It's also an issue at the dealership level. A few years back, I needed to buy a new car, and I wanted a small car that fit my needs. I was considering several cars, but I was leaning toward the Ford Focus, because it had several features that the Japanese cars didn't have at the time. But when I went to the Ford dealership, no one would sell me one! I kept saying, over and over, that I wanted a small car. The salesmen (at three different dealerships) kept insisting that I "really wanted" an SUV. They claimed that they were unable to find a Focus for me to test drive, even though there were several on the lot. I finally gave up in frustration.

I went across the street to Toyota. I told the salesman that I wanted a small car. He said "great!" and sold me a Corolla. None of this "hey little lady, you don't know what you really want, so let me tell you what to buy". I think I made the better choice, but still, I might have bought a Focus if I could have found a salesman willing to sell me one. And I've talked to several other people (all women in their 20's or 30's) who have had the same experience - American car dealers refused to sell them small cars, and insisted that the only thing they were willing to sell were SUV's.

After that experience, I'm reluctant to ever set foot on an American car lot again. Car dealers are the face of the car companies, and the American companies have done a terrible job in training those dealers to sell the cars that many people want to buy.