I heard on the radio this morning that gasoline prices are expected to jump 25 cents a gallons this month. I've heard $2.50 a gallon by this summer. With the American car makers having most of their production tied up in pickups and big SUV's, I imagine they'll be in trouble. Ford has been teetering on the edge of bankruptcy for awhile, and unless they start producing some winning cars, I wouldn't be surprised to see them bought out by a foreign automaker.
American automakers can't understand how to build a quality small car. The Japanese and the Koreans have figured out how to make great gas mileage and quality workmanship go hand in hand. Asian small cars have well appointed interiors, good build quality, and durable power trains.
The only reason I bought my Mystique was that I wanted a compact sized economy car, but yet with luxury features I had come to expect on my foreign cars. Try finding a 30 mpg American car nowadays with leather interior, power seat, tilt wheel, etc. The Focus and Cobalt just don't cut it with me, and I won't bother to consider them when new car time comes. My only choice will be between Honda and Toyota.
