Asian-Made Vehicles: Why Americans Want Them

The "buy American" movement seems to have fizzled out in recent years. You do not see too many advertisements promoting the purchase of American-made products to preserve American jobs. Not surprisingly, an uptick in purchasing of foreign-made cars has been steadily rising over the last decade. In particular, Americans forego buying domestic vehicles in favor of purchasing many Asian-made vehicles. There are some good reasons for that, too.

​Quality and Design Have Improved

​Asian-made vehicles have dramatically improved in quality and design over the last few decades. Even though Japan, Korea, and China have all been making cars and exporting them to the U.S. for decades now, it was only more recently that Americans began to notice a shift in quality and design. Rather than be very basic, very boxy vehicles, Asian auto manufacturers began designing cars and trucks that appealed to Americans in terms of body styles and attention to detail. The quality of craftsmanship has improved too, making it easier to own, drive, and repair the vehicles with fewer problems and repairs. 

​Resale Value Remains High

​Most vehicles, the minute they roll off the dealership lot, their resale value immediately depreciates. That does not happen with Asian-made vehicles. Browse a new car lot with Nissans or Toyotas, for example, and then walk over to a used car lot. Take a look at a used Nissan Ultima for sale, or a Toyota Camry. You will see immediately how very little in price these vehicles are. While that may not work out quite so well for buyers looking to score a cheaper Asian-made vehicle, it works out fantastically for any one looking to sell such a vehicle.

Leading Technology

​A lot of foreign-made vehicles have jumped light years ahead when it comes to incorporating technology into the dash of a vehicle. Since Japan and China have already gotten the jump on creating technology products Americans want and want to use, it should be no surprise that the technology put into the dashboards of the vehicles coming out of these countries is also something American consumers want. Domestic manufacturers here in the U.S. are following suit, but frequently find that they are still a little behind other nations. American cars and car companies that can afford to put newer technology into vehicles often do it at the expense of the consumer, since it is often luxury vehicles that receive the high-tech stuff before any other vehicles do. However, the newer technology in Asian-made cars combined with the affordability for all approach is what gets American consumers excited.