American Top Picks 2008

It’s time again for the annual American Top Picks list. While we don’t consider country of origin as a factor in our Ratings for our primary Top Picks list, the piles of mail (snail and e-mail) we get leave us no doubt that many people factor “buying American” into their decision. So, for those folks, this list looks at what domestic-branded cars are the best choices out there.

It would be a relatively simple matter to compile this list if Top Picks were merely the highest-scoring car in each group. But to be a Top Pick, a car has to have performed well in our testing, be relatively trouble-free to own, and safe, too. Here are the other criteria to determining a Top Pick:

We need to have reliability data for the car, and that data must show at least average or better reliability.

Stability control must be readily available.

If crash tested, the results have to be decent.

These criteria wind up knocking some very good cars—particularly some recent GM products—out of contention from our American Top Picks list. To illustrate, here’s the list of the top-rated domestic-branded car in each class next to the one that meets all of the criteria:

Category

Top-scoring American car

American Top Pick

Small sedan	None recommended	None
Family sedan	Chevrolet Malibu LTZ V6	Ford Taurus
Upscale sedan	Cadillac CTS	Buick Lucerne CXS
Luxury sedan	Cadillac STS	Cadillac STS
Small SUV	Saturn Vue XR	None
Midsized SUV	Saturn Outlook XR GMC Acadia SLT2 Ford Taurus X	Saturn Outlook XR GMC Acadia SLT2 Ford Taurus X
Minivan	Chrysler Town and Country	None
Pickup truck	Chevrolet Avalanche	Chevrolet Silverado
Fun to drive	Chevrolet Corvette Z06	None
Green car	None tested	None

Let’s look at each class in detail, except luxury sedan, which doesn’t need further explanation:

Small sedan: Not many choices here. Although the Ford Focus has scored quite well in the past (it was a Top Pick as late as 2005), we haven’t tested the freshened 2008 model. The underwhelming Chevrolet Cobalt scores too low to be recommended.

Family sedan: The new Malibu is a very impressive car, but we don’t have reliability data on this redesign. (Data on other vehicles on its Epsilon platform ranges from below-average to above-average reliability.) The fun-to-drive Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan lacks ESC, so it’s out of the running—hence the Taurus.

Upscale sedan: The CTS is a very impressive car, but we don’t have reliability data yet for this version. The Lincoln MKZ lacks ESC. That takes us to the Buick Lucerne CXS V8.

Small SUV: The Saturn Vue XR isn’t a stand-out, but it does score the highest of any tested small domestic-branded SUV. However, we don’t have reliability data on the new Vue. Beyond that, no small domestic SUV—Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent, Jeep Compass/Patriot, Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner—scores high enough to be recommended.

Midsized SUV: There isn’t a lack of good recommended vehicles in this category; it’s a matter of picking, literally, which one fits. The Outlook/Acadia straddle the midsized and large category. The Taurus X is also accommodating inside.

Minivan: There’s only really one game in the domestic town: the Chrysler Town and Country/Dodge Caravan. (The outdated Chevrolet Uplander goes away next year.) While the Chrysler minivans used to score near the top of their class, this redesign is mediocre. We don’t have reliability data for the redesign.

Pickup truck: The Avalanche outscores all pickups in our Ratings, including the Toyota Tundra. But it hasn’t been reliable. Unlike the Tundra, first year reliability of the Silverado has been average, so it made our Top Picks list.

Fun to drive: The Corvette Z06 is an awesome car, but Corvette reliability is well-below average. The CTS could also qualify here, but again, no reliability data. Going down the list, the Mustang GT lacks ESC; we don’t have reliability data on the Dodge Viper; and the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky have subpar reliability. The Dodge Charger R/T V8 is reliable and fast, but its overly light steering feel keeps it from being truly fun to drive.

Green car: Not many domestics qualify here. We haven’t tested the latest Ford Escape Hybrid, but since it lacks ESC, it wouldn’t qualify for the list anyhow. We also haven’t tested latecomers to the hybrid market like the Saturn Aura Greenline, the redesigned Saturn Vue Greenline, or the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid. GM’s “light-hybrid” system does improve mileage, but it’s not on par with full-hybrid systems found on the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid. Next year brings full-hybrid versions of the Vue and Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan.

To sum up:

Some recent GM models are extremely impressive, and they would make fine choices—if reliability works out.

Ford needs to get ESC on their mainstream family cars. (We’re told 2009 should bring increased ESC availability.)

Chrysler and Ford really aren’t competitive in the upscale and luxury sedan segments—especially against a resurgent Cadillac.

The domestics are lagging behind in the small sedan and minivan segments, fields where they used to be more competitive.

While the domestics are starting to roll out more hybrid sedans and SUVs, they still lack a high-mileage small “green” car.

See our true list of overall Top Picks for 2008. See the Top Picks videos.

