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Made in the USA

15K views 51 replies 25 participants last post by  pduncan 
#1 ·
Long time Subaru owner and enthusiast. I had been waiting to join the forum when my Crystal White limited arrived next week.

As I watch the final hours of the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona, I felt inspired to start a Made in the USA thread to discuss the American built Outback and products for your outback that are also Made in the USA.


I searched for a Made in the USA thread and was surprised there wasn't one already.


As I'm sure 99.9% of you know, the 2015 Outback is built by SIA in Lafayette, Indiana. I'm not sure of the actual USA content since I haven't seen my window sticker yet but I'm sure someone will post it.


Two products that immediately come to mind are Weathertech floor mats and Ecohitch by Torklift central. The #22 Alex Jobe racing Weathertech Porsche 911 is currently running a brilliant race!
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the madness!

Just checked my sticker and it shows 50% for US/Canada, so it may not be possible to determine US only content.

This is my 6th Subaru going back to '85. So far, love it - just as I did each of my previous ones!!!
 
#4 ·
New first time owner here myself- welcome.

FWIW- here are a couple feedbacks for ya if interested. Tried Weathertech for 1.5 weeks, returned and purchased Husky's- much happier and they're 1/3rd cheaper. Installed a Curt 1-1/4 hitch. Not happy- hangs too far down. Should've spent an extra $100 and got the Ecohitch. Picked-up a barely used Hidden Hitch for $40 locally on Craigslist last night. Will report the findings after installation later today.

This pattern is not new to me, it usually takes 2-3 tries before I get it right. See my recent speaker post…lol.
 
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#7 ·
The fact that my Subaru was made in North America is pleasing. "Making things" is important in a global economy fixated on intellectual property, wealth creation, and other forms of commerce that is more vapourware than productive output.

Continuing within the spirit of this theme, I'll add that I love my WeatherTechs. Sure they cost a few dollars more. The fit was excellent along with the materials (which remain flexible at -20F).

I'm not a socialist, but I've come to appreciate the quality that comes from goods crafted near to home. While neither Subaru nor WeatherTechs qualify as hand-crafted, they are:

1. Designed for the needs of our society. The history of the station wagon is British-American. The fact that Subaru, a Japanese company, is making one of the better wagons in the market in no way diminishes the strong affiliation between this pattern of vehicle and the people who drive them;

2. Built from the stuff that comes from our countries. Well 50% anyway, which is pretty good in a global economic system; and

3. Assembled by people with similar values. I'm not talking about religion or ethnicity but socio-economics where the middle-class makes things in exchange for reasonable compensation and an equal vote in society -- a construct deeply rooted in Western economic and political principles; and

4. Made in a way that does not completely bugger the planet. I'm very confident in the role that organizations such as the EPA play in overseeing/regulating big business far more than what is allowed to occur in other parts of the world -- especially China and Eastern Europe where politics and good old payola result in some pretty horrific environmental practice.

All of this costs a little more -- as do all good things. But it does feel good to possess something that "ticks" many more boxes than equal or lesser quality goods made offshore.
 
#9 ·
Here's a big one that's mostly invisible: Gasoline. 200k miles on a Subaru is powered by 6,666-10,000 gallons of gasoline. That's the spread from 20mpg-30mpg, which ought to cover most Outbacks of all years, engine sizes and driving styles.

Lately most of the gasoline we all buy for our Outbacks is made in the USA. We have become a net exporter, meaning we finally make enough for ourselves and have some left over to sell to others. EDIT: OK, maybe not- keep reading the thread.

It wasn't always this way. Even a year ago, the USA was importing a lot more fuel stocks than today. Back then you had to pick and choose. Some retail gas station chains have always sold USA-produced fuel, others always sell imports, and many are just too complicated to figure out at any given time.

As I write this, the national average price for retail 87-octane gasoline is $2.03. 6,666 gallons would run you $13,531. Those are all numbers from the low end of the range, too. My Outback XT (made in Indiana) gets about 21mpg, demands 91-octane, and was on the roads when gas prices hit their peaks a couple of years back so the figure will be considerably higher for that car.

What else are you going to buy for your Outback that even comes close to this amount?

Also might as well mention the 1upUSA bike rack, made in Wisconsin.
 
#13 ·
My experience working at an SIA supplier:

Just because a part is American sourced, that doesn't mean it's sourced from American companies.

Just because SIA is a zero landfill plant, that doesn't mean someone else isn't throwing away the trash.

I like Subaru, but don't let their marketing fool you into thinking that they are superior to many of their rivals.
 
#24 ·
Took me a minute to realize what you were saying. Sure, the parts suppliers themselves aren't zero landfill. But the assembly plant itself, where all those thousands of parts AND their packaging to get them there come together, IS a zero landfill plant.

For example, seats are sub-assembled down the road in Frankfort, so they come in sequenced for the vehicles. Pull in the trailer, unload the seats, they go directly to the line and are put on. Coils of steel come in, chunks get cut off in the presses, and that scrap goes to the recycling yard. Stuff comes in packaged from the supplier in re-usable containers or if it's in cardboard (such as boxes of bolts), the cardboard goes into recycling bins.

I didn't work for a supplier, I worked for SIA - starting back in 1989. (Yeah, I owned one of the first Outbacks we made, where the paint on the sill plate wouldn't stick.)
 
