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General discussion

Poll: What nationality's carmakers build the better car?

Jun 20, 2007 8:25AM PDT

For the average consumer, what nationality's carmakers build the better car?

American (Why?)
British (Why?)
Chinese (Why?)
French (Why?)
German (Why?)
Italian (Why?)
Japanese (Why?)
Korean (Why?)
Swedish (Why?)
Other (What is it?)

Please remember to be considerate of other members when posting your opinions and replies. Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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Japanese cars
Jun 21, 2007 1:28AM PDT

I have been driving Japanes cars since my 1972 Datsun 240Z. They look good, handle well, get better mileage, and best of all they rarely break.

Tom S

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Toyota rules
Jun 21, 2007 1:33AM PDT

I drive an old Toyota with 160K miles on it. Bought it used and have spent less than $200 per year average on maintenance - including oil changes!

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Japanese cars are best
Jun 21, 2007 1:47AM PDT

I have had Two Toyota vehicles and both have been exceptional. My Totyota truck (1882-1995) had over 500,000 Km and had only three minor repairs (water pump, oil pressure guage, and timing belt replacement). My Corolla station wagon replaced my truck (1995) and is coming upto 200,000 Km. with only a timing belt replacement (180Km).

Both were imports and I would like to get a Toyota crew cab import but trade restrictions by North American truck manufacturers make this cost prohibitive.

I'd buy an Amercian factory built Toyota but their engineering, workmanship and standards are below those of the Japanese factories. For some reason Toyota is catering to the BIG TRUCK, BIG MAN attitude of North American men and in doing so has been forced to re-engineer and re-design for this market. Hopefully in a few years they will get it right and build products as good as those in Japan.

For the GM and FORD guys just a little observation. I have been in a lot of back woods, rugged, god forsaken muck holes around the world and the dominant truck is Toyota. Reason? Price, Performance and Reliability. Again main reason why GM and FORD dominate in North America? Trade restrictions!

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Korea or Japan
Jun 21, 2007 2:15AM PDT

I am a patriotic American; that can be deduced by the amount of money I have wasted keeping my 3 American vehicles running until I got a Nissan. American car quality has been going steadily downhill since the mid 1970s, thanks to government regulations, unions, and poor corporate decisions. They are starting to get better (GM's 100k warranty for '07), but still have a ways to go. As of now, the average person should stick with Japanese or Korean vehicles unless they need a heavy duty truck. I have a '94 Nissan pickup with 450,000 miles on it. All I've had to replace was a clutch at 260k, and the usual wear items like brakes and....well, brakes. It still runs like a champ, the a/c blows 32

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American
Jun 21, 2007 2:36AM PDT

Best bang for the buck. Value. Quality is very high today. I love my Vette.

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Japanese and German
Jun 21, 2007 2:42AM PDT

I've got a foot in both camps here. I wish I could say American, but the quality still isn't there and the newer American cars don't last as long as those built 1970 and prior. I had a 70 Chevelle I sold with 193,000 miles on it and saw it on the road for many years after. I had a 67 Chevelle I sold at 197,000 miles. My 77 Firebird was an exception to my comment... I sold it at 337,000 miles because it was getting way too hard to find parts. American car designers need lessons in style. They aren't very appealing. At least the Corvette folks woke up and have a decent body style with the current generation, though I like the slightly longer body of a few years ago better... BUT they are over priced and not that reliable.

Our 83 Honda Accord went 460,000+ miles before it failed the smog test for the first time. Since it would have cost more than the car was worth to fix it, I sold it to the state for $1,000, which was more than I could have sold it for privately.

I've had another Honda and 2 BMW's in there as well. Honda's are built well, get decent gas mileage and they just keep running (if you take care of them - like pretty much any car would). Toyotas seem to be excellent cars also, but their style doesn't appeal to me. I'd love to have an Infiniti G35 and my wife loves the FX35 (which I don't quite understand - she's not the SUV type).

The BMW's have been super and are my favorite car to drive hands down. I never get to drive the 325Ci we have because I can't get my wife out of it. She wants another one... OK by me Happy Yes, they are a bit pricey as are Mercedes. You still see lots of old Mercedes and BMW's on the road today that look good and run fine.

You also see some older British cars, mostly Jags, but they've always had electrical problem and weren't very reliable. Unfortunately Jags, except the XK series, look more like Ford Tauruses than Jags.

