SJ: "Ford is supposed to offer a Hybrid Escape SUV in the Summer of '04 and GM is working on at least 5 near-term models that use alternative fuel sources. "
I'm looking forward to seeing the new GM and Ford lineups and I hope they will go a long way to narrowing the gap and reversing the trend.
One thing I'd like to add is that even though I recognize that all things being equal, buying American is best, I think that a lot of the stigma surrounding Japanese cars needs to be reconsidered.
15 years ago, when the US/Japan auto trade dispute was a hot issue, I vowed to never buy Japanese. Times have changed.
The US economy and US car companies are on much better footing. Over the same time our biggest foreign trade deficit has shifted from Japan to China. Consequently, China's economy is growing rapidly while Japan's has crumbled.
Furthermore, in my view, China is, at best, a "strategic competitor", while Japan is our biggest counterweight in the region.
I can't help but feel a little reassured that helping our Japanese friends has some indirect strategic benefit to American interests in the long run.
Jason
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