MICKEY KAUS: Mulally’s Legacy?

I just picked up the latest Consumer Reports auto ratings publication–useful mainly for its reliability survey. Has “the American auto industry … come roaring back,” as Pres. Obama says with some regularity? Chastened UAW workers worrying less about work rules and more about quality! GM and Chrysler, freed from legacy burdens, able to spend more on engineering and high-grade materials!

Um, not so much, according to CR. I counted only 3 Detroit-made cars with above average quality ratings (the Chevy Volt, the Chevy Equinox, and the Jeep Patriot). Meanwhile 21 products are below average. Toyota, by way of contrast, has 18 cars above average (out of 21 it sells) and none below average. Many highly-rated Toyota products, like the Camry and Venza, are assembled in the U.S.

But read on to see how Ford is doing.