#14 ·
Agree. I don't place more faith in the environmental claims of manufacturers than I do in regulatory bodies.

My point on the environmental front is that the Indiana plant likely operates a much cleaner facility than one would find in China -- largely because of the regulatory regimes in place in NA.

Agree on the sourcing of the part. I'm not as familiar with the regulations as I once was, but I seem to recall that there was a distinction made between source and source (if you follow my meaning) to determine "content".

I tend to give a little more weight to cars made in developed countries (Canada, USA, Western Europe) because of the framework of regulatory regimes and cultural beliefs that either prevent or reduce:

1. Slave wages, as employees that are treated as chattel probably don't go the extra mile to ensure that they're doing the best job;

2. Unregulated environmental discharge, as companies who are lax in this area are unlikely to spend much time worrying about VOCs of interior components or what will eventually end up in landfills; and

3. Shoddy workmanship, as this will determine whether whether the final product "meets" or "exceeds" design specifications.

I would like to think that there is still some pride in NA and European industries and workforces -- or at least greater pride than exists in 3rd world countries where the relationship between employers and employees is exploitive AND parasitic.

It was the "marketing" of Volvo that forced me to step away from that brand in such a way that I will likely never go back. Claims of performance and quality weren't being achieved. The notion of manufacturing in China didn't square with either the company's environmental or qualitative promises. So I'm pretty sensitive when it comes to separating manufacturer claims and reality having "been there, done that" with Volvo.
 
#15 ·
Grimsurfer, I agree with your comments on the Volvo brand. I was a loyal customer and there are still 3 Volvos at my home. But ever since Ford bought the company, Volvo has deteriorated. Now that it is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group of China, I anticipate that it will get even worse. Hence my move to Subaru.

The 3.6R is a car that meets all of my needs. Moreover, it is more reliable, is cheaper to maintain, and is at a far better price than for a comparable Volvo. Going for the 3.6R was definitely an easy decision for me to make. One of my Volvos is a 1982 Volvo with more than 330,000 miles on it and it is still going strong. I hope to be keeping my Outback for a very long time as well.
 
#16 ·
I have never had a Volvo, but its story is the quintessentially sad one.
 
#18 ·
In 2011, VW built a $1 billion plant in Tennessee, which employs 3200 people. It's estimated that 10,000 people in the US have jobs that directly supply that plant.

However, some of the profits go back to the corporate parents in Germany.

And then, US shareholders of VW gain equity from those profits.

Globalization is hard to follow. :)
 
#25 ·
I'm the original poster and I picked up my Crystal White limited today. After 150 miles I am very impressed. I'm a lil surprised this thread generated a somewhat negative global political tone rather than patriotic pride for what I consider to be one of the finest vehicles assembled in America.

Btw, Sons of Liberty is on the history channel tonight. Grab an American beer and enjoy!
 
#27 ·
The United Automobile Workers or UAW has made repeated attempts toward unionizing workers at the SIA plant but to no avail. A big reason for this is that the pay and perks for Subaru workers are nothing less than what Ford or General Motors workers get under the UAW contract.
 
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#33 ·
Although in essence I have nothing against unions, I have personally seen
some negative effect on operations, profitability and disruptions ....
In my experience, this is one area where the free market mostly works.
Most companies with a unionized shop got it the old fashioned way...

...they earned it,

Looby
 
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#39 ·
Unions are good and bad is a good description. The dock workers Union holding up one of the largest West coast ports and costing companies billions possibly even impacting those companies with lost customers who will never return are Bad Union moves. You do not bite the hand that feeds you. Same thing for transportation unions who shut down an entire regional area highly dependent on public transit. Especially when they get paid the highest incomes in the US to start with.
 
#41 ·
If the dockworkers and bus drivers and train conductors have to compete with Googlies for housing and local services, you've got the justification for paying them more than any other dockworkers or bus drivers.

When the price of land goes up, it's only a matter of time before the price of everything that happens on that land rises to equilibrium. Some things jump in instant lockstep, other things take 2 generations to catch up. Lots of free rides can happen in the lag between.

TL;DR: Location, location, location.
I would agree with you Raster except the Average BART operator makes more than I do and I work for a Tech Company. So they won't be getting any Sympathy from me. When you can make more money than a College Grad working for a very good Tech company and all you needed was a HS diploma and take a operators course.. You really don't have much to complain about.

The public school teacher living in public assistance housing getting paid 32K a year and has 5yrs of college has a bigger reason to strike than the BART operator making 160K a year.
 
#45 ·
Well, the Sailor-Looby exchange gives you a good portion of the debate in a nutshell...so, there is that :)
 
#47 ·
I don't understand how this turned into a "labor dispute". I think of this as a car built by people who live in a society in which freedom of choice is an important value.

People who don't have a choice probably won't care as much about what they're doing.

This has to translate into quality somewhere down the assembly line, regardless of their arrangement with management.

P.S. I'm not an American but I like what Weathertech is doing with their "made in America" approach. They're making a statement... doing what they think is best instead of having bean counters run the company as another offshore enterprise whose values I neither appreciate nor understand.
 
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#48 ·
Yes, it's a shame that my patriotic made in America thread turned into a stupid Union labor discussion. The thread is pretty much ruined at this point. Maybe we can start a new one that specifically mentions made in America products for our built in America outbacks with a disclaimer to please not discuss politics or unions.
 
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