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At car dealerships in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez, Mexico, just 5 miles from the U.S. border, Chinese-made Geely sedans sell for $17,000 and BYD hybrid SUVs cost $31,500. The cars are affordable and high-quality, but they\u2019re banned in America. Still, Federal regulations allow Mexican residents and dual citizens to drive their Chinese-made cars into the U.S., even if the vehicles aren\u2019t compliant with American standards. That loophole is giving Americans a firsthand look at the competition.<\/p>\n
And they like what they see, according to The Wall Street Journal<\/a>. About 30% of American car buyers would now consider a Chinese vehicle, up from 15% a decade ago. The reason has to do with the high cost of cars in the U.S. No new car sold in America today costs less than $20,000, and the average new car is $50,000.<\/p>\n Auto executives are well aware of this new consumer interest. \u201cWe cannot compete at the same price as the Chinese,\u201d says Hyundai CEO Jos\u00e9 Mu\u00f1oz about Chinese automakers. U.S. lawmakers have been trying to implement even stricter regulations, but the threat is real. \u201cThe Chinese are going to find a way to get to the U.S. market,\u201d said Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n At car dealerships in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez, Mexico, just 5 miles from the U.S. border, Chinese-made Geely sedans sell for $17,000 and BYD hybrid SUVs cost $31,500. The cars are affordable and high-quality, but they\u2019re banned in America. Still, Federal regulations allow Mexican residents and dual citizens to drive their Chinese-made cars into the U.S., even if the vehicles aren\u2019t compliant with American standards. That loophole is giving Americans a firsthand look at the competition.<\/p>\n