Good find. There was a similar article on detnews.com last year that linked JD Power data that also backed up the consumer preception lag about domestic cars. I'm one of the people that grew up with parents handling the pure crap from Detroit. We had a 1984 Pontiac 6000 that was a complete pile of trash, and hence the 4 Toyota Camrys in my sig.
I've had 3 Japanese vehicles myself, but seeing how much Detroit has imporved both in product quality, reliability, and powertrain design I'm perfectly willing to consider something from them. Especially now when Detroit is struggling as they are, I'm more inclined to support the "home team" rather than buy another Japanese car, as much as I do like the new Camry and Avalon, along with our Highlander. The Detroit auto industry is very important to the North American economy as a whole so it would be a disaster if it collapsed.
That said, so long as the Maxima can hang in there another year or two I would definitely consider a Ford Fusion with the 3.5L V6, or a Chevy Impala 3.9 with the 6AT. I'll at least test drive these before buying, and that's what Detroit wants and needs. People (especially Japanese car buyers) coming into their showrooms for the first time. They'll be impressed to say the least, and halo products like the new C6 Z06 have worked wonders on GM's image. There are a lot of diehard import fans that can't help but drool at the C6's sexy design and the 505hp/26mpg performance of the Z06. More please!
