Why Are The Top 5 Vehicles In The Most American-Made Cars Index All Japanese?

Is it possible that Toyota is good at making desireable, in-demand products, and selling them for a profit, even if that means making them in the US (or perhaps because US tax breaks and incentives posed a financial advantage), while General Motors enjoyed a multi-billion dollar bailout (demonstrates inability to manufacture and sell at a profit), in spite of manufacturing abroad to save on labor costs?

By Jove, I think he's got it!

The top 5 cars are Japanese. Draw your own obvious conclusions.
Even after 4 decades after the Japanese initial introduction to the U.S. marketplace, American makers still cannot compete with the Japanese economy, design and perceived quality.

Actually - the Toyota is an American car that is not sold in Japan - their wide body "Camry" is based on another vehicle - the Aurion. As the magazines have shown - the Camry consistently rates in the low end of the Mid-size sedan market - it is PERCEIVED quality that is what has kept it selling. Certainly not economy or design. THe conclusion to draw is that people tend to buy cars based on their own past experience - such as in VW- and ignore the problems they have because their cars were always reliable. Today - AMerican Manufacturers ARE making cars that are equal or better - both the New Malibu - and the Ford Fusion regularly rank higher - and are also as good in reliability - but the perception remains that american manufactures less reliable cars - which is not the case anymore.

For a while - it looked like the cost of transportation was going to be an issue - making it equal in expense to make the cars here or in Japan (Japan's Auto wages have caught up - it is no longer an inexpensive place to make cars). THe drop in oil prices changed that - and the exchange rate favors the Japanese right now. We will have to see how that changes - especially with Brexit

Keep drinking the Koolaid Tom. While the Malibu and the Fusion are better than they used to be....the reliability of Toyota still exceeds the domestics. Enjoy the "initial quality" vs reliability.