Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I know when I go to Europe I see all these things that they seem to do better - and I find my own country aggravating in many ways. But I'm sure if I lived there for a while I'd miss a bunch of things that WE get better than them.
As for the green stuff: If you follow the wind and sea currents in the Pacific, we are getting a nice dose of Asian pollution thanks to our outsourcing as well.
Washington can talk all it wants, but it caters to the big moneyed interests that fund their campaign and lobby chests. The media tends to hold back because a good chunk of that money finds its way to them through commercials.
Europe is way too much of a micromanaged nanny state, for one. Their past 30 years might have been a higher overall standard than enjoyed by many Americans, but I can't say decisions made by their current leaders will keep that alive in another 30 years. The US might not be such a bad place to be.
I wouldn't buy a Volvo or a Chinese Buick for political reasons alone.
Oligocracy. For whom the normal person votes matters little.
Actually getting back more on topic, I think internationalism, or "globalism" if you will, should not be cast as a dirty word. If you look at the history of Western culture, and its incredible success, internationalism has been right at the foundation of this. Whenever the West has plunged into protectionism, or xenophobia, or isolationism, bad things have happened.
I don't know if looting the western working class in the name of "trade" can be considered internationalism or globalism.
Oh, the automaker from China that plans to come into the U.S is, of course, Geely. I think they will be selling a Volvo-platformed small SUV.
IMO buying a Chinese car today would be like buying a German car in 1939 or a Soviet car in 1953.
These "factory jobs" aren't coming back. They're gone, Finito. Kiss 'em goodbye. Young people have to retrain for the world of 2016.
People live "well" on the surface, as they spend more of their income to maintain a standard (look at modern savings and debt rates), utilize dual incomes and multiple jobs more than ever to make ends meet, and take advantage of goods made in abuse unethical/questionably legal conditions as a way to make the declining real incomes go a greater distance.
The scare points of xenophobia and protectionism are also amusing. Historical record has those coming on the scene after economic collapse, not causing it. If you want to enable populist idiocy that is based in ideals like xenophobia and dumb trade policies, let the economy suffer first. The current POTUS race shows it.
Malls are full? Outside of upscale developments and outlets, malls are a dying fad. Theaters? They were full during the depression too. Cruise ships? Economically irrelevant (and also popular during the depression). People like you and I who live on the affluent coastal areas aren't seeing the reality for much of the nation, not to mention much of what was the developed world. We all can't be the lucky ones in a few areas who are house rich, have fat funded-by-others pensions, or inheritances to make up the difference.
"Retrain" is probably more difficult (financially) now than ever. Just be sure to get into a field our beloved corporate leaders who definitely don't deserve a gallows can't offshore.
Retrain carefully.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I think it's just an orgy of self-loathing, personally. Fear mongers are painting a far darker economic picture than actually exists. A poll was taken of the demographic that is complaining the most, and their average annual income?.......$72,000 a year.
When you start seeing cars on American roads like the ones in Cuba---THEN I'd accept that our economy isn't healthy.
Get out of the posh areas here, and you'll see some interesting vehicles with charming Red Green style repairs. American and foreign cars both
There is not a lot of building in downtown KC, MO, but it's because everyone's out in the suburbs and in Kansas City, KS, and places like Shawnee Mission, KS, Overland Park, KS, Lenexa, KS, etc. To the east on the Missouri side you have places like Lee's Summit, Grandview, Raytown, etc., that have money built in to them. However, the mega-buildup in homes and subdivisions and nice, nice stores and theaters is on the Kansas side.
We never knew Kansas had so much money living here - most all of it is in Wichita, Topeka and the cities included in Johnson County connected to the KC Metro. So, as someone living and working over here, I can tell you fintail and Shifty, there is a big-time money-making vibe going on here. Working all of the time. I am not convinced the economy is in a shambles, not from what I see. If you're outta work in the KC Metro, you're not trying to get a job or you don't really want to work.
Now, fintail, if you want to talk about the high cost of healthcare in America, I'll talk. It is awful in this nation. Just finished watching the 2007 Michael Moore film out of Europe where he discussed the kind of healthcare France serves up to it's citizens. Whoa - housecalls are common. Cost? Nothing. I'm not sure I believe the data. They're not paying for their healthcare - or they're paying little amounts for their prescriptions and their healthcare.
