General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo My City Has Bought A Couple Of New Police Cruisers
I saw one of them driving around town two weeks ago and thought it was a a Ford Taurus and then the second time I saw I thought maybe they were going green with the Chevy Volt.
Well today I verified it is a Chevy Caprice by one passing me, the other one is parked at the cop shop waiting for decals and a light bar.... Nice cruiser. Only problem?????????
The car is manufactured in Australia not the USA. I guess another letter to the Mayor is in order.
pipoman
(16,038 posts)I only wish if they were going to buy domestically manufactured, they would consider ALL vehicles made in the US, not just the big 3 (sic), I think there are better options which would save taxpayers on repairs..instead of buying a name plate without regard for the country of origin..it's ridiculous..
rsmith6621
(6,942 posts)....its fun to read his I got caught with my pants down again email
And he knows that I will approach him at city council on it as well.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)Using a Volt as a police cruiser is stupid- you can't drive it around for eight hours at a go on electric and if you're mostly burning gas there's no sense in paying the premium price.
rsmith6621
(6,942 posts)..issue.
Initech
(100,080 posts)It's a hybrid plug in electric car and gas engine. The electric motor runs for 40 miles on a full charge. Then after that the gas engine kicks in.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)you might as well save the taxpayers a shitpile of money and buy an exclusively gas burning car.
olddots
(10,237 posts)They need a 4 door and what fits the bill is the G.M. Holden made in Australia until G.M makes one here ....As for American made anything in this world maybe all we can hope for is something with a few parts of manufacturing and parts being made in America.
I'd still write that letter ---if we stop writing letters the bad guys win.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)The Elderly eventually stopped buying them. It didn't make sense to keep a line going just for low margin sales to cops and cab and limo companies.
If bringing in rebadged Holdens allows them to sell a relatively low demand niche vehicle (a really big sedan) to the few niches who really need them, that's good news.
The car that previously dominated that market (the Ford Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis/Lincoln Town Car) was made in Canada anyhow.
longship
(40,416 posts)Various models of US cars have been built outside the US for some years.
I feel no obligation to buy a US make because I was born in the 40's and I remember planned obsolescence and multiple makes being the identical car only with different prices. (E.G., Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln -- Chevy, Buick, and Oldsmobile) different sheet metal, different car, right? Nope! Same damned car, all of them built to last three years.
I gave up on US autos when decided that selling more was more important than building them right. I guess that I kind of grew up seeing it in action. However, I believe if I were buying a new car today I would look at Ford and GM as well as imports.
Engineering is important to me. The US seems to catching up, but they've been behind in that area for a long time. My 1962 Volvo 122 had standard disk brakes, shoulder harnesses, and crumple zones. Detroit didn't get any of those as standard equipment for years.
Today, I would look at Ford, GM, and Toyota. A Prius would be nice, but I'd look at any Big Three hybrid seriously. Sadly, I'm poor. Also sadly, Volvo hasn't made a great car since they retired the four cylinder series: 120, 240, 740, 940. Thankfully, those were nearly unbreakable and many of the later models are still available. It's what I can afford.
That's why I bought a 17 year old 940 last autumn. It's better than anything else I could have afforded, and better than anything the Big Three were producing at the time.
tom2255
(37 posts)isn't something that modern Americans have any interest in.
"I've got mine and you can go to hell". Modern America.
"Ask not what your country can do for you..." Fuck that.
olddots
(10,237 posts)someone will pitch in with " Its a global economy " yeah its killing the globe.