Car and Driver list of best vehicles assembled in the U.S.

[GON]

Fun article, primarily pictures. Car and Driver is not the magazine of our youth, I don't place much weight on their current reviews. I did place a lot of weight on Car and Driver reviews from the 1980s.

Not to many surprises, except the starting price of the Corvette was much lower than I expected. I liked the idea of the CT5-V, but wasn't thrilled that the interior is reported to be not near the level of BMW or Mercedes.

A sleeper on the list is the Lucid Air.

https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-sedans/american-made?

 

[LazyDog]

I like the Corvette

 

[Jeep_Riot]

Are these exempt from tariffs?

 

[Astro14]

I already own the most “American” pickup.

But I’ve looked hard at that Lucid Air. That is a sweet ride - an American S class. We will have a Tesla charger installed this week.

Makes buying an EV a simple matter.

I was an avid reader of C&D in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a great magazine. Lately, it’s hollow, watered down, pablum. They “review” cars they haven’t driven or tested. I get the digital copy, but I don’t spend much time with it.

 

[Astro14]

Are these exempt from tariffs?

It depends. First, on whether or not the tariffs take effect, second, on the amount of their imported parts. A vehicle built here, with imported components, is going to be impacted by tariffs on those components.

What is their imported content?

And that’s where C&D simply glosses over an important point - assembled here is not the same as “unaffected by tariffs”. A specious and superficial list, therefore. See my lament above about what the magazine has become.

 

[iahawk]

man, when I was kid in the 80's I subscribed to Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track and the 'new' Automobile magazine. A few years later I also got the weekly Motorweek. Good times...

 

[Capt W]

Car and Driver is not the magazine of our youth, I don't place much weight on their current reviews.

Good topic. I still get C&D and MT in my mailbox, but I paid $4.95 each for four-year subscriptions. And then they went to six copies per year. They used to be periodicals of choice for my frequent domestic flights, but now reside firmly in a rack across from the throne.

The reviews have become pathetic (I really don't care about 'infotainment' systems, USB ports, and cameras), and the most common subject vehicles are almost exclusively very high-dollar and those in which I have zero interest (a modified Porsche for the Dakar Rally? Who gives a ...?).

Add to that the emergence of highly annoying millennial writers and they have clearly earned their new place adjacent to the Charmin.

 

[IndyIan]

The Outback was on the list but I think the engines and transmission are made in Japan, and probably some other parts. We'll see what tariffs actually stick but 25% on parts from Japan would jack the prices a bit.

 

[Passport1]

Used to read C&D and I onced liked Corvettes. The apex model was the '67 with the 427 V8 and side pipes. This new one is interesting but the interior is hideous. Lots of hits and misses for the 'Vette since Todd and Buz cruised Rt. 66.

 

[buster]

C&D was great in the 80's/90's.

 

[CKN]

Good topic. I still get C&D and MT in my mailbox, but I paid $4.95 each for four-year subscriptions. And then they went to six copies per year. They used to be periodicals of choice for my frequent domestic flights, but now reside firmly in a rack across from the throne.

The reviews have become pathetic (I really don't care about 'infotainment' systems, USB ports, and cameras), and the most common subject vehicles are almost exclusively very high-dollar and those in which I have zero interest (a modified Porsche for the Dakar Rally? Who gives a ...?).

Add to that the emergence of highly annoying millennial writers and they have clearly earned their new place adjacent to the Charmin.

Well....if the average reader on this forum wrote
for the magazine-we would see things like this -the driver infotainment system is too hard to understand, it needs more knobs, why can't it be ordered with manual crank windows, where is the transmission dip stick, who needs all these driver aids, as even at my age I have fast reaction times and am a superior driver, etc.

Sometimes the torch just needs to be passed.

 

[fantastic]

Fun article, primarily pictures. Car and Driver is not the magazine of our youth, I don't place much weight on their current reviews. I did place a lot of weight on Car and Driver reviews from the 1980s.

Not to many surprises, except the starting price of the Corvette was much lower than I expected. I liked the idea of the CT5-V, but wasn't thrilled that the interior is reported to be not near the level of BMW or Mercedes.

A sleeper on the list is the Lucid Air.

https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-sedans/american-made?

There's a range of cars on there. It looks like the Japanese know they've had plenty of success in the sedan market & appears they have no real desire to veer away anytime soon. They've really gotten the American markets to use hybrids instead of electric for the time being. Now I would prefer a faster EV transition, that is not going to happen overnight. Anyways, Thanks for the link.

Add to that the emergence of highly annoying millennial writers and they have clearly earned their new place adjacent to the Charmin.

There are good writers from every generation period. To blame a single generation of "writers" is silly. There are many that want to learn about "Infotainment centers" etc. in their cars.

 

[Capt W]

Well....if the average reader on this forum wrote
for the magazine-we would see things like this -the driver infotainment system is too hard to understand, it needs more knobs, why can't it be ordered with manual crank windows, where is the transmission dip stick, etc.

Sometimes the torch just needs to be passed.

I'm not sure if we agree or disagree here. This forum is chock-full of DIY-ers who seem to be much more interested in mechanicals, maintenance, vehicle longevity, and the like. I think that's a main reason most of us read and contribute to this fine website.

About the only thing maintenance-wise the magazines cover these days is how much routine services cost while the staff sips latte in the waiting room. Heck, there's hardly ever an under-hood photo or any in-depth maintenance discussion.

