Yes, they have been. They have design rules that prevent them from being innovators. That may be changing with the introduction of the new Malibu. The design lead was interviewed in one of the major car magazines. He said that GM executive management gave him authorization to skip the design rules to come up with a real competitor to the Camry and Accord. He did. I’d like to think that GM learned something important from this smart move. Stay tuned and we’ll see.
I really wish the US made a vehicle that got me excited. Everything seems so dull. I want to know why they keeping making duds? Haven’t they lost enough money. When they wake up (which I hope is soon) I would be glad to trade in my Nissan.
I’m waiting for quality and long lasting vehicles from Detroit; you want an exiting vehicle? Try the new Malibu LTZ (?) or the top of the line Ford Fusion. These are at least as exciting as your Nissan. Cadillac has a really good road machine as well.
If you find a Malibu exciting you must be over 60 
As for the Fusion it’s a good reliable car and I’ve checked out one in person, but the interior doesn’t measure up to the imports and the panel gaps on the body are pretty big. It just seems bland to me and last time I checked they don’t offer a manual transmission.
FYI, you can get a manual transmission on a Ford Fusion with the four cylinder - always have been able to…
I won’t even address the other completely ignorant statements in this entire thread (not a personal attack, Dave G… just pointing out how out of touch the consumer is with the offerings)
Please, address those ignorant statements, that’s what this forum is for. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion.
Unless you’re referring to MY statements, of course 
I’m not offended, but then again I stand by my statement. The top of the line or V6 Fusions are NOT available with a manual transmission. My original reply was to Docnick and the “top of the line” Ford Fusion he brought up.
Having the option of a manual is a big deal to me, and also tells me what kind of person the manuacturer believes is buying the car. If I want a stick in a Honda with a V6, or a BMW with a V8, they give me that choice. If ford wants to woo people who are driving enthusiasts or at least give the image that someone who enjoys driving might consider their car they need to make certain options available.
Try the new Malibu LTZ (?) or the top of the line Ford Fusion.
How can you possibly if a 1yo car is reliable???
Well you didn’t say “top-of-the-line”. You just said “the Fusion”…
It helps if the guts of the car have been in production for years. The Fusion uses a V6 that has been around since 1996 and an I4 that has been around since 2002. A lot of it is guesswork based on initial failures, which do tend to historically correlate well with long term reliability as well…
So is it a guess? Sure… and guesses can be wrong (that’s why Consumer Reports has removed their automatic recommendation for Toyota). But it is no more of a guess than it is with any Honda or Toyota model…
IMOO I find the new Malibu just as good looking as a new Camry or Accord & I am nowhere near 60
“IMOO I find the new Malibu just as good looking as a new Camry or Accord & I am nowhere near 60”
Can you actually tell any off them apart from more than 10 feet away?
As Tom and Ray said in their recent PBS special, U.S. car engines keep getting more efficient–but the vehicles they power keep getting heavier. We recently purchased a Prius and are quite impressed with how well it rides and handles, even on highways and in the snow. The only other car I’d consider buying now is a Mini Cooper Clubman.
The other point they made was that engines had gotten much more powerful, and therefore used more gas. If we had the same power to weight ratio in our vehicles as 20 years ago, today’s cars would be much more economical. Up till this year, horsepower sold, and economy be damned! Watch the comimng changes now that oil has passed $120/barrel and gas will soon be $4 everywhere.
Of course! But it depends on the angle. The Malibu is especially easy, but the Accord and Camry appear to be about the same now. I guess that Hyundai will have to change the front end of the Sonata if they want it to look exactly like an Accord, though.
No. Oh, please, no. Please park those sooty, dirty diesels! In exchange for roughly 20% better efficiency, diesels put out FAR more soot that even the worst gasoline auto! Heck, you could deliberately dismantle the smog equip on a gas car and it’d STILL be cleaner! Europe is stuck with diesels because of taxing policy; thankfully, the US doesn’t have that problem.
In my home town, the buses were all converted over to natural gas for environmental reasons, despite the head of the authority admitting they’d now have to burn more energy. As far as I’m concerned, they got it right.
Buy a small, gasoline-powerdd car and just drive it 20% less!
Reliability in Europe is a relative thing; cars that were exported as being reliable (Ford Cortina, GM Vauxhall, French Simcas, Relaults, Citroens, Fiats, etc) in Europe performed rather dismally in North America. Some reasons:
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Americans drive a lot more
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Europe has ridgid ammual inspections
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Americans are less punctual about checking things and maintenance
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Climate variations in the US are extreme compared to Europe
Americans virtually live in cars; and a good number of them were conceived in cars!
The Japanese leanred the hard way, and withdrew their initial offerings until the bugs had been worked out. Nissan even had one of their engineers live with a US familiy for a full year to learn about the abuse US cars get.
As for quality; I’ve been a trucker for many years and have been in Honda, Toyota and Ford plants. If the work I see around docks is an indication, Ford is lucky to get 2-3 hours work a day out of the union workers. Not to mention the way I am treated.
In 1972 I was looking for an economy car. I tested the Datsun 510, Pinto and Vega. I thought at the time that if this was all the U.S. could come up with after a decade or two of VW taking sales… The Datsun was W A Y ahead in refinement.
The management and unions are equally at fault I suppose. That said, It’s amazing that some desirable cars are produced: Corvette, Caddy CTS, the new Malibu(according to tests I hear),Buick Enclave. Still work to be done on economy cars, though. Not much changed since 1972!
You need to learn about current automotive diesel technology. Now that the US has finally gotten past the trucking and fuel industry and mandated clean (ULSD) fuel, we will be getting the clean small diesels that have been available and running clean for years in Europe.Well put; one GM executive admitted that one day in 10 they build a car as good as Toyota and Honda do. And that’s only assembly quality. At this time Toyota’s overall labour cost is $45/hr and the US manufacturers are still in the mid fifties even after all the rollbacks. GM’s hourly cost in Canada is still $70/hr. and some drastic adjustment is in order. But the most important thing is the net assembly hours required per car, in which Japanese manufacturers are better as well.
Don’t get me started on design quality; a person who shaves a few dollars off a part, regardless of the consequences (gaskets, etc.),in a US owned plant, is still a hero. Toyota does this all the time, but the quality either goes up or stays the same!