—Tom Mutchler

Comments

[Ron Warrick]

Safe, reliable, thrifty. For an American car, pick any two.

[Derek P]

It doesn't surprise me that CR has several car styles with no recommended American cars. They have had a blinding bias against American cars for a long time. I was stunned at how badly they trashed cars like the Chevy Tracker while gushing over the Rav4.

They claimed the Rav4 had 'adequate' power, but the more powerful Tracker was deemed 'sluggish and unresponsive'. They called the right-swinging rear door a problem with the Tracker, but made no mention of the fact that the Rav4 does the same thing.

I've owned both vehicles. I traded my Rav4 in for a Tracker after only 9 months of ownership and have been very glad that I did. Both vehicles have similar build quality, gas mileage, ride and appointments. But the Tracker is towable behind an RV (Rav4 is not), has much better off-road capabilities, is cheaper and has more cargo room.

It's not even close. the Tracker is simply the better buy. But CR's gushing, unmitigated man-love for all things Toyota came through clearly in their reviews...

[Jennifer]

Sorry, Derek, there is no possible way to compare the quality of the Toyota and the "Chevy." I guess you would put Edmunds in the same boat as Consumer Reports since Edmund's said pretty much the same thing as CR about the Tracker, namely the quality stinks. But I particularly like the irony about claiming CR has a bias against American by proclaiming your love of the Tracker. The Tracker is a rebranded Suzuki Sidekick. A foreign car. Nice try, though.

American cars still have a long way to go. CR is just using the statistics. It did have some nice things to say about the new Pontiacs, though. I just have had so many problems with American cars, I shy away. But what kills me about the so-called "Buy America" brouhaha is that many foreign cars are actually built in the U.S. Toyota, for example builds many of its cars in Kentucky, including the Camry hybrid. So perhaps keeping Americans working is more important than where they company headquarters are?

[Jason]

I'm curious to know why the Silverado, despite placing behind the Tundra in a recent comparison, was recommended with only "average" reliability. Clearly, you were willing to leave some categories blank because you didn't like any of the offerings. What makes the Silverado so special?

[Jeff Bartlett]

Jason - The Silverado met the Top Picks requirements, including having average or better reliability. Neither the Tundra nor the Chevrolet Avalanche have even an average rating for predicted reliability.

[Jim L]

What about foreign owned firms who make cars here? Like BMW, Honda, Toyota, etc. I have heard that some of them have a higher percentage of American parts than GM or Ford.

It would be interesting to see a list of the "percent American made" for American & foreign cars.

[Dale]

I've been doing some calculations recently and they just don't add up. Why is CR saying a car gets good fuel economy using premium fuel @ $3.40 - $3.45 a gal with overall mpg at 23 and a car gets fair to poor fuel economy using regular fuel @ $3.11 - $3.16 a gal with over all mpg at 20. Last time I checked if both cars used an average of 20 gals and you refill Iam getting better mpg and with less $$$. ($0.29) that to me, adds up but who? counts ther change any way.

[Grantman]

I'm in my 40's and have been driving American cars since I got my license at 16. I recently had to replace my commuter car (an Olds Intrigue) because it's falling apart, and it's in the "costs more to fix than it's worth" category. It was a nice car when I bought it, but it just hasn't held up. We also recently returned my wife's leased car, a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, and again, it was very nice when new, but it had all kinds of problems, including a bizarre HVAC problem the dealer could not properly fix. Prior to that, I had a Chrysler Concorde which was an unreliable mess - most notably, the driver's side tie rod end separated from the inner tie rod at highway speeds (luckily I avoided a crash!). So, I've tried, I really have, to buy American, and I selected cars that I liked and which fit my needs. But with this latest purchase, I had to say "no more!" I did my research on consumerreports.org, and came to the inescapable conclusion that the Japanese cars, with very few exceptions, stand head and shoulders over the rest with respect to long-term reliability. I found myself a very nice late-model Nissan Altima, a CR Good Bet, and I'm looking forward to many happy years behind the wheel. I agree with the statement in this story that said that GM's newest vehicles are very impressive, but they have to prove their long-term reliability before I consider buying one.

[Jeff Bartlett]

Dale - You don't cite a specific example, but in general, when refer to how good/bad fuel economy is for a particular model, we consider its performance relative to its class. What is good for a large sedan would be poor for a small sedan. Premium fuel certainly adds real operating cost, reflected in our new owner cost data on our model overview pages, though fuel economy is a different measure.

[Bob]

CR isn't the one that has a bias against American cars - don't kill the messenger. The reliability data is cold, hard facts reported by the owners themselves.

Otherwise, when listing features and ride quality,etc., they give credit where it's due, just like any other automotive writer.

[Sean]

I have questions similar to Jim L. What makes "American cars" American? I've been trying to find some decent analysis on this, and it's just not clear to me.

As with any product, I try to look at the full chain of production to market. Where were the materials grown, mined, drilled or refined? Where were the components produced? Where was the final product assembled? Where is the product sold? Where does the money go?

