Which country is producing the best cars?

dgstewart · 05-28-2008, 11:03 AM

I was interested in getting people's opinions on which country is currently producing the best automobiles? Is Japan still more reliable than other countries or does it depend on the manufacturer?
Thanks.

Moppie · 05-29-2008, 08:01 AM

Define best?

What do you want to measure?
What nations work forces produce the best build quality?
Or do you still think automotive brands are tied to national identity?

lamehonda · 05-29-2008, 09:37 AM

I think that Japan still has the lead on quality. It certainly isn't China. Moppie, are you talking about the fact that a good majority of our "Japanese" cars are really American cars?

Hudson · 05-29-2008, 01:10 PM

I'm with Moppie on the definition problem. "What's the best" anything requires a definition of what defines "best." Is it reliability alone? If that's the case, I'm going to say that all US-, Japan-, and German-built vehicles rank so highly in reliability, that you couldn't really tell them apart statistically.

And the "definition problem" is further confused by the question of "which country." Since many Toyotas and Hondas and Nissans sold in the US are built in North America, are they American? Canadian? Mexican? Japanese?

Back in the 1980s, Honda surveyed owners of Accords and found no significant difference between the quality of an Accord sourced from Japan and one sourced from Ohio. And recently Ford's Mexican-built Fusion was ranked among the highest quality of Ford products. So country of origin is further shown to not matter.

dgstewart · 05-30-2008, 06:38 AM

So are Japanese brands, like Toyota, not the same build quailty regardless of where they are built? I though they would have the same standards internationally.

For 'best' it really meant reliability and performance.
Also value for money is also important to me, as much as I would like I can't afford a Bugatti Veyron.

Moppie · 05-30-2008, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgstewart

So are Japanese brands, like Toyota, not the same build quailty regardless of where they are built? I though they would have the same standards internationally.

Not even close.
Anything that involves people, involves room for things to go wrong, and room for things to go right, and lots of room for different ways of doing things.

Polygon · 05-30-2008, 05:57 PM

Despite definition I would say it isn't the U.S.

98BlackTransAm · 06-20-2008, 10:38 AM

IMHO:

American: cheap performance
Japanese: reliability and fuel economy
Germany: unreliable, overpriced, and overrated
England: styling/performance
Italy: high styling/performance for those with no budget
Australia: on the rise with some hawt vehicles

Moppie · 06-20-2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98BlackTransAm

IMHO:

American: cheap performance
Japanese: reliability and fuel economy
Germany: unreliable, overpriced, and overrated
England: styling/performance
Italy: high styling/performance for those with no budget
Australia: on the rise with some hawt vehicles

I would disagree:

American: cheap crap either with live axles and leaf springs or rebadged from Europe and Japan, mixed with a few real gems and genuine nice pieces of engineering.
Japanese: reliability and fuel economy, or reliability and high performance.
Germany: over engineered, overpriced, but really nice to drive.
England: huh?
Italy: high styling/performance for those with no budget
Australia: Big, fat and out dated. Sold new as company cars and taxis, there biggest customers are the Police. Bought second hand by people not qualified enough to get a company car, who are more interested in looking cool.
If you gut the shell and replace everything they make very entertaining race cars.

Jimster · 06-26-2008, 06:35 AM

Every country has its' good cars and duds

American cars are generally cost cut to the point where they are only good for the American market, where expectations are low (Seems the car just has to look "tough" and have satellite radio). Though you get gems such as the Corvette.

French cars are generally trying to be wierd and Citroen are doing eccentric really well, but they're ultimately flawed. Reliability is starting to improve finally, as is quality.

German cars have a ridiculous amount of engineering, but are on the face of it the best vehicles on the planet. Reliability can suffer in a few of them, but they are the best cars to go long distances in.

Australian cars are engineered on a budget and in spite of what Ockers will tell you, are no match for German cars. I've had one for just over a year and have had a gutsful of minor niggly glitches.

Japanese makers are starting to rest on their laurels (Especially Toyota, Nissan and Subaru). Honda are still a fantastic company though, with engineering to take on the Germans any day. Also impressed by Mazda and Mitsubishi.

Korean cars have the ability to be a big threat to the Japanese dominance of some markets. The Hyundai i30 is a fantastic car.

The English are becoming increasingly irrelevant, with cars made in sheds. The Jaguar XF is nice though.

The Italians will continue giving inanimate objects such as cars their own personalities. The top flight makes are also beautifully engineered.

crayzayjay · 06-30-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimster

Every country has its' good cars and duds

American cars are generally cost cut to the point where they are only good for the American market, where expectations are low (Seems the car just has to look "tough" and have satellite radio). Though you get gems such as the Corvette.

French cars are generally trying to be wierd and Citroen are doing eccentric really well, but they're ultimately flawed. Reliability is starting to improve finally, as is quality.

German cars have a ridiculous amount of engineering, but are on the face of it the best vehicles on the planet. Reliability can suffer in a few of them, but they are the best cars to go long distances in.

Australian cars are engineered on a budget and in spite of what Ockers will tell you, are no match for German cars. I've had one for just over a year and have had a gutsful of minor niggly glitches.

Japanese makers are starting to rest on their laurels (Especially Toyota, Nissan and Subaru). Honda are still a fantastic company though, with engineering to take on the Germans any day. Also impressed by Mazda and Mitsubishi.

Korean cars have the ability to be a big threat to the Japanese dominance of some markets. The Hyundai i30 is a fantastic car.

The English are becoming increasingly irrelevant, with cars made in sheds. The Jaguar XF is nice though.

The Italians will continue giving inanimate objects such as cars their own personalities. The top flight makes are also beautifully engineered.

Agree with everything, except for the XF being nice. Looks like a Ford to me.

German cars for quality, Italians for passion (though Ferrari is beginning to forget how to do that - too much technology and not enough style - the California is MINGING...)

Jimster · 07-02-2008, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crayzayjay

Agree with everything, except for the XF being nice. Looks like a Ford to me.

Do you really want to hurt me like that?

Honestly there's not a lot of choice in the XF segment at the moment. If you drive a 5 series you will never get let in at a junction, if you drive an A6 you'll just join the wave of tosser-migration from the 5 Series post E39, if you drive an E Class people will think you are a lawyer and the CLS is too expensive for what it is.

If you don't want people to hate you, then you're left with the Lexus GS and the Jaguar XF. Until I find a grey hair, I think I'll stick with the Jag...

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