The only exceptions I can think of to German made cars are VW and Audi, both of which have had their problems. The old classic VW beetles had electrical problems, most notably a burned out rear running light. It amazes me how many new VW Beetles have, you guessed it, rear running light problems.

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Who makes better cars.
Jun 21, 2007 2:42AM PDT

I agree with the top three on the general consensus. However, I would flip the top two and recognize German made cars (especially BMW) since they are copied so much by anyone building a car (especially the Japanese a la Lexus).

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cars, trucks, and minivans
Jun 21, 2007 3:05AM PDT

I prefer Japanese cars, especially ones built in America. I love my 5 year old Toyota Camry. Its a reliable and efficient trip car and it doesn't look bad either. The Camrys made in the Georgetown, KY, Toyota plant, I think, are far better in everything than more American cars.

I do like Mazdas. They handle well and I never had a major problem with them, unlike my 1992 Toyota Tercel (engine problem at 120,000 miles) and the various Fords (transmission on the Tarsus and brakes and electrical problems on the Mustang and Maverick) I owned.

I did give the Hyundais and Kias are really good try, but I didn't like either of them. Maybe because I didn't like the particular econo Hyundai I rented (majorly warped windshield) and I didn't like the mushy and uncertain handling on the Kia I rented.

I remember my Dad's VW Karman-Ghia, the best car for driving in a blizzard back in the 1970s. He drove it until the wheels fell off (then he walked home). But I am not impressed with the newer Volkswagens, probably because many 3rd-party mechanics don't work on them and they are very expensive now.

The Yugo was an interesting car! The first disposable car on the market. At least you got what you paid for, half the price for half the car! What's next? The $2500 Adobe car?

As for French cars, why bother unless you want to be wierd? That's just asking for maintenance trouble.

As for Swedish cars, they are sluggish and expensive, but extremely safe. They can about guarantee that you will exit their car in one piece no matter what happens! Maybe I should consider getting one because of the suicidal driving behavior I see every day Happy

And I wouldn't get an American car. Maybe a Chrysler/Dodge minivan, since they basically invented them and still make halfway decent ones. But I think other Japanese car makers are making more reliable minivans than Chrysler/Dodge, but I like American mini-van "extras" (easy to remove seats, comfortable seating, etc) that make travel a real pleasure. Give my a Chrysler for a trip minivan!

I don't know about reliability of post 1990 SUVs. I personally don't like them. Their center of gravity is too high and they guzzle fuel. They are more difficult to load/unload luggage and they don't hold any more cargo, or as many people, as many mini-vans. Also, aren't they a problem child to insure since many of their bumpers and side panels are made of plastic-matte? Give me the steel of the original can't-drive-above-50MPH-climbs-over-everything Land Rover or the Classic Jeep?

Trucks are a different matter. I can understand people buying American trucks because of their large truck beds than most older foreign trucks. They just are not my cup of tea.

Just my 0.2 cents worth

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Germany cars
Jun 21, 2007 3:24AM PDT

The German cars are surer and intelligent and best than everybody,
if you notice, the designs it

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AMERICAN
Jun 21, 2007 3:27AM PDT

Actually GM only - 81 Chevy 250, 300,000+ only thing changed in it are the shocks, belts, battery, starter and alternator, never driven without 800+ lb cargo in it and the oil only gets changed when its black. Ran that sucker to the ground and its still going. 99 Grand Am with 210,000 only changed the battery and a fuel pump. 88 Cadillac not too many miles but still purring. Only changed batteries and belts. 97 Altima, over 10,000 in repairs; hubs, engine mount, gaskets, manifolds, alternators, starter, etc. etc. 87 Cressida 2 engines and a tranny along with other crap before 150,000. I've had others but I think thats a pretty good representation. GM gooood, *** baaaad. The normal maintenence (dealer or otherwise) is a lot more expensive for *** than gm too. My friends who drive like 10,000 or less a year seem to have better luck with *** cars, but for a real road machine with like 30,000 or more a year, you need an AMERICAN!

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Japanese
Jun 21, 2007 3:36AM PDT

There?s nothing subjective about my response, Japanese automobiles have no competition for reliability at any price. Oh, you can buy a more expensive car, but, no, you can?t buy a better one. All you have to do is read the Annual Car Guide from Consumer?s Reports and you?ll see at once, it?s a no-brainer. The Guide includes statistics gathered from hundreds of thousands of readers. The statistics are gathered in a data base that shows how the cars do in something like 20 categories. Things like transmission, engine, hardware, exhaust, brakes, etc. With out fail for decades now, the most reliable cars have been Japanese makes. Honda and Toyota are astonishing for their reliability. If you want a real eye opener, compare high priced makes like Mercedes, Audi or BMW with the Japanese brands. Frankly, when I do, I wonder why anyone backs such Euro Brands?and American Brands are worse. When it comes to reliability, safety, comfort, handling and re-sale, the whole package, it?s Japanese Brands, hands down.

