Yet another blow to detroit - No American cars as value leaders

[Dredly]

Not a single American Auto on the "Best Value Car"... and there were a LOT more chances for American autos to hit the list this time. No wonder no-one is buying American... money is tight, everyone is worried... and American's cars COST more for less VALUE...

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/...ars/index.html

With car shoppers looking closely at their finances this year, Consumer Reports magazine assembled a list of what the magazine calls the "best value" new cars.

"A low price doesn't necessarily make a car a good value," Rik Paul, Consumer Reports' auto editor, said in a statement.

To determine find these "best values", the magazine looked at road-test scores, five-year ownership cost estimates and predicted reliability ratings (based on survey data) for more than 300 cars.

Predicted ownership cost was divided by the road test score. Vehicles with the lowest cost-per-point and with above average predicted reliability were named a "best value."

The Toyota Prius Touring, with a cost-per-point of $325, was named the best overall value.

Small Cars:

Honda Fit (base)

Honda Civic EX

Hyundai Elantra SE

Toyota Corolla LE

Honda Civic Hybrid

Family Cars

Honda Accord (4-cyl.)

Toyota Prius

Toyota Camry Hybrid

Hyundai Sonata

Hatchback / Wagon

Scion xB

Volkswagen Rabbit

Mazda MAZDA3 hatchback

Subaru Impreza Outback Sport

Toyota Matrix

Small SUV

Nissan Rogue

Toyota RAV4

Honda CR-V

Mitsubishi Outlander (4-cyl.)

Mid-Size SUV

Hyundai Santa Fe

Toyota Highlander

Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Nissan Murano

Honda Pilot

[Robert Kayland]

"In your FACE, round-eye!"

[larry0071]

One of the single greatest American automobile's made is setting in my garage.

Find me a vehicle that can match this one.... You can't. Explain why Ford dropped it.... political pressure from tree huggers.

Ford Excursion XLT 4x4 7.3L PowerStroke
10K LB towing capicity.
Full Frame, solid axles, leaf springs. A Man's truck.
Approx 8,000 lb driving weight.
44 Gallon fuel tank with 600+ miles between refills.
Seats 2+3+3
Has larger storage behind 3rd row of seats than any van or SUV on the market.
Gets 15-16 MPG around town in Western PA hills and bends.
Gets 21-23 MPG on the highway.
International 444-E is rated at 300K miles between overhauls.

There is not 8 passenger vehicle made since the loss of the Excursion that had the combined abilities.

I forever morn the loss of the Excursion. The one that I do have will be rebuilt and kept alive until god forbids me from doing so.

In 9 years of service every day it has required 1 trans rebuild, a set of batteries, and an alternator.

[Paradigm]

Plenty of those vehicles are made in the USA. This is more of a black eye for union-made autos. It's hard to declare "value" when nearly $2000 of the MSRP is going to union healthcare.

[PocketProtector]

Plenty of those vehicles are made in the USA. This is more of a black eye for union-made autos. It's hard to declare "value" when nearly $2000 of the MSRP is going to union healthcare.

Retired Union Health care at that. Give the Foreigners some Unions and see what happens.

[hgsw67]

Lets look to the future of autos in this country!! The next major auto manufacturer will probably CFG Corp. never heard of them, Thats Chrysler Ford General Motors of the future. It will happen when the govt decides there is no more taxpayer money to bail everybody out!! They will make two cars from their previous line-up (as long as there not same body style cars such as the Challenger & Camaro) and the loan will be ten years. Now you'll have to carry a motgage on your house & a mortgage on your car. Damn, with all the money the U.S has sent the car companies we should all be getting at least credit towards 1/2 the price for a new car. After all, does anyone really expect to be re-imbursed for this bailout.
hgsw67

[scattergun]

Hungry out of work, Eat your import !!!!!

Bumper sticker from the seventys.

Paradigm ...Where do the profits go from all those imports that are
"Assembled in the U.S.A."

[625]

That's a shitty story. No truck category? No full-sized SUV category? Hell, what is a full-sized SUV these days? I see that they don't consider the 4 Runner a medium-sized SUV. What does that make it, full-sized? If that is full-sized, what the hell is the Sequoia and Land Cruiser? No sport car category? The Corvette is still a great value compared to other cars in it's price range.

And I feel sorry for anyone that drives a Prius. They are, without a doubt, one of the most hideous creations ever. Their brakes are horrendous too, especially on the earlier models. In my opinion, a car needs to have somewhat decent handling characteristics to be considered safe. The Prius surrenders these qualities in order to get some extra MPG's. The shitty low resistance tires make an already poor handling car even worse. Obviously my opinions aren't shared by many considering they seem to sell like hotcakes.

[Guy Fawkes]

Where does a 2002 cavalier fall into the category? Mine still gets 30 MPG, I can't believe they dropped the cavalier from the lineup.

On the other hand, when I was looking for a car for my daughter 2 years ago, I compared many cars. I ended up buying a hyundai. The workmanship of the chevies just wasn't up to par with the Koreans.

[Paradigm]

Paradigm ...Where do the profits go from all those imports that are
"Assembled in the U.S.A."

Well, some goes to the company HQ, some stays here, some goes to shareholders around the globe, some goes to employee benefits, some goes to R&D, and so on.

Who cares? When someone buys a Dodge truck or a Buick sedan, are you concerned that some of those profits stay in Mexico or Canada when those "American" cars are sold?

A large portion of the "foreign" parts are made here, providing jobs for Americans. The cars are put together here, providing jobs for Americans. They are sold here, providing jobs for Americans. They are serviced here, providing jobs for Americans.

And when GM and Chrysler get further driven into the ground and have massive layoffs, how will that help their workers?