I retired from a major US car maker more than a dozen years ago, and now work as a consultant dealing with a number of US and foreign carmakers. I tell anyone who will listen: “Forget about Toyota, Honda, BMW and Mercedes. The competitor you need to worry about is Hyundai.”
My 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe is by far the most reliable auto I’ve even owned. I’ll buy another in a heartbeat. Mine just hit 200k miles and she’s as strong and sturdy as ever.