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Inmate Central, where civil and family-friendly discourse about off-audio topics (other than religion and politics) is welcome.

RE: They sell a mix of gas and EV everywhere right now.

Cars are already on universal platforms so you are correct that it is simply easier and ultimately more cost efficient to sell more or less the same car globally than to different markets.

Still profit is the ultimate motivator so if they can make money offering a different car to Americans they may do it if they see a particular desire in that market.

And you never know - the companies may make one thing now but if the public suddenly desires something else - the market may shift back at some point.

Take Ford - they may have dumped all their cars but they didn't dump the Mustang which means it must sell pretty well - a large enough group of Americans like this car enough that is a profit generator for Ford. I don't recall seeing a single Mustang in Hong Kong or China over the decade I have lived here. They may very well be here but they are not here in the numbers they are in the west.

Different countries value things a little bit differently - and there is a disposable wealth gap I suspect in Asia versus North America. When I talk to guys here (audio dealers) I see people hand over in cash $90,000 in cash for a pair of audio cables. Cash! They are not taking out 7 year financing loans to buy a Mustang. I know an Italian fellow here - he paid cash for a top of the line fully loaded Lamborghini. Cash. No loans mortgages or whatever. Cash (well wire transfer which is the same thing).

And there is a 100% tax on the purchase of a new car here - so he is paying double what an American would pay for the same car.

There is more per unit profit to be made on luxury goods. But to attract the wealthy you generally need a "luxury name plate" so even though the Kia Stinger may be a better car than comparable BMW and Mercedes - Kia isn't selling the Stinger - it has been rumored to be getting the axe - even though many journalist say it's a better driving car - more reliable, better looking, more practical, more features, better mileage, better warranty and on and on - the label say Kia - it doesn't say Mercedes. So the people who can spend $50,000 on the Kia want the brand - and the people who own current Kia and like them don't have $50,000 - they don't have $4,000 - so they take out 7 year loans on a Sportage SUV. People have a tendency to spend beyond their means and I really think basic business and finance education needs to be a core subject starting in elementary school all the way to the end of high school.

One of my friends bought a car and he has been paying it off for the last 7 years and still paying part of the previous car. Another friend bought said $50k Kia Stinger but he works at Costco and he took a 7 year loan out on it and will still have a balloon payment at the end.

People look at these "monthly payments" and they are not asking how much they are actually paying for the car with interest. Oh sure interest is low but - big payment at the end so who knows he may end up paying $70,000 for a $50,000 car. What he can afford in reality is a 2010 Toyota Corolla not a 2020 Stinger.

I am saving now so that when I return to Canada in 5-9 years I will be able to take out at most a 2-3 year loan on a car if even that. And my front runners are the Mazda Miata Naturally aspirated motor and the Ford Mustang GT convertible automatic - as Ford has a class action lawsuit against them for their awful Chinese purchased manual transmissions - people have gone through 3-4 of them. If I am going to spend $40,000 I damn well better enjoy the drive a little - and that's not happening in an SUV. I want to be able to drive across Canada in the spring and summer in some style with the top down and be able to punch it with a nice growl. Hopefully Ford will still be able to be allowed to make a V8 Gasoline engine in 5-7 years.



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