Speculation runs rampant as to why Detroit's Big Three find themselves in their current predicament. U.S. News and World Report's Rick Newman has his own view, and below we'll give you a quick run through his short list of the vehicles that caught Detroit with its pants down and its eyes focused on a quick buck. Wonder if Dave Letterman would cackle through this top-ten list out on his late-night comedy show...

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1. Ford Pinto. From the dark days of Detroit playing catch up to its lean, mean foreign competitors, Detroit's old school mentality of low-tech small cars built with big car engineering (small interiors, big exteriors, wasted space, inefficient packaging) just didn't impress savvy consumers. Sure, they sold initially in huge numbers, but when haphazard engineering resulted in a raft of exploding fuel tanks and horrendous reliability, class-action lawsuits sealed the Pinto's fate for good. Not a proud chapter in the history of the American automobile.

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2. Chevrolet Cavalier. Ahh, the GM J-Body. Another example of poor space efficiency, the Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunbird/Buick Skyhawk/Olsmobile Firenza/Cadillac Cimarron (GASP I'm out of breath) featured uncomfortably high dashboards, asthmatic four cylinder pushrod engines, sloppy and unresponsive three-speed automatics, and oversprung/underdamped suspensions. The ultimate insult to the American consumer came in Cadillac form, points out U.S. News & World Report: "GM even added some lipstick and high heels and tried to peddle the upgrade as the Cadillac Cimarron." While this vehicle sold in the millions, brand-loyal consumers learned their lesson. It's no wonder they're loathe to buy American small cars now. And yet GM persists, bringing us the Pontiac G3 to name but one mediocre example.

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3. Chevrolet Astro. If you didn't love the Chevrolet Lumina APV/Pontiac TransSport/Oldsmobile Silhouette minivans with their Karl Malden proboscises, you could always opt for the sturdy old Chevy Astro/GMC Safari twins. With their gravelly 4.3-liter pushrod sixes huffing way beneath the huge center-mounted hump between passenger and driver, bus-style driving position, and very mediocre reliability, these vans kept an ancient design alive that other automakers had abandoned decades before. The Ford Aerostar was a marginally better vehicle, but Chrysler stole the show with its lightweight, car-based, forward-thinking minivans that saved it from obscurity. Says U.S. News: "The Astro drove like a bread truck, and consumers noticed. It also earned the worst safety ratings in its class."

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4. Ford Taurus. Much like the minivan was for Chrysler, the Taurus and Sable proved that Detroit wasn't comatose. The Taurus became a bestseller, points out U.S. News, and rightfully so. A forward-thinking styling ethos, fresh and ergonomic interior, good space efficiency, and sprightly driving dynamics gave Americans a vehicle they could be proud to own. So what did Ford do? "For the next 20 years, Ford let quality declien and neglected the family sedan, while pouring love and money into trucks and SUVs," claims U.S. News. The 500 sedan followed, and "went on record as one of the most short-lived models ever." A revival of the Taurus nameplate to a "bastardized 500" was too little, too late: "by then, the damage was done."

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5. Ford Explorer. "The Explorer helped create an addiction that lasted 15 years," criticizes U.S. News' Rick Newman. He goes on to quote David Magee, author of How Toyota Became No. 1: "executives could not see beyond the green piling up at their feet."  Soon GM and and Chrysler were in on the SUV game, pumping out Trailblazers and Durangos en masse. In this interesting, myopic game, suddenly the Big Three were competing against each other and ignoring larger trends in the market. Which brings us right to the current crisis.

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6.  Jaguar X-Type. If ever there was a mediocre bastardization of a luxury marque, it was this cramped Ford Mondeo sedan, tarted up with the Jaguar "J-gate" shifter, wood trim, and all-wheel drive. It was like Jag's very own Cimarron. "Jag purists were horrified," claims U.S. News, and buyers of BMWs, Lexuses, and Acuras were not swayed. NVH, interior materials, and driving dynamics did not bespeak luxury. Ford missed the mark with its attempts to make Jaguars, and recently sold the once-prestigious marque to Tata of India.

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7. Hummer H2. The Hummer division had quite the quick rise and fall, existing for less than a decade. The big, brash H2 thumbed its nose at efficiency, at girly men in crossovers, at gas prices, and at anything and anybody who didn't like its rock crawling prowess and angry get-out-of-my-way demeanor. And now, everyone who the H2 pissed off is chuckling, as Americans who thought they needed the bruiser are quickly coming to their senses and realizing they like fuel efficiency, they don't need rock crawling capability for shopping mall parking structures, would rather not pay a grand for new tires, and are actually a bit embarrassed to be seen driving a huge plasticky dinosaur with chassis bits from GM heavy duty trucks and leftover fuel caps from the ill-fated Pontiac Aztek. All in all, probably the last time GM will send a linebacker to do the job of a quarterback.

