美国汽车业的堕落
说起来美国是轮子上的国家，从汽车的发明，一直到七八十年代，美国的汽车制造业稳坐行业龙头老大。
可是越来越多的进口车充斥美国市场，除警察叔叔开的爱国车和明星开的豪华车之外，一般的小老百姓，还都是在日本或南韩的车行门口转悠。以至于报纸上，电视上，美国车不得不标明了要清仓大甩卖。
最初是因为便宜，看看有多少美国人逛二手商店，看看有多少美国人赶早鸟，就知道美国的穷人有多少。
现在日本车已经不便宜了呀？可是日本车省油。当油价涨到三块钱以上的时候，很多的上班族，就不得不考虑卡普，连开什么牌子的车，都已经不重要了。
现在油价也不再高了呀？可是日本车质量好，在不久前发布的由消费者协会打分的美国市场上2006-2007年度最可靠的40种汽车之中，小日本的丰田一家，竟然占了20种！
不仅仅如此，今天的报纸上说。汽车保找等涨捌莱龅?007年13种最安全的家庭用汽车当中，竟然全部是进口货！
最可恨的，居然连南韩的KIA也在其间。
怪不得美国的车厂不断裁人！
质量、经济、安全这三大项，美国车竟然不占一项。
也怪不得美国汽车业不得不步美国烟草业和英国鸦片业的后尘，阔步进军中国市场！
因为在中国，不仅仅有廉价的劳动力，有不考虑质量也不考虑经济的官方消费，更有视人命如草芥的旅游业、服务业、保险公司、税务局、工检法和医院。还有一群拿外国护照的假洋鬼子。
大家一起，正可以分肥。
附：13 Models On Insurance Industry's List
来源：清谈天地 www.talkskyland.com
Imported models took all spots on the U.S. insurance industry's list of safest vehicles. Winners include four cars, seven SUVs and two minivans.
An industry official said that's mostly because American automakers aren't making cars with electronic stability control, which keeps vehicles stable in emergencies. And the technology is a new requirement in ranking vehicles for safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed requiring electronic stability control in all new cars by 2012. But insurance industry officials said that's not soon enough.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety isn't bashful about its reasons for pushing electronic stability control. It said that its studies show up to 10,000 fatal crashes per year could be prevented if every vehicle had the safety feature.
"The idea of tightening the criteria for the award is to encourage more vehicle safety improvements," Institute President Adrian Lund said. "Last year a car could win with an acceptable rating in the rear test instead of the highest rating of good, and ESC wasn't considered. Now it's tougher to win, and some of the 2006 winners don't meet the criteria for this year's award because the manufacturers haven't improved the head restraints from acceptable to good or don't offer ESC."
The cars on the list are all by foreign manufacturers, and ranked highest in protecting people in front, rear and side crash tests based on institute tests during the year.
In particular, the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, large family cars, are good crash test performers but don't have ESC, even as an option. The midsize Chevrolet Malibu doesn't have ESC either, and its seat/head restraints aren't rated good. These cars won in 2006 but not 2007.
No small cars won this year's award. The four-door Honda Civic won last year, but most 2007 Civics don't have ESC. Those that do don't have seat/head restraints rated good for rear crash protection.
Vehicles eligible to win are current small, midsize, and large car models, plus minivans and small and midsize SUVs.
SUVs weren't eligible to win in 2006 because the Institute hadn't evaluated the side crash-worthiness of many of them. Now more SUVs have been rated, and 2007 winners reflect the safety improvements manufacturers have been making to these vehicles.
"In the past SUVs, especially the smaller ones, weren't good safety choices compared with cars," Lund said. "Many SUVs didn't earn good ratings in our crash tests, and on the road they were more likely than cars to get in serious single-vehicle crashes, including rollovers, because of their higher centers of gravity. Newer SUVs perform better in crash tests and, when equipped with ESC, are much less likely to roll over. All but one of the seven SUVs that win our 2007 'Top Safety Pick' have ESC as standard equipment."
Recent research found that ESC reduces the risk of serious crashes involving both SUVs and cars, the Institute reported. The largest effect is in single-vehicle crashes, which were reduced 40 percent with the addition of ESC. Fatal single-vehicle crashes went down 56 percent, and fatal rollovers of cars and SUVs were reduced by about 80 percent.
Pickups aren't included in this round of awards because the Institute hasn't begun to evaluate their side crash-worthiness.
"Our crash tests cover the most common kinds of real-world collisions," said Lund. "Designating 'Top Safety Pick' winners based on the tests makes it easier for consumers to identify vehicles that afford the best overall protection without sifting through multiple sets of comparative test results."
The Institute's Web site said it rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. The first requirement for a vehicle to become a "Top Safety Pick" is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests.
Winners
Large Car
Audi A6 (manufactured in Dec. 2006 and later)
Midsize cars
Audi A4
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy (equipped with optional electronic stability control)
Minivans
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona
Luxury SUVs
Mercedes M class
Volvo XC90
Midsize SUVs
Acura RDX
Honda Pilot
Subaru B9 Tribeca
Small SUVs
Honda CR-V
Subaru Forester (equipped with optional electronic stability control)