I need to crow

[d_r]

a lot of people won't get this. Maybe no one will.

I'm 45 and have bought a new car once before in my life. A ford. We had a hard time when the economy crashed and we've been trying to get back on our feet for the past six years.

We got to a point where our family is going to need a new vehicle. I've usually had used, and honestly that makes a lot of sense to me, but my wife and I were talking about a getting a new one for reliability rather than putting money in an old one.

So we were going to try and see what we could do.

Last Saturday we were planning on going to volkswagon and trying to get a passat.

Now, this is a big deal for us. My wife has had four saturns in a row. Right now she has a plastic sided made in Springhill vue. I've had three Fords, an oldsmobile and a pontiac.

We live in Chattanooga. But we lived in Michigan for the first eight years we were married and buying an American-American car was always important to us. We see it as a part of being American. I know that people have different attitudes about that and that is great, but it is our point of view. No worries.

So, we were pretty sure that the volkswagon plant here in Chattanooga was going UAW and we were going to get a "foreign" car that was made here in Chattanooga. For us that was a statement that it was it made here locally, and I've always only wanted American cars, but since they were going UAW we were going to do our best to get one to support them.

This vehicle will mostly be my car and my last four vehicles were trucks but I was talking myself into it.

Then last Friday night they voted it down. It was a surprise because they had always been leaning pro-UAW and VW wanted them to do it.

We didn't go to the VW dealership for the test drive last week.

We talked about it and decided we didn't want one.

Today we went to the ford dealership that sold us our last two used cars. To see what we could do.

They gave us a great freaking unbelievable deal on a new car.

They sold us the ultimate F-U republicans car that I can think of.

A ford C-Max. We bought a hybrid! A tree-hugging hybrid! We bought a new hybrid. That was built in DETROIT FREAKING MICHIGAN by UNION working AMERICANS.

For the same price a base Passat would have cost.

F-U TENNESSEE GOP!!!!!!! F-U and your "look what the unions did to Detroit" BS. That's me tooling along throwing you a bird.

[awoke_in_2003]

1. Good for you...

I spent my teen years in Brook Park, OH. BP had the Ford plant, Parma had the Chevy. Most of my neighbors fathers worked at one or the other. I still cannot bring myself to buy an import. What kind of mileage are you getting?

[d_r]

2. don't know yet

but it has to be better!

[d_r]

13. so far so good

but I get the impression people don't like following me

[mahina]

3. Congrats, and congrats...

first for the wheels and second, for dodging a bullet w the passat. Mine was a complete POS. Expensive to repair, ridiculously so, and as the French say, inutile.

I'm sorry about the union vote too.

[mahina]

4. plus it got lousy mileage.

I really like my Toyota.

Before the passat, I was a Chevy customer my whole life. The ABS skidded me into another car and Chevy told me I was the only person that had ever happened to.

That was just about when the internet started to be a thing. I showed them all the problems people were having. They fixed the brakes, the insurance co paid the damages and that was the last Chevy I'll ever buy.

Long story longer…anyway good on you!

[Tobin S.]

5. It's a global economy

There really is no turning back now. I drive a Honda Civic. 65% of its parts were made in America and 35% in Canada and Mexico. It was assembled in Indiana. It's a Japanese company, of course.

America is increasingly becoming a service oriented economy. Manufacturing is still strong here, but some companies are moving into countries where labor is cheaper for their manufacturing operations. There's nothing you can do about that. It's the nature of business. All you can do is adapt.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. I really wished you had posted this in GD. This OP deserves more exposure.

[another_liberal]

7. Greedy banks and inept, corrupt city amministrators devestated Detroit . . .

Auto industry unions did not do the damage. Greedy banks and inept, corrupt city administrators devastated Detroit. The right wing lie that workers' unions left the city in the shape it is should be fought and fought hard by every working class American. Lay blame where it truly belongs; that is, with the wealthy and powerful.

[Hissyspit]

8. You should submit this as a letter to the editor.

[Sherman A1]

10. Agreed

That is exactly what I would do along with sending it to Your Senator.

[Cha]

9. Wow, what a compelling story, d_r!

you had me riveted.. you have crowing rights!

We Get It!

[Mister Ed]

11. Ford has sure made a fan of me.

I think they've achieved a level of quality and reliability that's unrivaled bay any manufacturer, and yes, that includes Toyota.

We bought our '97 Taurus wagon when she was a year old, and we've driven her for sixteen years now. Made in Chicago by the UAW, she's the finest, most reliable car I've ever known.

Since it seems the ol' girl is never going to wear out, we've passed her on to our teenage daughter, and replaced her with a brand new C-Max. I'm terrifically impressed with the car so far.

The Ford dealership treated us like neighbors, and gave us a heck of a bargain besides.

Enjoy your new ride!

[Enthusiast]

12. Republicans absolutely hate hybrids.

Hybrids save fuel. Can't have that, you know. Because global warming is a hoax and stuff.