GM is doing a heck of a lot better than Ford. Compare actual sales figures for each quarter in the last year, as well as GM's extremely competitive new products being launched. Not sure what caused your Saturn love affair to go sour, but have you seen the new Saturn Sky? Wow that thing is HOT. I loved my Saturn until I totaled it, and I love my Grand Prix now. Sorry, Ford, but GM has the "Way Forward".

I think GM chickened out when they dropped the idea of Saturn as a separate business unit and integrated it in with all the rest of their stuff. It's always easy to come up with "economies of scale"; the diseconomies of scale are usually ignored until it's too late.

Also, of course, "Japanese brand" does not necessarily mean "made in Japan," given that Toyota and Honda both have multiple assembly plants in the US...

As regards " Made in Japan"-- it's interesting the percentage of components in a "Made in USA" car is less than 50% American

Go back to the original article: the distinction is becoming ever-more-cosmetic by the year.

I drive a good old fashioned, red blooded, patriotic, all American Toyota Corolla. And I will as long as the UAW runs the Detroit companies.

Most reliable car I ever had was a Mazda 626, despite its Japanese nameplate built in Flat Rock, Michigan by a UAW crew from 65 percent domestic components. Nothing on it failed in six years; I'd have it today were it not for a marauding deer on an Oklahoma backroad.

I hate those marauding deer: ONe worked my Saturn over pretty good several years ago. On a FREEWAY.