Explain something to me please..

[Pam]

Hubby and I were sitting here listening to the news and the fact that the auto makers have asked for a bail out. I am wondering what that will do? If people aren't buying goods and, even more so, cars wouldn't that mean just making more cars to sit on lots unsold? My co-worker's husband lost his job two months ago. He worked for 20+ years as the service manager of a large dealership. The problem? People were no longer bringing their cars in for routine maintenance. Of course sales were dead as well. In fact, the dealership has subsequently closed down. How will helping the auto industry improve things for them? Maybe I am just stupid but I don't understand...

[RICHARD]

The auto makers were caught with the tooling to produce large cars- The bailout is supposedly to help them retool the factories to make smaller cars.

[Pam]

The auto makers were caught with the tooling to produce large cars- The bailout is supposedly to help them retool the factories to make smaller cars.

True, but if people can't afford to buy cars right now isn't this a little premature? I really just don't get it. All of the world can be glad I am not the president.

[Edwina's Secretary]

One in ten jobs in America is dependent upon the auto industry. The idea, as I understand it, is if the automakers are able to retool, as R said, they will be able to make smaller cars the public will want to buy.

On the other hand, if the auto industry further tanks, one in ten jobs in America tank with it.

Just before all this started I bought a Ford Escape hybrid. It runs on battery (charged by the engine and the brakes) at certain speeds and some weeks I get as much as 41 miles to the gallon. I consistently get around 35. That is the kind of cars the US auto industry needs to concentrate on making.

[jennielynn1970]

Just before all this started I bought a Ford Escape hybrid. It runs on battery (charged by the engine and the brakes) at certain speeds and some weeks I get as much as 41 miles to the gallon. I consistently get around 35. That is the kind of cars the US auto industry needs to concentrate on making.

I had thought about getting a hybrid before, but I don't have a garage and park on the street. The fact that anything not nailed down gets stolen around here, I can imagine having to plug something in wouldn't work really well. The kids would steal whatever it was just to be brats.

I have a Nissan Versa, which has a CVT engine from Renault, and I get about 35-40 miles highway and about 31-34 miles in the city. It's the base model now for Nissan, making the Sentra a step above it. They are both fantastic cars as far as mileage and all that goes. Not the prettiest cars, but that doesn't really matter to me at this point.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Mine doesn't need to be plugged in. And, if hybrids become the norm instead of the exception, theft will be less of an issue! Signed...the eternal optimist!

[jennielynn1970]

Oh! I thought they had to be pluggedd in, like the diesel suckers do in the winter time.

I keep seeing more of those smart cars around, but all I can think of is a bunch of kids coming over and carrying them off, lol. They look so tiny and so light! I still can't believe they cost as much as they do though. I thought they'd be cheaper to buy.

[lizbud]

The auto makers were caught with the tooling to produce large cars- The bailout is supposedly to help them retool the factories to make smaller cars.

I don't think there is any formal comittment by auto makers to do
anything differently than they do now. Congress is trying to make their bailout with conditions attached.

There is a lot of confusion right now about who is getting what, and how
this will help prevent a full blown recession.

[Hellow]

Auto companies are linked to more things than just cars, many more things in fact. Plus, once the economy straightens out, we will be needing cars. So the government needs to keep auto manufacturers going.

[Karen]

Theoretically, the money would be used to retool existing plants, and improve the technology for hybrid, electric and even maybe hydrogen-fueled cars ... once upon a time we were the world leaders in automotive advancement. Ideally, we would put money into assuring we would be again. Not that I expect that to happen ...

[blue]

Ild be happier with them going into bankrupcy and Toyota, Honda, or Subaru buying a majority share then the government getting into the auto industry.

[sparks19]

Just curious... you have a hybrid and you only get 35-40 mpg?

our pontiac Vibe gets at least 32 mpg... sometimes more. I thought hybrids got way more than that

[Freedom]

Part of the bailout is to keep all those workers employed.

Having strings attached, forcing them to retool, is a great idea, I think. I have never owned an American made car. Each time I need a car, I do research, check Consumer Reports, insurance stats, etc. and the American made cars don't pass. American auto makers have needed to retool since the gas crisis of the '70's, IMO.

I bought the Toyota Prius in August. Gas / electric hybrid, does not plug in. I'm getting 48.6 MPG consistently. WOHOO! "Most" of the technology to develop the Prius was developed in the US, and we didn't follow through!

The Honda Civic hybrid is NOT a true hybrid, BTW, the ICE is always running.

[Catty1]

The idea of a hybrid is that much of its energy comes from a non-petroleum source.

However, take good care of it. A Prius, for example, with so much of it made outside the US where environmental controls are lax, takes till 100,000 km or approx 67,000 miles before it begins to make up for the large environmental footprint its manufacture created.

Hopefully this will change in the future.

[Freedom]

Toyota is building a plant here in the US to make the Prius. Won't be long, now.