It has always been considered patriotic to 'buy American', but the truth is the true American thing to do has always been to buy with our pocketbook. Capitalism rules, and so do the best new car prices. Some will always buck the trend and pass the buck on to their neighbors, but the rest of us likely would rather keep that dollar for ourselves when we visit the local auto dealers to buy a car.
Good news for all now, because now with a cheaper dollar, you can have both as you shop for a cheap new car. There has to be some silver lining to this terrible economy, and this is one. The tight fiscal exchange has hampered the ability of many Japanese manufactures to punch back with incentives after the loss of available new cars for sale due to the fallout from the earthquake.
The result? More expensive imports, in fewer numbers have steered buyers towards cheap new cars built in the USA under both foreign and domestic nameplates. And while that may not be a home run for everyone, it's still a good turn better then when the only thing made in the USA about some models was the soil the local auto dealers were built on.
And American models should expect to continue to do well. Now that domestic car makers have started to invest more time and energy into smaller affordable new cars for sale, more people are starting to buy them because they well, like them! Building a better mouse trap never had any stipulation on where it had to be made. It just has to be made better.
So how do you get the most American bang for your American buck? A helpful start is to read up on our Who Really is - Made In America article and see the cars for yourself. Or you could do the other American thing and just look for the best new car prices and let capitalism rule. After all, its one of the foundations of our country.