Argumentative Essay: Foreign Cars Vs. American Cars

Foreign Cars vs. American Cars
Imagine sitting at a stoplight in a Ford Focus and a Ferrari or a Lamborghini pulls up in the next lane. Does not one wonder how nice quality, and feel they have? With all the transmission problems and uncomfortable seats, one wonders why they are still driving an American car and not a Foreign one. Every brand has its own and unique car. While Foreign cars look dissimilar, they have that different and distinctive look, that makes them stand out and look exclusive and rare. Cars have been around since the late 1890’s, early 1900’s. The most popular car of old was the Ford Model T, it featured 20 horsepower, but only coming in the color black. Being the first high production car, it was widely requested all over the world. Soon after the Model T was shipped out and got looked at, Foreign countries started producing their own. These cars helped greatly, transporting troops and weapons long distances during the Second World War. Foreign cars are better than American cars due to their quality and efficiency. The car’s definition of what it means to be, their pros and cons, physical attributes, and American influence all contribute as well.
Before one starts to argue about what kind of car is better, first one must

define what makes the car what it is. American cars are not completely made in the U.S. anymore. That ended back in the 1920’s with the Ford Model T. Most cars ‘made in America’ have most parts imported, few have over half of their parts American made- like the Cadillac Escalade, and the Jeep Wrangler- which both have over 80% American parts. On the other hand, Foreign cars are not completely made in their own countries either. Overseas and Foreign countries have car plants here in America as well. But the income, the Foreign car received from the sale, -in america- ultimately returns to the brand’s home country. To give us insight on our new/used vehicle Consumer Reports writes in their magazine, “To help consumers understand how American a vehicle, every car has to display a parts-content window sticker that country-of-origin statement has been required since 1994 by the American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA). It lists the final assembly point, source of the engine and transmission, and which countries supplied 15 percent or more of the vehicle’s equipment” (Consumer Reports 2). This labeling is good, but not perfect. It clumps Canada in along with America for the reason of big car plants in the border-the Canadian side. But, Mexico is considered a Foreign country if the parts are made there. While Kelley Blue Book says “Strictly speaking, a Foreign car is a car that has its parts made and assembled outside the country” (Kelley Blue Book 2), that can be an understatement for is virtually impossible to get a one country car anymore. Nevertheless it is extremely difficult to get a car that was made and assembled in only one country. Every car nowadays, has parts from other countries, for it is just too expensive and time wasting.
All cars have their pros and cons, their good side and bad side. Some more-or less-than others. Starting with the Asian cars, they have been the most consistent when it comes to producing quality and reliable cars. They sit atop the rankings, in the Consumer Reports latest car reliability survey. The companies Toyota and Kia are in the top three. Kia produces the most reliable car in the entire survey, with a Subaru -another Asian car company- coming in at a close second. For Toyota “it’s worth noting that the Tacoma pickup is still problematic. It dropped to below-average reliability last year after its 2016 redesign and remains below average this year. It is the only Toyota or Lexus model that has below-average reliability” (Consumer Reports 2). Every company has their strengths and weaknesses, but issues with their cars are company based. For example, the Ford Focus has shifting problems and engine hesitation when getting up to speed. This makes for alarming rides. But look at other car brands, they do not have the same problems with their small sport cars, like the Focus does.
Going back to the survey, the European vehicle brands have stayed consistently average, or above average, while a few cars have some small issues, there is nothing that drops them down into the well below average zone. There is a reason that “BMW gains four spots to join the top five brands this year. All of its models have average or better reliability.” (Consumer Reports 3). BMW fixed its engine problems from the previous years and now is cruising along with the best. Their new cars do not have the same problems as the old ones do, and unlike the American cars they are fixing their problems.
When it comes to fuel efficiency, the Foreign brands take the cake. One reason is their standards are higher. A vehicle must have a certain miles per gallon ratio or it will not be allowed off the factory. Another reason is that Foreign countries use more efficient parts in their vehicles. Their motors have better miles per gallon ratios, and their parts are lighter, which in turn made the car lighter, which improved the engine efficiency by not having to move so much weight around. Although back when cars were first invented, the Americans were leading, they have fallen behind, and struggle to come back. The U.S. is more worried about their electric cars and gas prices than fuel efficiency. The car companies would just slide by on the rules because they would sell many electric cars, or even if they are in the process of developing a new electric vehicle. Over the last few years when the price of fuel was low, Americans thought it was a good idea to buy larger vehicles that were terribly inefficient when it came to fuel usage. Now when fuel prices are starting to rise and their vehicles continue to use massive amounts of fuel, they cannot afford the newer, more fuel efficient vehicles that raise the national levels, and no one wants their fuel guzzlers. Although “While the Obama-era standards for cars and light trucks were on pace to become some of the most aggressive in the world by 2025, they were still less stringent than those set by the European Union” (N. Y. Times 2). Overseas countries are the strictest when it comes to their economy. Their rules are not relaxed like the American’s are. It does not matter if a company is working on new products, they still must comply with the standards.