With cars, you have the origin of the ore, the production of the parts and the manufacturing of the vehicles.

Where do the parts come from that are put into American vehicles? China? Malaysia? I honestly don't have a clue. I know in my city, there is at least one major refurbishing plant for alternators.

After NAFTA (how much were the American automakers involved in this, by the way?) GM decimated Michigan and moved nearly all of that manufacturing south of the U.S. border where, according to reports I've read, many full-time workers don't make enough to afford indoor plumbing. (No references at hand for this, so take it with a grain of salt unless you can find something at Wikipedia.org or the newspaper sites.)

What happened to the money saved? I know first-hand that the cost of American vehicles didn't decrease and the quality didn't seem to waiver, except that after all the crap GM, Dodge & Ford produced during the 80's (GM especially!), they have slowly been trying to make better cars.

As far as non-American cars go, the only fact I'm aware of that could contribute to a better understanding of this issue, is that all Toyota Corollas sold here are made in California.

The conclusion I currently draw from this information is that what makes American automakers "American" is that the executives who run them and reap the majority of the financial benefit, are likely -- mostly? -- of American ethnicity. As are the shareholders (Or not? Doesn't Saudi Arabia own a large portion of ______.)

Sorry I don't have more facts to present on either side.

I don't believe there is such a thing as an American car. If there is, the Toyota Corolla is one.

[R. Guiliano]

I have 2 Ford Contours - 1996 & 1998 and both cars have had only minor repairs over the years. The biggest repair was getting a new alternator on one of them. People seem shocked when I tell them and it's true, both cars have less than 100,000 miles, but I think what makes the difference when it comes to reliability between American cars and foreign ones is maintenance, which I do religiously and the shop you bring it too. My mechanics are always alerting me to potential problem areas so that I avoid costly repairs in the future. I definitely believe there are good American cars out there.

[itnetpro]

Interesting what you say Mr. Grantman. I am in the car business and I traditionally purchased only Japanese cars until recently. We have owned 2 Nissan's, 3 Honda's, 1 Toyota, and 1 pre-Ford Mazda. If you think for a second that Japanese cars don't have problems then think again. I have been a subscriber to C.R. for many years and filled out these reliability forms. I can't count how many times I left details out about reliability issues that have come up over the years because I had such good feelings about my cars (Worst, Honda Bad Tranny). I have been in the car business for three years now. After seeing for myself what American Cars are good and bad. Two years ago I bought my first American car (Buick Lucerne CXS Loaded) and have had no problems now 20k strong. I can't even sit in my wife’s Honda Accord anymore because it feels like a tin can. I know for a fact that there was a big issue with Nissan Altima's having engine problems because without being specific on what I do. I personally have been exposed to dozens of incidents of people trading out of their Altima's with these problems. Murano is another vehicle that is having big problems with reliability. Front brake issues plague these models. Toyota V6 engines have massive problems with sludge build up that triggered a class action lawsuit and Honda had many problems with their 5 speed automatic transmissions mated to the V6 for many years! Did you know that Toyota alone had more recalls in 2006 (I think it was 06 or 07 one of the two) then the big three combined??? Now I am not saying that GM and Ford don't make cars with poor reliability. What I am saying is that so does Honda, Toyota and Nissan. You just don't hear about it because people tend to downplay these issues as flukes. All in All American cars are getting much better. It's wise to read C.R. to get an idea but C.R is not the bible of all things. I have read CR for over 15 years and I can't count how many things that CR said was the best only to find that they were wrong. One case in point is when I bought my home HVAC system 11 years ago. Back then they said Lennox was #2 in reliability. Boy did I find out different. After doing a lot of research online I found that I was not the only Lennox owner that was having problems with them. I love my American car and when my wife said that she wanted to get out of her Accord to buy an SUV, I asked her if she wanted to take a ride over to Honda to look at the CRV and Pilot and she said no way! After sitting in the GMC Acadia at the car show she became hooked and after I took it for a drive so did I. I once bashed American and only bought Japanese but not anymore...

[itnetpro]

Sean, WRONG... GM has closed almost all of their plants in Mexico. The last one that closed was the Buick Rendezvous plant. Now the Buick Enclave (its replacement) is built in the states. Almost all of their vehicles sold in North American are now built in either Canada or USA. Acadia, Envoy, Enclave, Lacrosse, Lucerne, G6, Vibe, G5, Torrent, Malibu, Most Yukon's, Most Chevy Suburban's, Corvette, Solstice, Impala, CTS, STS, DTS, in fact they build a higher % of their cars in North America for North America then Ford or Chrysler. Almost all of the new models since 2005 are being built in North America. Same is true for parts content. Almost all of there engines with the exception of Pontic Torrent/Equonox have American made engines. Most of their models also have 80% or better North American parts under the hood...

