The big three automakers, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler want the government to throw some  bailout money their way.  Are they worthy?  I’m not so sure.

I’m not going to get into the American versus foreign buying debate, but the comparison is important.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think it safe to say American cars aren’t the best looking vehicles on the road.  While some cars from the big three are getting better, vehicles like the Pontiac Aztec really set American cars back in the looks department.  One could say the Aztec is like the modern day Pacer – the Pacer is another questionable looking American car.

The functional quality – to include reliability and gas mileage – is another area where foreign cars seem to have an advantage.  Statistics can be thrown all over the place, but one thing is obvious: pound for pound, there are foreign cars out there, namely Japanese cars, much more reliable with better gas mileage than their American counterparts.  Japanese automakers are hitting the sweet spots with cars like the Honda Accord, Odyssey, Civic and the Toyota Tundra, Camry and Corolla.

My question for years has been why can’t American cars put the technology into cars to get gas mileage similar to other cars.  Additionally, why do they do things like put all the plastic cladding on Pontiacs, use blue emblems (Ford) on every color of a car and other things which make their cars downright ugly.  Yes, I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but this is my opinion.

Getting back to bailout money, the heads of the big three rolled into Washington DC last month asking for money and were rightfully criticized for their mode of transportation.  All three men arrived via (separate) private jets.  It was jokingly suggested they downgrade to a first-class commercial fight.  So this time, in a transparent attempt to look more needy, at least one of them planned to drive from Detroit to our nation’s capitol.  Let’s be real, I doubt they will be behind the wheel on the drive; they will probably hire a driver.  Even if they do drive, do you think they will get a car fresh off the assembly line?  I’m sure they have a lot of unsold vehicles to chose from righ now. 

I’m torn and I don’t know what to do. I don’t normally wait until the last minute to plan out a major purchase and this is no different. Gas prices got me thinking about getting an economical automobile for everyday commutting. Yes, gas prices have dipped over the last week, but I think that is always a way for the big oil companies to make us happy right before they really stick it to us. I think this has to do with someone (wink) higher up making a killing off high oil prices. But I digress.

I have a car that has been very reliable over the years, but it has seen better days and putting money into it wouldn’t be the smartest move – something could happen to it and I would get a fraction of what I put into it. No, I need something that will get me from point A to B without burning a lot of gas. Oh, it has to get me there in economical comfort though.

Many people may immediately think of Hybrid cars, but that really isn’t necessary. Hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, certainly get great miles per gallon (MPG), but in my opinion they do it at a price: styling. I’m not saying a Prius isn’t a great car because everything I’ve read about them seems to be more positive than negative. I just don’t know why they couldn’t have made it look better by now. Does anyone remember the name of that old Honda Hybrid that was seriously ugly?

Now decent-looking cars like the Honda Civic get great MPG in the gas or hybrid versions. Let’s face it, there aren’t many, if any, of these cars (in this category) that are really beautiful vehicles, but the small car offerings seem to be our future.

Did you know that the Civic can now be purchased with leather seats? On the surface it doesn’t really seem like a big deal until you think about what that indicates. Car companies are moving towards making these small cars more luxurious since gas prices are forcing consumers to buy them more. We might as well have comfort in economical cars too right?

Has anyone joined me in my crusade to ditch those seldom-used houses on wheels known as SUVs?  We might as well accept what the future holds for the size of vehicles we buy more of.

As you may have been able to tell by now, I love cars.  In the future I will have to talk about the Mini Cooper, a car that I love, and the Smart Car,  a car that interests me.  For now, I will let you go so you can jump in your SUV and make it to the dealership.