Fusion / Milan made in Mexico, not the USA

[masri]

Hello all,

 

I am seriously considering a Mercury Milan 2010 Hybrid. I owned a Ford many years ago that disappointed me, so I wasn't considering purchasing another. But one of my brothers owns a Mercury, and I've been pretty impressed with its quality, so I figured I'd take a second look. I know my next car will be a hybrid. As I've done my research, the Ford Fusion / Mercury Milan 2010 hybrid has come to the forefront of my list.

 

I'm not the type of person who will buy American at all cost. If the American product is fundamentally worse than the competition, then I won't consider it. From all the reviews I've read online, this new hybrid has impressed the reviewers. Part of me does want to help our economy in a small way, and if I can do that & get a quality product in return, so much the better.

 

So obviously I was distressed when I was reading some of Ford's press kit about the Mercury Milan,

 

http://media.ford.com/press_kits.cfm?presskit_id=1984

 

and I came across the production location, stating that the Milan & Milan Hybrid are built in Mexico (bottom right corner).

 

http://media.ford.com/images/10031/2010_Me...ilan_Hybrid.pdf

 

I came across the thread

 

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...showtopic=29059

 

discussing The Motley Fool's article, "Ford Fusion Confusion."

 

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008...-confusion.aspx

 

The comments in that article basically say that yes, the car is manufactured in Mexico, leading to a loss of some blue collar jobs. But the engineering of the car was done in the USA, leading to many white collar jobs here, and profits go to an American company & not back to Japan or elsewhere. But where the profits go... Is that relevant to anyone but a shareholder or company exec? What really is better for the US worker putting food on their family's table, a Camry that was built here with parts sourced here, or a Fusion that was built in Mexico? Toyota builds some of their hybrid Camrys in KY.

 

http://www.hybridcars.com/compacts-sedans/...d-overview.html

 

My gut feeling is that having the hybrid engineering talent in the US is more important long term, and will lead to better jobs in the US. But there is a place for manufacturing in the US. Some people will never have the knowledge or ability to design a hybrid drive system, but can follow orders & build the system in a manufacturing facility. It's important that we have jobs here for our citizens. Ford could have made this decision a no brainer for me if it was manufactured in the US.

 

I look forward to your thoughts.

 

- Adam

[blazerdude20]

while the fusion/milan are built in mexico, the profit comes back to america vs the camry where all the profit goes back to japan. the more money that comes back to america the more likely it is that that money will be used to pay americans designing future ford products

[nelsonlu]

As far as I am concerned, because the three North American nations are now effectively an economic union, what is good for the Mexican economy is good for the American economy.

[bbf2530]

Hi masri. :D This is my take on this subject (and I mean no disrespect to anyone, it is simply my opinion): First, I will say upfront that I only buy Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, and will likely do so until the day they put me in the ground, for reasons that I will not bother going into right now.

 

Now having said that, I will add this: I always find this sort of "which car will make me a better American if I purchase it, the foreign car built in America or the American car built in another country" debate philosophically amusing. To keep it short, how many people who condemn others for what car they buy put as much thought into where their Televisions, Washer and Dryer, Clothes, Shoes, Microwave, Radios, Stereos, Computers, Cameras, Gasoline, the lumber in their new house, the shingles on their new roof, carpeting, furniture etc etc etc? Enough examples to make the point.

 

I will always try to buy American when I can. But buying American is not a sign of Patriotism, intelligence, or anything else. Anymore than not buying American would make someone a traitor.

 

I would ask that anyone who complains about who/where another person buys their cars first examine every product and item they themselves purchase, down to their toothbrush and shoelaces. They should be absolutely certain that everything they have in their home or on their back is made in America before they start throwing stones.

 

Again, before anyone sends in their cards and letters to complain, keep in mind that every car I have ever purchased in my life (not an insignificant number of cars) has been a FoMoCo product. And I guarantee that is more than many can say.

