Everything That's Wrong with the American Auto Industry

The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the 3 Series, originally developed as a homologation special for touring car racing in 1986. It is widely considered the benchmark for sports sedans and coupes, blending everyday usability with racetrack-ready dynamics.

The Chevrolet Corvette is America's quintessential sports car, featuring a fiberglass (and later composite) body and a powerful V8 engine. Produced continuously since 1953, it transitioned from a traditional front-engine layout to a mid-engine configuration with the eighth-generation (C8) model to compete directly with European supercars.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a legendary lightweight two-seat roadster famous for its exceptional handling, simplicity, and affordable sports car experience. Currently in its fourth generation (ND), it remains a global benchmark for driving engagement and open-top motoring.

The Hyundai Genesis was a premium rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan that marked Hyundai's first serious foray into the executive car segment. Its success and high-quality construction eventually led Hyundai to spin off 'Genesis' into its own standalone luxury brand in 2015.

The Chevrolet Equinox is a compact crossover SUV that serves as one of Chevy's best-selling family vehicles. For the current generation, it features a more rugged, truck-like exterior design and updated cabin technology.

The Chevrolet Trax is a subcompact crossover SUV that underwent a dramatic redesign recently, transforming from a tall, cramped bubble into a sleek, spacious, and highly affordable entry-level vehicle. It is powered exclusively by a small turbocharged three-cylinder engine driving the front wheels.

The Chicken Tax is a 25% tariff imposed by the United States in 1964 on imported light trucks, brandy, potato starch, and dextrin, originally in retaliation for European tariffs on American chicken imports. While the other tariffs were lifted, the 25% tax on light trucks remains in effect, effectively forcing foreign automakers to build their trucks and SUVs in the U.S. to remain competitive.

The BMW X5 is a midsize luxury SUV that pioneered the 'Sports Activity Vehicle' segment, balancing premium comfort with sporty driving dynamics. Built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, it offers a range of powerful engines, including a popular plug-in hybrid variant.

The Honda Accord is a midsize sedan renowned for its reliability, spacious interior, and refined driving dynamics. Now in its eleventh generation, it continues to be a staple of the American passenger car market, offering highly efficient hybrid powertrains.

The location of BMW's largest global manufacturing facility, BMW Manufacturing Co., which produces the majority of the brand's 'X' family of SUVs. Established in 1994, this plant makes BMW the largest exporter of American-made vehicles by value.

In the automotive industry, transplants refer to assembly plants established in a country by foreign-owned automakers, such as Toyota's plant in Texas or BMW's plant in South Carolina. These facilities allow foreign brands to bypass tariffs, reduce shipping costs, and build vehicles tailored specifically to the local market.

The Ford 351 Windsor V8 is a legendary small-block V8 engine family produced by Ford, named after the Windsor, Ontario plant where it was manufactured. Known for its robust cast-iron block and high torque output, it powered iconic vehicles like the Mustang, F-Series trucks, and various police packages from the late 1960s through the 1990s.

The Volkswagen Rabbit was the North American name for the first-generation (and briefly fifth-generation) Volkswagen Golf, a pioneering front-wheel-drive hatchback. It helped transition VW away from the air-cooled Beetle era and established the modern hot-hatch segment with the introduction of the GTI.

The Eagle Talon was a sporty three-door hatchback coupe sold from 1990 to 1998 under Chrysler's short-lived Eagle brand. Developed as a joint venture with Mitsubishi, the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive TSi models became legendary in the import tuning scene.

The Chevrolet Tracker (originally sold as the Geo Tracker) was a small, rugged SUV developed as a joint venture between GM and Suzuki. Featuring a body-on-frame construction and a true four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case, it was highly capable off-road despite its diminutive size.

The Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup truck designed to compete directly with American half-ton trucks. The third-generation Tundra moved to a fully turbocharged V6 platform (including a hybrid option) and a coil-spring rear suspension.

The Chevrolet Volt is a pioneering plug-in hybrid (or range-extended electric vehicle) that used an electric motor for propulsion and a gasoline engine solely as a generator to charge the battery. Launched in 2010, it offered a practical bridge between traditional internal combustion engines and full battery-electric vehicles.

The Pontiac Fiero was a mid-engined sports car built by General Motors from 1983 to 1988, notable for being the first mass-produced mid-engine sports car by a U.S. manufacturer. While early models suffered from reliability issues, the final 1988 model year featured a redesigned suspension that finally realized the car's potential.

The Pontiac Solstice is a two-seat sports roadster produced by General Motors from 2005 to 2010 on the rear-wheel-drive Kappa platform. It featured curvaceous styling and was designed to inject excitement into the Pontiac brand shortly before the division was shuttered.