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8. Toyota Prius. Rick Newman draws a painful comparison: "While GM was spending $1 billion to build up the Hummer franchise, Toyota was spending $1 billion to develop a high-mileage hybrid - even though gas prices were still low." Maybe the Prius was just a guess, a gamble...but regardless, it was an incredibly prescient one. What did GM say when the Prius debuted in 2000? "Ahh, the Prius, it's just for those GreenPeace treehuggers." Today, Toyota can hardly keep up with demand for the Prius. As for GM? Well, uh, it brought us the two-mode Escalade Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid. Combined mileage just north of 20 mpg hardly astounds, though it's better than city mileage in the low teens. But make no mistake - not even hybrid powertrains can stop the sales nosedive of full-size pickups and SUVs.

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9. Chrysler Sebring. U.S. News muses: "Did Chrysler engineers set out to build the world's most boring car?" Well, According to Consumer Reports, they did manage to produce a vehicle with the lowest predicted reliability score - 283 percent lower than average - the Chrysler Sebring Convertible. Ouch. Not only does the Sebring lack character, driving verve, and interesting styling, but its also destined to be a reliability nightmare. "The only way to sell marginal cars," says U.S. News, "is with steep discounts, which money-losing automakers can no longer afford." They conclude: "this model seems destined for extinction."

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10. Jeep Compass. It seems even Jeep has gotten in on the badge-engineering game, having produced the weak-kneed Compass/Patriot/Dodge Caliber triplets. All three end up as less than the sum of their parts. A decent 2.4-liter four, co-developed with Hyundai, is castrated by an oddball CVT transmission. The once-proud Jeep nameplate is hopelessly watered down by the front-drive econocar underpinnings, hardly the stuff of Jeep's trail-rated reputation. Interior materials seem destined for mail-delivery duty, with harsh plastics and cheap seams in abundance. U.S. News claims that "Chrysler has oversaturated its strongest brand lineup in a desperate attempt to boost sales." They end with a "message to Detroit: consumers aren't that stupid."

GM, Ford, and Chrysler have got to think better, and longer-term, as they prepare to borrow huge sums from the American taxpayer. We know they can do it; witness the Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu, 2010 Chevy Camaro, Buick Enclave, Dodge Ram, Ford Flex, and Ford Fiesta. They've got great new advancements coming down the pike, but already delays have begun as money becomes ever more scarce. Will the buying public get a chance to see and drive great new products, or will they become stillborn victims of poor planning?--Colin Mathews
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Still trying to decide if it is GM's excitement division, economy department, or swoopy styling central, Pontiac brings us the Daewoo-designed Chevy Aveo G3, which it claims "emphasizes value without compromising a fun driving experience." Uh-huh. This is brand-engineering at its worst. Didn't they tell us the same thing when they debuted the miserable little LeMans econobox of the 80s? Surely the mighty GTO is turning over in its grave.

At 34 mpg highway, even GM's own Chevy Malibu hybrid matches its economy, and does it with far more power, panache, and comfort. Pontiac claims the G3 is "surprisinly well-equipped, with standard air conditioning," leading us to believe it might well be equipped with crank windows and a blaupunkt stereo with two paper cone speakers. And only four speeds in the optional automatic transmission don't help its case for either performance or max economy. At least it does feature the lowest starting price of any Pontiac. But should one have to skimp on equipment and refinement just to get an affordable vehicle?

Over at Honda, they've proven you can have style, fun, and great driving dynamics with their new Fit. Come on, Pontiac. You risk alienating your high-performance fans, while offering nothing special in the economy car realm. American drivers now know that economy cars needn't be miserable and thin. Why would anyone in their right mind spend more money to get into a G3, with a starting price of $14,995, when they could get into a 2009 Fit for $14,550? Not a compelling buy, nor a compelling drive. --Colin Mathews

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While other companies struggle for their existence, fat cats like Mercedes are expanding their premiere dealerships in halo markets like New York City. Mercedes announced Sunday a new Manhattan store, to be located on 53rd street, will replace the current 41st street location and will come online in 2011. The automaker will be investing $30 million in the new center, and MBUSA dealer partners across the country are investing another $1 billion in the new dealership design that will roll out across the country.

