Wages in Germany are far higher
environmental costs of production,
Way higher in Germany
low quality union workers in most chevy and ford plants, ect
That's why the Japanese introduced Kaisen, Six-Sigma ..... .... & Germany, TQC, TQM, QCM & SQM
So why can't Americans do that?? since they factually employ all those methods at e.g. Ford, or e.g. Boeing
Because it's too expensive to pursue it fully - and US OEM's only want profit, the result - see Space X going Boom, Boom, ... or the disastrous failure of the Boeing 737max. etc. etc.
Look at your non existent school&vocational training institutions - before entering an industrial manufacturing company.
Plus I think the Germans and Japanese still engineer better cars than America
No - American engineers are just as good. because there is big money to be made with elite schools.
But US OEM's want simple, thus cheap cars, incl. larger gap tolerances to cheap materials used etc.etc.- so as to maximize profit
US OEM's want to use old existing engine designs - so as to maximize profit and don't care about environmental issues.
The gap is closing but its still there
No, and it never will - since US OEM's only think and care about profit - and not what the middle to upper consumer class expects/demands in the USA, and especially not outside of the USA - therefore no one wants these low quality and non-economic and non-environmental US cars, aside from those US low & lower income class people.
So it's this well known US Capitalistic mindset that essentially hinders US products from being sought globally for.
Look at your wooden houses in the USA - a bloody joke compared to European, Asian and even modern African homes.
Maybe your Trump should talk about this - instead about his cock&bull tariffs, unfair, ripping us off, etc. etc.