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Comment by fragmede | Hacker News Reader

A 25% import tarrif on a $4,000 car rounds it up to $5,000. Are you sure they have to manufacturer them in the US at that price point? There's no getting around the F150's dominance, but the Japanese Suzuki Samurai has an absolute cult following among the rural gearheads I know that also own F150s and 350s. I don't see why a Cherry QQ couldn't achieve the same thing in a different segment of the market on sheer price.

Now, I'm skeptical that, after all the US safety regulations are met, that it could still be made for $4,000, but the utter manufacturing advantage of paying Chinese workers in Chinese factories local wages is not to be underestimated.

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How many labor hours could it possibly take to assemble a car that costs $5,000 retail? Probably a lot less than a more expensive car, right?

$1000 in tariffs can pay an American factory worker’s total compensation for something like 15-20 hours. But you don’t even have to pay that wage when there’s Mexico.

Find me a top 20 vehicle that’s produced outside of NAFTA: https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/top-10-25-best-selling-cars-tr...

The Suzuki Samurai’s cult following only exists because it was a vehicle that was literally discontinued for slow sales. This example of a winning formula is from an entire brand that left the US market for being too far downmarket.

Cheap city cars struggle to survive and most have exited the US market. Recently discontinued models include the Chevy Spark/Aveo, Mazda2/Toyota iA, Mitsubishi Mirage, Honda Fit, and the list goes on.

The low cost of gas, low vehicle taxes, plentiful infrastructure for larger vehicles, the high profitability of financing, and high median wealth has pushed the US auto market upmarket. Brands who try to sell a utilitarian experience tend to get burned. Brands that sell financing reap the profits.

Are the raw materials that much cheaper in China? I hope there is more than $4k worth of materials in any vehicle I drive or how long can it last?

Raw steel cost should be less then a pound per kg

I would be highly surprised if the raw ingredients for any car would be more then 4k, but that's also not a very useful metric.. i guess a cpu Would be a few cents

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