German vs. Japanese?
Discussion
German cars are usually wayyyy tooo generic and heavy and generally uninteresting for the petrolhead i think . Well, maybe AMG mercs are not that generics but they are quite heavy. And if you are thinking about DD, most of them are little bit of too unreliable and expensive to run. They have few big wagons tho, which are actually very spacious cars for family transportation.
Japanese cars are more reliable and usually they are more purpose build. So when you wan't to have a sports car, you can buy it and you don't need to settle for a souped up family car. If you wanna buy hardcore 4x4 you can buy it ext ext. Those are the reasons why i like japanese cars more.
Japanese cars are more reliable and usually they are more purpose build. So when you wan't to have a sports car, you can buy it and you don't need to settle for a souped up family car. If you wanna buy hardcore 4x4 you can buy it ext ext. Those are the reasons why i like japanese cars more.
Cant beat German for build quality, although that's not the same as reliability. Conversely, most Japanese cars look like they are made from old egg cartons, but tend to be very reliable.
lbc said:
Fully agree.
Most Jap cars are so boringly reliable and no fun to drive. They are great for people who don't like cars.
I'd say there's just as many dull, boring German cars on the road as dull Japanese cars.Most Jap cars are so boringly reliable and no fun to drive. They are great for people who don't like cars.
I guess what I'm curious about when people speak of "quality" is actual quality vs. "looks and feels nice".
For example I'm a sucker for nice interior plastics which the Germans do well, but they don't help you if you're not driving the car because it's always in at the dealers because they saved 10 pence on a mechanical part to give you that nice looking interior.
Conversely Subaru seem to spend around 10 pence on the entire interior - does the rest go on ensuring it won't break or is it just a fundamental Japanese vs. German difference in how important the interior of a car is perceived to be vs. the functionality?
For example I'm a sucker for nice interior plastics which the Germans do well, but they don't help you if you're not driving the car because it's always in at the dealers because they saved 10 pence on a mechanical part to give you that nice looking interior.
Conversely Subaru seem to spend around 10 pence on the entire interior - does the rest go on ensuring it won't break or is it just a fundamental Japanese vs. German difference in how important the interior of a car is perceived to be vs. the functionality?
Great question which I almost certainly can't answer. My favourite cars that I have owned have been an e39 530I manual, an Impreza sex with a remap and decat, an Alfa 164 24v Cloverleaf and a Suzuki Swift Sport. The least exciting but nonetheless ok are a c220 cdi 2012, a Citroen c5 estate diesel 160 and a rover 600 sldi (Japanese car with a German engine). So, I have no idea whether German or japanese..... or whether there is a similarity between whY I've liked or found ok but boring...
Conscript said:
Cant beat German for build quality, although that's not the same as reliability. Conversely, most Japanese cars look like they are made from old egg cartons, but tend to be very reliable.
German cars are the most overrated on planet Earth. Nowhere near as reliable, pretty or fun as many think.lbc said:
Fully agree.
Most Jap cars are so boringly reliable and no fun to drive. They are great for people who don't like cars.
I'd say there's just as many dull, boring German cars on the road as dull Japanese cars.Most Jap cars are so boringly reliable and no fun to drive. They are great for people who don't like cars.
But you really have to give the Germans credit where it is due. They have perfected the art of the "wine bottle" trick.
Study after study shows, if you put "bad" wine inside a big heavy bottle, the inner-snob comes rushing out, and shoppers will mostly rate it "good" wine. Heavy = robust + solid = perceived good quality.
German cars do the same. Make the heavy doors clunk at low tones, firm leather / plastics, etc. etc. Very obvious but clever and profitable strategy
I often find myself thinking about getting one of the more performance oriented japanese cars, think 370z, GTR etc. Right up until the moment you actual sit in one and think, urgh, was the interior specified by a 6 year old with an ARGOS catalogue?? Now i know there would be occasions where the excellent performance and handling would put a smile on my face, but, for the other 97% of the time i'd be miserable, in a sea of small, plasticy wobbly buttons that do inscrutable things to various nondescript but extremely earnest electronic units in the cars gizzards...... ;-)
Owned 3 jap cars and two german for my last 5 cars over the last 13 years.All were very reliable and cant recall any issues other than wear and tear items with any of them.
As already stated,the build quality and quality of materials used in the german cars is on another planet to the jap stuff.
The interior of my 2003 M3 was far better than my Nissan GT-R,and so was the the paint finnish amongst other things.
As already stated,the build quality and quality of materials used in the german cars is on another planet to the jap stuff.
The interior of my 2003 M3 was far better than my Nissan GT-R,and so was the the paint finnish amongst other things.
Max_Torque said:
I often find myself thinking about getting one of the more performance oriented japanese cars, think 370z, GTR etc. Right up until the moment you actual sit in one and think, urgh, was the interior specified by a 6 year old with an ARGOS catalogue?? Now i know there would be occasions where the excellent performance and handling would put a smile on my face, but, for the other 97% of the time i'd be miserable, in a sea of small, plasticy wobbly buttons that do inscrutable things to various nondescript but extremely earnest electronic units in the cars gizzards...... ;-)
I couldn't disagree more! Give my driving dynamics anyday over a pretty interior.Which would probably explain why I bought Jap
and I presume you, German.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff