I wish the manufacturers would hire and use designers again.
Take 10 cars from 10 different companies, take the name tags and logos off of them.
Line them up.
Who builds what? I can't tell, they all look exactly the same. BORING! They don't have to look like super cars but a little styling for $40k+ would be nice.
Take 10 cars from 10 different companies, take the name tags and logos off of them.
Line them up.
Who builds what? I can't tell, they all look exactly the same. BORING! They don't have to look like super cars but a little styling for $40k+ would be nice.
Reliant - car company
Robin - car model
Why does everyone since Jasper Carrot get that wrong?
There was also the kitten with 4 wheels.
The advantage of the Robin was you could drive it on a motorbike licence. Seen towing trailers to allotments when I was younger.
Not in UK. Can't comment on German perception. I have a toyota on the drive. Boring and reliable, but I need it to cart a precious cargo and all their stuff around, for which it's perfect.
Sometimes with luck (or diligence) you can have the best of both!
When I was a teen, I hated the (lack of) reliability of the clunkers my Dad always brought home saying "they were great deals" and he always had "friends who could fix them up". Fading brakes, having to shift into "Park" at stop lights to avoid cut-offs, etc., you name it. In the 80s when I was out on my own, as a young man, I wanted a BMW or a Porsche, but in my gut I also wanted something that "I " believed was extremely reliable because my history with clunkers.
Eventually, I bought an Acura Legend L Coupe, 5-speed.
I kept it and drove it a whole day before I bought it. The day before, I had kept and driven a 944 Turbo as well.
I'm not an idiot - the 944 was a dream; the power and handling were spectacular at the time. But, surprisingly, the Legend L was no slouch in those areas either, in spite of being a lighter, front-wheel drive vehicle. It was VERY, VERY nice and easily beat the 944 on creature comforts. Also, the magazine reviews of the Legend L said the Legend designers copied or bought the shifter from the Germans because they wanted it to have that feel. After driving it for a day, I believe them. It has always been my favorite car. I sold it after I got married 11 years later because my new wife wouldn't be bothered with learning to drive a 5-speed. Selling it was my only regret ... 🙂
And the way I always heard it was that German cars were made for people who knew how to take care of a car and Japanese cars were made for people who expected the car to take car of itself.
😀
When I was a teen, I hated the (lack of) reliability of the clunkers my Dad always brought home saying "they were great deals" and he always had "friends who could fix them up". Fading brakes, having to shift into "Park" at stop lights to avoid cut-offs, etc., you name it. In the 80s when I was out on my own, as a young man, I wanted a BMW or a Porsche, but in my gut I also wanted something that "I " believed was extremely reliable because my history with clunkers.
Eventually, I bought an Acura Legend L Coupe, 5-speed.
I kept it and drove it a whole day before I bought it. The day before, I had kept and driven a 944 Turbo as well.
I'm not an idiot - the 944 was a dream; the power and handling were spectacular at the time. But, surprisingly, the Legend L was no slouch in those areas either, in spite of being a lighter, front-wheel drive vehicle. It was VERY, VERY nice and easily beat the 944 on creature comforts. Also, the magazine reviews of the Legend L said the Legend designers copied or bought the shifter from the Germans because they wanted it to have that feel. After driving it for a day, I believe them. It has always been my favorite car. I sold it after I got married 11 years later because my new wife wouldn't be bothered with learning to drive a 5-speed. Selling it was my only regret ... 🙂
And the way I always heard it was that German cars were made for people who knew how to take care of a car and Japanese cars were made for people who expected the car to take car of itself.
😀
I prefer Japanese cars because of their stealthiness. I currently own Mercedes but it has too much attitude, and I prefer my previous Lexus. I feel that engine, transmission and handling of German cars are superior in general. They give me more sold feeling.
Oh dear, my only car was a fiat 126, 650 cc, 26hp and it was so small you could wipe all the windows from the drivers seat. One advantage it had over ALL the previously mentioned cars ( including the Reliant Robin ) was it could be thrashed and still not exceed the speed limit. Just to show how much cars have changed, a modern Audi estate is faster than a Lamborghini Countach
Car Wizard eh? Yeah, that's one of my favorites. I'd love to know who thought up that little gem.🙂
jeff
OMG, I have to see it. Alternator bracket that has engine oil flowing through it?
There's something suspiciously like a non sequitur in this post. The UK, for better or worse, is no longer a member of the EU. Having successfully detached themselves from Europe, the British Isles were last seen swimming desperately across the Atlantic in the somewhat forlorn hope that the Americans will rescue them.
Given that everyone else seems to be keen to say what cars they have, here's my 2 Euro-cents' worth. I have a 2003 Fiat Punto that someone who emigrated to the UK gave to me a few years ago. There's quite a lot wrong with the car, but it's good enough to get me on the ferry to Piraeus every now and then. It's done about 500 km since its last service in early 2019.
Not much to brag about then, but I do have a 188 Steinweg grand piano in the basement.
Not much to brag about then, but I do have a 188 Steinweg grand piano in the basement.
If you have to go back to the 1970s to find pleasant looking Japanese cars, is that really an argument in your favour? 😉
I am not saying there are no Japanese cars that visually appeal to me, it is just that I think the overwhelming majority is ugly. And I certainly don't take models into consideration that haven't been produced for decades at the time I was born.
I`ve been in the biz of selling cars and had my hands on about anything for several years. My observation is that some German cars are about as good as you`d want one. My issues with Japanese cars (which in my opinion do not put them even close to their german counterparties):
- about all use thinner steel panels, very unfortunate for those driving one under a larger diameter hail
- often serious misses are done - I`ve seen standard production cars with no light in the glovebox or untied cables which cause noises, or no trunk door handle (Mitsubishi Lancer)
- in abut 95% of the cases the matching of an engine to a gearbox is far from optimal
- engines used often are too small (undersized) and as a consequence burn more fuel and are massively annoying to drive
- no idea where they get the plastics on the inside but they`re cheaper than the cheapest I could ever find
- soundproofing (especially doors) is not as good
- they tend to rust more, especially the roofs
- most use AISIN gearboxes which are just inferior to Getrag or ZF
- After about 10-15 000km interior noises tend to show up
- Lexus like to use Avensis parts (not sure how this is luxury)
Go on a used car website and check the cars with mileage above 200 000km - rarely japanese, mostly german and they can run much longer.
- about all use thinner steel panels, very unfortunate for those driving one under a larger diameter hail
- often serious misses are done - I`ve seen standard production cars with no light in the glovebox or untied cables which cause noises, or no trunk door handle (Mitsubishi Lancer)
- in abut 95% of the cases the matching of an engine to a gearbox is far from optimal
- engines used often are too small (undersized) and as a consequence burn more fuel and are massively annoying to drive
- no idea where they get the plastics on the inside but they`re cheaper than the cheapest I could ever find
- soundproofing (especially doors) is not as good
- they tend to rust more, especially the roofs
- most use AISIN gearboxes which are just inferior to Getrag or ZF
- After about 10-15 000km interior noises tend to show up
- Lexus like to use Avensis parts (not sure how this is luxury)
Go on a used car website and check the cars with mileage above 200 000km - rarely japanese, mostly german and they can run much longer.
