Forbes magazine columnist Jerry Flint recently wrote a column about the supposed “conspiracy” of biased journalists against American cars. But as harsh as it may sound, could it be that foreign cars are really just better?

Forbes magazine columnist Jerry Flint recently wrote a column about the supposed “conspiracy” of biased journalists against American cars. But as harsh as it may sound, could it be that foreign cars are really just better?

Aside from more advanced powertrains, better interiors, better styling, and better resale value–attributes that commonly rank foreign-brand cars higher than equivalent domestics–there are purely subjective reasons that drive (pardon the pun) individuals toward foreign brands.

Take me, for instance. I make no bones about being a dedicated wagon nut. I love wagons. I love their practicality, their styling, their economy (compared to an SUV), and their infinitely more fun-to-drive nature than the lumbering beasts that are SUVs.

Yet, this is the one bodystyle that, with a few isolated exceptions, seems to have been completely abandoned by domestic carmakers. Instead, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors insist I buy some variation of one of the multitudes of SUVs they produce, including the new “crossovers.”

No. I want a wagon, period. If you’re not going to build one for me, I’m going to buy from someone that does. Falling under my broad umbrella of “wagons” are 5-door models, another breed which is rare among the Detroit brands. Okay, so there’s the Dodge Magnum for those that want a larger muscle-wagon; sibling Caliber for those that want something a little smaller; and the HHR for Chevy. Oh, yeah, and that long-in-tooth PT Cruiser that’s due for an update (and likely to be replaced by a “crossover” of some sort).

I’ll admit the Magnum is an attractive and compelling option. It’s just, well, bigger and more expensive than what I need right now. But Mazda’s Mazda3 is much more my style and size. Especially the spicy Mazdaspeed version.

I was excited when I found out that GM’s Saturn brand would be bringing a version of the European Opel Astra over to the U.S. that included the 5-door form (pictured). I promptly wrote an e-mail to Saturn’s customer service center saying that if it builds a 5-door Redline version, I would strongly consider it.

I stand by that. However, I also noticed that the Euro-spec model offers an optional in-dash navigation system. I have no idea if the U.S. version’s going to get that (or not), but it seems, lately, GM is determined to give us OnStar turn-by-turn navigation (whether we want it or not). Considering that its primary competitors like the aforementioned Mazda, not to mention the new Honda Civic and VW GTI, offer in-dash nav systems as an option, I think the General would be arrogant–and foolish–to assume that American shoppers wouldn’t want the option.

So, my message to the domestics, if you’re listening to the small community of compact wagon nuts like me, is this: I want a nice, compact high-performance wagon, with premium options and features, for less than $30,000. You’ve got a promising candidate in the Astra 5-door. Please don’t dumb it down for us Yanks.

- Edward A. Sanchez