Toyota employs Americans, thats helping out the American economy if you ask me.
The way I look at it, a Japanese car thats made in the USA is better than an American car thats made overseas. At least the American-made Japanese car is built by Americans. All you are doing when you buy the foreign-made American car is making the Detroit fatcats richer.

Hey everyone. First post here. I hope I don't become a miserable member for what I'm about to say, but I just had to join just to get this one off my chest.

Toyota is great for the American economy. So is Nissan. And any other automobile manufacturer that builds here in the US. How you ask? Let's just take a moment and look at what is going to happen at the Blue Springs, MS plant site.

They have already cleared out some of the land for the main plant building. Who got that contract? A local company, hiring local employees. So how got paid? The company, which bought equipment, most likely American made as well. The employees also got paid, and what did they buy? Food, clothes, furniture, etc. And where were those purchased? Most likely there locally as well.

Over the next two years 2,000 construction workers will be hired to help build the plant. That's 2,000 people who are going to be getting paychecks, which will be spent, most likely, in the local community, again on food, clothing, entertainment, etc.

And then another 2,000 will be hired to be team members at the plant. And where will they spend their money? That's right. Right here in the good ol' USA.

And what's most likely going to happen after production is well under way? Toyota will probably announce an expansion and build onto the plant. Which means that construction workers will be back on site building more.

And the comment that most of the parts for the Toyota vehicles are made overseas couldn't be farther from the truth. Just take a look at the Toyota Texas site in San Antonio. They have around 20 suppliers ON SITE that make parts "just in time". That's another 1,500 employees/team members that receive paychecks that are spent... where... in the USA.

Oh, and let's not forget what Toyota does for the community. In 2001, the Oakland City, Indiana fire department had a fire in one of their fire stations. Several pieces of equipment were damaged. Toyota donated $25,000 in equipment and funds to help get them back on track. Toyota Indiana also donated a Sequoia to the sheriff's department. And what has Toyota Mississippi already promise the local community? $50 million to the local school districts.

Yeah, Toyota doesn't do enough for the local economy.

The only reason those jobs are in Mexico and Canada now is becaue GM needs to do what ever it can to stay alive in a market that favors imported cars and american made imported cars. Would you rather they just give up and close down shop?

So now you support companies that make vehicles outside of the US?
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I've read every single post that our good friend SS1129 has posted. For someone that claims not to hate Toyota I'm surprised (not really) to read that the overwhelming majority of his posts are negative toward anything 'foreign' or 'Japanese'.

The part that really amazes me it how often we're explaining, in rational terms, how 'American' most Toyotas really are - and he just glosses over it - time and time again.

Can you help me understand why you, as a Camaro (Oops - there's another American 'relic') driver, gain value by contributing to a Toyota-specific forum?

I suggest we all take on the approach of "Never try to teach a pig to sing - it only annoys the pig".

I actually came here trying to read up on the supra and I see some really off the wall things that I chime in on.

I can see your points, but the bottom line still comes down if American companies made better cars and trucks than Americans would buy American. Years ago it was Buy American and people did to save jobs. Now it has come to a point where you have to buy what is the best for your money. It's like anything people will buy foreign if they get more for their money and it lasts longer. I try to buy american, but do I buy to save jobs or should I buy the best available for me and my family. I buy what's best for my family in the long run no matter if I save anyone's job.

So, we should feel sorry for GM because they cant compete with the imports? Its not Toyota's, Honda's, Nissan's and Mazda's fault that GM has staked their future on gas guzzling trucks, SUVs and rear-drive cars when they should have been working to make more fuel-efficient vehicles. Even GM's small 4-banger cars dont compete with their Japanese competitors in terms of fuel economy.
I have a hard time feeling sorry for GM when they will sell-out the American workers by moving their operations overseas because they claim they cant afford to make the vehicles in the United States, yet every year they give Lutz and the rest of the board a big, fat bonus.

camry mpg 24/33
malibu mgp 24/34
corolla le mpg 22/31
impala mpg 21/31
avalon limited mpg 22/31 v6 268hp 248lb tq
impala ss mpg 18/27 v8 303hp 323lb tq


once again Im not seeing these huge differences people talk about.

That's just it though. GM and Ford, oh and Dodge, they don't keep all their profits here in the homeland. Also, Trucks sell more now that the japanese are selling trucks. So the grand total is higher, even if divided between more people.

SS, your numbers are flawed. Manual tranny Corollas pull 41 mpg on the highway and even the auto tranny Corollas pull 38 mpg on the highway, whereas the Focus and Cobalt cant match those fuel economy numbers..
http://www.toyota.com/corolla/specs.html?s...N_COROLLA_SPECS

That's true! I have a corolla, and it lives up to it's EPA estimates.