As 2006 opened, the papers were full of reports about the woes of General Motors and Ford. There will surely be hard times in Michigan soon. But the frequently overlooked fact is that auto manufacturing is alive and well in America, in plants owned by European and Asian manufacturers. Significantly, they are not unionized.

A huge problem in Michigan is that workers think they owe their jobs to the unions, not the companies that pay them. There have been plenty of failures of management and product planning as well. The two-seater Mazda Miata sports car, which has sold hundreds of thousands of units since its 1990 introduction, provides an example.

Shortly before its announcement, GM killed the two-seater Pontiac Fiero, saying there was no market for two-passenger cars. Now they’ve had 15 years to study the Miata, and to plan the Pontiac Solstice two-seater roadster. Most reviewers place the Solstice second in the two-car field.

Shoot The Messenger

Recently, Consumer Reports announced their best-in-class selections among 2006 cars: five Hondas, two Toyotas, two Subarus and one Infiniti. All Japanese! No Americans, no Europeans. They also announced the least reliable cars: Porsche, followed by Hummer, Land Rover, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz.

No word yet on the German reaction, but Lori Green, a GM executive sent an email to industry newspaper Automotive News, calling the Consumer Reports editors and reporters “the most unprofessional group of people I have ever worked with.” She went on to say: “They are totally nonobjective and go to great extremes to paint a picture for their paid subscription readers, who primarily buy Japanese cars. They don’t consider price, or price differences. They don’t consider model mix or consumer preferences, they buy the cheapest car they can find (generally), and then base all their opinions on a limited sample.”

Lori Green must have been inspired by GM history. Forty years ago, when Ralph Nader attacked the safety of the Chevrolet Corvair, GM had investigators “tail” Nader. GM got caught, thereby ensuring Nader’s fame. Sidelight: The fault Nader found with the Chevrolet was that it had rear suspension very similar to VW, Porsche and Mercedes models of the time. How bad was that?

Honda Civic        

Consumer Reports said the Honda Civic is the best under-$20,000 sedan. After driving a four-door automatic and a coupe five-speed, you’d have to agree.

Buyers do, too. Early in the year, Civic sales were up 40 to 50 percent. The Civic threatened to topple Toyota Camry from its best-selling-car position. To achieve such increases is almost unheard of, but if you try a Civic, you’ll know what these early buyers saw.

First, the car is original in style, restrained and bold in a single breath. Although it’s obviously not a luxury car, everything feels sturdy, solid and high quality. Things like upholstery, while not lavish, are tasteful, restrained, and just textured enough to avoid being bland.

On the road, it’s quiet, quick and comfortable. Driving down to Monterey, talking on my cell phone, I glanced at the speedometer, which said 89 mph — in something like Rolls Royce silence.

This Honda would be a useful benchmark. Whatever car you think you want, especially if it costs well over $20,000, drive it. Then drive the Honda Civic. See if you still think the price premium on your chosen car is justified.

Honda Civic 4 door Sedan 06

Honda Civic Coupe 06