Korean Job Discussion Forums

[earthbound14]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/11/123_34389.html

I'm no fan of American cars and think some of what was written in the article is true, but seriously, Koreans are saying American cars are shite? This is their excuse for the large gap between Korean cars being exported to the US and American cars being imported?

Seems like a farse to me. There are so many cool American cars compared to Korean ones....mmmm Mustang?!

On top of that the article states that American cars are too big for the Korean market. Hmmm, while some of the American models are too big for Korea, why exactly are so many Korean driving around in mini van and SUV knock offs made by Kia and Hyundai? Vehicles that were practically invented by the Ameicna market.

protectionist Korea.....is a joke sometimes.

[bobranger]

Let the spin begin.

[big_fella1]

[ChinaBoy]

[BS.Dos.]

I kid you not, there's a guy in our town; population around 25,000, who's just bought a brand new Hummer. God knows what he must have paid for it. It's humongous. I've never seen it being driven. It's always parked underneath the awning of his shop. I doubt he's got any cash left to fill it. I've seen a couple of beamers, couple of Mercs and the odd Peugeot and that's about it. Ohh, and a Mini Cooper S.

[Captain Corea]

As far as I understand, American car line-ups do not feature many small to mid sized cars.

I personally would prefer to drive (a more familiar) American car here, but I doubt I'd be able to get it into half of the parking spaces.

[earthbound14]

bigfella,

The Mustang may not be the best handling car on the market, but let's compare it to the only Korean alternative - the Tuscani? Hmmmmm


Korean cars are pretty good little cars, but the argument that American cars are shite and the Korean market won't buy them is silly. With the FTA, American cars should be more affordable and would be able to compete easily with Korean ones. Minivans, smaller SUVs, sports cars, and small trucks (Korean love those Musso pieces of junk) are all vehicles that Koreans buy and ones that the American market would be able to export here. The American automotive industry, while being out of date and ugly, still has a lot to offer the Korean people who are stuck with only Korean cars and over priced imports. Under an FTA it might give the American auto industry a leg up on the competition. So I can see why it would be an issue for the Americans and the arguments against it in this article are....well, stupid

[John_ESL_White]

American cars are cheap and, let's face it, Korean cars are cheap.

In the US, only the poor or credit challenged buy Korean cars. In Korea though, only the rich buy American cars. Seems a little weird.

Korea should open up and let their poor buy our cheap American garbage just.

I mean, in the states, you can buy a small Ford or Chevy for $12,000! And, it's got the safety features that Korean cars just don't pack into their economy models (like passenger airbags).

Everytime I've seen a Ford, Chrysler, or Pontiac in Korea, I can't help but laugh at the poor fool who probably paid 2 times the actual value. In the states, the dealer will come as much as 20% off the sticker on a US car. Here, they're paying sticker plus! Insanity.

[jvalmer]

I say open up Korea's car market. It may help sell one or two more American cars, but it won't make an impact IMHO. Although I could possibly see a niche market for pick-ups in some of the rural areas (via GM's Daewoo subsidiary), if they can make some smaller trucks.

What the American car companies should do is really really focus their strategy back home and make cars that can compete against the Japanese.

[gazz]

Top Gear season 12 episode 2 gives a good balanced account of the top American cars at the mo.

It is a great episode to watch and they end up saying that the most recent American cars are cool (top spec)!

Saying that i wouldnt want to run any of them in the UK considering UK fuel prices!!!

[jvalmer]

[moosehead]

the only american vehicle I'd ever own would be a pickup truck

after that - it's Toyota or Suburu -

I rented a wonderful little Renault in S. Africa and when I looked it up on the web it turns out that particular model isn't sold in america!! but it was so much fun to drive!! I couldn't believe it - and when I first arrived over here I couldn't believe the little bitty trucks and vans - they are so cute!! and the matiz!!

nah, American vehicles mostly suck like lemons - but they do have one thing K cars can't hold a candle to - COLOR ha ha - it certainly would add a bit of pizazz to the roads here to see something besides white gray and black, huh??

[sojourner1]

The mechanical engineering designs of American cars in the past 20 years are not as good as Asian and European. America is still innovating, but thew newer designs are poor quality. This means more breakdowns, higher maintenance, and higher fuel consumption. Poor Americans love Asians cars, because it makes economical sense to drive one. You go farther for less with fewer breakdowns and breakdowns are what paycheck to paycheck folks can't afford to have happen.

I've felt a real good bet for Ford and GM is to produce new cars on old designs. This simple and stupid strategy would be a hands down winner as American cars sure were beauties back in the day. There is a market if they are genuinely made just like 30 to 80 years ago. Many older guys with money would go ga ga over this and even younger people would like a solid high quality show off car. They were really cool cars and still are such as a '57 Chevy and Ford Zephyr. When I look at classics, it makes me wish I lived 40 to 60 years ago in America. America was hopping and solid careers were being built on high quality, but heavy duty machinery. This is what made America amass untold quantities of wealth.

Most well to do Americans, like some Koreans, prefer BMW, Audi, Jaguar, and Mercedes, because they are high performance, higher quality, and stylish.

I'll admit it, my costly setbacks with American cars such as Ford Tempo limits me to buying foreign from now on. For many Americans, this can mean getting to a job or going homeless should the car fail. It's a fragile risky position to be in. It used to make sense to buy American when they were sturdy, gas was almost free, and designed for budget concious self mechanics to take care of. They had lots of room under the hood and every part and wire was easily accessible. Even the fuel pump, but they stopped making real cas back in the early 80's.

[Illysook]

I knew people back home who worked at the Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio. Toyota has a plant in Lexington, Kentucky. GM has plants in Mexico and some other places now. This makes the definition of "American" car rather murky and has me wondering just how much "protectionism" can really help anyone's economy.

[caniff]