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Hi Mr Lowry–
My pop and I (both gearheads) went over your list and realized it’s far worse news for the domestic three than we realized.
Profit margins and points of origin… my comments follow in [brackets]
The Ten Most Purchased Vehicles (vehicle’s EPA mileage)
1. Ford Focus (27-28 mpg) [domestic production, negative margin…in fact, Ford loses money on every one sold after factoring in legacy costs, see :WSJ article from earlier this year]
2. Honda Civic (24-42 mpg) [Japan origin, decent profit margin]
3. Toyota Corolla (25-30 mpg) [domestic production(?), low margin]
4. Toyota Prius (46 mpg) [Japanese production, uncertain margin (depends on discounts)]
5. Ford Escape (20-32 mpg) [USA/Canada production, decent margins depending on options, highly variable]
6. Toyota Camry (23-34 mpg) [USA production, good margins]
7. Dodge Caliber (22-27 mpg) [USA/Canada/Mexico production, negative margins, see WSJ article]
8. Hyundai Elantra (26-28 mpg) [Korean production, decent margins]
9. Honda Fit (29-31 mpg) [Japan production, good margin]
10. Chevy Cobalt (25-30 mpg [USA production, negative margin, see WSJ]
This info I’d say is about 90% accurate…as you can see, it’s a win for Japan and Korea, and does nothing for the Big Three.
This has just been a fancier way of slipping another billion or three to the automotive manufacturers without drawing criticism, but for the Big Three’s sake it may have been better to simply cut them a check.