[itnetpro]

Guiliano, I hear many stories from plenty of folks who have owned American cars for many years who have experienced the same things. I was once a victim of many false perceptions over the years about how Japanese car manufactures always good and care about their customers and how American car manufactures bad and greedy. I was amazed when I got into this business just how wrong I was. Answer me this, if Toyota cares about its customers so much more then say GM then why is it that they don't have free roadside assistance and that they won't have a system like OnStar installed into their vehicles until sometime in 2009? GM had Onstar for over 5 years now! Just how many lives did Onstar save over them years anyway? That’s all I have to say.

[know it all]

Honestly, it doesn’t matter anymore. Often parts made for Toyota are made right along side of parts for GM in the same factory, both in the United States and abroad. (i.e. the company in California that makes seatbelts for both companies) Anybody who thinks one brand or brands are more reliable or is constantly of a better quality than another is off their rocker. The problem isn’t with the badge on the front of the thing or where it was made, it is something that is embedded deep down inside everyone that they will never admit. For example, 1985 when Jack’s Ford LTD needed to have its alternator replaced twice that summer and his wife’s two-year old Cheviot needed the front ball joints replaced, he swore off the big three. He ran out and bought a new Camry or Accord and blue oval and the bowtie quickly became associated with the mark of the beast in his house. He noticed the same things he disliked about his domestics were surfacing in his import, but would never say a blasphemous word towards his new car. After all, he has been told it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, so obviously his problem is an isolated incident. Right?
The problem then is the same problem now. QUANTITY. The more you build the more problems you see. This is why CR is now reporting a decline in Toyota’s reliability, quality, etc. The more you sell, the more you build. To keep up with demand you must build faster and the rest is history. So quick review, the parts come from some of the same factories and everybody is in a hurry to shove their new vehicles out of the factory doors and onto the show room floor.
The problem I have with CRs picks are which consumers they are asking. My biggest and greatest example of this is with the F-150. Not only is it the best selling full-sized truck for over 30 years. (and yes I know the whole Chevy/GMC in total sell in greater numbers, but that is what you get for selling redundant products) but when was it listed as the truck pick for a model year by CR? Not only does it outsell every truck in the US but every CAR as well! Shouldn’t it receive at least honorable mention every year? I do believe these trucks are being sold to consumer’s right? So the consumers have spoken, but they don’t all subscribe to this magazine so their choice has fallen on deaf ears.
They have chosen the F-150 again and again and again…….. Why does that work for Camry every year and not the F-150? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the only consumers CR questions are their own subscribers. So you have the opinion of a limited selection of consumers most of which obviously are in the same boat as Jack in the story mentioned above. They have turned their backs on domestics, ignore the obvious with their import and snub their noses at every domestic they see, even though deep down inside they know they wish they had an F-150 over their Tundra, but would never mention it. They think the new Malibu is far better looking than their Accord but would never let anybody see that thought run across their face.
One more observation, and I’ll gladly step aside and let someone else vent off of this soapbox. I read in an article on MSNBC a few months ago where an editor from CR said they would “No longer automatically recommend new Toyota vehicles to car buyers” Automatically? How can you be fair and balanced and unbiased and all of those great things you are supposed be when reviewing when you “automatically” recommend a specific brand of vehicle? Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21940503/
In closing never trust an editors review, always browse the web for actual owner’s reviews. See what somebody who has had the car for over a week and uses in the real world has to say. Find out what their likes and dislikes are. If you’ve driven the car and you like the way it looks, like the way it drives then BUY IT! Don’t get suckered by what some magazine thinks you should buy. Or, you can ignore this rant altogether and buy your McMansion, drive CR recommended vehicle, paint by the numbers, stay inside the lines and be that model sheep.

A car is a car and that is all you need to know.

[Mike]

Man you idiots who say that ford, gm, and chrysler dont make there parts any more in the U.S. you are grossly mistaken. I live about 60 miles southwest of Detroit where about every factory in existence here besides a few furiniture facories produce parts for ford, GM, and Chrysler. These factories really rock any more because of reduced demand due to people not buying. I am a nurse and do not work in any of these factories but I do buy the product and I have never been disappointed in any of them (Mostly Ford or GM). I wish I knew where you all work who say that American Auto Makers do not produce anything in America because I would really like to know what products I would like to avoid. Of course they are gonna produce some parts out of this country they are global companies and like Toyota and Honda have global customers and like Toyota and Honda trust me they know where home is. So think!

[Sean]

itnetpro: Wrong is fine. You will notice from the way I worded my post that I'm not out to be "right", I'm out to clarify and understand. I'm also, apparently, out, to use, as many, commas as I can. ;)

What are your references for this data? You mention three points: that GM builds many cars in the USA that they build more here than Ford or Chrysler, and that most of their parts are manufactured here as well.

[Note for those who are unfamiliar: For all the links below, take the web address listed between the "", highlight it, copy it, and paste it into the address bar of your Internet browser (Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.), then press Enter.]

