I'm Over Jap Cars

[Ant97GTR]

My friends live in areas where every 2nd car parked in the drive way is a German built car....

HAHAHAHA you think those cars are still german BUILT....if so you are seriously mistaken! Fact is that merc's, bmw's etc are built in low cost centres and as a result their quality has suffered...in fact merc has been rated right at the top of the cars with least customer satisfaction and quality in the uk for the last couple of years. To their credit they have started to address these issues and things are improving with new models but unless you are buying a brand new car be very careful about which model you buy 2nd hand.

It should also be noted that whilst jap cars have also been made cheaper to manufacture as a whole their quality is still rated as equal or better to their more expensive counterparts...

[sloutch]

If i'm not wrong, new VWs are being built in South Africa for a while now

[Wyseman]

I'm still young, not even mid 20s yet, i feel that driving an import at our age is perfectly fine. However, when i reach my late 20s, i'll be planning to get a euro car BUT still keeping an import as a toy.

I've been looking for a new car for a while now. mid 30's, currently driving a 5.0l VT commodore. When i used to live in the UK, i drove an E36 325 turbo *cough*diesel*cough.

I looked at similar age 325's over here and have realised that for the same money, I can get a R32 GT-R. Guess which one i've picked...

BMW's are one of the nicest things around to drive, perfectly balanced, smooth etc. Great for driving to the shops. I can't say i ever remember it being fun.

The Skyline should be much more enjoyable, even if it is a touch bumpier getting to coles for the groceries.

[Snowman]

Must be getting old!

Rod - you are old. Don't kid yourself.

But not all Japanese cars are "shit" or only good for performance bang for buck. I rate the Honda Accord Euro and the Lexus IS250 as being better than anything Euro in their price range from what I have driven. They are both great cars to drive (not performance but luxuary midsized cars). And I'm sure the new GT-R is going to be a lot more than just a fast car.

[ylwgtr2]

and how many of you guys that are saying build qaulity turn spanners for a living????Toyota has BY FAR the best engineering build qaulity as far as i am concerned.euro cars as overpriced pieces of shit.Poxy rotten old style dashboards and pooey leather seats that burn your arse in the sun and makes your nuts shrink into your stomach when its cold.I have noticed people that turn to them for the image...what wankers.Furthermore german engineering???Why couldnt they make the rotary engine work??Coz they didnt have the precision engineering and metal treatment technology.go buy one and drive around with your head up your arse and your nose turned up in ther air.....then be waiting by the salvo's door when you need a service "because the car has to go back to the dealer for a service" or parts....."sorry sir that part is on back order it will take 12 mnths to come in"

[evade]

thing I hate is that we get owned here on euro car prices...

makes it hard to think about buying one when you realise how cheap they are overseas. e46 M3 for 30k US? I'd take that..

[Ant97GTR]

If i'm not wrong, new VWs are being built in South Africa for a while now

Yep and add to VW is BMW and merc.....

...and Troy, you sum it up beautifully as always mate

[Sheriff Wan]

Gentlemen are we not missing the point:

An entry level BMW or Merc is almost as bad as owning a non turbo line...

Buying a base model 318i and calling it a luxury BMW or a C180 or whatever you settle on, these are bottom of the line "luxury" cars. The engines are tiny thats why the price is affordable.

I'll tell you why the people in Toorak/Malvern etc will look at you funny... because when he drives past you in his new SL500 or BMW 760 he will still think the same whether your in a skyline or a 318i

My 2 cents... if your going to do it, do it right

[Howie]

Jap cars all the way...

R34 as a cruiser...

had a Lexus SC430 and soon will have a Lexus Harrier as the missus's daily, we're hell bent on "not" going the beemer or merc route.