Horsepower and loud engines come to mind when one thinks of muscle and supercars. While the Americans have developed some pretty nice rides, they cannot match up with the speed of the Foreign competitors. The 2018 Lamborghini Aventador S is Lamborghini’s newest model and puts out a massive 730 horsepower, while traveling from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.7 seconds. Another example of extreme Foreign power is the Porsche 918 Spyder. This beast of a car can produce 887 horsepower while costing only a cool $850,000. The Porsche runs a 0-60 miles per hour test in 2.2 seconds while maxing out at 214 miles per hour. Unfortunately (not really), these supercars are built for performance and not for fuel efficiency, only putting out a combined. 20.5 miles per gallon highway.
American muscle cars were all the rage back in the 70’s and 80’s, but are gaining popularity again with the newer and more sleek models coming out. The new 2018 Dodge Challenger Srt/Srt Hellcat is a good example of new American Muscle cars. The Hellcat “ has a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, good for 707 horsepower, with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. The automatic is faster, hitting 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, while the manual is more fun and still quick doing 0–60 in 3.9 seconds” (Car and Driver 2). As one can see, the Foreign supercars are just faster than the American Muscle. Although the Foreign cars are faster, that is not the only category they best the American cars in: style. That is what they are based upon. High class, exotic cars that look beautiful, all the while putting out massive amounts of speed. Foreign cars- especially Italians are known for their immense style, including the brands Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati.
America is not just for American plants anymore. Foreign businesses have come into America and thrived. This is especially true in the car production business. Foreign car companies have come to America and set up shop. Toyota, BMW and others have come and are here to stay. The first Foreign car plant in the United states was a Rolls Royce plant way back in 1919. The plant prospered and immigrants were happy to work there. Other companies received word of the plant’s flourishing growth and realized the United States was an untouched production country. Today there are Foreign car plants everywhere, in towns and cities, big and small. Just recently Toyota announced they were going to have a new car plant in Alabama. The Wall Street Journal writes, “Toyota Motor Corp.’s announcement Wednesday of Alabama as the home for a shared factory with Mazda Motor Corp. highlights a major shift in U.S. vehicle manufacturing: Foreign auto companies soon will build more cars and trucks in America than the Detroit giants.
In the first quarter of 2018, Foreign makers are expected to produce 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S., WardsAuto.com projects, equaling their American rivals for the first time. That’s a leap from the same period last year, when foreign companies trailed Detroit automakers by more than 100,000 vehicles, or roughly 10%. In coming years, General Motors Co. , Ford Motor Co. , and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are likely see their dominance in vehicle production entirely evaporate as rivals such as Toyota and Mercedes-Benz boost their American work forces and add new factories. Already, the Big 3 are being outsold by non-U.S. rivals, as their share of American sales dwindled to 44% in 2017” (The Wall Street Journal 2). Foreign countries have started to take over the United states in terms of car manufacturing, while United States car companies are not building new facilities to counteract the Foreign ones. A reason is that American companies choose to produce only a few certain types of vehicles, although the companies are still focused on the growing electric vehicle market.
Some people say that American cars are better than the Foreign ones due to the fact that the American ones are cheaper.

Just because something costs less does not mean it is better. The American cars may be cheaper because they are less quality than those of the Foreign ones. The Foreign cars cost more because better, higher quality materials went into the building of the car. Take the interior as an example. Foreign cars spend more on their high quality leather and wood while the Americans use plastic that looks like wood. Also, the style of the Foreign cars is unmatched by those of the American ones. No American car can even come close to the beauty of the exotic look of the Lamborghini Aventador S. There is nothing like

it.
Therefore, Foreign cars are better than American cars because of style and longevity. The Foreign cars go faster and overall run much better than American ones do. There are no major breakdowns, but if the need arises for a company to fix a problem, the Foreign ones always come through to fix it as soon as possible. This is unlike the American car companies which still produce faulty cars, even after the problem has arisen. If one does not take into consideration the hazard of the American car, unnerving rides may follow.