Best American cars to buy

The American car business used to be the envy of the world. But thanks to too many years of pumping out uninspired, shoddily built, and overly thirsty vehicles, U.S. automakers dug themselves into a hole too deep even for a hedonistic, gas-guzzling full-size truck to climb out of.

But there are more and more bright lights appearing in this bleak landscape, lights that do not belong to trucks or SUVs. The Big Three seem to have gotten the memo that cars won’t sell on power alone but also must be good-looking, offer quality interior fit and finish, deliver driving satisfaction, and, yes, be relevant.

Now there are many shining reasons to buy ’merican. Here, we’ve selected five of our favorites—some fresh and some familiar, but each proudly wearing a badge from one of America’s Big Three automakers. And although they’re not all built in the U.S.A. (two are built in Canada), all five cars in this group feel American through and through.