too get this topic back on track, I think it's great that US auto makers are offering longer warranties and that their build quality is improving. That means better and safer cars, a stronger US economy, and all sorts of lovely things.
But I still think some imports are better, and even you agree with that. I love my Hondas (I own an Accord and a CR-V). Given my past experince with American cars, and my more recent experience with Hondas, it would take a massive amount of convincing to get me to even seriously look at an American car the next time I'm in the market for a new auto.
I travel on business a couple times each year, and I always get new American cars as rentals, and they just "feel" cheap to me, even brand new. Not to mention that I can't stand all of the idiot proof features, like headlights coming on by themselves (and staying on, even when I want them to go off), and that obnoxious horn honk then I lock the car with a keyless remote.
I gladly pay Honda 30-50% more than I would Ford or Chevy for a comparably equpped vehicle, because I know I won't have any problems with it. I would love even more to be able to say that about an American Car company, but it simply isn't true. I actually looked at the Ford Escape as an alternative the Honda CR-V when I was first looking at buying a small SUV. As soon as I saw that consumer reports showed the average annual maintenance costs of the Ford Escape in the $1200-$2000 range (depending on year) and the CR-V was in the $300-$400 range, I immediately dismised the Ford as an option.
I want a car I can drive and not worry about, and I'll pay more for that. Once the US auto makers figure that out, I'll buy from them, but until then, I'm sticking with Honda.
This comment was edited on Jul 26, 14:57.