Advocating Ambivalence

This article suggests that you buy an American car.

Or does it?

In fact it's quite a pointless article and it doesn't actually advocate anything or answer any questions. Essentially, it says, "American cars are not so bad these days, but everything else out there is good too."

1. You can get a great deal
The article mentions attractive finance rates, and then pretty much says, "...and you can get that from any other manufacturer too." Not surprising, given the state of the economy.

2. Quality is high
Apparently American cars don't break down every other day anymore. And then the article says "...but neither does anything else." Quality isn't just reliability though. I went to the LA Auto Show late last year and sat in some Chevrolets, just for kicks. Some of the things I encountered were nasty interiors with cheap, shiny, flimsy plastic, uncomfortable seats, and unergonomic item placement. Besides, none of this says anything about performance. American cars still are, on the whole, wafty and unable to go around corners.

3. You can still go green
They say something about hybrids, which are not actually green at all. And then they say the American hybrids are not particularly good in terms of efficiency, but that a hybrid is a hybrid, and that everyone else makes "green" cars too. This morning I saw a new-ish Dodge Ram (no more than five years old) spewing black smoke and leaving a three-mile trail in its wake. I see this all the time from the Big Three, but never from Japanese pickup trucks.

4. They're class leaders
Well, yes, but only if you buy the particular models that happen to be "class leaders." They say, "The top five affordable midsize SUVs are American, and when it comes to compact and large SUVs, two of the top three models in both classes are from domestic manufacturers." I mean, what exactly constitutes an "affordable mid-size SUV"? None of this means anything if they don't mention which models are good, what they're up against, and why they're good. The article then says Americans make good trucks too. All of this is fairly reasonable, as big trucks and SUVs are traditionally American, so to speak. This is why all of their passenger cars also handle like them, and many even sound like them.

5. You'll help American workers
By that argument, as an American taxpayer, I ought to buy a GM product because I am part owner. Anyway, you could buy a Toyota and still help American workers, as most of the models sold here are made here. Which makes it all the more puzzling that Congress wants to bash them so much. Senator Mike Johnanns of Nebraska, for instance, believes the U.S. should ban the import of cars made in Japan. What he doesn't understand is that the cars that supposedly have issues were made in the U.S. At any rate, the article then mentions that you can help American workers by buying just about any car, and that American cars may very well be made elsewhere, such as Canada.

In conclusion, the article says to buy what you like. WHAT IS YOUR POINT THEN.