Still driving a 1994 colt with 190,000 miles, just had to put on new distributor. Of course, to be fair, I must say that the engine was made by Mitsubishi.
I have to have reliability in a car. The only cars that ever stranded me were Chevy and Plymouth neither was recommended by Consumer Reports.
The reliability ratings are based on consumer's data provided to Consumer's Report, and that section is the one I pay attention to - not the reporter's conclusions.
American companies do have some cars recommended by Consumer Reports, but for a while they had pretty much given up on the smaller cars with good MPG, hence the deals with foreign companies to produce things like the colt, Geo prism (GM & Toyota).
Our American made cars and trucks at the time I was buying new vehicles were not as reliable as the ones that had engines made by the Japanese.
Now I can only buy used vehicles, but if I was buying new, I would base the decision on reliability and where it was built. Probably a Ford or a Honda made in Tennessee - certainly not government motors.
Any one remember what “American” cars are made in Mexico, Canada, or some other foreign country?
Let’s clear the air on one thing: Consumer Reports is affiliated with Toyota. To say that they’re non-partisan would be a little foolish.
I understand your affinity for older vehicles; I was driving around a 1969 Mercury for a long time before getting a 1985 Chevy Caprice. I work on my vehicles. The older ones were def. better suited to working under the hood. My newer car is workable, but fitting parts is impossible and there are some specialty tools in my box for specific vehicles. Moral: depending on how much work you want to do on your own vehicle, different brands are suitable for different people.
And yes, most American cars are assembled in other countries. My Mercury was made in Canada according to my VIN info.