I don’t have time to conduct my own extensive research on long-term car reliability and value, which are my most important car-buying criteria. So instead I use the most disinterested and reliable organization I know that does that kind of research – Consumer Reports, and general reports form all other sources.
Toyota and Honda have established consistently good records over a period of 20+ years on my criteria, according to Consumer Reports and most of my other sources. Until a US manufacturer has a consistently better record for maybe 10 years, I am unlikely to shift loyalty.
I prefer to buy US housing, meat and other selected products. We just can’t produce everything better than everybody else all the time. In the long run, we’re all better off buying the thing we want most at the best price, regardless of who produced it. (And that doesn’t preclude a preference for local products if they have better environmental standards, or some other quality, if that’s your priority.)
