Poll: Americans Prefer American Cars Again

Toyota recalls cost Asian automakers their reputation
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 21, 2010 10:25 AM CDT
Poll: Americans Prefer American Cars Again
In this Jan. 26, 2010, photo, workers man the assembly line of Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago Assembly Plant, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010.   (M. Spencer Green)

After a long romance with foreign rivals, Americans are once again falling in love with American cards. In a new AP-GfK poll, 38% said US-made cars are of a higher quality than their Asian rivals, compared to 33% who preferred Asian brands. The numbers appear to have been largely fueled by a plunge in Toyota's reputation and an upsurge in Ford's—the survey was conducted in March, when Toyota's recall scandal was in the news.

Though the US advantage is modest, it marks a significant turnabout. When the same question was asked in a December 2006 AP-AOL poll, 46% said Asian countries made superior cars, with only 29% backing American vehicles. American cars are now especially popular among those over age 50, and rural residents; men, residents of Western states, and the better educated were more likely to prefer Asian cars.
(More Toyota stories.)

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