"Cars.com’s American-Made Index rates vehicles built and bought in the U.S. Factors include sales, where the car’s parts come from and whether the car is assembled in the U.S. We disqualify models with a domestic parts content rating below 75 percent, models built exclusively outside the U.S. or models soon to be discontinued without a U.S.-built successor."

SALES are taken into account. That alone would put lower volume vehicles at a disadvantage. Remember guys statistics can be spun however you want them to.

I will rephrase my statement how about "I will only buy cars produced by American or German owned companies." BMWs are assembled here I still don't consider it an American car.

 

In my viewing of "American, German, and so forth... I usually don't take into account of where the car is actually made, but more of "whom" designs the car. American designers, German, Japanese and so forth.

The designers are less likely to change their engineering uniqueness, but are more apt to change where their plant might be located.

Who has ever owned an Mexican or Afraican car? hahah

 

Agree, where the car is designed and engineered gives the car its 'roots'.

I am sure if I bought a civic, I would have been happy with the seats. Its sad that the top of the line honda car has this issue, I would think this would be something in there entry level models/trims.

 

You can have my 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo with 35K miles that I just traded for my 2012 Honda Accord. Best decision I ever made.

List of issues of a cheap American Brand car assembled in Canada:

1. Door latch rods rattled since new. Dealer said could replicate issueat 5K miles
2. Belt tensioner squealed. Dealer replaced fix it for 5K
3. Front and Rear oil seals replaced due to leaking
4. Drivers seat popped and ratlled. Delear could not replicate issue
5. Rack and Pinion leaking at 20K miles. Replacement Leaking again 1 yr. 5K later. Delear replaced again.
6. Transmission TCC in 4th gear cause the tach to bounce sometimes would slip out of gear.
7. Negative battery post leaking and corroded and ate the terminal on the cable.
8. Dashpad vinyl is splitting
9. Passenger seat rattled loudly. Dealer replaced. New one just as bad and replcaed 2nd time to fix.
10. Temp. Control AC Acutator went bad stuck on heat.
12. Oil went somewhere 1 quart every 3K miles even after fixing the leaks.

Now this was a car to complain about a POS. 3rd GM I owned and the last. Dumped the wife's Malibu for an '09 Accord and Just got the '12 Accord for me. New member and never been happier.

 

Congrats on the purchase. I drove a few GMs, 01 and an 03 Cavalier, some of my favorite cars. I got rid of the 01 after 18 months and 51 thousand miles. It needed a blower resistor, under warranty then one shortly after. A 20 dollar part. I traded it for a brand new 03. Cost me 2 grand, and the 01 needed front brakes and 4 tires. Least expensive car I ever owned. The 03 I put 105K. The ECU was re-flashed under warranty, it would hold at 2000 RPMs after 2+ hours on the highway. I only did oil changes, air filters, front brakes once, and 2 set of tires.
I don't think the seats will be a problem for you 35K in 7 years, I do almost 35K in a single year.

 

My wife and I recently purchased our first brand new car. We did lots of research and test drove our top 4 cars over the span of a week. In order, here are our opinionated results.

1st - 2012 Volkswagen Passat
2nd - 2012 KIA Optima
3rd - 2012 Hyundai Sonata
4th - 2012 Honda Accord

Going in to the process, I was certain that we would choose the Honda. In fact, we didn't even plan to drive a VW, the only reason we did is because the dealership was right next to the KIA and Hyundai dealers. We took each car on the same 35 minute test drive and we're very surprised by the results.

Not only was the VW more comfortable, they made us the best deal. The Honda salesman had a poor attitude and made us feel like our sale didn't matter and that we should be thankful we have the chance to by the Honda simply because of the fact that it was a Honda. It was a nice car, but for the same price as the Passat, It would have been hard for me to purchase it.

Our Passat has been great, 27 MPG in town and about 33 MPG on the highway. The 5 cylinder had a little more kick that the Honda did as well.

Just my .02 cents, just because it's a Honda doesn't mean that its automatically better than everything else. Sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your car, that has to be the worst feeling in the world.

Looks like Honda stepped up their game for 2013 though!

 

Yeah the 2013 looks like they fix the seats. But I bet the 2012 Passat has a lot of the features that were just added to the 2013 Honda. I should have looked at the TDI Passat. Good looking cars and it sounds like you are very happy with yours too.

 

Very pleased with it, we couldn't afford the TDI unfortunately. Maybe next time!

 

Yeah, from what I heard they aren't discounting the TDIs. Still a great car. Have fun with it.