Japanese Cars in continental Europe.

censuspro

Im looking to buy a car at the moment, originally I was leaning towards a passat or a volvo S40 but after thinking about it Ive decided that it's probably more prudent to go for a 1.4 corrolla because of the mileage, tax, insurance and maintenance etc.

The only thing is, I was in Spain recently and I noticed that there are very few Japanese cars on the road. The majority of cars are Seat (obvious) and Peugeot. I asked a few people what they thougt of the Japanese cars e.g. Toyota. The consensus was that they were imitations of German cars and that they were made out of plastic i.e. if you crashed you'd get mangled in the car.

Would anyone here agree with those sentiments?

CJhaughey

Comparing what with what?
You can't make generalisations like that without comparing specifics.

Shadow Dancer

Well I personally think that the reason people in Spain, France etc. might have opinions like that, is the following. France has Peugeot and Renault, which are French. Spain has Seat. If you look at the amount of Renaults,Peugeots etc. in France, there's a lot of them.

I think these people's opinions are as much to do with their own national pride and identity, than any opinions of Japanese cars based on personal experiences or proper reasons.

I know that if I had the choice of say something like a Renault Laguna or a Toyota Avensis, it'd be the Toyota I'd pick.

Anan1

censuspro wrote: »

I asked a few people what they thougt of the Japanese cars e.g. Toyota. The consensus was that they were imitations of German cars and that they were made out of plastic i.e. if you crashed you'd get mangled in the car.

Would anyone here agree with those sentiments?

Have a look on www.euroncap.com, and compare the crash safety results of the cars you're considering.

JHMEG

Maybe for balance ask Japanese people what they think of Seat, Peugeot, etc?

Fintan Stack

Well, I dont quite agree with the national pride thing as we dont make any cars here (except for one in the 50's:D ) and I hate all japanese cars with a passion.

I spent my time leaning to drive in a 1.0 micra and I must have model cars the are stronger and less plasticy. :rolleyes:

Then a while back I did a 200 mile trip in my sisters new shape mx-5 and honestly you could poke a dent in the bodywork, not very vast, very cramped and very very loud and uncomfortable.

I wont ever buy a piece of japcrap.

Theanswers

Toyota Land Cruiser? Weak?

Fintan Stack

betafrog wrote: »

You drove an MX-5 for 200 miles and the only insight you came out with is easy to dent, cramped and noisy?

Note to self: Never take car advice from Fintan Stack

Very hard to concentrate on anything else for 3 hours, its that intruding.

fricatus

JHMEG wrote: »

Maybe for balance ask Japanese people what they think of Seat, Peugeot, etc?

I was in Japan last year for a few weeks and you see very little other than Japanese cars. I didn't once see a Seat. I did a double-take at one car because it looked like a Peugeot (but then it disappeared from view). I saw a single Ford Mondeo!

Toyotas and Nissans are absolutely everywhere there, and the like of Mazda, Honda, Suzuki, Subaru, etc., while well represented, are nowhere near as numerous as the big two.

As regards European marques, I think the only nationality represented in any number was the Germans. Quite a few VWs actually, as well as the premium makes. The only other premium(-ish) make I saw was Jaguar, though I did see a gorgeous DB9 in a dealership window on Sakurada-dori that I walked by every day!

Fintan Stack

Theanswers wrote: »

Toyota Land Cruiser? Weak?

Land rover discovery? Dodge Ram? Much stronger than any toyota.

Anan1

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Land rover discovery? Dodge Ram? Much stronger than any toyota.

Atomic Pineapple

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Very hard to concentrate on anything else for 3 hours, its that intruding.

Most people who actually enjoy cars would not have passed any remarks of the things you did, they would have realised how the superb handling and great feedback make the Mx-5 one of the most fun cars to drive.

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Land rover discovery? Dodge Ram? Much stronger than any toyota.

ianobrien

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Land rover discovery? Dodge Ram? Much stronger than any toyota.

ROFL!!!!

EPM

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Land rover discovery? Dodge Ram? Much stronger than any toyota.

You're not serious, are you?

alastair

fricatus wrote: »

I was in Japan last year for a few weeks and you see very little other than Japanese cars...

As regards European marques, I think the only nationality represented in any number was the Germans. Quite a few VWs actually

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXZunj1VUgg

JHMEG

So in conclusion Europeans prefer European cars and the odd Toyota, and Japanese prefer Japanese cars and the odd VW.

And the age-old metric, the quality of a car's interior plastics, remains the yardstick by which some boardsies measure a car.

Fintan Stack

I know which one I'd be in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKWkn1xKQ1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4Kxg4EbDQ

Look at the back of that toyota deforming like tissue.

