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      01-28-2017, 06:25 PM   #92
shad0wfax
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Drives: 2013 M3 (E92)
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: USA

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Aren't some of the reasons that BMW has cars made in Mexico specifically because the high taxes on imports to the USA from Germany can be mitigated by taking advantage of the TPP/NAFTA type legislation and because Mexico has very low labor costs as opposed to the much higher labor costs of Germany? Engineer the car in Germany, make some of the parts in Germany, then perform just enough assembly in Mexico to be a "Mexican" made car, rather than a "German" made car, and voila, reduced taxes.

As a customer, I would prefer to buy BMWs that were built in Bavaria, to the greatest extent possible; I would happily pay more to do so. This is why I drive a M3 and not a generic 3, 5, 7, or X5. If more people knew that their standard 3, 5, 7, and X5 series vehicles were made of Mexican parts and assembled in Mexico, they might be less inclined to pay the premium for the BMW badge for a car made in that manner.

If I wanted cheap cars assembled with poor quality control, I would buy a Fiat 500L, Chrysler 200, or a Ford Fiesta. Part of my decision to own a E92 M3 is that it was made in Regensburg, and not Toluca.

If I wanted cheap cars assembled with good parts and fantastic quality control, I would buy Toyota, Honda, or newer Mazdas. (Some Mazda 3s are made in Mexico and some are made entirely in Hiroshima, Japan. I deliberately bought a Mazda 3 that was manufactured entirely in Hiroshima and it was fantastic, until someone decided to total their car and use mine as the method in which to accomplish that.)

Tariffs, duties, excises, and taxes on imports and exports have always been a problem and I do dislike it when the various states of the world meddle in business.
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