What is the best American car? We get asked that a lot around here and it's about time we actually had a thoroughly vetted answer for it. And what better forum to do that vetting than the second-ever Face-Off Tournament and the first held here at its new home on Edmunds CarPool?
Like the Hot Hatch Tournament, the All-American Face-Off Tournament will be done Elite 8 style. Eight editors have picked the vehicle they think is the best American car (yes, apparently) and will defend it to the death (or until they get knocked out of the tournament). This is editor versus editor, American car versus American car. It's the Civil War of Face-Offs, but without the carnage and interesting facial hair.
The winner of each round will be determined by your votes and will move onto the next round until we have a victor for Face-Off's coveted Travolta-Cage Cup. The first battle begins Monday morning, so print out the above bracket and organize your office pool.
James Riswick, Face-Off Ayatollah
By mcmanus
on December 31, 2009
03:35 AM
Sorry, but old concept being played here. The term "American" as applied to origin of a car is an over simplified term. Domestic nameplates build overseas and for overseas markets too. What makes a company domestic? Country of origin? Where the headquarters are located? Where the majority of its stockholders live?
My last 4 Toyota vehicles were built in America, as was my Mazda 626 and my current Subaru Outback.
I'd pick one of the Fords just because Fiat owns Dodge, so it's not "All-American" anymore and Chevrolet/Lacrosse are French derived words.
The Ford Raptor and Flex aren't cars, so they should be disqualified. That leaves two of the eight nominations as possibly "All-American" cars. Who's stupid idea for this "tournament" was it anyway?
By dougtheeng
on December 31, 2009
05:52 AM
Regardless of where they are built and where they are designed, I think the Mustang and the Corvette are the most distinctively American.
By 1487
on December 31, 2009
06:10 AM
The fact that anyone would even ask a question like "name the best American car?" shows how out of touch Americans are with the auto market in 2009. If I were to ask IL editors what is the best import car they would tell me there are so many perfect ones its impossible to chose. Same goes for American ones. YOu need categories like best American midsize car, best American crossover, best pickup etc. There are way too many choices to pick one "best" model. Only if you feel there are no more than a handful of competent American vehicles could you expect an answer to the question posed above. Hell, most folks at Il would have trouble picking the best BMW or Honda, much less the "best import car for sale today".
By brn
on December 31, 2009
07:46 AM
mcmanus "What makes a company domestic?"
The nameplate. Now shut up.
By 1487
on December 31, 2009
08:06 AM
my question for McManus and others of his ilk is the following: If your import branded vehicle is made in America, with American sourced parts and partially designed in American why would it be of superior quality to domestic branded vehicles that share the same traits? Do Suburu, Toyota, Honda, etc. just happen to have a monopoly on competent American workers?
By 7driver
on December 31, 2009
08:25 AM
Round 1, I predict the left side will be 'vette vs. LaCrosse. Right side is harder to predict, but I'll go with Challenger by a hair vs. Fusion also by a hair.
By jriz
on December 31, 2009
08:30 AM
Actually, the best import is the Panamera. The best BMW is the M3 and the best Honda is ... give me a minute ... yep, still thinking ... hard to think of one that really sticks out from the increasingly dull others ... Fit? Yeah, I'll go with Fit. It's opinion, man, of course you can name the best of something or the hottest of women or the tastiest of food. You could be wrong, but that's how discussion is started and ideas are shared.
P.S. We're just having some fun here.
By bodyblue
on December 31, 2009
08:33 AM
"If I were to ask IL editors what is the best import car"
Well the problem with that is that you dont respect anybody elses opinion on anything...you only preach what you think you know and try to make anybody else who does not agree with you feel stupid for their views.
"Do Suburu, Toyota, Honda, etc. just happen to have a monopoly on competent American workers? "
No, they dont. What they do have is a lack of UNION workers for the most part and a much better corporate culture. Ford is barely hanging on with their union workers but they have a much different culture than GM does.....GM is finally building some well designed products but between design and execution something is lost and it is shown by reliability ratings weather you admit it or not. The UAW is a cancer on the American auto industry.....look how many years it took to get rid of the Job Bank (wich paid workers for not working).....until GM gets out from under the thumb of the US government and UAW sitting on their boards of directors then they dont have a chance in hell of being truly competitive. Obama and the UAW will never let GM get the unions to make enough concessions.......that is why FORD is the only INDEPENDENT American car maker.....They are the only ones that have a shot at long term survival...even then it will be close.
By iskch
on December 31, 2009
08:34 AM
Easy answer: FORD FUSION.
By NoSpinZone
on December 31, 2009
08:49 AM
1487,
I think you're reading a little too much into the question. Yes, there are a lot of good domestic cars now, but if MT can do a "Car of the Year" then Edmunds can surely do a "Best American Car" without being to far off base.
