French cars.Hmmm...
Discussion
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Problem is, that this is as true today as it ever was?!
One funny thing I can relate with regard to recent memory of French cars - a few years ago, Sebastian Loeb was winning everything WRC realated, in the then 'new' Citroen C4. Citroen had a series of TV adverts which I remember used to cite the cars as 'alive with technology...'
Well, I didn't see what I would call a plethora of C4's gracing our roads back then....but maybe even more tellingly, in the last few years, I cannot even remember seeing a single one? Can anyone else?!
Says it all!
I see one every day! My C4 VTS (petrol) has now done over 155000 miles. For 18 Months I was commuting 130 miles a day in it, now down to only 80 miles a day. I still love it, looks like nothing else inside or out and you hardly ever see another one!One funny thing I can relate with regard to recent memory of French cars - a few years ago, Sebastian Loeb was winning everything WRC realated, in the then 'new' Citroen C4. Citroen had a series of TV adverts which I remember used to cite the cars as 'alive with technology...'
Well, I didn't see what I would call a plethora of C4's gracing our roads back then....but maybe even more tellingly, in the last few years, I cannot even remember seeing a single one? Can anyone else?!
Says it all!
Every manufacturer is striving to ensure in-built obsolescence and quality that is just good enough to last the amount of time they want them to last, probs about 7 years. The amusing thing is that French have been just that amount of s
t for ages. In a way the Germans are trying to emulate the French.
t for ages. In a way the Germans are trying to emulate the French. Dblue said:
2 Megane RS250s run in our firm, 40k miles each, not a single problem of any sort over that time and both were rattle free and looked very fresh when they went.
Can only report our experience but they were better back to back than several VAG products we ran at the same time
I've had my rs250 from new it's now on nearly 80k of remapped driving and has been fault free it's simply the best car I have ever owned my e46 330 touring is an unreliable money pit that constantly falls apart drinks oil etc etc biggest piece of junk I have ever owned iits almost put me off bmws Can only report our experience but they were better back to back than several VAG products we ran at the same time
Oh and the Megane handles like a dream and puts cars of 3 times the price to shame
And just to add I worked for mercedes for 13 years I left because they were the biggest piece of unreliable rusty crap I have ever worked on
Edited by loose cannon on Saturday 22 November 13:09
loose cannon said:
Dblue said:
2 Megane RS250s run in our firm, 40k miles each, not a single problem of any sort over that time and both were rattle free and looked very fresh when they went.
Can only report our experience but they were better back to back than several VAG products we ran at the same time
I've had my rs250 from new it's now on nearly 80k of remapped driving and has been fault free it's simply the best car I have ever owned my e46 330 touring is an unreliable money pit that constantly falls apart drinks oil etc etc biggest piece of junk I have ever owned iits almost put me off bmws Can only report our experience but they were better back to back than several VAG products we ran at the same time
Oh and the Megane handles like a dream and puts cars of 3 times the price to shame
And just to add I worked for mercedes for 13 years I left because they were the biggest piece of unreliable rusty crap I have ever worked on
Edited by loose cannon on Saturday 22 November 13:09
I could post on here about how terrible French cars are based on a next door neighbour's horrendous experiences running a brand new Renault Laguna MKII. Then again, I've ran two French cars as company vehicles over 180,000 trouble free miles have worked for companies who aren't plagued with problems in spite of running fleets of French vans over millions of miles. I could use that as evidence of French reliability and shout down everyone who says French cars are crap.
As for German cars I've owned or ran as company cars a Polo, Golf, Corrado, and C Class all of which ran like Swiss watches but also had a Passat which blew an engine to smithereens when the oil pump failed and an E Class with an ECU problem that required a four figure sum to put right.
