Is the US falling behind in auto innovation?

[ThisIsMe]

Just watched this video of the Li Mega minivan that is a Chinese built auto and it is VERY nice and im wondering, do we have anything like this? This isnt a concept car, its a production vehicle.

I looked at some of the Chinese made autos and, there are some really nice cars.

I wonder if the US is not at the forefront of auto development compared to the rest of the world?

 

[BothWings]

This thread is about 40 years too late!

 

[1srelluc]

Needs more airbags.

 

[ThisIsMe]

This thread is about 40 years too late!

Maybe im just 40 years too late

I guess my question revolved around, are Americans paying high prices for cars that are substandard compared to the rest of the world? That minivan i posted is about $78,000 in american dollars, and while that kind of money will buy you a nice vehicle here, i dont think it would be as nice as that van.

 

[BothWings]

Maybe im just 40 years too late

Well, it's just that the Japs and the Krauts and the Swedes were already proving it decades ago. Ok, maybe 30 years, then...

 

[ThisIsMe]

Well, it's just that the Japs and the Krauts and the Swedes were already proving it decades ago. Ok, maybe 30 years, then...

So whats up with american auto makers? Why so sluggish?

 

[BothWings]

So whats up with american auto makers? Why so sluggish?

I honestly don't really know the answer to that but I could inject some theory into it. The '80s is when it started to become obvous, and that was 10 years after Nixon opened the door to trade with China. After that time we saw quality slumping all throughout our commercial sector. Maybe it's because American automakers begin to have an increasing dependence on China for various parts in order to lower costs. But it's important to know that our first real competitor in the market overall was Japan. Japan is very self-sufficient. They don't outsource like we do. And if you look at things like weapons and arms they will not even sell those to any other country. That's just an example of how they are on trade policy. So they were the first country that really started to kick our ass in quality. We were trying to compete by lowering our costs by teaming up with China and MASS producing cheap disposable crap. And I'm not necessarily saying that that's what happened to the automobile industry but it certainly happened to a lot of our industry. It's a topic that really deserves some further research on those grounds. As the American consumer herd became more and more dumbed down through the '80s and 90s, they didn't even think about this stuff anymore. The fact that you could get a really cheap car that would just last a couple of years and then you'd throw it away and buy another one, kind of like a Bic lighter...began to be the accepted norm of consumerism. In the end the people who adopted this philosophy were shooting our nation in the foot. And now we have limited karate moves left in the World market in order to take this power back. Tariffs are one of those karate moves and by itself, it's limited but is effective to some degree. Nobody should blame Trump for this because it's the people that welcomed this New World Order globalist economic paradigm who are to blame. This paradigm has penetrated our economy and our culture very deeply and it's literally going to take some tedious surgery to undo it. You can't expect it not to hurt. Or you can just keep doing it so we are completely dependent on China like some kind of perverse symbiotic relationship that you might see in a Star Trek episode.

 

[Concerned American]

Maybe im just 40 years too late

I guess my question revolved around, are Americans paying high prices for cars that are substandard compared to the rest of the world? That minivan i posted is about $78,000 in american dollars, and while that kind of money will buy you a nice vehicle here, i dont think it would be as nice as that van.

Let me know in 3 or 4 years if it is still on the road and everything works.

 

[Muhammed]

Just watched this video of the Li Mega minivan that is a Chinese built auto and it is VERY nice and im wondering, do we have anything like this? This isnt a concept car, its a production vehicle.

I looked at some of the Chinese made autos and, there are some really nice cars.

I wonder if the US is not at the forefront of auto development compared to the rest of the world?

I had a 1992 Mercedes with the soft close doors. That's nothing new.

Auto manufactuers are always inventing new expensive things to put in cars that distract, break and annoy.

 

[deannalw]

So whats up with american auto makers? Why so sluggish?

I think part of it is because they're far more regulated here.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Just watched this video of the Li Mega minivan that is a Chinese built auto and it is VERY nice and im wondering, do we have anything like this? This isnt a concept car, its a production vehicle.

I looked at some of the Chinese made autos and, there are some really nice cars.

I wonder if the US is not at the forefront of auto development compared to the rest of the world?

The Eweniversity Has Always Been the Greatest Insult to Intelligence in History

A long time ago, I was informed that only the sons of auto company employees were taught automotive engineering. Once again, we're going down the drain because we won't replace this class-biased "education" with highly paid professional training.

 

[Concerned American]

I had a 1992 Mercedes with the soft close doors. That's nothing new.

Auto manufactuers are always inventing new expensive things to put in cars that distract, break and annoy.

I've had Fords with electric self-closing and soft-closing doors for a couple decades now. I didn't see any innovative tech on that Chinese car.

 

[Muhammed]

I've had Fords with electric self-closing and soft-closing doors for a couple decades now. I didn't see any innovative tech on that Chinese car.

The rear seat automatically turning is something I haven't seen before. I never knew that a lot people had difficulty turning the seat.

 

[toobfreak]

Is the US falling behind in auto innovation?​

Fug 99% of all that crap. I don't need a $399 energy dissipating hinge on my door so I can't slam it, all I need is a $3.99 regular hinge. If I want to slam my door, I'll slam it, if not, I won't.

 

[Concerned American]

The rear seat automatically turning is something I haven't seen before. I never knew that a lot people had difficulty turning the seat.

There have been swivel seats in camper vans since the 70s--can't say I've seen auto electric swivels, but the tech exists.

 

[Crepitus]

Just watched this video of the Li Mega minivan that is a Chinese built auto and it is VERY nice and im wondering, do we have anything like this? This isnt a concept car, its a production vehicle.

I looked at some of the Chinese made autos and, there are some really nice cars.

I wonder if the US is not at the forefront of auto development compared to the rest of the world?

It's true, we are not. There are several reason for it if you'd like to discuss.

 

[Muhammed]

There have been swivel seats in camper vans since the 70s--can't say I've seen auto electric swivels, but the tech exists.

I still drive my 1988 Dodge conversion van that has quad captain's chairs. They swivel, they recline, the arm rests swivel up and down. And they are incredibly comfortable.

As far as comfort goes, even expensive brand new luxury passenger cars can't touch the comfort of a captain's chair.

 

[Captain Creeper]

Somebody is low on testosterone.

 

[whitehall]

A mini van is innovative? Since when?

 

[petro]

If the Chinese cars have the same crappy parts that sell aftermarket here, I would take a hard pass.