To support your first point, I looked at the "UAW Made" site at . It shows very many GM vehicles made by the UAW.

I've dug in Wikipedia a bit, but haven't found much there for good numbers on the Big Three's auto manufacturing.

The main thing I'm attempting to clarify is what makes an American car "American". After thinking more on this, it seems what does it is for the corporation in question to have been founded here.

I think that's fair. But besides giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling, it doesn't help me and other Americans much –- the people, that is. What will benefit real Americans are things like jobs and our money being kept in the country, going to lower and middle class people. Like me and everyone I know.

To me, that is what makes a car "American".

(I'm not ignorant of the fact that globalization is a speeding train that can't be stopped. But it needs to be managed to be good for the many, not the few whose incomes are already inconceivable to me and get ridiculously bigger every day.)

So how many "foreign" cars and how much of their components are made here?

I know the Corolla is manufactured here. The "UAW Made" site above confirms it. I also found this video on MSNBC.com about the CR report, where they mention "roughly 2/3 of the japanese cars sold in the U.S. are made in the U.S." I haven't been able to find where they got that, though, or a corresponding figure for "American" auto makers.

As far as Toyota goes: "In 13 locations across North America, more than 30,000 team members are producing over 1.5 million vehicles, more than 1.3 million engines, and nearly 400,000 automatic transmissions per year. In fact, 11 Toyota and Lexus models are built in North America with parts purchased from hundreds of North American supplier locations."

Honda has 11 U.S. plants:
Nissan has three U.S. plants:
More info here:

I found this great Time Mag./CNN report from May 2003: "Why The Most Profitable Cars Made in the U.S.A. are Japanese and German"

I'd better wrap this up, so you'll find more great results with these two Google searches: and

[itnetpro]

Hi Sean, simply go to a Pontiac-Buick-GMC or Chevy dealership, open the door or look on the Maroni sticker and you will not only see where they are made but will also see what percent parts content are made in the USA for that given car. The Maroni also gives you the origin for the engine and transmission. I see countless Maroni stickers almost daily in my work. Another way to tell is by going to this link http://www.gmdynamic.com/company/gmability/environment/plants/facility_db/ , and finally you can simply list VIN numbers (I look at them all day long). The first two digits in the VIN number indicate the county where the vehicle was built. Check the following link for that info. http://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/VIN/WMI.html#ccode . As for anything else I said about reliability issued such as sludge build up in Toyota's or engine fires in Altima's. Forget about looking through CR for that info. They don't mention that stuff here. At least not what I read. About the closet mention to real life reliability issues until recently that I ever read on CR was the dark circles acknowledging transmission problems with V6 Honda Accords over a few year period of time. Amazingly, even with the transmission failures (second most expensive thing on a car) they still gave Honda high marks for those years (No bias there). It's better to do a Google with such key words like "Toyota Class Action Lawsuit" or "Honda Accord Transmission Problems" or "Altima Engine fires" or "Murano Reliability issues" exc...

[an american, just like the rest of you]

I've driven lots of cars in my time. Most choices were driven by avaliability of my cash rather than branding. I've had foreign and domestic. All of them have had one problem or another. When you're poor and buying very used cars you get nickled and dimed to death anyway, regardless of the origin of the thing. When I finally got to the point where I could actually buy a NEW car for the first time I looked at all brands. I wanted to buy domestic, but I was uninspired by the products I test drove till liked (and got my best deal on) a Nissan. As it happens, it was also built here in the US - so alot of Americans had a hand in it. The truckers, shippers, railroads, the assemblers, office workers, sales people, fast food workers feeding all these people. Lots of people had a hand in it. Do I feel guilty? No. Do I have problems with other purchases? Yes. Toys..you can hardly find ANYTHING that isn't made in China. Clothes..try reading the labels sometime, I have a hard time finding some of those places on a map. I try to buy local as much as possible. I often spend more than average to purchase something I know was produced here. But when it came to my vehicle, I at least know that I helped a few people here pay some bills and keep their heads above water another day. No regrets.

[Jeff]

After decades of being an American car buyer/apologist, I've had enough. Enough of endless AC repairs, Transmission rebuilds, blinking oil lights. I am now driving a 10 year old Lexus that puts any new American car to shame. And it's amazing how, in just a few years, Korean manufacturers have blown past Detroit too. I will never EVER buy American again.

[itnetpro]

Hi Jeff, you should have done more research into the reliable brands of American cars. I can't directly speak for Lexus other than to say Buick finally got to the point of tieing Lexus for the first time in 2007 in reliability per JD Powers. Now that is an awesome feat considering Lexus always is top dog. I would suspect that Lexus will pull a head of Buick again soon enough but it says something about how the domestics are improving. So far my Buick Lucerne CXS has been awesome and I did drive Lexus before deciding to save the money and by the Lucerne. I can directly speak about Toyota reliability because I owned a Toyota Mini Van. I beat the hell out of that van and loved it but it did have minor engine and suspension problems, not to mention the tranny was starting to slip right before I traded it in at 110k. Good luck with your Lexus.