Moving to Belize to retire? I have kicked the idea around a bit.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The economy is healthy but not robust. Inflation/deflation are in balance. GDP grows every year. Unemployment rates are stable. BLS predicts a full recovery from the Great Recession by the year 2020.
Best of all, there's no sign of crazy exuberance in the stock market.
There are definitely storm clouds on the horizon related to the deindustrialization of the middle class, and the reverse style socialism the nation has engaged in (many sacrifice for the good of the few). There is going to be social strife. Eventually, there is probably going to be a guaranteed minimum income, as robot and 3D printing tech eliminate more jobs, and governments fail to adequately address the treacherous offshoring movement. However, I think other locations have even more worrisome storm clouds. Just like with politics, it might not be a game of the perfect place (choice), but the one that is less bad.
There has always been social unrest---the 30s, the 50s, the 60s and the 70s in America were extremely violent. Veterans were shot dead in DC, college students shot dead in Ohio, millions demonstrating everywhere.
You're actually living in a rather peaceful and prosperous time compared to most chunks of American history.
True progress would see a reduction in that unrest. I don't see such progress being made yet, the unrest is just shifting a little.
But Henry Ford had a car that they just had to have, or, a fixed-up used one that shone like a star to them. We've taken Dave Ramsey's course and think way, way differently than we used to. We're making it and saving as much as we can, but saving is never easy. Still, in 4 years, 9 months, 28 days, 3 hours and one minute I plan to retire from full-time employment. Gotta include this: That's if the Lord's willing and the creek don't rise.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
"Loot the middle class saver while Wall Street bankers loot the taxpayers!"
Has been historical record for how many decades now?
But whatever, it's still NOT NICE.
Regarding Ford's move of production of all small cars to Mexico---Ford has announced that no jobs will be lost. All employees formerly building those cars will be moved to other production lines.
Anyway, I was able to win the argument with upper management due to the fact their fine print didn't clearly define interest accumulation (which happened monthly at this Credit Union) as NOT a transaction. In my opinion, every time the bank deposited interest monthly, it was a transaction that changed the balance. In fact, you could probably argue every monthly inactivity charge was a transaction (but didn't go there). Anyway, I think they changed the definition of inactivity and "transaction" in the membership agreement shortly after they refunded my money. Nowadays, most probably spell out that a transaction is only defined as a withdrawal or deposit.
This was with a Credit Union, had it been a "BIG BANK" I might not have been successful at reasoning with them.
Bank of America got my wife and I to sign up for 2 credit cards (we like to keep separate accounts on expenditures), and we were supposed to be given $100 bonus once we spent $500 in the first 3 months. Well, we lived up to our end of the bargain, but it appeared their MO was to not pay these bonuses. When you call in to complain, they act like they don't know what $100 you are talking about. When you dig deep and really fight them, they claim the person that took my phone call and did my application failed to enter the wrong promotion code. They didn't want to do the right thing. I eventually won the argument as I appealed multiple times and threatened to go up the ladder more than a rung or two (my first appeal was unsuccessful). My wife gave up sooner and never got her $100 dollars.
You need to only look at the current presidential candidates to see how bright the voters on both sides are in this country.
My greatest fear about the election is that one of them will win
For purposes of this discussion, I guess it helps that the worst performing American brand is owned by an Italian company.
Several factual errors in article. This plant was built new for S-10s, not in the 1920s as article says. The unemployment is not 4.4% in the area. Closer to 10-12%. But what can be expected from newspaper writers these days. $10,000,000 in covert Ohio subsidies; who knows how much covert subsidies have gone into wooing the plant to locate there.
The glass in your next car may come from here.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/26/a-chinese-billionaire-is-staking-his-legacy-and-thousands-of-american-jobs-on-this-factory-in-ohio/
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Jon Linkov
I owe my career to two fateful events: my father buying a 1965 Corvette and my purchase of an Audi A4 rather than a Chevy Tahoe. The Corvette jump-started my love of cars, and the Audi led me to automotive journalism, track days, and amateur car repair. In my free time I cycle as much as possible, no matter the season.