Sheez people as long as it's got four wheels, a engine, and runs its fine for me, j/k. As for reliability I think how you take care of your car and how lucky you are makes the difference. I have a 95 Mustang and it's never given me any problems (I think waxing the car every week is obsessive, no?), but of course my family has also had some Japanese cars with serious problems. Not to mention the way cars are built today and how companies 'crossover' a American, Japanese, or even European car may not be made from where you think they come from. Me, I want a BMW M5, maybe a Lincoln LS, oh there's that Mr2 spyder, oh 2002 Thunderbird, and there's that Saleen supercar *sigh*.
Now I wish I had the fuel efficiency of a Civic but of course my car is a whole lot heavier and has a V6, but now I feel much safer and in an accident I would probably go through less damage. I once saw a horrible accident between a 99 Civic and a Dodge RAM (RAM 1, Civic -5). As for 'fixing up' 'rice cars' I do admit that some look real silly but of course they would probably beat the pants off of my 'stang but do they really need the 50 inch spoiler, the multicolored silvery paint (that looks like someone spend a bare minimum of time putting it on), the cheap HID knock offs, the 13' wheels that stick out of the car to do that. Now some of my friends do a lot lot of fixing up cars with their 'rice' cars and German performance monsters but you can't tell, well unless you are racing them (then tails lights and dust is all you'll see). That's how 'sports' cars should be. Take it from me, I'm female, nothing attracts me to a car but a purr of a good engine and speed, looks don't cut it alone. Of course, you know what they say about big flashy cars, the more flashy they are the more the owners are trying to make up for something.
Just my little commentary, I'll go wax my 'stang now.