Okay, I know this is going to stir the pot a little, which is exactly why I'm asking it.  

What's more patriotic to buy, a Silverado made in Mexico that gets about 16-17 miles per gallon, or a Toyota Camry Hybrid made in Kentucky that gets 35-36 mpg?

The greenie crowd wraps themselves in the flag while driving a Prius or other hybrid, claiming it's reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil, all the while lining the pockets of the biggest competitor of the domestic automakers. What's your take?  

Chrysler is trying to import Chinese cars made by Chery, GM has found success with Saturns made by its Opel subsidiary in Europe, Ford is bolstering its small car offerings with Mazda-based platforms and vehicles also made for its Euro market. The domestics have factories in the US, Mexico and Canada, serving the North American market. The imports have factories in the US, as well. Where is the bright and shiny patriotic line here?    

Took the Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry…. Traditionally Chevy is one of the American Icons of our auto nation. But More and More cars such as the Camry Hybrid & Prius are becoming more seen than the old time Chevy standard.

Chevy’s where built for farm working, off-roading, rounding up the cattle, getting dirty. Those types of daily activities are fading because American living has change in to couch-potato, wii playing, internet shopping, tree-hugging and business lunching new life styles. The majority of people don’t need a work truck to get them around.

The Silverado would still be considered part of the patriotic back bone of the US. But now the new patriotic thing to do is go “Hybrid”.

The Silverado is available with the 5.3L FlexFuel V-8, E85-capable with aluminum block and Active Fuel Management, rated at 315 hp and 338 lb.-ft. of torque.  

I find the whole "Buy American" notion to be a simplistic rallying cry for jingoistic xenophobes who are merely looking to rationalize their own fear of that which is different. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of business principles knows that most products have quite an international makeup. A person may not like that Toyota is a Japanese company, but you cannot deny that they have invested a great deal into creating a manufacturing and design infrastructure in the USA.
   You may also look at the Silverado that gets 17 mpg as the enemy of all things environmentally and socially responsible. But, in truth, hybrids are actually worse for the environment, in spite of their nice mpg advantage. Hybrid batteries CAN be recycled, yes, I know. But the most important ingredient used in these batteries is Nickel, which when mined and processed is one of the most polluting substances in the world.
   There is a plant in Ottawa, Canada that supplies all of the Nickel needs for Toyota. As a matter of fact, the plant is one of the top ten most polluting plants in the world according to Greenpeace. This facility has also managed to kill all plant and animal life within a fifteen mile radius. To such a degree that NASA bought the land and is now using it in exercises to recreate the surface of the moon. I am not making this up.
   So what is my take? I would buy the car or truck I like. Regardless or where it comes from or whether Al Gore told me it was going to ruin the Ozone Layer. Does that make me selfish? I guess so.  

plain and simple, the Chevy would be more patriotic to buy over Toyota, because that's about how deep most people look into the issue. We are highly swayed by advertising, and in the category of patriotism, most would pick Chevrolet "because of those commercials" and because that's just the way we've been taught to think. Most wouldn't take into account mpg, manufacturing plant locations, etc. The decision was made based on two words alone: CHEVROLET and TOYOTA.  

There's a lot more to a vehicle than where it's assembled.  Parts content also plays a huge role in where the money for that car goes.  Take a look at the parts content for your typical Chevrolet, Ford, or Chrysler and compare it to a Japanese marque.  Regardless of where it is assembled, vehicles from Ford and GM that are sold in North America will have higher North American parts content.  How many people in North American count on Ford and GM for their paycheck?  Not just their direct employees, but all of their suppliers too.  No, go look it up, I'll wait.  
It's sort of funny that people can say, "It's the 2nd largest investment I'll make, where my money goes shoudn't be a factor in my decision," which is exactly why people should factor that in.  

silverado, silly boy. money goes back to "real american" companies    

P-Town, did you know that at one point, the Ford Crown Victoria, one of the quintessentially All-American cars, was considered an "import"? Simply by virtue of it having below the requisite 72 or whatever percent domestic content. On the other hand, the Accord or Camry (hybrid excluded) have quite a great deal of domestic content. At one time, the engines came from Japan, but now even most domestically-produced import brand vehicles have engines produced in the U.S. as well.

Personally, I buy what I like. I'm not "anti-domestic" or "pro-import," I just buy what meets my needs, budget and tastes. If and when a domestic brand offers that, they'll get my business.  

So if the steering wheel comes off in my hands as I am driving in my Ford Escape (that was an actual recall...look it up. I will wait) I can then soothe myself with the knowledge that my money went to the 'right' place?  

I'm just glad we don't live in the former Soviet Union where they had a bunch of "Do as We Say, Not as We Do" bureaucrats up in an ivory tower telling us what we can & can't drive. Long live the free market. I want to see the domestics step it up. I think they're on their way, but you can never take success for granted.  

When vehicles made by Ford, GM and Chrysler are sold regardless of where they are built the net profits stay here in the USA beneitting American citizens while the net profits form the sales of vehicles whose manufacturers are foriegn companies go back to those countries benefiting them not the US citizen so I say the Silverado because the net profit from it boosts our economy not someone elses.  

The Silverado for sure.

Chevrolet in my heart will always be American and Toyota will always be a piece of crap.

Toyota and the greenies can go take a long dive off of a cliff for all I care.

That's just my opinion on the subject.