Mike, Happy Owner of a 1998 Infinity (up-brand of Nissan) with a 110,000 miles?still gets 24 miles to the gallon on the highway (typically cruising at just under 80 in AZ) with a double overhead cam V8.

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Because I'm British and
Jun 21, 2007 3:47AM PDT

The car - at least with the internal combustion engine - was invented here, though I know of many Americans who think that Henry Ford invented the automobile. In actual fact, Ford only invented the system of car building on automatic lines, "Production Lines" as they are called, and his system was originally used for British cars BEFORE he produced his own car!

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This is a "nobrainer."
Jun 21, 2007 5:21AM PDT

Of course it's the Japanesse. It doesn't matter where the model or the manufactuer produces the car the quality control is better,
they are more attuned to the needs of the American consumer and for the most part the American consumer is more confident with their relability. That cannot be said for the "Big Three" Detroit offerings. Why is it the Big 3 ads constantly try to compare themselves to the Toyota and Honda's of the world? Because they have lost sales to the Japan cars because of their indifference to the needs of the U.S. customer. I could sight instance after instance of a history of poor design and workmanship put out by Detroit. Even recently as of yesterday I read that Detroit's relationship with their political buddies in Washington is wearing thin, particlurly regarding making their cars more fuel effcient. I have or currently owned Toyota's, Honda's, Miata's, Acura's and Nissan's over the last 25 years. I currently drive a 2007 Lexus RX350 and a 2005 Infiniti Coupe. We have never had a serious recall of any of those cars and for the most part we buy new automobiles. Sorry Detroit, you had your chance and blew it. Check Consumers Report and see which models over the years get high marks and which ones don't. Very rarely has a Detroit car ever been given a good grade.
My favorite screwup by GM involved cars made in the late 70's and early 80's that when the X frame design sprung and you would be driving behind one and you see see all 4 wheels going down the road the frame was so out of alignment. That actually happened to my wife's new 79 Buick and I saw that on Chev's to Caddy's. By the way that was our last Detroit car we ever bought. It was a piece of junk from day it left the dealership. Again Detroit had their chances and blew it with us and 1000's of other American consumers.

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Why do most consider Japanese cars higher quality?
Jun 21, 2007 5:57AM PDT

Only takes a few words like:
Lexus
Infiniti
Nissan

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American What???
Jun 21, 2007 9:23AM PDT

Lee you are kidding right?
First of all most readers don't have a clue on truth about this subject because they weren't born yet. But for the rest We all know that the American Auto makers lost the edge in the 70's with the introduction of Honda, Toyota, and Subaru. Prior to the 70's we had other foreign autos here in the States as Fiat, Porsche, and Austin Healey, but American cars still ranked number 1 Until yep you got it "The Japanese Take Over!" The Japanese took John Q Publics concerns of price, economy and saftey and built them into their automobiles Where as the American top 3 were only concerned about Sales. People who are foolish enough to believe American Cars are still No.1 are still living in the 60's and 70's Where Pony cars and Rat motors and American Muscle were king of the strip. The 70's so long ago for most but so resent for the rest.

Sign me in as old enough to remember, to old to participate and wise enough to know my limitations

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japans cars, but they're assembled here in the US
Jun 21, 2007 9:46AM PDT

My wife and I bought a 1988 Toyota Camry NEW in 1988, and when we just sold it to a young fellow we have watched grow up, the car is STILL running strong with about 150,000 miles on it.
He LOVES this car, his parents are happy for him, and we replced it with TWO identical 1992 Camrys, BOTH with slightly over 115,000 miles on them EACH!!
The last car a FORD Escort, blew a head gasket, and was repaired at a cost of over 600.00 in 1988, two weeks later, the timing belt broke, negating the head gasket repair, AND it needed a water pump, aAND timing belt AND yet another head gasket with ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT!!!!
Besides, Toyota has plants here in the US, so while the COMPANY may be Asian, they are creating US JOBS!!!
I have talked with MASTER technicians for Chrysler Motors, and they admit that their cars are some of the WORST cars on the road.
Look in ANY large parking lot, how many Camrys, Accords, and other imports are there????
And I do NOT mean NEW ones.....