 

So, there is my opinion. And I respect the right of anyone to disagree with me, as long as they do it without insulting me, my ancestors. my dog etc.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited March 6, 2009 by bbf2530

[masri]

Hi bbf,

 

I see where you're coming from. I think we put more weight on a car, simply because of its value & how seldom we buy one. Even a TV, or a washer & dryer, are products that are fairly inexpensive compared to the price of a car. Outside of a home, it's probably the single most expensive item most people own. I think that's why we see a car purchase as something that can have a real effect on the US economy.

 

- Adam

[UltimateX]

A lot of the parts still come from the US. The engine is from the US and I believe that the transmission is the new Ford 6 speed which is also from the US.

 

See the link below for a US Jobs per car rating.

 

http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/scorecards.html

[dwford]

I think is important to note that no automaker operating in the US produces ALL of its products in one country. Many cars that are assembled in the US are made from foreign sourced parts. If you must buy a Ford that was assembled in the US, there are plenty of other options. Ford is a global company, and I see no problem with them sourcing their products from all over the world to maximize their production efficiency. It is not just that the Fusion is built in mexico and imported into the US, it is also exported out of Mexico to dozens of other countries. What Ford really needs is to design products, assemble them in the US, and export them to other countries. Ford does this, but it is a small part of their business.

[betaiota]

You're already ahead of the game compared to most people on this subject- you realize all of the white collar jobs that are created by an American car company. Why do people always forget about them??

 

But hey we want to help American blue collar employees too, and we still can- even if we buy a Ford car made in Mexico. How? Revenues from the sales of those cars go to retired employees' pensions and health insurance.

 

If you look at it that way, it's a no-brainer.

[nardvark]

What Ford really needs is to design products, assemble them in the US, and export them to other countries. Ford does this, but it is a small part of their business.

 

A big reason that they assemble cars in Mexico is that some South American markets have tariffs on US goods, but not Mexican goods. If Ford builds the car in Mexico, they can sell cars in Brazil and avoid the tariff. Also, labor costs are lower, but you already knew about that one.

 

Trade laws distort this industry more than anything.

[bbf2530]

Hi bbf,

 

I see where you're coming from. I think we put more weight on a car, simply because of its value & how seldom we buy one. Even a TV, or a washer & dryer, are products that are fairly inexpensive compared to the price of a car. Outside of a home, it's probably the single most expensive item most people own. I think that's why we see a car purchase as something that can have a real effect on the US economy.

 

- Adam

 

Hi Adam. :D Yes, I certainly agree. And that is really the point I was trying to get across. The discussion on these forums will almost always center around automobiles, obviously due to the fact that this is an automotive centered forum. However, while an auto is likely the most expensive item most of us will purchase in our lifetime (other than a house), all of those other items actually add up to quite a bit more in lifetime expenditures than our automobiles.

 

I guess I am just trying to get across that if people are going to shout out from the hilltops that we should "Buy American, 100%", then they should practice what they preach in all areas, not just automobiles.

 

And please understand I am not aiming that advice towards you. You are simply asking a very valid question. I am aiming it at the more radical and vocal shouters of that philosophy. The type who damage the vehicles of others, just because they don't approve of who the vehicle was produced by, or where the vehicle was made.

 

How would those people like it if others went through their homes and damaged their foreign made goods (of which they almost certainly own a lot of, unless they live in an unfurnished shack)? Not much, I can safely say. In fact, they would probably shoot an intruder with their Austrian made "Glock" or Italian made "Beretta" handgun (intentional irony) .

 

And just to reiterate: Every car I have ever purchased has been a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury product, and I believe in buying American whenever possible. So I am not some wild-eyed crazy import buying apologist. I am simply expressing an opinion (again, not aimed at you Adam, just a preemptive explanation to others).

 

Good luck Adam. :beerchug:

Edited March 6, 2009 by bbf2530

[Pioneer]

while the fusion/milan are built in mexico, the profit comes back to america vs the camry where all the profit goes back to japan. the more money that comes back to america the more likely it is that that money will be used to pay americans designing future ford products

 

 

What good are the profits coming back to the U.S. when all the job creation from them are being used in every country but the United States, and the stock doesn't pay a dividend?

