German vs. Japanese?

Author
Discussion

bitchstewie

Original Poster:

51,115 posts

210 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
In general terms, where do you sit and why?

By which I mean what do you actually do vs. "M3 all the way" when you actually drive a 20 year old Toyota Starlet.

vtecyo

2,122 posts

129 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I'd rather drive a German car, I'd rather run a Japanese car.

J4CKO

41,499 posts

200 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
The Germans kind of have a reputation for reliability that actually belongs to the Japanese.

kambites

67,552 posts

221 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I'd take Japanese (or Korean) over German for shopping cars. German (or at least Porsche) over Japanese for fun, though.

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

191 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Never had a german car, loved the japanese ones I've owned, both pretty much faultless for what they were.

xRIEx

8,180 posts

148 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
The Germans kind of have a reputation for reliability that actually belongs to the Japanese.
This.

Most vehicles I've owned and driven have been Japanese. Next car is quite likely to be Japanese, although one or two Germans are on the list.

richs2891

897 posts

253 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
From experience as I currently have a german car and a japanese 4x4, I would say
German car makes you feel better as they tend to have better interior to look and and to touch and that perceived image
Japanese, more rugged, lower end plastics inside, not as nice interiors to look at, but slightly better reliability

Snollygoster

1,538 posts

139 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
For me it's German. Purely down to their engines are designed and made for European driving. In recent years, the Japanese were first to start doing Hybrids, and downsizing engines which doesn't sell a car to me. A CR-V was on our radar, but they just offer rubbish engines in them compared to what you can get in a rival BMW/Merc

I would have said reliability hands down is for the Japanese. I believe Volkswagen especially are nutritious a reliable car but in truth, 1 in 8 new cars has a problem, compared to Honda which was something like 1 in 300.

CDP

7,459 posts

254 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
For a decent chassis I'd pick British...

RKi

307 posts

130 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
The Germans kind of have a reputation for reliability that actually belongs to the Japanese.
This +1

MGZRod

8,087 posts

176 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Japanese would be my choice. Currently debating whether to get rid of my 14a and the only thing in a similar price range that appeals is a leggy E36 M3. With that comes things like vanish issues etc and I'm not keen on the way BMWs drive. If I spent the same money getting vanos sorted on an m3, I could upgrade my silvia to around 380bhp...

Robert Elise

956 posts

145 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
CDP said:
For a decent chassis I'd pick British...
+1

British designed. German tooling and engine. Japanese manufactured.

You can have a British garage to master all occasions:
Lotus
Jag
Range Rover


anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
By practically every single metric in every test or survey I have seen the big Japanese brands seem to come out top for mechanical reliability and satisfaction, but the European manufacturers do still seem to have a real lead in "perceived" quality and interior styling. That said surely Toyota, Honda and the others should be compared to the other mainstream manufacturers, in which case the European advantages in those areas vanish.


Griffithy

929 posts

276 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Maybe jap-cars are more reliable.
I doubt it when I check the faults on our company cars and the costs
of spare parts.
Sometimes there is also a long wait for the parts to arrive by ship.
Had two of them catching fire as well.
Most Jap cars have no soul and are just ugly.
If I would have to choose a Jap car I would happily prefer to walk.

I have to admit some German cars are rather rubbish also.

But the Korean cars are worst.

All imho.

Hubris

156 posts

137 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
The least reliable car I've ever owned was Japanese.

The most was German.

What gives?

va1o

16,031 posts

207 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Always German for me

I'm happy to admit Japanese cars are probably more reliable. However the poor quality interior/ un-appealing aesthetics would annoy me on a daily basis, whereas the potential unreliability of a German car will only annoy once or twice a year, maybe hehe

lbc

3,215 posts

217 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
vtecyo said:
I'd rather drive a German car, I'd rather run a Japanese car.
Fully agree.

Most Jap cars are so boringly reliable and no fun to drive. They are great for people who don't like cars. smile

Sump

5,484 posts

167 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
The Germans could never do what an LS430 does.

pringle1988

242 posts

184 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
I love my current car (S2000) probably the only car I havent wanted to change after more than a year owning it. I do miss the nice straight 6, but gonna go Japanese this time.

MG CHRIS

9,081 posts

167 months

Wednesday 1st October 2014
quotequote all
Jap for me 90s stuff newer stuff is boring apart from the mx5/gt86/brz. Cheaper better to drive, more fun, easier to work on and way more reliable.
Where I work outside of servicing/mot work etc the most problematic cars are German along with French the car we don't see outside mots and servicing are Japanese and Korean and to work on them are a lot easier to.

Having seen so many expensive bills for customers im sticking with 90s jap.