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Australia has got to be among the best value cars
Jun 21, 2007 9:58AM PDT

In the past few years research and development and Ford and (General Motors)Holden have been up there with the best in the world. Take the new VE Commodore for example and it's HSV derivatives. These are traditional front-engine, rear wheel drive cars that offer sophistication, performance, handling, quality and safety that motoring journalists are describing as not far behind that of BMW, Mercedes etc yet they cost less than one third of the price. There are plenty of cars that were once imported into Australia, that simply didn't sell because they weren't robust enough to endure Australias environment and roads, which are pretty harsh on cars. For outright durability I don't think there's a much better family sedan than a Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon, I know of Falcons with nearly one million kilometers on the clock still running the original engine, it's not that uncommon.
We've not been exporting for long so I guess our reputation as a player on the global car market has yet to be established. But how many of you have heard of a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III??? For those that haven't, it's an Australian 4 door sedan that was released in 1971, and remained the worlds fastest four door production sedan for several years. I believe that tile now belongs to a Mercedes Benz, but how expensive is it?!

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My loyalties are American But
Jun 21, 2007 9:59AM PDT

In the service of My country I have lived for Six Years in Germnay and Their products are superior in design and engineering over every other countries. But My vehicle will always be American. I will never screw up and buy a foriegn car ever again, too much to repair, not enough room, not enough horsepower, not enough. but if I could afford a Mercedes I would do it in a heart beat. I rode in an mercedes that was 35 Years old and it still smelled new and ran like new. Enough said.

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Cars on the internet
Jun 21, 2007 10:55AM PDT

I agree, why is it a thread? Why don't we rate suppliers, retailers & products in general? We should help one another steer clear of uncaring companies & such.
But here are my two cents, because I'm sure that there is a reason for this someplace. That is, other than providing a place for flame wars.

If a vehicle brand worked for you, it was great, if it didn't it sucked.
What you consider a good value is the key. I enjoy the longevity of Japenese vehicles, but detest the tin doors shutting, the ultra thin seats & a few other things. I've owned nearly everyone's vehicle.
I enjoy the life of a Japer, as much as I love the sound of an American eight's big cube, which isn't to say that listening to my Alfa's intake & exhaust wasn't sweet music, because it was.
The Ferrari sounded great, but was in the shop much more than the Fiat, which was in there less than the Triumph.

Volvo still makes the best rollcaged car. So how do you drive your vehicle?
I saw a comparison between some monster suv's & a Rover. "Seems the Rover can't quite get up to speeed against the others. " Was the spiel, but I wouldn't take a Lincoln four wheeling, let alone in the jungle.
The car buying populace is fickle. As is the market in general. Linux, Mac or Windows? Than somoene will ask about Sun.

So what if they're using more plastic, we should be concerned with other methods of energy anyhow. Which platic being the keyed factor. We'll all think plastic is safe, than we get electric cars. Save the petroleum to make plastic.

Final note is this. In & around 1978 someone hit me on the right side of a one lane road. He was doing 50, I was doing 35. I was driving my 1966 Plymouth Fury 3 he was driving a 1972/4 Plymouth Duster.
He hit my bumper (as he was trying to pass). It tore his door to the tailights, made an evil bend in my bumper.
His car was totalled, I drove up to the corner of my house & hit the accelerator till the bumper went (nearly) in place. I drove to work the next day, he called in.

It's what is asked for at the era. If he hit me in a Datsun B-210, I'd proly be toast. Side note. I replaced my OEM battery in `78 five times. Lasted pretty well from`66 to `78, but you couldn't buy that brand anymore. No wonder, they lasted too long.

But now I sit here on the CNET forum, talking about cars, & wondering why PNY can't ship me a working stick of RAM, & why Egghead didn't want to comp it in the first, one day of delivery. I'm also wondering about that rebate that expired four months ago in February, but this is a car thread.

So I will say buy a Peugout. They used to make saw blades, that's close enough to cars. As is cars to computer devices.