[Ron Predmesky]

Tell me why the F150 is the most sold truck every year and yet your magazine doesn't have it rated?? I guess the New York Giants didn't really win the Super Bowl either.

ps: Saw a bumper sticker here in Sarasota Florida the other day, it read............"Just because you drive your Tundra to the office, doesn't make it a work truck"

[Sean]

My post above contained a slew of links to good information. I will try one last time, just in case.
[NOTE: Intro here was truncated.-Ed.]

But you can track down the info I tried to link to in these ways:

I was able to find many articles and analysis by looking at the individual car makers' pages at Wikipedia. There are two Wikipedia article categories that are helpful in finding these. The first is titled "Motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States" and the second is "Passenger vehicles in the United States". (Statements in Wikipedia articles nearly always cite a source. If you have any question about the truthfulness of a statement there, follow the link to the reference that was used.)

The UAW information came from their website, which can be Googled for.

Toyota has up-to-date information regarding their U.S. production facilities on their website.

The information for the other two big Japanese-based manufacturers was from their respective pages on Wikipedia and, like Toyota, can likely be found on their websites.

The Time Mag./CNN report and much more information can be found by Googling these two keyword collections without the quotes: "which foreign cars are made in the (U.S. OR America OR USA)" and "cars made in the (U.S. OR America OR USA)". You can see how I constructed these searches. Alter them as you like and you may find even more good info.

In the end, I maintain that there is no such thing as an "American car", that several "Japanese cars" are just as "American" as vehicles from "our" automakers, and that all the evidence I've attempted to provide here supports these two assertions.

(At the risk of delving too far off-topic, I believe globalization is too far-gone anymore to think of most any mega-corporation as belonging to a particular country. I believe we have to choose which corporations we support with our dollars by looking at how well they treat their workers and their workers' communities -- in whatever country that happens to be.)

(The only companies that are "American" anymore, are small to medium businesses, with very, very few exceptions in big business.)

[Tim Davison]

American cars may have had some top picks, but GM had 18 out of 32 in the "worst of the worst" reliability category. Also, GM had no cars at all in the "Best of the best" category - that distinction was earned by mostly the Japanese automakers.

The problem with Detroit these days is that they continue to lose market share and are truly in survival mode. They focus only on reducing their costs in a futile attempt to try to stay competitive. In the meantime, the competition keeps getting better, gaining market share and turning an even greater profit. This allows even more investments into better features and technologies, and Detroit just cannot keep up. GM, Ford and Chrysler are in a death spiral and they only can blame themselves for selling junk to the American public for so many years. The only way they can turn this around is to make cars and trucks with performance, fit and finish, safety, reliability and features that are second to none. This will NEVER happen as long as the beancounters are in charge. Sadly, I predict it won't be long before there are no American owned car manufacturers in the US, and you can thank the purchasing organizations for the sinking of Detroit.

[Liza Barth]

Ron,

We have tested the Ford F-150 and the full Ratings are available to subscribers online by selecting the model in our drop down menus on the top left of our cars pages. However, it didn't do well enough in our tests to be considered an "American Top Pick".

[Jeff Bartlett - Consumer Reports]

Sean - Not sure why, but the URLs you had submitted were automatically deleted in the system. From the admin side, all we saw where blank lines. Sorry!

[Sean]

Jeff: Thanks for the note. TypePad let me know that it'd blocked my post this last time. (I honestly can't remember what, if any, error showed up the first two times I tried posting all those links. Also, the "Preview" function wouldn't work for me.)

As far as I know, this is a common anti-spam tactic in blog software (Wordpress does the same), because many spam blog comments are laden with weblinks to junk sites. Somewhere, I crossed the magic line of too many links.

[Tom Mutchler]

To add to Liza's comment about the F-150: the Silverado did better in our tests than the F-150. The Ford also lacks stability control, another requirement for being a top pick. (Ford will add it to the F-150 in the 2009 freshening.)

It's true the F-150 is the top-selling truck nameplate in the US. But that fact alone doesn't mean it's the best truck you can buy. The Toyota Camry is the top-selling car in the US, but despite what some people think, it isn't our Top Pick in family sedans either.

Top-selling status can be attributed to lots of things beyond the car's goodness - flashy styling, or the number of dealers, or the amount of advertising, or putting incentives on a car to "win" a sales race can all affect sales.

[Tony]

Maybe you people should all stop talking to EACH OTHER and go talk to some real car guys. You know what, I wanna know about astro physics, I should go talk to some people on a blog, who also have no idea.