Similar to Audi's recent announcement of new premiere dealerships, Mercedes-Benz takes all elements into account: design, architecture, customer service, transparency, and convenience. Mercedes claims that customers' experience with the dealership over the entire ownership experience significantly influences their opinion of the brand in general.

The new flagship facility, which will sell and service Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and Smart vehicles, will total 330,000+ square feet. “In New York City, people can find the best of the best the world has to offer. Our discerning customer base will find the new MB Manhattan location more convenient and user-focused as we accelerate to the future,” said Blair Creed, general manager of MB Manhattan.--Colin Mathews

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Apart from dabbling in some weak-kneed four cylinders in the late 70s/early 80s, Ford Mustangs have always throbbed with a thrilling V-8 soundtrack to accompany the prodigious thrust from their V-8 engines. From the original 60s 289 V-8 through the iconic 5.0 of the 80s and 90s up to the modern-day 4.6-liter OHC V-8, Ford has always taken special care to give its Mustangs a sonorous war cry befitting their ponycar mission.

Tuning exhaust sound is quite a science, and it starts with custom crafted exhaust headers, which replace standard issue exhaust manifolds coming right off of the engine. Serving as the vocal chords of an engine, headers typically equalize the length of each tube coming from the cylinders en route to a collection tube prior to the catalytic converter and the remainder of the exhaust system. Acoustic and powertrain engineers spend countless hours perfecting every bit of the exhaust system to find the balance between a healthy burble and an annoying drone.

As to unwanted noise - the kind that interferes with the engine's song or your conversation with your passenger, such as wind noise or excessive intake whoosh - engineers must design this out of a vehicle to avoid perceptions of crudeness, thrashiness, or cheapness. Not to mention, driving a relentlessly noisy car contributes to driver fatigue and annoyance (I can attest, having fitted a droning glasspack to my 1988 Honda CRX that set off car alarms in parking garages across Atlanta).

To eliminate the nasty stuff, Ford engineers paid attention to the most minute details. From the design of the windshield wipers, the location of the radio antenna, and the thunk of the doors when slammed, they went over every sound generated by the 2010 Ford Mustang with a find-toothed comb in an effort to produce sounds pleasing to the human ear. Sound dampening materials were fitted to minimize unpleasant noises, and conversely, Ford's Induction Sound Tube technology actually pipes the good stuff from the Mustang's induction system right into the cabin. BMW used this technology to good results in the most recent Z4 roadster, highlighting the fact that too much isolation, especially in a sportcar, results in a bland, detached experience that is a sure turn off for enthusiasts.

It's great to see domestic manufacturers delve into the details, as this is precisely the area where foreign makes have trounced them for years. Import buyers typically love (and fall in love with) a car's details, and perhaps with increasing dedication to improvements in the subjective elements of a vehicle - textures, sounds, materials, "feel," - domestics like Ford will continue their quality improvements with a concomitant improvement in market share.--Colin Mathews
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GM makes significant tweaks to its mid-size G6 lineup going into a rather bleak 2009 model year. Actually, GM says these changes are for the "2009.5" Pontiac G6, set to arrive at dealerships in January. Visual and powertrain enhancements are meant to bring the G6 more solidly into Pontiac's performance fold. Alas, remaining are some old-skool bits in the form of an old-tech four-speed automatic and a pair of pushrod V-6s (with origins in the Chevy Citation) that date back to the last American auto industry financial crisis.

For the first time, the 2.4-liter EcoTec is available in the G6 coupe. Paired with GM's excellent six-speed automatic, it manages 33 mpg EPA highway mileage, a respectable figure for a roughly 3,400 lb. vehicle. Key to its efficiency is a modern overhead-cam design, variable-valve timing, and six forward ratios in its transmission, putting it neck and neck on the powertrain front with competitors like Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

Visually, a more aggressive honeycomb grille, clear lens headlamps, body color mirrors, larger diameter exhaust tips, and 17-inch aluminum wheels (for 4-cylinder, six-speed auto G6s) are included in the changes meant to tie the G6 to sporty big brother G8. Inside, a revised center stack, new stereo, updated instrument cluster graphics (which are frustratingly small and illegible), and optional MY LINK enhanced communciation package (integrates audio, bluetooth, XM Radio, and OnStar features) round out the new items.

But the question remains: are these changes enough to ensure Pontiac's relevance, bolster its excitement promise, and keep it in the GM fold with threats of Chapter 11 re-organization looming? As we've said, Pontiac has been searching for its identity for decades, and with the current financial crisis of parent GM, it might be running out of time to find the magic formula that ensures sales success.--Colin Mathews
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