Well, I'm a doctor so I guess I can chime in. Agree with what m110 says and a couple observations of my own...
1) there's a huge difference between how you are treated when you purchase an import, particularly if its a "luxury" brand. The treat you with respect and, if you finish looking at a car and tell them that you will call them if you want to proceed, they don't ring your f---ing phone off the hook for the next 2 weeks trying to convince you to buy their car. Having your BMW/Mercedes/Porsche/Infinit/Lexus serviced is also a MUCH more pleasant expericence and they almost always give you a nice loaner so you can still go about your day. That alone is almost worth the delta in price.
2) Every time I rent a car its some American POS. The materials, build, ride, look... everything... just sucks! If you've ever driven a Malibu and then got behind the wheel of a BMW, there's no way you're going to buy the Malibu if you can afford the BMW. Doesn't help that every rental car lot is full of the same crap so even if you decide to purchase an American car its not going to be worth anything when it comes time to sell/trade. My '88 Carrera with 130k miles still looks, drives, feels like new.. no squeaks or rattles, was built to be driven hard and last a long time.
I'd love to purchase a truly American car. Clearly American workers are capable of assembling a decent car as lots of foreign companies are manufacturing here in the U.S. The problem IS the American car makers and (thankfully) they're finally having to face reality. Too bad the government is bailing them out as I'd rather see some privately funded American folks buy up the plants and start from scratch designing and building something worth driving.
P.S.- yes, I started with an '87 16v Scirocco, then a GTI, then a Jetta.