Maintainability used to be a huge selling point. When I sold Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in the early '90s our staff spent a lot of time showing how simple the cars were to maintain. Remember when manufacturers started to color-code maintenance points? That was important to many. Now you have a large swath of buyers more interested in Apple Car Play and how to synch their phones.

The torch has indeed been passed. And we're passing the torch to a generation largely unwilling to perform (or incapable of performing) DIY maintenance, instead focusing on the aforementioned electronic systems and other peripheral BS. Many of the editors and contributors are simply beta-males and women, and their opinions on silly topics are often tiresome. Csaba Csere, Brock Yates, and their ilk are unfortunately long gone.

I want to read about everyday vehicles in lieu of exotics and want to know what makes these things tick and how easy (or challenging) the vehicles are to service. Don't care about the latest McLaren or Lamborghini.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I want to read about everyday vehicles in lieu of exotics and want to know what makes these things tick and how easy (or challenging) the vehicles are to service. Don't care about the latest McLaren or Lamborghini.

You might be interested in an EV is ease of services is important to you. In my 2 Model 3's, I've rotated tires and put in washer fluid.
The '18 Model 3 required a new 12v battery at 5 years; Tesla came out and did it for $120, as I recall.
My new car has staggered sizes tires, so rotations go away.

 

[CKN]

I'm not sure if we agree or disagree here. This forum is chock-full of DIY-ers who seem to be much more interested in mechanicals, maintenance, vehicle longevity, and the like. I think that's a main reason most of us read and contribute to this fine website.

About the only thing maintenance-wise the magazines cover these days is how much routine services cost while the staff sips latte in the waiting room. Heck, there's hardly ever an under-hood photo or any in-depth maintenance discussion.

Maintainability used to be a huge selling point. When I sold Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in the early '90s our staff spent a lot of time showing how simple the cars were to maintain. Remember when manufacturers started to color-code maintenance points? That was important to many. Now you have a large swath of buyers more interested in Apple Car Play and how to synch their phones.

The torch has indeed been passed. And we're passing the torch to a generation largely unwilling to perform (or incapable of performing) DIY maintenance, instead focusing on the aforementioned electronic systems and other peripheral BS. Many of the editors and contributors are simply beta-males and women, and their opinions on silly topics are often tiresome. Csaba Csere, Brock Yates, and their ilk are unfortunately long gone.

I want to read about everyday vehicles in lieu of exotics and want to know what makes these things tick and how easy (or challenging) the vehicles are to service. Don't care about the latest McLaren or Lamborghini.

You need to define DIY maintenance. Oil changes can be a real pain-bottom motor coverings everywhere for air dynamics that need to come off, brake jobs are not easy-already there are forum stories about guys who didn't know that you have put the vehicle in "brake repair mode" via the DIC or it screws things up. In short-it's not easy to work on today's vehicles-and far easier to screw things up.

The ability to work on vehicles have moved towards "it's sometimes not that easy".

 

[JeffKeryk]

I already own the most “American” pickup.

But I’ve looked hard at that Lucid Air. That is a sweet ride - an American S class. We will have a Tesla charger installed this week.

Makes buying an EV a simple matter.

I was an avid reader of C&D in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a great magazine. Lately, it’s hollow, watered down, pablum. They “review” cars they haven’t driven or tested. I get the digital copy, but I don’t spend much time with it.

Astro, welcome to the dark side...
Thinking about the Air? Pics or it ain't real. Here's one getting off at our exit off hwy 17 southbound. For that kinda $$, I would hafta drive the Taycan. But big Lucid discounts are available, I hear. Good luck and have fun with it!

 

[CKN]

You might be interested in an EV is ease of services is important to you. In my 2 Model 3's, I've rotated tires and put in washer fluid.
The '18 Model 3 required a new 12v battery at 5 years; Tesla came out and did it for $120, as I recall.
My new car has staggered sizes tires, so rotations go away.

EV's have so little maintenance-and performance is spectacular-but you know they are vehicles with 95% moving parts that require so much less time wrenching. In short-they are hated on here.
It's interesting how the magazine "Motor Trend" has gone all in on EVs. They just traveled to China and have a couple of long feature articles in their latest issue.
If it wasn't for "the way things are right now" these vehicles would give American manufacturers cause to worry.

 

[Wylie6G72]

Good topic. I still get C&D and MT in my mailbox, but I paid $4.95 each for four-year subscriptions. And then they went to six copies per year. They used to be periodicals of choice for my frequent domestic flights, but now reside firmly in a rack across from the throne.

The reviews have become pathetic (I really don't care about 'infotainment' systems, USB ports, and cameras), and the most common subject vehicles are almost exclusively very high-dollar and those in which I have zero interest (a modified Porsche for the Dakar Rally? Who gives a ...?).

Add to that the emergence of highly annoying millennial writers and they have clearly earned their new place adjacent to the Charmin.

Nailed it.

 

[Astro14]

Astro, welcome to the dark side...
Thinking about the Air? Pics or it ain't real. Here's one getting off at our exit off hwy 17 southbound. For that kinda $$, I would hafta drive the Taycan. But big Lucid discounts are available, I hear. Good luck and have fun with it!
View attachment 273798

Well, thinking about, and doing, are different phases of the operation.

We just bought a new Volvo last month, a plug-in hybrid, which is why the Tesla charger is getting installed, and I need to put a little money back in the checking account before I go buying another car.

 

[Wylie6G72]

Csaba Csere, Brock Yates, and their ilk are unfortunately long gone.

So funny (to me) that you posted this because Csaba Csere entered my mind as I was making my way through this thread. Thank you.