German sedans at the beginning of the high segment. The R is sort of a unicorn.
 
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