I opened the floodgates with this one. Yet the consensus is that my
mechanic is right: Buy a Honda. It will almost certainly be made in the
USA — they have five factories here, including one in Alabama, of which
fond memories from last year’s trip still glow.
I had not realised until reading all these e-mails that there is a clear
distinction in people’s minds between American cars (made in Detroit) and
American cars (made elsewhere in the USA, quite possibly by someone like
Honda). Opinion leans strongly against Detroit. No offense up there, I’m
just telling you what I’m hearing.