What American Car Would You Dare Recommend To Someone?

When I first got to Jalopnik, I surprised the rest of the staff with a fact from my childhood that I didn't know was weird: I didn't grow up around American cars. There were F-150s and Suburbans, sure, but my area of Connecticut didn't see many American sedans on its streets — people drove Toyotas and Hondas by default, not Fords or Chevrolets. Why? Simple. The foreign cars were better. At least, that was the pervading belief, but was it so true? Is it true now?

For decades, that's been the narrative: Japanese cars are practical and reliable, European cars are meticulously engineered, and their American counterparts are... a little less so. It's not just anecdotally true, either. Consumer Reports' list of the most reliable cars on the market is populated by Japanese and German cars and some American automakers seem plagued by recalls. But is every single American car so irredeemable, without quarter or exception? Is there any American car that you, dear reader, would be so bold as to recommend to a friend?

My pick would be one of my favorite automakers on the market: Rivian. R1S or R1T, it doesn't much matter, I'd be more than happy to recommend either one. I actually do, quite often, though I don't know if I've sold anyone on getting one yet — apparently the whole "state of American EV infrastructure" thing is still holding people back. Still, Rivian's truck and SUV are good cars, and I'm always more than happy to bring them up when someone's considering getting a new vehicle.

That's my pick for an American car worth recommending, but what's yours? Are you a big fan of the Ford F-150, the Chevy Suburban, or the Chrysler Pacifica? Leave your answers down in the comments, and we'll pick our favorites later on in the week. Bonus points for cars not just from American manufacturers, but actually manufactured within the borders of this one nation, under God, indivisible.