"It's all relative. Toyota and Honda make better, more reliable cars for less money."
Why are so many Toyotas and Hondas priced thousands over the comparable Ford (see Camry v. Fusion or Accord v. Fusion) then?
This has become a problem for me. When I bought my first Toyota Corolla, it was priced about the same as the competing Ford and Chevy "econo-boxes." That was back in 1990. When I bought my next car, in 2000, the Corolla was priced above the competition, and really strained the limits of what I was willing to pay. If this keeps up, I'll be taking a very serious look at Hyundai, as their prices are still reasonable, and friends who have them love them. I remember when they were rattle-traps, but the quality has improved tremendously.
Of course, this is all subject to change. I only buy a car once a decade.
Mark