[ackbar]

What good are the profits coming back to the U.S. when all the job creation from them are being used in every country but the United States, and the stock doesn't pay a dividend?

 

Many of the parts are built in the U.S. and shipped to the production site. The higher-paying jobs in development and design are 100% U.S based. The profits go into our markets, and the taxes are paid to our government rather than that of another country.

[tjl]

See the link below for a US Jobs per car rating.

 

http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/scorecards.html

 

Last time I looked, all cars made by each company have the same score (see http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/compare.php for specific models)-- i.e. no differentiation between models based on where the models are designed or manufactured. It also left out embarassing examples like the Chevrolet Aveo, and apparently couldn't figure out whether Mexico is in North America (compare the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Volkswagen Jetta, both made in Mexico, on that site). If you look closely, the organization was made from big 3 retirees, whose motivation is probably mainly to get people to buy from the big 3 to prop up the pensions as long as possible. I.e. the above link is best used if you are concerned about pensions per car, as opposed to jobs per car.

 

If you want to "buy American", there are probably better resources to compare specific models, at least with respect to manufacturing related jobs, such as:

 

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa...ewType=standard

 

(although even this does not distinguish between Canada and the US for parts content)

 

For design jobs, you would have to read about where the design was done (not always completely obvious, and sometimes with bits of design from design centers all around the world).

Edited March 6, 2009 by tjl

[nelsonlu]

Last time I looked, all cars made by each company have the same score (see http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/compare.php for specific models)-- i.e. no differentiation between models based on where the models are designed or manufactured. It also left out embarassing examples like the Chevrolet Aveo, and apparently couldn't figure out whether Mexico is in North America (compare the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Volkswagen Jetta, both made in Mexico, on that site). If you look closely, the organization was made from big 3 retirees, whose motivation is probably mainly to get people to buy from the big 3 to prop up the pensions as long as possible.

 

If you want to "buy American", there are probably better resources to compare specific models, at least with respect to manufacturing related jobs, such as:

 

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa...ewType=standard

 

For design jobs, you would have to read about where the design was done (not always completely obvious, and sometimes with bits of design from design centers all around the world).

 

However, it appears that not even the NHTSA's data accounts for, if you will, the North American Free Trade Zone's overall effect on the American economy. Again, it is my opinion that something that is good for the Mexican (or Canadian) economy is also good for the American economy.

[mettech]

What good are the profits coming back to the U.S. when all the job creation from them are being used in every country but the United States, and the stock doesn't pay a dividend?

 

Excellent points.

 

Not all of the income from the Big 3 stay in the USA. In fact, most of the plants that are being built are outside of the USA. Ford is going to bring over several cars from Europe next year that used very little USA workers.

 

Please note that none of the Big 3 are building new production plants in the USA, but several of the overseas companies are.

 

So, it appears that the foreign companies are investing in the USA that employ blue and white collar workers, while the Big 3 are investing more overseas with a portion their money.

 

 

Anyway, buy a 2010 Taurus and the problem is solved. FWIW, a Honda Accord will also employ more USA workers than Fusion and most of the profits stay in the USA through Honda USA Headquarters.

Honda America

 

Honda North America

 

They employ Americans just like the Big 3. :reading:

[jfalkSVO]

The fact that the Japanese government is giving Toyota a $2 billion bailout for consumer lending in the US speaks for itself. If most of the profits were staying in the US why would Japan care so much about Toyota's bottom line?

[mrk1984]

Though ford is "bringing over" many euro fords, they are not building them in europe and then importing. That would be way too expensive. Ford is currently retooling current factories to build the new cars.

[whereswaldo]

Though ford is "bringing over" many euro fords, they are not building them in europe and then importing. That would be way too expensive. Ford is currently retooling current factories to build the new cars.

Really ?? Other than Michigan Truck Plant, what other U.S. plants are presently undergoing retooling ????

[mrk1984]

I could be wrong, but I thought they were retooling a plant for the fiesta and anther for the transit

[Pioneer]

I could be wrong, but I thought they were retooling a plant for the fiesta and anther for the transit

Edited March 11, 2009 by Pioneer