The cars of 1992, and the one that arrived from nowhere and stayed forever

The Taurus had reclaimed the top position with an updated design that addressed the original car's most visible weaknesses. The 1992 Taurus was a genuinely good car — well-packaged, reliable by domestic standards, and available with a 3.8-litre V6 that provided comfortable performance. The SHO version with its Yamaha-developed V6 was the sports sedan that domestic buyers had been waiting for since the 1960s.

The fourth-generation Accord launched in 1990 and was in its strongest sales form by 1992. The 1992 Accord EX with the 2.2-litre DOHC engine was the best mid-size family car in the American market by a margin that could be measured objectively in build quality, reliability data, and resale value. The number-two position in the sales charts understated the car's position in the quality conversation.

The third-generation Camry launched in 1992 with a new platform and a refinement level that challenged the Accord for the title of best mid-size sedan. The V6 version was quieter than anything comparable from the domestic manufacturers. The four-cylinder was more fuel-efficient. Both were more reliable than either.

The Escort was in its second domestic generation and had improved substantially over the original. The GT version with the twin-cam engine from Mazda — the car was developed jointly — was the most technically interesting domestic small car available, though the connection to Mazda's engineering was something Ford's marketing team preferred not to emphasise.

The Cavalier was in its third generation and was selling to buyers who wanted a domestic small car at a domestic small car price. The Z24 version continued to offer the appearance of sporting intent without fully delivering on it. The base car was reliable and affordable and sold in large numbers for exactly those reasons.

The fifth-generation Civic launched in 1992 with a new platform, new engines, and a refinement level that moved the Civic from 'very good small car' to 'benchmark small car.' The Si coupe with the 1.6-litre VTEC engine was the version that enthusiasts wanted. The base DX was the version that the market bought in its largest numbers, and the DX was also excellent.

The Saturn was GM's attempt to compete with the Japanese small cars on their own terms — not with price, but with quality and customer satisfaction. The plastic body panels that resisted parking lot dings, the no-haggle pricing, the genuinely attentive dealer service: Saturn was doing things that GM corporate did not fully understand and would eventually discontinue. The SL was a competent car. The Saturn experience around the car was better than the car.

The Grand Am continued to sell well to buyers who wanted a domestic car with a sporting appearance. The Quad 4 engine in the GT was the most interesting mechanical content, producing 180 horsepower from 2.3 litres with a sound that was distinctive and an experience that rewarded high revs.

The Tempo was completing its production run — it would be replaced by the Contour in 1995 — and selling to buyers who needed it without particularly wanting it. A useful car in a market that had better useful cars available.

The Cutlass nameplate's long decline was visible by 1992 in its position at number ten. The car that had led the sales charts through most of the 1970s was now a mid-list entry in a market it had once dominated. The 1992 Ciera is a competent family car with a famous name and no particular reason for that name to appear on it.