General Motors and Ford say they've learned from the recent past that they'd rather be consistently profitable than extra popular by boosting sales through costly incentives and special financing deals.
Today, more Americans are buying cars than the auto industry expected and some companies, including Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota, have pledged to win more of the market.
Volkswagen, by lowering prices and making deals, for example, has increased its market share through April by about 20% compared with last year.
"Our objective is to grow faster than the market," said Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen of America.
GM and Ford want to maintain pricing even if they lose some ground in the marketplace.
It's a gamble, but one they embrace as they look first to boost their stock price. If all goes well, the companies will continue to strengthen their pricing and maintain profits to offset the economic crisis in Europe.