By your definition, and assuming I had a decent budget, I’d probably buy a Buick. I truely think they’re underrated. With a bit larger budget it would be a Caddy. I like the direction they’ve taken.
I know several people that own Pontiac Vibes and these people have had very good service from these cars… Since it shares its chassis with the Toyata Matrix, I’m not sure if it counts as an American car, but it is built, I think, in California.
melott
1:12PM
I will be very specific.
1996 Lincoln Town Car.
I think a later model would be better. For two things, the 1996 is too big and too old. And the OP did specify, the last 10 years.
So, your Crown Vic is made in Canada, my PT Cruiser was made in Mexico, two of the nomiees had “American” names but Japaneese parts, and my 2012 Famry is built here and claims the highest US cpntent of any car. Also Chrysler was owned by Daimler=Benz and is now owned by Fiat. Anybody still think this isn’t s losded questuon? I nominate my 1956 Studebaker Commander.
I nominate the King Midget. It was completely U.S. made. With a one cylinder air cooled engine instead of a multi-cylinder engine, side curtains instead of roll up or power windows, a hand operated windshield wiper, and even a recoil rope starter (unless on specified the optional electric start) there wasn’t much to go wrong.
My 02 Saturn has been very reliable, no repairs in the first 100k miles. I’m at almost 250k now and the only repairs have been a rear wheel bearing, intake manifold gasket, clean the port in the exhaust manifold for the secondary air motor and clean the EGR valve.
I don’t think the question is intentionally “loaded”, but I do think it’s based on assumptions that are no longer accurate.
I also think it was asking for input on CURRENT vehicles. If you begin to commpare old vehicles no longer made you complicate the question tremendously.
And I have averaged almost 38 mpg over its lifetime. But having said all that, it is a noisy and uncomfortable little car and for trips, I have to use a seat pad and lumbar support, and its still uncomfortable.
But my advice to you would be a Buick with a 3.8 motor, a Crown Vic, or a Malibu, but not the current Malibu, get the one previous to the current generation. The 2006 era Malibu’s with the Eco engine is nice.
Yes indeed…If I had the bucks, one of those CTS V8, RWD Caddy’s would be high on my list…Just the normal V8 would be fine…Lets face it, the Panthers, sweet as they were are history…R.I.P.
Any half ton Ford or GM pickup, also the later s10s. They have been building them for so long the bugs are long gone.
Buicks are decent. The only things I don’t like about them are the styling and interior that you seem to have to be over 60 to appreciate, and the handling (or lack of same) of most of the Buicks I’ve driven.
I also think the perception that they are reliable is partially because of the demographic of typical Buick owners. Let’s face it, older people own Buicks. As such, they get driven rather gently, garaged, and probably get a little better maintenance than say, a Neon owned by a poor college student just starting out. Nearly any car but the most poorly engineered heap will fare well in such circumstances. Ditto for most Cadillac models. Also, the over complicated, hard to work on, nearly disposable Northstar V8 counts against the reliability score in my opinion.
What a silly question. Why on Earth would anyone include Chrysler in a list of “American” car companies? It hasn’t been a majority owned American company since 1998. Currently, its majority owner is Fiat, an Italian company.
No used car can be called the most reliable car just because of its name badge. Once a car is owned, used, abused, maintained, neglected, etc., it doesn’t matter what the name badge is.
The biggest factor in used car reliability isn’t the name badge, it’s how it was treated. Was it driven gently or hard? Was it maintained properly or neglected? If you really care about used car reliability, these things matter much more than make and model, or country of origin.
Honda Accord, Toyota Camary, Corrola all made here in the good old US of A.
Maybe we should start by defining what is an "American" car?
Final assembly location, nameplate, location of the design team?My wifes American Made 96 Honda Accord was among the best I ever heard of. We gave it to our niece when it had about 260k miles on it. Only “Repair” was a heater knob ($4). Wasn’t burning a drop of oil when we gave it to our niece…Last we knew it was still going strong with well over 300k miles
A Honda Civic, it’s made in the USA, the Crown Vic-was made in Canada.
If I had to, I’d get a beater cop car like a crown vic.
for comfort and reliability - Toyota Avalon - produce in Georgetown, KY with >95% American made parts
for economic and super reliaability - Pontiac Vibe.
I still drive both with over 200K and still run strong.
“…the Crown Vic-was made in Canada.”
That’s American - North American.