American Car Quality

How well do American cars stand up to their international competition?
Well, Consumer Reports included just one American car in 2004 in their list of Top 10 Picks. In 2005, 2006, and 2007 there were NO American cars on the list. All 10 cars on the list were Japanese, including four hybrids - the Honda Civic and Accord, and Toyota Prius and Highlander. For 2008, only the Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck made the Top 10 list. The Chevrolet Avalanche pickup was the sole American car, equaling the number of Korean cars on the 2009 list. The trend continued with only the Chevy Traverse making the cut in 2010.

With all the marketing dollars spent on differentiating European cars on their "exceptional quality", "Ultimate Driving Machine" or "Joy", not one European nameplate appeared until Volkswagen returned to the list in 2009 and 2010.

POP QUIZ
1) What car do you drive today?
2) Which brands and models would you consider for your next car purchase?

If you currently have a Japanese car, your answers to #1 and #2 are probably the same. If you drive any other car, your answers were probably different.