[NickR33]

lol as if a run of the mill predominantly junior marketing intern owned 3 series beemer is a sign of luxury. that's like assuming sipping cheap champagne in copious amounts at melbourne cup day can turn you from a skank to a lady.

hahaha gold, I love it

I agree with ylwgtr2, euros are great until something goes wrong with them... then bend over and prepare yourself for the reeming... even just regular maintenance can be quite exxy

and I dunno what people are on about Skylines being uncomfortable... just drove mine to NSW and back and it was great, awesome on the open road if you don't buy crappy china coilovers with concrete for springs... sure if you have to sit in an hour traffic jam every morning then I would suggest something different... but then again anything with a seat and 4 wheels will do that job

Toyota build the best cars, ask any mechanic who works on different cars for a living... but if you really care what other people think when they are sitting next to you at the lights go buy that Bimmer... I personally don't care and actually quite like pissing the older generation off... I live for those disapproving looks, makes me feel young hahahaha

oh and don't forget most people driving luxo euros are leasing the car... they don't own sh!t

[funkymonkey]

if you want a luxury car, why not grab yourself a Lexus? I mean most of the australian public don't realise the IS is a corolla with leather seats and that the GS is an Aristo with fewer options etc. You get that image you're after, and the reliability of a toyota.

Or a Nissan Cima F50 import. Infiniti Q45 or President to the common folk. More options than any base model beemer will ever give you for the same price.

Piiiimp!

too bad we can't import Y34 Cedrics n Gloria's (Inifnity M45's) yet... they're the 5 series of the Nissan world...

[sloutch]

I have no idea how some of those cars will be clearing our humps on our 'marvelous' Australian roads.

Go through a hole in the road and the hole front bar or even rear bar will come off

I reckon a Toyota Chaser is a nice jap cruiser with quite a bit of GO.

[Howie]

Yep my thoughts exactly.. power, luxury, japanese build quality.. i'd definately consider anything in the lexus or infinity range. I also think the japanese luxury cars appeal to the younger market, and the beemer/merc cars appeal to the retirees/middle aged execs.

[Mayuri Krab]

Gentlemen are we not missing the point:

An entry level BMW or Merc is almost as bad as owning a non turbo line...

Buying a base model 318i and calling it a luxury BMW or a C180 or whatever you settle on, these are bottom of the line "luxury" cars. The engines are tiny thats why the price is affordable.

I'll tell you why the people in Toorak/Malvern etc will look at you funny... because when he drives past you in his new SL500 or BMW 760 he will still think the same whether your in a skyline or a 318i

My 2 cents... if your going to do it, do it right

Totally true.

Many of my family friends (all asian) all have 318is & they think they are in the "rich group" coz they drive BMWs.

Even had one of them come & say (when they 1st bought their 2nd hand 318) "After you drive a BMW you never want to drive a Jap car again...

I was like "yeah right..."

Maybe if it were a top end model then I might think about it (probably not) but as far as your crappy 318 goes I pick my R33 over it anyday heck I even pick my family's Camry (if I wanted a normal not overprice sedan) over that POS.

[Howie]

Wierd.. i'm australian asian and i gotta say it probably has more to do with the 'face' thing than the build quality. where my wife is from (malaysia) asians in the big smoke city drive mercs but alot of them prefer lexus's as they're seen more as a young persons car.

...

anywayz.. my response would be .. you've got what a 3-series beamer? ain't that like bottom end?

[ylwgtr2]

The japanese excell and put 100% in everything they do...What people seem to forget is that in this country what we see from japan is a tiny piece of what they really have to offer.....narrow minded people in power (and about 80% of the public) means we miss out on all the good stuff.....who first put simple items such as carpet/ heaters/radios in cars as standard fittment????the japanese!!!They more often than not set the benchmark.Look at the orange peel in bmw's these days ...i have seen many get refinished due to bird shit attacking the paint like paint stipper......for production cars the paint finish winner is lexus(hmmm jap crap????)The paint sits as flat as a shit carters hat(does anyone here know what a shit carter is????)This whole thing is a dick swinging competition....who the f**k wants to pose anyway???

Edited January 17, 2008 by ylwgtr2

[DogKnight]

Mercs and Beamers are for those with money to burn. They are for people who will keep the car for 2 to 3 years and swap it over for a newer model. Not for the type of person that wants to, or is forced to due to financial reasons, keep the car for 10 years.

[IOWNU]

Mercs and Beemers are nothing special either.

There are HEAPS going around.

Rather an R34 GTR any day, because the car is for myself.

Not others.

If you're buying a merc/beemer to look cool, you have the wrong idea.

Unless its a Ferrari or Lambo, nothing is special these days......

Edited January 17, 2008 by IOWNU

[R-SPEC]

355's are the next VLs

[GTR-32U]

Look at the orange peel in bmw's these days ...

yes I agree, I have had a look at quite a few and your right..! The paint quality is really that poor.Lexus etc are so much finer quality cars.