Make Some Noise for Detroit

So while I was having my car repaired, after a minor collision due to semi losing a tread in front of me on the highway, I walked by a Kia dealership.
In the showroom they had one of the new Kia Soul's. This is a sub-compact SUV, with room for five, and a sizable cargo area. First off, the fact a Kia caught my eye is probably something worthwhile to note. Kia's and Hyundai's have typically been the blander cheaper cousins of Japanese compact cars, competing against the Nissan Sentras and Toyota Corollas. An episode of Top Gear from a season or two ago found the three hosts at a loss when trying to find a Pacific Rim car they liked.
But I had just been driving around in a Cobalt, and walking around the Soul I noted that the interior is comparable if not better, and the overall size for passengers is greater than the Cobalts.
Then, I asked a gentleman behind a desk what the price of such a vehicle would be.
He said 13,000.
So instead of a bland econo-car, I can have an oddly stylish compact SUV and still keep three grand in my pocket?
Its the same understeering front wheel drive layout, granted, but I doubt either Soul or Cobalt owners will be showing up to track days. This is a car for the office commute, the grocery store trips, navigating the urban labyrinth and suburban housing developments.
So this brings me to the domestic auto-industry bailout, mostly in supposing that it is a gargantuan waste of taxpayer money.
Where is American auto-engineering excellence? Are there designers in the continental 48 who can draw up a transport that doesn't put the consumer to sleep?
Yes, the Big Three are failing. We can't just blame it on an economic downturn. Its because the past decades domestic autos have been plagued with inferior technology, shoddy interiors in both fit and finish, and a lack of style that makes me wonder if its the children of American car designers who are moving to Williamsburg and dressing like clowns.
For fucks sake, Detroit: Get your act together.
The trend permeates all classes of cars. Italy brings us the Ferrari 599 GTB , Japan has made the Acura NSX, the Toyota Supra, and the Nissan Skyline (and the subsequent stateside GTR). We have the Dodge Viper, which is not so much a sports car as a flashing neon sign to the world regarding the small penis of the owner. We have the Corvette, the style of which has changed so little in my lifetime that even 911 owners find the new models redundant.
Then there is the Ford Mustang, more name than car. Crude suspension and a live rear axle! In 2009!!! This car is anything but cutting edge.
So, screw Detroit. Bad business plans and lackluster products undermined their industry, not this economic downturn.