Debate continues on U.S. vs. foreign autos

Dear Bob: A letter that appeared today in The Kansas City Star, regarding Chevy, Ford and Chrysler, prompts me to write.

I live less than a mile south of the Ford plant in Claycomo, Mo., and would really like to agree with you on the topic of American cars — that is, that they are getting better and better. But, for years going on decades, they have been telling us that American cars are getting to be almost as good as Japanese cars.

My credentials: I got 121,000 miles out of a 1980 AMC Spirit, trading her — Louise was a “her,” not an “it” — in for a 1990 Plymouth Voyager. After two transmission failures and chipped paint from Veronica, the Voyager, I opted for a 1998 Subaru, which was manufactured in Indiana … an American car or no? I’m now at 116,000 miles with Ubu the Subaru, and am going strong. I love the stick shift, and wonder why one can’t get a stick shift on an American car.

The letter writer from Spokane speaks of the Germans, the Japanese and others who will become the world’s auto leaders. From where I sit, I see Japan, Korea and even Canada and Mexico as the ones to beat. Maybe even China, in the not-so-distant future — God knows, we’ve started to import everything else from there in the past few years.

Why can’t American workers make a car in a Ford or Chevy plant that will be as good or better than a Toyota that was also manufactured in the United States by American workers?

Thanks for allowing me to bend your ear. The debate will likely not end, but my next car will likely be either another Subaru or a Toyota — and, although I’d prefer that it was made in this country, I would not insist on it.

— J.K., Kansas City, Mo.

A: It’s not any gap between American and Japanese workers that has caused American carmakers to fall behind. As you say, Japanese companies can use American workers in American plants and still produce better cars.

The answer lies in the Japanese companies’ overall philosophy, their management of their workers, their production capabilities, their working conditions and their relentless pursuit of quality and perfection. That’s what sets American cars behind many of their foreign counterparts, made in this country or elsewhere.

And while I still believe that American cars are closing the gap, albeit gradually, foreign vehicles aren’t standing still. The bottom line is that the gap is getting ever harder to close. American cars improve, but so do Japanese cars, Korean cars, German cars and, as you say, those of other countries as well.

And, by the way, you can indeed get stick-shift American cars, although admittedly the selection is usually limited to sports cars or smaller economy vehicles.

Dear Bob: I have traveled extensively around the western United States, and have found that in most places the octane level of regular gasoline is 87. An exception occurs in an area including northern Nevada, southern Idaho and I think extending into Montana, where the octane rating of regular gas is only 85.

I would appreciate an explanation, if you can provide one.

Thank you.

— L.W., Centralia, Wash.

A: I sure can. It’s not about attitude — it’s all about altitude.

A car that requires premium gasoline at sea level will probably run equally well on regular gasoline at high elevations — 5,000 feet or above. The reason is that, as altitude increases, the car’s octane requirements are lessened due to the change in the air/fuel mixture. Thinner air at higher elevations means a richer air/fuel ratio, so less octane is needed to fire the cylinders.

That’s why, in the areas you note, which are at higher elevations, the regular gas is only 85 octane: Vehicles simply don’t need as much octane to give comparable performance because of the thinner air and consequent richer air/fuel mixture.

This same factor explains why the computers in many new cars are programmed to make altitude-specific adjustments to the engine’s air/fuel ratio.

AMERICAN DRIVERS FIGHT BACK

Here’s a tip that will help you get better gas mileage while fighting terrorism and cutting our nation’s dependence on Mideastern oil:

Whale-tail or other types of rear-deck spoilers can be added to the top-rear portion of your trunk, not only to give the car an appearance boost but also to help increase fuel economy at highway speeds.

Some years ago, when the EPA evaluated a number of aftermarket devices that were claimed to boost fuel efficiency, Kamei spoilers were one of the few that showed “a statistically significant improvement in fuel economy without an increase in exhaust emissions” when retrofitted to a vehicle.

However, the EPA report went on to note that “cost-effectiveness must be determined by the consumer for his particular application.”

In other words, the proper type of front or rear spoiler can improve fuel economy. It’s up to you to decide whether or not the investment is worth it.