- Mark Dolliver

In addition to the billion-dollar profit announced by Ford Motor for the third quarter, the company continues to profit in public esteem from its decision not to take a federal bailout earlier this year.

In Rasmussen Reports polling this week, 68 percent of respondents said they have a "favorable" impression of the company, including 29 percent who take a "very favorable" view. Seventeen percent were "somewhat unfavorable" and 7 percent "very unfavorable," with the rest unsure. Men were more likely than women to express a favorable impression of Ford (74 percent vs. 62 percent). Ford's positive rating has been on an upward trajectory throughout the year, with its "favorable" total having climbed from 51 percent in March, 64 percent in May and 66 percent in July.

Elsewhere in the current poll, bailout recipient General Motors was viewed favorably by 34 percent of respondents (including just 7 percent with a very favorable impression). On the negative side, 31 percent were somewhat unfavorable and 25 percent very unfavorable. The pattern was similar for Chrysler, which also took federal aid: 10 percent very favorable, 19 percent somewhat favorable, 30 percent somewhat unfavorable and 33 percent very unfavorable.

If GM stays afloat despite its dismal approval ratings, it'll be partly thanks to the inertia of car buyers who tend to stick with the brand they've owned in the past. This is reflected in a September poll in which respondents were asked whether they'd definitely buy (or consider buying) their next vehicle from specific automakers. GM came out of that survey with a slightly higher "definitely buy" vote (15 percent) than Ford (13 percent) or Toyota (11 percent). Chrysler, whose market share is already in single digits, languished with a "definitely buy" vote of just 4 percent.

GM did suffer a higher "definitely will not buy" tally (24 percent) than Ford (19 percent) or Toyota (20 percent). Chrysler's "definitely not" number was even worse, at 31 percent.