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Motoring In Detroit

By MIKE COX

Special to The Washington Post

Published: January 17, 2009

America's Big Three automakers got pounded on Capitol Hill last month. Senators from both parties took turns ridiculing General Motors, Ford and Chrysler as out-of-touch fossils, churning out poor-quality products that virtually no one wants to buy.

Wouldn't it be nice if America's automakers actually made cars that customers wanted? New hybrids, for example, and electric vehicles, midsize cars that rank high in quality and more models that get 30 miles per gallon?

Actually, that's exactly what Detroit is doing.

I invite every member of the U.S. Senate to come visit the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Here is a sample of what they would see:

• The brand-new Ford Fusion Hybrid, which is the most fuel-efficient midsize car in America, averaging 41 miles per gallon.

• Chevy's new midsize Malibu, which gets 33 miles per gallon - better than the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima.

• Three new electric vehicles from Chrysler, including a gasoline-electric minivan and Jeep model and an all-electric sports car.

This model year, Detroit will make more than 137 vehicles that get 30 miles per gallon or more. The Big Three will also sell 25 hybrid models, 38 versions of flex-fuel vehicles and eight models that run on clean diesel. Ford and GM tied for the leadership position in the prestigious 2008 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, with 11 models ranked in the top three of their respective segments.

The last thing our economy needs right now is for 13 million jobs to be threatened. One out of every 10 jobs in America is related to the auto industry. That's why President Bush wisely agreed to release funds as a loan - not a bailout - to help the auto industry get through this Wall Street credit crunch.

As many have said: Facts are stubborn things. Unfortunately, the facts about America's auto manufacturers may have run up against something even more stubborn - the U.S. Senate.

The writer is attorney general of Michigan.

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