

German car dealer Rudi Dietl, who had the idea for the gingerbread Volkswagen bus, stands between the Volkswagen T1 mini bus made of gingerbread (L) and the original car model in Hanover, Germany, 17 December 2014. (EPA/JULIAN STRATENSCHULTE)

The car sales industry is held in such disrepute that its profession has basically become a metaphor for dishonesty. It's the go-to, at this point, when you're talking about slimy, win-at-all-costs tactics.

Congress could soon take its place.

New polling from Gallup shows car salespeople actually maintain a decent-sized advantage on Congresspersons when it comes to "honesty and ethical standards."

Sixty-one percent of people say Congress has very little of either, while 45 percent say the same of the people who sell them Hyundais.

That's actually a slightly smaller gap in than in 2013, when it was 66-47. So, progress!

Still, fewer than one in 10 people say either profession has "high" or "very high" honesty and ethics. And each of them are actually down a point on that measure. So I guess neither can really celebrate. Sorry.

Next year, they should test telemarketers.