Consumer Reports assembles an "All American" Top Picks list
3/14/07, 01:26 PM
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Consumer Reports assembles an "All American" Top Picks list
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/14/c...op-picks-list/
Top Picks - American Style
Top Picks - American Style
- Fun to drive: Cadillac CTS-V
- Small sedan: Ford Focus ZX4 SES
- Family sedan: Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan
- Upscale sedan: Lincoln MXZ
- Luxury sedan: Cadillac DTS
- Small SUV: Pontiac Torrent
- Midsized SUV: Ford Freestyle
- Minivan: (None apply)
- Budget car: Ford Focus ZX3
- Green car: (None apply)
3/14/07, 02:08 PM
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Seems rather condecending and pandering, kind of a "not so ugly" girls list. I think this sort of approach takes some of the heat of the domestic manufacturers to improve their product by, essentially, eliminating their toughest, most capable competition from the rankings. And two of the categories simply had to go empty anyway because there were no qualifying American entrants? That's not terribly reassuring and makes this list yet more of a back-handed compliment.
Sure, the xenophobic only-buy-American crowd will like this, perhaps, but obviously, the consumer market in general has proven to be far less provincial in their buying decisions and will buy the best car where ever its made.
And what about all the made in America cars by Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc.? Do these made-by-American-hands (supporting American families and communities) cars not count in this list?
Or is this just the much more limited nativist subset of made in America by either Ford or GM products (Dodge/Chrysler being a foreign-owned company now)?
In reality, pretty much every car company is a global company these days, regardless of where they first started. Note that the Caddy CTS-V uses a Euro-developed chassis while the Fusion/Milan/MKZ are basically reskinned Mazda 6 (CD3 platform), the Freestyle rides on the Volvo D3 chassis, and even the Focus and beat-with-the-ugly-stick ZX3, which is built in Hermosillo, Mexico anyway, use an old Euro-Focus C-170 chassis.
Sure, the xenophobic only-buy-American crowd will like this, perhaps, but obviously, the consumer market in general has proven to be far less provincial in their buying decisions and will buy the best car where ever its made.
And what about all the made in America cars by Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc.? Do these made-by-American-hands (supporting American families and communities) cars not count in this list?
Or is this just the much more limited nativist subset of made in America by either Ford or GM products (Dodge/Chrysler being a foreign-owned company now)?
In reality, pretty much every car company is a global company these days, regardless of where they first started. Note that the Caddy CTS-V uses a Euro-developed chassis while the Fusion/Milan/MKZ are basically reskinned Mazda 6 (CD3 platform), the Freestyle rides on the Volvo D3 chassis, and even the Focus and beat-with-the-ugly-stick ZX3, which is built in Hermosillo, Mexico anyway, use an old Euro-Focus C-170 chassis.
3/14/07, 04:26 PM
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3/15/07, 08:17 PM
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