Fred

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I think Germans makes the best cars.
Jun 21, 2007 11:04AM PDT

Well not to be favoring something or anything, the Japanese automakers use to copy German vehicle design like Lexus. Also the japenese cars break down many times like Honda and Acura. These cars don't last long and have engine problems. The German Vehicles like BMW and Mercedes make top of the line cars and last the longest. I have an uncle that owns a Mercedes and kept it in top shape and it lasted for more than 750 000 KM. Thats allot of mileage for a car like that. It was never repaired for anything and is still running like a bird. That diesel wont die. Its 29 years old, a 300D. I know people who have Hondas for more than 10 years and want to change there car. Germans make much better looking cars and last much longer. Better parts better life span. The Japenese cars are loaded with so much garbage, no wonder its so popular and cheap. Mercedes are now making cars for the lower class people that is affordable and offers great technology and mileage.

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Germans.. Hands DOWN..
Jun 21, 2007 12:51PM PDT

Sorry I'm nearing that wonderful age of 40 and I've also worked a Very Large portion of that time in the Auto Industry both at the Dealership/ Reconditioning and F&I Levels....

Without a Doubt in my mind the best manufactured cars on the Planet are German. I did do a lot of business with American Honda and can truly back their product 150%... I've never had a Honda I didn't love.. But when you drive a Benz or a Jetta or a BMW .. there's simply a difference... My 2003 325i drives as tight as the day I bought it 4 years ago.... I've had SL500's that after 8 years are much more stable, better built and less repair needed cars than 3 month old Camry's....

Sorry I know they WACK ya over the head on the numbers .. and yeah they aren't for everyone due to their ridiculous COST but without a doubt you are not simply paying for status....

A BMW 745 is a TANK... there's nothing that Japanese automakers manufacture that's even in the same "atmosphere".

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Impossible to say
Jun 21, 2007 2:40PM PDT

It's nearly impossible to answer this with a legitimate reason.
Most foreign auto makers are owned, and built by, other auto makers - from a different country.
-Opel, which is european, is owned my GM, which is american
-Volvo & Saab, which are swedish, are owned by ford & GM, which are american
-Chrysler, which is American, is/WAS owned by mercedes, which is European - (or they owned each other equally, i forget)
-Daewoo which is Korean, is owned by GM, which is American
need I go on?

The best makers, by your standards, are probably automakers subsidized by another automaker of the same country. like BMW owning SMART & Rolls Royce - all of which are european, Mercedes owning Maybach - both are european, Honda owning Acura - japanese, Toyota owning Lexus - japanese, etc...

But then you could go on and talk about the larger subsidiaries - like GM, which makes a lot of american cars, and just as many european cars, so its more diverse.

You can even look at the automaker before they were bought over. Volvo for instance use to be known for being extremely solid cars, and uniquely designed, now theyre just like everyother car because of Ford - same goes for Saab; GM completely ruined Saab's reputation. So if you really want to get technical, you can talk about what automakers were like back in the day.

It all depends on how you look at it.

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whoops
Jun 21, 2007 2:42PM PDT

sorry, i mean MERCEDES owning smart, not BMW

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i say the koreans do
Jun 21, 2007 8:06PM PDT

I say the Koreans have the leg up, right now, because they have made the most gain in public confidence, initial quality, and sales volume, in contrast to their competitors.As their rise to this level has not been meteoric, but stable, consistent and growing. Most of others have been falling back, although not for the same reasons.Among the Japanese, Toyota has had some setbacks, most recently with the stumbling launch of their Tundra full-size pickup. Toyota realized they had to offer rebates to get the target buyers interested as the Tundra's price point was $1,800 to $3,300 higher than the immediate competition, despite differences in content packaging. Embarassing engine failures due to oil starvation also contributed to their problems of late.Nissan, Subaru, Mazda and Suzuki have made modest gains in market share, principally due to strides in model diversity and increases in quality. Mitsubishi and Isuzu have had incredible losses in sales volume, market share, especially Izusu. They now offer only one product, a thinly disguised version of the Chevrolet Colorado pickup, which has mediocre appeal according to several consumer surveys.As for the Europeans,Mercedes-Benz, which until a few years ago, was the darling of the consumer surveys, has fallen on bad times due some embarassing quality issues steming from, in my opinion, packing too much unwanted technology into their cars. The German carmakers, of late, have been condensing the myriad of functions available in their cars into unnecessary complicated driver interfaces, such as BMW's I-Drive. Such devices meant to improve driver operation, often frustrate even the most patient among us. Just to do simple tasks such as changing the temperature of the climate control, or getting your favorite radio station can waste unnecessary minutes poring over seemimgly endless pages in the drivers manuals.Volkswagen continues to struggle in America, despite much marketing success in Europe.Jaguar, with the exception of its X-Type, sells well within its rather small demographic. They should not try to sell smaller cars here,perhaps they should modernize the S-Type and just drop the the X-Type, which has had quality issues ever since is was first offered in the U. S.
Of course, on the horizon are cars to be offered by the Chinese promising great value for their size and content. Time will tell. And the there's Mahindra, India's medium duty truck and tractor maker who will be selling a mid-sized pickup and a SUV here next year, both well-equipped and starting around $22K. Looks like our domestic car companies have even more headaches in store for them.

