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The domestics have as high or higher initial quality and customer satisfaction ratings than most of hte imported brands and if you go model line for model line, the domestics all cost less.
You can't reinvent an image over night, that takes time. The quality issues of the 70's and 80's are mere memories now, unfortunately, all too strong memories.
Because of the lack of support from our own government and poor advertising plans, some of the residue of that negative stereotype of the US manufacturers still exists. It won't take much help(to scale of the financial bail outs) to get them through this tough spot, but it will cost the nation immensely if we don't.
I think it is very important to remember that the automotive industry is asking for loans, not gifts. They are not asking for or expecting the free ride that the finance industry got. Just loans, at the fed prime rate, with stipulations of pay back and reorganization plans. This is not the same gift that our congress keeps handing to the financial market over and over again.
-Tim
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