Japan has been the pinnacle of quality control for years, and it has to
be said that other european manufacturers are getting better and better
(although curiously BMW seems to losing its way)
There are lots of Japanese cars over here too, but as petrol is so
expensive, the "boy racers" as we call them, tend to drive Vauxhall
Novas, Citroen Saxos, Ford Fiestas and KA's - all cars with 1.1 -1.4
litre engines, and they're the laughing stock of everyone else on the
road - kind of like your ricers. Serious Jap cars like the Skyline and
300ZX, Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evo get a lot of respect.
Martin
Farrar Hudkins wrote:
> I can't imagine they would be highly prized over there... even in their
> country of origin, American cars are generally held to be gas-guzzling,
> semi-reliable vehicles with an expected lifespan of 100,000 miles.
> Conventional wisdom (which can be wrong, of course) also has that
> American automatics have a -much- shorter lifespan than imports. I have
> had better results, but then again I take care of my vehicles ... I know
> plenty of people who have abused their Hondas and Volvos for years and
> they're still going, whereas a Chrysler would never have managed that
> kind of treatment. Most people over here drive Toyotas and Honda cars,
> with pickup trucks being mostly Ford and Chevrolet.
>
> All things being equal, unless you pay a -lot- for a car, a Japanese one
> will give you more for your money. Sure, the water pump might cost twice
> as much for a Honda as opposed to a Dodge, but chances are you'll not
> have to replace it for a while in the Honda, whereas in your Dodge if
> you haven't replaced it before 100,000 miles you're lucky.
>
> Additionally, I think American car companies generally do not have the
> quality control that Japanese car manufacturers do. Whereas American
> manufacturers tend to let a lot of things "slide", the Japanese seem to
> be very good at not letting a lot of lemons get sold.
>
> I guess my only problem with Japanese cars is they're everywhere. At
> least the DeLorean is different ... it certainly doesn't look like
> everything else on the road! What's more you don't have to "accessorize"
> it to attract attention. Its looks are great even without fancy paint
> jobs, different wheels, spoilers, and hearing-aid downpayments. :)
>
> My new slogan is "DeLorean: No Rice Necessary".
>
> --Farrar
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