[kscherer]

At this point, I drive a Toyota Tundra. My wife drives a Honda Pilot. My daughter drives a Chevy HHR that she inherited from her grandfather. Before that she had a Honda Accord (it has an oil-eating issue).

For my wife and I, the game with "American" cars is over. I put that in quotes because a Ford Fiesta is not an "American" car, and an F-150 is no more "American" than a Tundra (Tundras are made in San Antonio, TX with almost as many "American"-made parts as an F-150).

Actual American car companies have returned to the 1970's while the big 5 Japanese companies are now making a lion's share of their cars in the U.S., and while reliability scores depend on who you ask and who is paying them, it is pretty well settled that the Japanese make the most reliable cars—regardless where they are made.

As far as sedans, yeah, the Big 3 can't figure out what Americans want—and why they want them—so they have abandoned that market. On average, Americans want 3 types of cars: Small, inexpensive, reliable sedans (which Ford, Chevy, and Dodge can't seem to figure out); Family-friendly SUV's (Ford and Chevy have figured this out, but Dodge/RAM still haven't got a clue); Or they want big pickup trucks, which the Big 3 have definitely figured out, but Toyota and Nissan are hot on their heals! Hell, the three best selling "cars" in the U.S. are Ford F-150, RAM 1500, and Chevy Silverado! In the top 25 (lead by 3 full-sized, American-made pickup trucks), there are a small handful of Japanese and Korean sedans, and the remainder are all mid-size SUV's—mostly from Asian manufacturers.

The data suggests that the Big 3 pulling out of sedans has more to do with an inability to innovate and compete in a competitive market than it has to do with market desires. Lots of people want sedans, but the Big 3 have forgotten how to make the kind that those people want.

The upper end of the sedan market is covered by European and Asian brands. Lincoln and Cadillac have had success here, as well as Tesla. But, most people cannot or will not pay $50,000+ for a sedan.