The Ford Mustang is an iconic American pony car that has been in continuous production since 1964. The seventh-generation (S650) Mustang keeps the traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with available EcoBoost four-cylinder and Coyote V8 engines.

The Ford Fusion was a popular midsize sedan that offered sharp styling, comfortable road manners, and a variety of powertrain options, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. Production ended in 2020 as Ford phased out traditional passenger cars in North America.

The Chevrolet Impala was a long-running full-size sedan, with its final tenth generation (2014-2020) widely praised for its quiet cabin, spacious interior, and smooth ride quality. It represented one of GM's best modern sedans before the company shifted its focus entirely to crossovers and SUVs.

The Ford Taurus was a highly influential midsize (later full-size) sedan that revolutionized American car design when it debuted in 1986 with its aerodynamic styling. It went through several generations, eventually growing into a large, heavy sedan before being discontinued in North America in 2019.

The Honda Civic is a compact car that has served as a benchmark for practical, efficient, and fun-to-drive transportation for over five decades. The eleventh-generation Civic offers a refined cabin, excellent fuel economy, and a newly reintroduced hybrid powertrain.

The Toyota Camry is the quintessential midsize family sedan, famous for its durability, comfort, and strong resale value. For the current generation, Toyota transitioned the Camry to an all-hybrid lineup, pairing excellent fuel economy with updated styling.

The General Motors EV1 was the first mass-produced, purpose-built electric vehicle from a major modern automaker, launched in 1996. It featured a highly aerodynamic teardrop shape and was famously leased to customers before GM controversially recalled and crushed most of them.

The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover SUV that consistently ranks as one of the best-selling non-pickup vehicles in the United States. It is highly regarded for its practicality, safety features, and highly efficient hybrid and plug-in hybrid (Prime) powertrain options.

The Toyota Prius is the world's first mass-produced hybrid passenger car, utilizing a power-split powertrain that seamlessly combines a gasoline engine and an electric motor. Launched globally in 2000, it became the global symbol of automotive fuel efficiency and eco-friendly transportation.

F&I stands for Finance and Insurance, a highly profitable department within a car dealership where customers finalize their vehicle purchase, arrange financing, and are pitched add-on products. These add-ons commonly include extended warranties, gap insurance, wheel-and-tire protection, and paint sealants.

State franchise laws are legal regulations in the United States that govern the relationship between auto manufacturers and independent dealerships, preventing manufacturers from selling vehicles directly to consumers. Originally designed to protect local dealers from unfair competition by manufacturers, these laws are now a major hurdle for direct-to-consumer EV startups like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an all-electric compact crossover SUV featuring retro-futuristic styling and an advanced 800-volt electrical architecture that allows for ultra-fast charging. It has won numerous global automotive awards for its design, spacious cabin, and impressive driving range.

An American automotive executive who served as the CEO of Waymo (Google's self-driving car project) and President/CEO of Hyundai Motor America. He is also credited with coining the term 'lean production' during his time as a researcher at MIT's International Motor Vehicle Program.

The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-selling automotive nameplates in history, prized for its affordability, efficiency, and bulletproof reliability. The current twelfth-generation model is available as a sedan or hatchback, with highly efficient hybrid and performance-oriented GR variants.

The Subaru Crosstrek is a subcompact crossover SUV that blends hatchback practicality with rugged off-road capability, featuring standard symmetrical all-wheel drive and class-leading ground clearance. It remains a favorite for outdoor enthusiasts seeking a maneuverable daily driver.

The Ford Maverick is a highly popular compact pickup truck built on a unibody platform. It disrupted the truck market by offering a standard (later optional) hybrid powertrain, excellent fuel economy, and a highly versatile, budget-friendly bed design.

A Hemi V8 is an internal combustion engine featuring hemispherical combustion chambers, which allow for larger valves and improved airflow to generate high horsepower. Famously produced by Chrysler (now Stellantis), the 'Hemi' name became synonymous with American muscle cars and powerful pickup trucks.

The Toyota Tacoma is a dominant midsize pickup truck celebrated for its legendary off-road capability and high resale value. The completely redesigned fourth-generation Tacoma debuted recently, moving to a turbocharged four-cylinder platform and offering a powerful hybrid option.

The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury SUV that serves as the flagship of the Cadillac brand, known for its imposing presence, high-tech cabin, and powerful V8 engines. It features advanced technologies like Super Cruise hands-free driving and a massive curved OLED dashboard.

The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size, body-on-frame SUV that transitioned to a standard twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain for its third generation. It is known for its massive towing capacity and sharing its platform with the Tundra pickup truck, though the hybrid battery packaging compromises third-row cargo space.

A historic U.S. highway established in 1926 that spanned from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, serving as a major path for those who migrated west. Often called the 'Mother Road,' it became a legendary symbol of American car culture, road trips, and roadside Americana before being bypassed by the Interstate Highway System.