[dana overbey]

I have driven a Toyota for the past 20 years I have never had a car,truck or suv that gave me more comfort,convenience and longevity than a toyota.
As you drive the roads today count how many you see. That should tell you everything you need to know.
I put 276000 miles on a tacoma truck.I have purchased 8 toyotas in the past 20 years.Why? Because I have 3 daughters 1 son and a wife.Toyotas saftey record is number one and the simple service is very reasonable.
I was pipe welder and boiler maker. I put a lot of miles on my toyota it never let me down.I think toyota has 13 top picks in CR.I am not saying that other cars can not do the same.
But I have purchased others models and I know I lost money on them.I am so sure you will love the product I started selling them 8 years ago after I retired.

[Catherine]

Interesting commentary on both sides - I think if you own a high mileage vehicle of any make you will have to put money into it. I have never owned a North American vehicle, but have had three Japanese ones in the last 25 years. My 1982 diesel Toyota LandCruiser ended life with 545,000 km - engine didn't burn oil, but the body was severely rusted (no longer road worthy), and over its life I had to replace the alternator, fan assembly, springs, and the seal between the transfer case and transmission. Our 1997 Honda CRV has 376,000 km on it, doesn't burn oil yet, isn't noticeably rusty, but we have had to replace all four CV joints, two wheel bearings, and the back window-wiper assembly. We have a 2007 RAV4 and have had no problems in the first 50,000 km. I am happy with Toyota and Honda, but am looking for a relatively inexpensive, small, diesel, fuel efficient commuter car and whoever produces it first will get my business!

[Denzil]

I've been buying,using, maintaining, and repairing my own cars and trucks, as well as those of others for 33 years now. On occasion, I have referred to consumer reports to see what they have to say. My observation is that a camel could pass through the eye of a needle easier than an American make could get a good rating by the Consumer's Union. Defending the ratings as unbiased is in it's self, biased. All ratings and statistics have bias. The personality type of individuals that would respond to a CR survey introduces a bias. Even objective test results are biased by which results to show and what performance traits are left out. Don't be biased and suggest there is no bias! Personally, I have settled on GM as the best car make for me. They produce good vehicles that last a long time, and give good service. I would put my dollar per mile cost up against any. Blindly following the recommendation of CU or any other publication would be similar to picking your college basketball bracket by listening to the experts on ESPN. (they use statistics and polls also)

[Jacque]

I have a 1991 Ford F150. It is 17 years old. It has outlasted all my other cars and trucks. It has over 110,000 miles on it, and the only thing I ever had to replace on it was the tires. I've never had engine trouble, transmission problems, electrical problems.....NOTHING.
My new F150 is a much nicer ride, with more room, since it's a quad cab, but "old red" is still reliable in a pinch. Sorry, foreign car lovers, sometimes the American cars come through.

[Jen Kovacs]

While I have in the past been biased toward Chevy, I am very happy with my Town and Country Minivan, which is not a category on the blurb of a link from MSN when they say that Chrysler has no cars in the list. Until all vehicles are tested, this is an incomplete list...Like those surveys that are sent out to find the opinion of the best of something (used a lot for foods). If you haven't tried all available in the competition, how can you vote against it?

[ppp]

I recently read about the new Camero concept car. In addition to US, it is reported that it was worked on in Australia and Canada.

Which begs the question: Which of these "American" cars are actually 100% designed and built in USA by Americans??? What are these "American" companies doing to keep American jobs American?

[CherryD]

In 1993 I bought a 1993 Ford F-150 with a towing package for Horse hauling, etc. In the five years I owned that vehicle the things that needed replaced were Items TNTM here. BUT that wasn't the biggest problem. That truck let me down twice in 2 accidents that never should have happened if the brakes had been working properly. The first one-a woman backed out of her driveway without looking and when I hit my brakes nothing happened! They had been "properly" maintained by the same dealer I purchased the vehicle from. The brakes were checked after the accident and found to be working. I was going 25mph when I hit the brakes with plenty of room to stop if the brakes had worked. The road was dry. I was summarily dismissed as a "just a woman who didn't know what she was talking about and was trying to find excuses for not stopping in time." Ever try to convince an officer at the scene you did indeed hit the brakes, hard, and can't explain why there are no skid marks? After the accident and the truck had been repaired, My son , on a similiar road, duplicated the same situation and again the brakes failed. I immediately took the truck to the dealer and told them about it. They, again, checked the brakes only to tell me they could find nothing wrong, only that the truck didn't stop as fast as it should in an emergency situation! DUH! After the truck was totaled in another accident I notified Ford they had a problem with the brakes on the 1993 F-150 and they should research and find out what was the problem. My answer? A survey as to what I wanted in the "brand new revised" Ford F-150! I wrote on the survey in large letters "More powerful braking system for emergency stops!"
I owned a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee and had to replace almost every moving part in it except the engine and transmission and the transmission died at 300,000 miles. I now own a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo which had 87,000 mile on it and now has 120,000 miles on it and the only thing I've had to replace is the rear end. Manufacturing defect? NO, the lack of mantainence by the prior owner and failure to recognize the " noise" in the rear by me when I purchased it!
My point? There are well built vehicles and there are not so well built vehicles of the same make and model. On a used vehicle a lot depends on prior maintanence. And buying a new vehicle is like a crap shoot; some are well built and some are "lemons".

