Can Ford and GM build a better Honda?

The Buick Regal and the Ford Fiesta are two examples of American vehicles that are taking aim at Honda, the company that helped establish these segments.  The Regal is a direct competitor to the Acura TSX while the Fiesta hopes to steal market share away from the Honda Fit.

Both the Regal and the Fiesta hope to finally pull off something they have failed to do in the past - bring a successful European vehicle to America.  The Regal is actually the Opel Insignia while the Fiesta is simply the Fiesta.  Both of these vehicles have benchmarked their competitors from Honda and feel they offer a better value.  I think both of these vehicles will experience success in America, but not necessarily because they are better.  

Having lived on the East Coast and the West Coast, I've come to the realization that when it comes to passenger cars, the coasts are dominated by the Imports and everything in between is dominated by domestic automobile manufacturers.  That's just the way it is.  So when Ford and Buick claim victory, the question is where did those sales come from.  If customers are truly buying these vehicle in lieu of those Hondas, then mission accomplished.  However, I predict most of these sales will be true domestic buyers.  And that's a shame because these are two very respectable "World" cars that deserve consideration by ALL shoppers.

So if the Honda Fit or Acura TSX are on your shopping list, do yourself a favor and take the Fiesta and Regal for a test drive.  We did and we liked them.  We also like the direction that GM and Ford are taking with their smaller vehicles, but is it enough to win over Honda owners?