With the government bailing out automakers in Detroit, you may feel conflicted and confused. Sure, many American automakers are now offering cash back and incentives plus payment protection for new models, hoping to entice buyers to “root for the home team,” so to speak.

Call me old-fashioned and moralistic, but in my opinion, they already kind of blew it! American automakers will argue that they have finally bridged the gap in quality between their models and foreign imports. But the truth is, this quality is rather hit-and-miss. There are a few models that are progressing nicely, but the most unreliable cars are still domestic models!

The government-backed warranties may sound comforting at first blush. However, if General Motors and/or Chrysler go under, how exactly will the government stand behind those warranties? This could mean having to report to your local branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles and standing in line for hours. Not to mention paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. No thanks!

When it comes to innovative hybrid solutions, American cars have fallen behind. Even the ones that have been produced outstrip the foreign competition–but only in terms of price! Sure, there are promises of aggressive expansion in this area, but no matter how snappy they make it, their foreign counterparts will certainly have left them in the dust, as overseas automakers have been much more consistent in moving forward.

If you think that you should buy an American vehicle in order to support domestic job growth and be generally patriotic, think again. Did you know that many American cars and trucks are actually assembled in factories located in Mexico and Canada?

But on the other hand, foreign companies–especially Asian ones–have built factories here in the United States, which have created nearly 400,000 jobs across the country. At least eight models of “foreign,” vehicles are assembled exclusively in the United States for American customers, which in turn completely erases import costs. Amazing!

If you are just looking for a cheap buy right now, in the present, consider the ramifications that will come later on the road. Discounts and incentives seem like a relief in the moment, but consider just how much the trade-in value of the car will be diminished when you have problems or just need a different vehicle to suit your needs.

Many Japanese cars, on the other hand, have the highest trade-in value of any cars on the market. In a recession, it’s hard to think long term, but it’s best to be mindful of your financial future all the time.
These are tough times for all of us. Your first instinct may be to try to dive for the deal that will help you now, but you have to think about quality and reliability in the long run–otherwise, you’ll surely be kicking yourself.

Retail Auto Profit LLC (http://www.goschtoyota.com/) is your local auto dealer. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

[tags]Hemet Cars[/tags]