Mitsubishi fe120...

[ARKeathley]

I am looking for a new turck and wondered if any of you have any experience with the Mitsubishi Fuso's. I am also considering an E350 cutaway with a service body on it, not diesel. Thanks for any replies.

Aaron

[Ed Michnick]

Aaron,

Imagine pulling up to a job site in one of these babys.
http://www.navistar.com/site_layout/XTFamily/index.asp

[doodabug]

I say try to buy American made so auto workers can buy homes. I have foreign made stuff but I make a effort to buy USA.

[Manny Davis]

I say try to buy American made so auto workers can buy homes. I have foreign made stuff but I make a effort to buy USA.

Suppose he decides that the truck made by furriners gives him a better deal for his money than the American made truck. If he instead buys the American truck, the effect on Ford's bottom line will be insignificant, since Ford makes millions of cars and trucks every year. So he would be hurting himself much more than he will help Ford. If he's smart, and I believe he is, then he does what's best for himself and buys whichever truck gives him the best value for his money. I don't know or care which truck that ends up being.

[Andrew R.]

I say try to buy American made so auto workers can buy homes. I have foreign made stuff but I make a effort to buy USA.

I agree, never owned a foreign truck or car and never will.

[Dick Seibert]

Andy:

I'm with you, I have bought a couple of Mercedes and Jaguars in my lifetime, but I've returned to American cars and trucks. It's the idea of it more than anything else, I know that some foreign cars are made in this country, and that some American car parts are made in foreign countries, but I want to make a statement with what I drive.

[dustinmckay]

I don't pretend to know how new car sales work, but I thought most of the money was made with the financing? So, as long as you finance with a US based lending institution, only a small amount of money actually goes back to the car company.

I'm all for supporting American made vehicles.

[Dancing Dan]

Andy:

I'm with you, I have bought a couple of Mercedes and Jaguars in my lifetime, but I've returned to American cars and trucks. It's the idea of it more than anything else, I know that some foreign cars are made in this country, and that some American car parts are made in foreign countries, but I want to make a statement with what I drive.

And what statement does a Hummer make, Dick?

[doodabug]

It's not about helping Ford. It's about American Workers and American Jobs.
The financial company makes the same no matter what you buy.

[gzajac]

Aaron
I have a 2003 Ford E-350 cutaway with the gas engine. It has been worry free for the first 50000 miles and the gas mileage is always about 10 mpg, a little less in winter.

I have a 12 foot Supreme body with exterior boxes, and a walkin door at the rear with 2-12' shelves oneach side.It holds an incredible amount of stuff and everything stays dry.

I have been happy so far with the combination, and would buy another in a heartbeat.

Greg in Connecticut

[Manny Davis]

It's not about helping Ford. It's about American Workers and American Jobs.

Perhaps the reason I see it differently than you do is because we have different values regarding business. I value competence and performance in people, not superficial characteristics such as nationality.

I can imagine a situation where I am bidding on a job, and the owner says to me, "Manny, your competitor is better than you. He provides a superior product and he does it for a price less than yours, which leaves me with more money to buy other things. But despite your higher price and lower quality, I am going to give you the job anyway. I will give you the job because you are an American and your competitor isn't."

Am I suppose to be happy under this scenario? I wouldn't be. I would find it to be degrading and humiliating. But if you wouldn't that's fine too.

And again, I don't know or care which truck is the better deal.
I'm arguing about how he should make his decision, not about which truck he should buy.

[Al (Ca.)]

Keeping yourself away from buying foreign brands just because they are not American is an outdated form of nationalism.
In fact I think in the long run it will harm this country more than it will help.

Buying only “American made products” regardless of the brand’s country of origin is a different thing. I respect your nationalism there and it may even make economic sense.

Unfortunately, if you decided to go that way you are missing out a lot of good quality products that we do not produce at the level of quality of the foreign brands.

American manufacturing companies own stock on a lot of foreign companies and viceversa and that is quite common in the auto industry.

We live in a different world today. The rules of the game have changed.

You can call me “Nazi” but I prefer drinking a German made beer a million times more than a watery Budweiser, self proclaimed “America’s favorite beer.”

[Andrew R.]

It's not about helping Ford. It's about American Workers and American Jobs.
The financial company makes the same no matter what you buy.

Buy American whenever possible!

[David Meiland]

Again the political-economic naivete of the JLC crowd comes shining through. There ain't one 'o youse guys that doesn't own and consume tons of goods made in foreign countries with resources extracted in foreign countries. Your Made in USA stuff is from parts made elsewhere and shipped here. American manufacturing has been eclipsed by the competition.

I own a Toyota 4Runner, such an incredibly solid vehicle, there's nothing "American Made" that can come close. I'd be an idiot to own an Explorer instead because of nationalism.

If Ford wants to step up and make a top-quality item I'll buy it. Oh, but ya' know what, I did... an '03 Ford F150... made in Canada. Check yer Ford before ya buy it.

Aaron, I suggest you get the diesel version, and read the JLC current JLC article on Gary Gerber's use of biodiesel. A new vehicle bought now will live well into the upcoming period when gas quickly moves to $5-7 per gallon and up. You will be sorry (like I am becoming) if you have a new vehicle that cannot use alternative fuels.

[ARKeathley]

I guess I opened up another can of worms here.

I don't think any American car has 100% American parts in it. There is no such thing as an "American car" anymore, IMO. I am trying to find the right truck for me and my business. I need to make a profit and the truck is going to be the biggest ongoing expense for the next 5 years since I will be financing it. I don't want to be putting any more $ into it other than the cost of it. So I need reliability. I have had a Ford F150 for the past 8 years and it has been extremely reliable. I have probably missed 2 weeks of work in 8 years due to maintainence problems. I think that is very reliable and wouldn't hesitate to buy Ford again. I am considering the Fuso because I can get a heavier duty truck with the same box on it and a diesel engine for the same money. If the diesel will give me more reliability and better gas mileage, then what would be the better choice.
As far as supporting American jobs by buying "American"....how about the salesmen and owner of the truck sales where I buy it from? How about the mechanics that work there that will enevitably get towork on my truck at some point in time. How about all the Americans working at the gas stations that will benefit from me filling up every week? I'm sure there are many others that I haven't thought of. So, anything you buy in America will help Americans in some way.

Greg, do you wish that you got a diesel for the better gas mileage and/or power, or would the diesel not really help?

Thanks for ALL of the replies,

Aaron