Bodyblue,
What's wrong with unions? They basically built the middle class in this country, and they hardly represent something socialistic... what is a corporation other than a group of people coming together to make more money than they could of all as individuals. A union is the same thing, but they get hounded as being some unholy entity.
I agree that the UAW is too powerful as it's becoming monopolistic, much like Microsoft is, but don't blame the union itself, as it's simply doing what any entity will do... do what's best for it's "shareholders." This is a very difficult area of governance. The balance between encouraging competition and keeping markets free is a very complicated mess, and we do ourselves a disservice by pointing the fingers at the entities themselves, rather than trying to work towards a regulatory solution.
If anything is "crippling" anyone, it is the complete lack of unionization in competing countries that is both wreking havoc on worldwide wealth distribution, as well as making it more difficult for US workers to compete.
But I have so far derailed from the topic it's not even funny. Hats off to the domestics for FINALLY competing. Yes, 1487, this is a recent development when you look at their entire product lines and not just a few cherry-picked cars over the past few decades.
By deagle13
on December 31, 2009
08:50 AM
I can't believe the CTS-V didn't make it into this competition!
By jriz
on December 31, 2009
09:59 AM
"I can't believe the CTS-V didn't make it into this competition!"
Actually so am I, but this is hardly a scientific exercise. I just gave the order to pick what you thought was the best America car, using whatever criteria you feel makes up that descriptor. Feel free to log a right-in vote in every round. Grass roots campaigns are welcome.
By huyracing
on December 31, 2009
10:09 AM
well, of the cars listed... i would actually think of buying a corvette, mustang, challenger, raptor, and flex. between the challenger and flex, i would get the challenger.
so by my choices, we have:
corvette vs raptor
mustang vs challenger
By crowb
on December 31, 2009
11:05 AM
Mr. Ayatollah, sir, may I be permitted to pretend that the Mustang in this competition is the upcoming 5.0?
Because that will be my vote. The Mustang just does it for me, and especially the thought of that new 5.0
Also, please refrain from making further face-offs "fun". As you can see the attempt to inject some of that is prompting the percolation of a pedantic panic...P
By yankeez
on December 31, 2009
05:58 PM
Well of course I'm a bit biased being an owner, but my vote goes to the Dodge Challenger.
Yeah yeah I know, it's too big, it's too HEAVY, it's really made in Canada, its parent company is now partnered with Fiat, it contributes to global warming, yadda yadda yadda... (rolls eyes) Ya know what? Who the hell really cares?
Get me an open road, fire up the unmistakeable sound of the All-American V8 baritone exhaust rumble, row the 6-speed, get those 8 Hemi pistons jumping and get the hell outta my way!
By yankeez
on December 31, 2009
05:59 PM
Well of course I'm a bit biased being an owner, but my vote goes to the Dodge Challenger.
Yeah yeah I know, it's too big, it's too HEAVY, it's really made in Canada, its parent company is now partnered with Fiat, it contributes to global warming, yadda yadda yadda... (rolls eyes) Ya know what? Who the hell really cares?
Get me an open road, fire up the unmistakeable sound of the All-American V8 baritone exhaust rumble, row the 6-speed, get those 8 Hemi pistons jumping and get the hell outta my way!
By greenpony
on January 1, 2010
11:15 AM
If the unions are the bane of domestic automakers, why is the government trying to make it easier to unionize (and harder to de-unionize)?
By savetheland
on January 1, 2010
04:25 PM
Fiat, Honda and Toyota are also American companies. Why they are not included?
By mcmanus
on January 3, 2010
03:43 AM
bm,
Your moniker and response makes me think of bodily functions, did you pick it with that in mind? By your “logic” all Honda, VW, etc. should do is come up with a new, domestically based car company with an “American” name and we’ll all believe it’s mom and apple pie, regardless of where the parts, design, assembly, stockholders, or management come from. You probably also believe that various GM (or Ford) branded s are fully unique from each other too. Remember that as Americans we nearly all just a few generations from being foreigners ourselves (especially back when the domestic car companies were founded).
1487,
Why foreign originated brands are better than domestic has lots of answers and has been discussed extensively, but my take is: 1.) Domestic automotive management is completely out of touch with nearly everything; 2.) Imports center more on the customer (the domestic dealerships around here make any interaction with them in sales or service perfectly dreadful as they give every indication of having zero interest in serving you); 3.) Hunger (it’s been a very long time since domestic management felt hungry, desperate these days sure, but just look at their compensation packages); 4.) Having a foundational (not add-on) culture for quality.
It seems like the domestics are building much more competitive cars, but my dealership experiences leave me cold.
