American auto manufacturers don't make money from cars that we can afford to purchase but from cars we can only finance or lease. Those two kinds of contracts make more money for manufacturers than the cars themselves in terms of net margins.
Consider also the fact that since speed limits were increased from 55mph to 75mph that cars, suv's and trucks have gotten larger too. Their engines are designed to intimidate and race other vehicles. Rent one of these and you'll see that they're made to "respond" to accelerator inputs very handily in order to consume as much gas/diesel as they can drink. The harder American cars are run, the more service they require. Auto service is the other story of ...

American auto manufacturers don't make money from cars that we can afford to purchase but from cars we can only finance or lease. Those two kinds of contracts make more money for manufacturers than the cars themselves in terms of net margins.
Consider also the fact that since speed limits were increased from 55mph to 75mph that cars, suv's and trucks have gotten larger too. Their engines are designed to intimidate and race other vehicles. Rent one of these and you'll see that they're made to "respond" to accelerator inputs very handily in order to consume as much gas/diesel as they can drink. The harder American cars are run, the more service they require. Auto service is the other story of "ownership" which requires a calendar, credit card and of course a 2nd vehicle to "keep running" for the sake of the power vehicle that naturally needs more service more often than the less comfy but reliable car.
Add in the misery of constantly being told that foreigners are the source of our problems (terror/jobs/competitiveness/money/religion/defense) and what had been a question starts then to appear as an answer: more.