Why do Asians make better cars?

[reeves]

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

If that's the case, you've probably been "buying American" for a lot longer than you've known.

In most of these cases, American's designed the cars, built the parts, the plants, and the cars using Toyota's specifications and process. Making a decision about what to buy based on the manufacturer's country of origin is a paradigm that shifted long ago. Now "Toyota" represents a brand more than an island thousands of miles away.

Yea but for me, I really don't care what the design & manufacturing process consists of, or where the car is built. At the end of the day, all that matters is how good the final product is once it gets to me. From my experience, I don't trust American 'brand' cars. Others do, and that's ok too. I'm just sticking with what brand has worked well for me, regardless of where the parts are made or who puts it together. Perception is reality, and no amount of marketing or hype can convince me to spend 20K+ on a historically unreliable 'brand' (from my own experiences).

Like I've said though, seems like American 'brands' are on the right path (for now).. I'll hold off for at least another decade or two before giving them a chance again though. Trust is hard to earn back once you've lost it, and [unfortunately] the American brands have pretty much decimated my trust in them.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by reeves

Yea but for me, I really don't care what the design & manufacturing process consists of, or where the car is built. At the end of the day, all that matters is how good the final product is once it gets to me. From my experience, I don't trust American 'brand' cars. Others do, and that's ok too. I'm just sticking with what brand has worked well for me, regardless of where the parts are made or who puts it together. Perception is reality, and no amount of marketing or hype can convince me to spend 20K+ on a historically unreliable 'brand' (from my own experiences).

Like I've said though, seems like American 'brands' are on the right path (for now).. I'll hold off for at least another decade or two before giving them a chance again though. Trust is hard to earn back once you've lost it, and [unfortunately] the American brands have pretty much decimated my trust in them.

Nothing wrong with brand loyalty but what we are trying to get across here is that "Asian" cars sold in the USA in general are really no longer "Asian". For all intents and purposes they are just another American car whose head office happens to be someplace else (looking at you there Chrysler). There are of course some exceptions to that but the majority (and almost every single Toyota) are made by the same type of people, the same manufacturing processes, the same quality control and the same equipment as your normal "American" car. It also needs to be noted that most American cars for foreign markets are now made in countries other than the US so it is a two way street.

[reeves]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Nothing wrong with brand loyalty but what we are trying to get across here is that "Asian" cars sold in the USA in general are really no longer "Asian". For all intents and purposes they are just another American car whose head office happens to be someplace else (looking at you there Chrysler). There are of course some exceptions to that but the majority (and almost every single Toyota) are made by the same type of people, the same manufacturing processes, the same quality control and the same equipment as your normal "American" car. It also needs to be noted that most American cars for foreign markets are now made in countries other than the US so it is a two way street.

Yea I get that. But it doesn't matter if they're made by the same people in the same plant with the same parts, I can't bring myself to trusting an American brand car.. that's really what it comes down to. Could it all be coincidence or bad luck? Sure, but it doesn't matter at this point.. I'm just gonna stick with what has worked well for me.

Maybe brand should matter less today than it did 10-20 years ago, maybe not. But the onus is on American brands to win me back, not for me to take a leap of faith with $20K+ on their cars hoping their reliability has improved.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by reeves

Yea I get that. But it doesn't matter if they're made by the same people in the same plant with the same parts, I can't bring myself to trusting an American brand car.. that's really what it comes down to. Could it all be coincidence or bad luck? Sure, but it doesn't matter at this point.. I'm just gonna stick with what has worked well for me.

Maybe brand should matter less today than it did 10-20 years ago, maybe not. But the onus is on American brands to win me back, not for me to take a leap of faith with $20K+ on their cars hoping their reliability has improved.

Just to be clear I have not bought an American car since The Great Pontiac Sunfire Debacle of 95 (was the wife's car). That things was a disaster from day one but it does not mean that I paint all American cars with the same brush for the rest of eternity.

[why?]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

And many, many more countries. In fact in some cases like Honda they build almost nothing in Japan or even Asia now.


All those Civic coupes that have been raced and riced (while screaming "JDM YO") since 1986 were built in Canada. The sedans are built in the US but even their engines came from Canada.


All those that are indeed still built in Japan use design teams from around the world. The MX5 ND which is still made in Japan shows the lead designer as having the highly Asian name of Derek Jenkins.