By 1487
on January 4, 2010
06:46 AM
"think you're reading a little too much into the question. Yes, there are a lot of good domestic cars now, but if MT can do a "Car of the Year" then Edmunds can surely do a "Best American Car" without being to far off base."
COTY only applies to new models for THAT year- not evey car on the market. Picking ONE greatest American car is basically impossible. Maybe it would've been easy in 1985 but this is 2010.
macmanus:
I'll answer my own question for you: there is no major difference between American made "imports" and domestics. And lets not get into the dealer bashing thing because surveys have never proven that import brands (except Lexus) are consistently better at delivering customer service than domesitcs. Show me a survey in which Honda, Toyota or Nissan ranked near the top in customer satisfaction. Just one. Furthermore many franchises have import and domestic brands so this notion that "import dealers" are more focused on customer service doesn't even make much sense in that context. The same production methods and quality control procedures are used across the board these days which is why even Hyundai is making reliable vehicles now.
By 1487
on January 4, 2010
06:51 AM
"But I have so far derailed from the topic it's not even funny. Hats off to the domestics for FINALLY competing. Yes, 1487, this is a recent development when you look at their entire product lines and not just a few cherry-picked cars over the past few decades."
Yes because all imports from the 90s and 2000s were great cars. Good point. I laugh whenever I hear people talking about how there have only been decent American cars for the last 5 years or so as if Toyota and Hondas in the 80s and 90s were compelling vehicles. They were appliances that didnt break down as much as American cars- that is not synonomous with "great". In fact, 95% of imports sold over the last 30 years are forgettable. Remember the Previa? Acura SLX? Cressida? Honda Passport? Ridgeline? the FWD Toyota Mr2 convertible? Solara? Infiniti G20? I can go on. Those are not vehicles anyone remembers or misses.
By 1487
on January 4, 2010
06:56 AM
"Obama and the UAW will never let GM get the unions to make enough concessions.......that is why FORD is the only INDEPENDENT American car maker.....They are the only ones that have a shot at long term survival...even then it will be close."
your ignorance is astounding- especially because you have the audacity to pretend you actually know much about this industry. for the record- GM and Chrysler got more concessions from the UAW than Ford due to the government led bankruptcy. Ford was pressing the UAW to match the GM terms and the union balked.
In additon, some of the most efficient plants in North America- like Oshawa where the Impala/Camaro are made- are UAW plants. The time it takes to assemble a vehicle has been reduced drastically at all plants including UAW plants in recent years.
BTW, if you hate unions dont buy German or Japanese cars made outside the US- they have unions in those counties- and European unions are VERY powerful. Stay away from those German cars.
By felonious
on January 4, 2010
10:09 AM
1. Raptor vs Vette, with Vette winning.
2. Flex vs Mustang, Flex wins.
3. Flex vs Vette, Vette wins (even though I like the Flex better.)
For me, it comes down to the fact that the Vette has been around for so long, while the Flex is a brand new baby that has yet to prove itself over decades like the Vette has.
By chavis10
on January 4, 2010
11:38 AM
If I had $40k to spend today on ANY new car built by ANY company, it'd be a LaCrosse CXS (and I'm a hair under 30). I drove one and loved everything about it. Overall, it's an impressive vehicle and quite the deal when you consider the interior space, ambiance and level of available features. If I had $40k to spend on any SUV it'd be a Flex or Enclave/Acadia. If the limit was $30k, I may even try a Fusion Hybrid (since I do 90% city driving) or maybe an Equinox.
By myob
on January 5, 2010
05:02 PM
Matching up family haulers vs muscle cars is like asking, "which is better, Cheesecake or Pizza?"
They're not comparable. In the end, the voting will say more about the voters' needs and desires than anything the vehicles have going for them.
Another swing and a miss, edmunds.
By steve_97
on January 5, 2010
06:29 PM
In this really awkward comparison or contest I needed to observe both cars carefully.But at last I figured out who was the winner in my opinion by a really simple reason.
the challenger is good but it is not the best even at what it was made for. Being a muscle car.So I will stay with the flex,since it is one of the best in its class and also that I a ford fan.
flex +1
By b_boy_007
on January 6, 2010
11:24 PM
I really like this competition because it fosters a deeper, more rational thinking which is often lacking especially when talking domestics.
By dgs4
on January 7, 2010
08:10 PM
So is this a competition of which car gets the worst gas mileage, which car is biggest, which car weighs the most, which car has the cheapest interior, which car is the least reliable, or which car has the most chrome? Oh wait a minute, it's an "American" car competition so it must be all of those things.
May the heaviest, biggest, tackiest, cheapest, least fuel efficient car win!!