Americans desire to have the latest and greatest products out there, whether that being houses, electronics, or in this case, cars. The citizens of America want to know which car, domestic or foreign, will give them the best quality for the longest amount of time and complement their lifestyle the best. Money plays a big factor in the car industry and it is a precious thing so people want to get everything that they paid for. Debates and polls over the years have argued whether a foreign car or a domestic car provided better quality and longevity for the dollar amount.

Longevity means a lot to the sagacious American consumer. If someone is going to willingly pay thousands of dollars on a vehicle, they want it to last them a long time before they have to purchase another one. Some American automobiles perform well for the consumer, but just not consistently. Foreign cars, especially the Japanese cars, will outlive their domestic competitors by a hundred thousand miles at times (Ritchie, 2010, para. 2). My interviewee confirmed that Japanese cars last the longest, followed by the Korean cars (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014). After those, the longevity tends to even out among the rest of the cars in the world. These imported cars have an average lifespan of approximately 250,000 miles on average, if taken care of appropriately (Ritchie, 2010, para. 3).

The overall quality of all cars internationally has improved over the last decade (“Domestic Cars,” 2011, para. 3). The quality of the Japanese caused the Americans to better their quality in their cars (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014). Japanese automobiles surpass the quality of all other cars because they use better materials and are built with a more precise method. Specifically, Toyota has embraced the reputation of their quality. Unfortunately, in 2009, a great recall took place for Toyota. Toyota called in nine million vehicles with problems of faulty brakes and gas pedals in some models (Dolliver, 2006, para. 1). The hit-or-miss quality of domestic vehicles scares numerous people away from purchasing a car made in the USA (Newman, 2009, para. 4). The quality of engineering that goes behind the creation of the vehicle is not overlooked. The engineering behind German sport automobiles continues to impress car experts. It gives German cars handling and power that other nations cannot replicate. Although the engineering of Germany impresses more than other cars, that does not mean that the reliability follows the same principle (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014).

Although German cars tend to wear down more easily and cost more to maintain, people can rely on foreign cars more than domestic cars overall (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014). American-made vehicles require more frequent service intervals because of the type of oil used in their engines. Domestic cars use standard oil instead of synthetic oil like the foreign cars (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014). The significant cost of oil will continue to increase, thus affecting gas prices. The design of foreign engines creates better fuel efficiency (Tarlo, 2008, para. 14). American cars fall to foreign models in fuel efficiency too, unfortunately. The expense of a foreign car over its life comes in lower than that of a domestic car when overall repairs, service, and fuel costs are totaled (Ritchie, 2010, para. 6). The investment in a foreign vehicle benefits the consumer over the life of the car when considering that the car will last longer. A foreign car requires a more expensive insurance for replacement parts than domestic cars (Tarlo, 2008, para. 10). Also, after a couple years, the resale value for domestic cars drops dramatically (Ritchie, 2010, para. 4). Honda, along with other foreign brands, sustains a higher resale value than domestic cars (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014).

In April 2010, reports showed that the top ten best-selling vehicles in America included the following foreign cars: Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, and Nissan Altima (“Domestic Cars,” 2011, para. 5). The demand for these cars influences the sticker price, as dealership often mark up the price up to ten percent more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price without having trouble selling the vehicles (Tarlo, 2008, para.8).

When it comes to automobiles, the American consumer wants to know about the safety the car will provide for the driver. The Toyota Camry, recently mentioned as the third best-selling car in America, also holds the title of the safest car in America (Tarlo, 2008, para. 11). Safety is not necessarily something to set a certain brand apart from another. Safety mainly goes along with car type, not brand, per se (C. Edwards, telephone interview, February 2, 2014).

Once someone finds a brand of automobile that satisfies them, they will normally stick with that brand and buy another car made by them. Many possible consumers will check out the customer satisfaction ratings before they purchase a car from a certain foreign or domestic car brand. In the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, Toyota finished in first, followed by Buick, Honda, Lexus, and BMW (Tarlo, 2008, para. 13). Notice that four out of the top five car brands for customer satisfaction come from outside of the United States. GMC tied for sixth place, followed by Chevrolet, then Chrysler in eighth place. Damien Chrysler’s Dodge took second to last place, one point above Ford Motor Company. Ford had the lowest customer satisfaction rating during this survey of over five-thousand car owners (Tarlo, 2008, para.14).
As one of the first steps in choosing a car, American citizens desire to know whether to buy a foreign car or a domestic car. Polls and debates over the years have favored foreign cars in terms of customer satisfaction, longevity, quality, safety, and fuel efficiency. Although these things can suggest purchasing a foreign vehicle, it comes down to personal preference. American cars cost less, but foreign cars end up providing the better deal in the long run because of their trusty longevity and quality.