I could do the usual forum member thing and state categorically my anecdotal evidence applied selectively to the first four German cars proves German cars are reliable or applied to the second two proves they are unreliable. I could also draw reader's attention to the fact that half the German cars I mentioned failed compared with a third of the French cars and that the only car to end up on the hard shoulder was a Passat. (What wouldn't be fair thereafter was to not point out we had a fleet of Passats, Golfs and A4s at the time and mine was the only one that broke and that the oil pump failure was the car's the only fault over two years and 90,000 miles)
All the above proves is what I've experienced is what I've experienced. The sample size is way to small to be of any statistical worth.
There are too many fleet managers running too many Berlingo, Nemo, Bipper, Partner and Kangoo vans to have it as a given that French vehicles are near guaranteed to let their drivers down.
As for German cars I've owned or ran as company cars a Polo, Golf, Corrado, and C Class all of which ran like Swiss watches but also had a Passat which blew an engine to smithereens when the oil pump failed and an E Class with an ECU problem that required a four figure sum to put right.
I could do the usual forum member thing and state categorically my anecdotal evidence applied selectively to the first four German cars proves German cars are reliable or applied to the second two proves they are unreliable. I could also draw reader's attention to the fact that half the German cars I mentioned failed compared with a third of the French cars and that the only car to end up on the hard shoulder was a Passat. (What wouldn't be fair thereafter was to not point out we had a fleet of Passats, Golfs and A4s at the time and mine was the only one that broke and that the oil pump failure was the car's the only fault over two years and 90,000 miles)
All the above proves is what I've experienced is what I've experienced. The sample size is way to small to be of any statistical worth.
Arquettes said:
According to Warranty Direct who really should know French cars are second only to Japanese for reliability and well ahead of German etc.
And that's the only post in the whole thread that is of any worth.There are too many fleet managers running too many Berlingo, Nemo, Bipper, Partner and Kangoo vans to have it as a given that French vehicles are near guaranteed to let their drivers down.
Edited by Tannedbaldhead on Saturday 22 November 14:00
loose cannon said:
Fair enough but I'm afraid that is all I have to offer in the land writing and written words anyway wasn't this topic about french cars not my poor grammar ?
Let me help you here 
--- Fair enough, but I'm afraid that is all I have to offer in the land of writing and written words. Anyway wasn't this topic about French cars - not my poor grammar? 
Back to topic............... My old Laguna has done 157,000 miles now and is constantly going to the garage with niggling faults. Shock absorbers, Springs, wheel bearings (for ABS sensor to pick up), CV joint, alternator, boot strut, brakes, exhaust guard, EGR valve, air intake loose. None of these things costing too much at the time, but when I add it all up I may have been better with a Mondeo?? Still, had it 5 years now and only cost me £800 at the time
What does a car's "nationality" mean these days, anyway?
When you can buy a Ford with the same engine as a Vauxhall/Opel, but built in Poland as a restyled Fiat, who're thought of as Italian whilst owning Chrysler, but whose corporate headquarters are in Luxembourg...
When the only "Swedish" manufacturer is Chinese, and the last mainstream "British" manufacturer is Indian, but the UK's building more cars than ever before - except they're almost all "Japanese".
When one "French" manufacturer is firmly entangled with a "Japanese" manufacturer, and the other is partially Chinese-owned, but in bed with a different "Japanese" manufacturer, who also form the entirety of the "Dutch" motor industry through historical deals with the "Swedes"...
When the "Spanish" brand is really German, but most of Spanish motor production is "French"...
When you can buy a Ford with the same engine as a Vauxhall/Opel, but built in Poland as a restyled Fiat, who're thought of as Italian whilst owning Chrysler, but whose corporate headquarters are in Luxembourg...
When the only "Swedish" manufacturer is Chinese, and the last mainstream "British" manufacturer is Indian, but the UK's building more cars than ever before - except they're almost all "Japanese".
When one "French" manufacturer is firmly entangled with a "Japanese" manufacturer, and the other is partially Chinese-owned, but in bed with a different "Japanese" manufacturer, who also form the entirety of the "Dutch" motor industry through historical deals with the "Swedes"...
When the "Spanish" brand is really German, but most of Spanish motor production is "French"...
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