[TrustYourGut]

Well, I've read through all the trash talk re: American cars vs. foreign makes and, quite frankly, I'm a little surprised at the level of ignorance with some of the comments made. I also work in the auto industry for one of the top 2 Saturn dealers in the country-also one of the top 3 for GM. I have to say, the Saturn buyer is one of the most well-read, well-informed, and confident buyers I've ever met. They know what they are buying and have full confidence in their choice. In other words, they do their homework. They read about the vehicles they are interested in, test drive(all the options they are considering), talk to previous/current owners, test drive some more, read some more, and protect their investments with a warranty because they know that every car in this day and age has a possibility of mechanical issues considering all of the electrical/computerized components. Let's think about this for a minute...when you buy a big screen tv or a major appliance for your home, do you buy a warranty to protect your investment and your pocketbook from future costs of ownership? The repairs on those types of purchases will inevidably(sp?) cost less due to the simplicity of the beast, yet most people don't hesitate to protect their miniscule investments that don't have a fraction of the wear and tear that a vehicle will over time. Yet, everyone is so quick to trash a car manufacturer the second they have an issue with their vehicle...obviously not taking into consideration the thousands of components that make up the vehicle thus increasing the risk tenfold. Lest we forget the whole "quantity" factor. Way more cars are built and used daily than any other mechanical product on the market. And to say that the American brands are not being built in America is absurd. Again...as someone said earlier in the blog...read the maroni labels. Do your homework. Do your research and don't throw out idle BS without being fully informed....no matter what brand you decide to buy. And protect your investment...it's just good sense. Also, if you have a vehicle that has a recurring issue/issues and the problem can't be resolved, take it to the top. If they are a good car company, they will help you out of it whether it be by exchange or buying it back. I've seen it happen...yet, you don't see Toyota buying out all the people with the sludge issues, do ya? Just remember, if you don't educate yourself then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Common sense...and that goes for just about everything in life, not just cars. :)

[Jim]

CR has a lot of useful data and statistics but little common sense. For example: A couple of years ago they published their "10 best" and "10 worst" article and listed the Chrysler PT cruiser in the "10 Best". In the same article they listed the Dodge Neon in the "10 worst". These 2 cars are the exact same car. They have the same engine, transmition, suspension, wheelbase, track, electrical, floor pan, etc...... The only thing that separates these two cars (besides the shape of the exterior sheet metal) is the buyer. If CR bothered to look at the national insurance data bases (Like the one State Farm uses)they would see that the average age of a Neon driver is under 21 while the average age of a PT Cruiser driver is over 45. Consequently, the PT is cheaper to insure than the Neon. The owner/driver of a car plays the biggest role in the dependability of the car.

[Shannon]

I own an 07 Tahoe and an 05 Silvarado. Listed 42K for the Silvarado, paid 32K with the "employee discount", has 22K miles. Went to trade due to some problems with "bouncing" that GM can't seem to fix. No other problems with this very comfortable, fully loaded luxury truck other than the truck depreciated to $15,000 in less than 3 years! I am SCARED to look at my $48K Tahoe's Blue Book or Edmunds score. Why is the Silvarado not holding its value but is listed as a Best Buy?

Also, 07 Tahoe has a BIG problem with a simple solution. It will leave you on the side of the road, kills your electrical system and renders Onstar unusable for assistance. Its a computer part that GM quietly replaces on vehicles brought in for maintenance. If you weren't left roadside with no assistance you won't know it was done. If however you were left roadside, with no assistance and in the New Orleans area, Onstar has no contract with a tow service after 5 PM. You must break down b/t 6 & 5PM it seems. Anyhow, my Tahoe experienced this electrical problem twice in a year, the first time they replaced the battery, the second is after they discovered this was a major issue but did not issue a RECALL for this problem. I would trust GM more if they had simply notified me of the potential problem instead of me and my daughter being left roadside with no way to call for help. (they send me a vehicle report every month to my email so its not like they would have had to pay postage!)

GM is now paying for 1 year of my Onstar because I cancelled the subscription. They did fix the problem and I love my Tahoe. I am still SCARED to look at its depreciation as well.

[Mark]

All of you who are in love with your Japanese cars, good luck. This is one consumer that would not have a Japanese car in my garage. They are not better and everyone I know who has owned one has had to put theirs to rest well before I have had to rid myself of my American vehicle. I typically drive my cars to 160-175,000 miles with little or no major repairs while my Japanese owning counter parts have been shoveling money into their rust buckets by the bucket full.