Quote:
Originally Posted by why?
Whether or not they could do enough to make a huge difference is something no one outside of subaru or toyota could say.
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Not true... i've done many corporate ROI's on production/manufacturing lines over my career and can tell you that the things you mentioned just don't affect costs substantially. The reason for this is that you choose parts suppliers who already have economies of scale for their particular parts. Computer aided designs and robotics make the cost differences between even slightly different designs small. Again, parts suppliers already have economies of scale with modern manufacturing techniques. It is the stuff that Subaru does on its assembly lines that really make a difference. Shared platforms amortize cost differences substantially because then each line begins to have economies of scale. Given that the Twins are the only car in the Subaru line-up to have 2 wheel drive makes economies with other platforms virtually impossible. The other factor driving down costs is to have enough volume to have manufacturing plants close to the point of sale. That's why many foreign companies produce their cars here in the states.