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AVERAGE GERMAN-MADE CARS ARE BETTER
Jun 22, 2007 12:22AM PDT

First, answer this question implies making some previous statements: This poll is about quality, NOT quality versus price. If you just evaluate quality, as a result of number of quality tests along the process of making and delivering a car to the consumer, german made cars are better, but at expense of ridiculous prices. At least, for the average consumer here in argentina, where I live.-
If we speak in terms of quality-price, japanese cars are unmatchable.-
Ford cars that are sold here, fail with a frequency absolutely unacceptable, specially transmission, and engine.- GM cars, are just a little bit better.- But in average, reliability and performance of japanese made cars, comparing cars of similar price, can't be beaten.- A ford fiesta, has the same price as the new suzuki Swift, and the suzuki is very far better in every ways.-
Oil companies here use toyota, and only particular users still buy Ford Rangers, because of being Ford fundamentalists, and are continuosly complaining in forums about malfunctions just after the 30.000 miles guarantee expire.-
That's been an opinion of a guy from south america, who knows a lot more than the average people about cars, and I hope nobody feels offended.

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No one ever gave India a thought....
Jun 22, 2007 5:26PM PDT

My first instinct was to vote for Japan (because their cars are super- refined, build to last and score high on quality). But, after taking into consideration the "average consumer", I knew that I needn't look further than my home.
Its India for me...
Where else can U get a sparkling new, roll-caged, 5 seater car giving 18km/litre, 2 year warranty and servicing (U do the math for miles/gallon) for as low 5000 US$ (I am talking about a car called Maruti Suzuki Alto - 800cc) ?

And, if things go a sper the plan, an Indian company with a global view, named Tata Motors, will roll-out a 5 seater small car by end-2008 for as low as 2500 US$...Something that Renault & Nissan are looking upto...
Beat that...!!!

(U may argue that its favortism, but somewhere there's logic involved as well).

Thanks,
Abhishek, Mumbai,India.

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German
Jun 22, 2007 10:23PM PDT

If I take several criteria like performance, comfort, security, design, fuel consumption, cost and quality into account, presently the best mix are German cars, followed by Japanese. For me Japan is not #1 due to several facts: in the last year the quality of Japanese cars has dropped while the quality of German cars has improved according to a recent investigation, the hybrid technology is important but will only be an intermediate solution, and the design is either boring or copied.

Generally, the competition is very tough. Presently you can buy a lot of good cars from different countries. The differences have become smaller.
I wonder which vendor from which country will for the first time offer the real break-through in the fuel-saving/low emission problem.

Peter

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Two Major Reasons
Jun 22, 2007 11:45PM PDT

1) Japan can build better cars, even in the U.S., due to superior management. The workers are the same, the suppliers similar, etc., but American management relies on yesterday's patterns for success.
2) Every Japanese car costs 1,500 to $2,500 less to produce than American-made "equivalents" because of lower overhead, read: Retirement obligations.

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Japanese, for sure.
Jun 23, 2007 3:46AM PDT

They pay attention to what they do. It speaks volumes for their national culture in the sense that they practice order and neatness daily. It is common knowledge here in South Africa that their factories are managed through a specific philosophy of actively involving the people on the floor to ensure quality and improvement.

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Japanese and German
Jun 24, 2007 2:17AM PDT

My first car was a 1932 Chevrolet roadster. Currently I have a Cadillac and a Toyota. Until the early 70s Japanese cars were high maintenance, since then I have found that they rarely need anything except routine maintenance. The opposite is true of the American made cars today. What have I owned since 1947, Jeeps, Kaiser,Pontiac, Ford, Cadillac, Honda, Toyota, Plymouth, Chrysler New Yorker( worst car I ever owned) and Volkswagen. I have lived and driven all over Europe for 12 years. I go to Europe for 5-6 weeks almost every year and rent a Passat (VW) in Munich or Zurich.