Poll: US Consumers Now Prefer American Cars

An Associated Press-GfK Poll suggests (pdf format) the American car is coming back into favor in the U.S.

Thirty-eight percent said that U.S. cars are best and 33 percent preferring autos made by Asian companies.

Those numbers are largely fueled by a plunge in Toyota‘s reputation and an upsurge in Ford’s.

The 38 percent to 33 percent advantage is modest, but a sharp turnabout from 2006 when 46 percent picked Asian autos as superior.

15 percent in the March poll said Toyota makes the best cars, down from 25 percent who said so in 2006. Ford vehicles were ranked first by 9% in 2006.  That rose to 18% last month. GM’s number was consistent at 18% and Chrysler — which continues to struggle — remained mired at 3 percent.

The interest in alternative-fuel cars also increased significantly. “By 61 percent to 37 percent, most said last month they would consider buying an alternative-fuel car.

The AP-GfK Poll on cars was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media from March 3-8. It is based on landline and cell phone telephone interviews with a nationally representative random sample of 1,002 adults. Interviews were conducted with 702 respondents on landline telephones and 300 on cellular phones.

[source: AP]

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