I have been in the Tier One auto parts manufacturing business for almost 30 years and laugh my ass off every time somebody tells me how much better Japanese cars are than all the rest. I have news for you guys. Many of the parts in a Chevy are made in the same place as the parts in a Toyota, usually at the same time. The manufacturing processes used by the Japanese to gain a lead in the 80s have been copied by everybody else and you would not know if you were in a Ford plant or a Subaru one if I dropped you in the middle of it.
Do people truly believe that the NA manufactures just sat on their hands and did nothing when the Japanese plants started to blow them away?


I get that the people on this forum think that Japanese cars are the greatest things ever (or they wouldn't be here) but you head over to a Ford or Chrysler forum and they will be talking about how all Asian company cars are junk.

Eh, if Ford was the one to make a great handling small rwd sports car and no one else did I would probably have bought it. I'm really disappointed the Focus RS is part time awd. I'm not really sure they've made enough of them that they will be available on car lots in a year or two with low miles, although even car journalists are grumbling about the fact they are performance cars that are hard to live with on a daily basis. Well duh! That is the point.

I'm not anywhere near being old, but I've dd'ed Ford. Cadillac, Saab, Toyota, Infiniti, and now Subaru. They are all good cars in their own way.

It is not about where the cars are made, but the focus of the brands and the car industries of certain countries. Toyota has been focused on reliability for decades, and has helped out other car makers in that area tremendously. People used to think Honda's were great, but they've been coasting on their reputation for at least a decade and their current cars are junk.

Germans focus on all the toys. From what I understand they are amazing to drive, but all the brands have reputations of all sorts of different issues. It is worth it to those looking for that experience. Both VW & BMW have had quality issues with their US plants. Not sure if either have them ironed out.

American car companies are focused on trucks. Only in the past decade maybe have they realized they need to make great cars. And now the newer ones are pretty awesome. We'll have to see about reliability though. Some of those new Cadillacs are awesome, and I drove a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid for a week, and it was a great old school American luxury car. Chevy has really made the new Camaro's awesome cars.

[MR2]

We Asians like to make cars that you American's will love long time...

One of the most reliable cars I ever owned was a 1993 Ford Taurus (non-SHO). That thing took a beating and only required the regular oil change.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MR2

We Asians like to make cars that you American's will love long time...

One of the most reliable cars I ever owned was a 1993 Ford Taurus (non-SHO). That thing took a beating and only required the regular oil change.

As long as owner not too beaucoup!

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

In fact in some cases like Honda they build almost nothing in Japan or even Asia now.

Let's ship them back to Japan from Ohio.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOsYuHbsy_k"]1990 HONDA ACCORD COUPE Ad - YouTube[/ame]

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by krayzie

Let's ship them back to the Japan from Ohio.

Then nobody in Ohio could afford to buy them. Or several other States and Provinces that supply parts for that matter. There are only so many service jobs to go around and we still need at least some manufacturing to support the economy.


You saw how many places we make parts for. Can you imagine if all those got sent to Asia?

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Then nobody in Ohio could afford to buy them. Or several other States and Provinces that supply parts for that matter. There are only so many service jobs to go around and we still need at least some manufacturing to support the economy.


You saw how many places we make parts for. Can you imagine if all those got sent to Asia?

No I meant the cars themselves lol! Honda used to ship the US Accord Coupe model back to Japan that were made from their Ohio plant. I remember at one time they also made the JDM Accord SiR with the Prelude 2.2L vtec engine and then ship the cars back to the motherland.

Just like how the Civic SiR and Type-R were made in the UK and got shipped globally, or how in Hong Kong all the VWs are from South Africa and not necessarily Germany.

Older folks may have an emotional connection with the company's country of origin and want to see the product made from their own backyard and not some 3rd World nation. How the world has changed now every bits and pieces are designed and sourced from various places globally.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by krayzie

No I meant the cars themselves lol! Honda used to ship the US Accord Coupe model back to Japan that were made from their Ohio plant. I remember at one time they also made the JDM Accord SiR with the Prelude 2.2L vtec engine and then ship the cars back to the motherland.

Just like how the Civic SiR and Type-R were made in the UK and got shipped globally, or how in Hong Kong all the VWs are from South Africa and not necessarily Germany.

AHHHHH got it!

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

AHHHHH got it!

Oh wait how can I forget your favorite Japanese car was also made here and shipped back to Japan.

Must be a risky move for car companies back in the early 90's to pull something like this as the Japanese was extremely picky with QC.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUKIVV5rHTk"]Mitsubishi Eclipse 1990 commercial Japan - YouTube[/ame]

[Tanuki]

Because Edward Deming, the American, taught them how to.

[Tanuki]

http://www.qfdi.org/newsletters/deming_in_japan.html

And don't say "Asian" unless you plan on driving a daewoo...