And if your going to buy an asian car please dont complain about the economy in this part of the world

Fintan Stack

draffodx wrote: »

Most people who actually enjoy cars would not have passed any remarks of the things you did, they would have realised how the superb handling and great feedback make the Mx-5 one of the most fun cars to drive.

Ah yes, of course, top gear!! Always full of fact and figures and a very balanced view of all cars from different countries.

Complete with a fat ignorant middle aged JC that take up an hour avery Sunday to have his own little playtime.

EPM

Fintan Stack wrote: »

I know which one I'd be in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKWkn1xKQ1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4Kxg4EbDQ

Look at the back of that toyota deforming like tissue.

And if your going to buy an asian car please dont complain about the economy in this part of the world

Well the back of the toyota pickup there is not attached to the main body of the car so you would expect some play. Also a crumpling car means the car is absorbing the impact usually...which takes a lot of it away from the passengers...

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Ah yes, of course, top gear!! Always full of fact and figures and a very balanced view of all cars from different countries.

Complete with a fat ignorant middle aged JC that take up an hour avery Sunday to have his own little playtime.

I would love to see a landrover discovery make it through what that had to go through. To be fair there were mechanics to get it running and all that and the stunts are staged and planned but that was still some amount of abuse.

Fintan Stack

betafrog wrote: »

Right, firstly your first link is broken.

Secondly if you're gonna complain about the Toyota "deforming like tissue" then I can safely assume you have no idea about physics or safety, or are purely spouting ****e for the sake of it...

Look, I had a civic run into the back of my opel a while ago and I didn't even feel the bl@@dy thing and his was a write off, and your telling me that jap cars are safe? :eek:

I can safely assume you have no idea of being in an accident involving a jap and euro car or are purley spouting ****e for the sake of it.

Matt Simis

JHMEG wrote: »

So in conclusion Europeans prefer European cars and the odd Toyota, and Japanese prefer Japanese cars and the odd VW.

And the age-old metric, the quality of a car's interior plastics, remains the yardstick by which some boardsies measure a car.

And Americans aspire to Jap and Euro cars. So who likes American cars then?

Fatswaldo

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Land rover discovery? Dodge Ram? Much stronger than any toyota.

There goes a man who has never owned a Land Rover!

EPM

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Look, I had a civic run into the back of my opel a while ago and I didn't even feel the bl@@dy thing and his was a write off, and your telling me that jap cars are safe? :eek:

I can safely assume you have no idea of being in an accident involving a jap and euro car or are purley spouting ****e for the sake of it.

There's only one person spouting here and it's you with sweeping generalisations

Anan1

Let's all keep it civil now, argue the point not the person etc.:)

Fatswaldo

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Look, I had a civic run into the back of my opel a while ago and I didn't even feel the bl@@dy thing and his was a write off, and your telling me that jap cars are safe? :eek:

I can safely assume you have no idea of being in an accident involving a jap and euro car or are purley spouting ****e for the sake of it.

All modern cars are designed with a crumple zone in front. This means that the materials absorb the energy and take the impact of any collision. Clever stuff that can save lives but downside is that even a relatively minor collision can result in big damage to the front of any car these days.

Anan1

betafrog wrote: »

Anan1, sorry.

That wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, it's just that this is the sort of thread that has potential to go downhill.:)

markpb

Fintan Stack wrote: »

Look, I had a civic run into the back of my opel a while ago and I didn't even feel the bl@@dy thing and his was a write off, and your telling me that jap cars are safe? :eek:

Seriously?

What sort of perverse logic do you use to grade cars? Unless you were reversing wildly into him at high speed, I can't see why you think it's a valid comparison. Could it be that the front of a car is designed to deform in a crash to save anyone else outside the car? Could it be that in a rear-end crash, your car will move forward while the other will absorb the impact? Jesus.

CJhaughey

Fintan Stack wrote: »

And if your going to buy an asian car please dont complain about the economy in this part of the world

You lost me here, Fintan me old mate. What has Asian or European or American cars got to do with our economy? Ireland imports 100% of its cars, so I don't see it making any difference if they come from Japan or Germany, or Spain.
It makes zero difference, and in the greater scheme of things probably not a blind bit of difference to the carmakers anyway.

alastair

Fintan Stack wrote: »

And if your going to buy an asian car please dont complain about the economy in this part of the world

Those Nissan (a company with a French controlling interest) Micras (built in Sunderland) are certainly making a dent into Irish car manufacturing alright - already DeLorean, Shamrock and TMC Costin have gone under.

Aren't Opel Canadian these days?

G Luxel

Most of the European cars that are sold in Japan are Left Hand Drive. True, there are no Seat models sold there, but you will find some European brands like Opel, PSA, Renault, Mercedes, even Rover.. etc.

JHMEG

Matt Simis wrote: »

And Americans aspire to Jap and Euro cars. So who likes American cars then?

The Americans quite like their own cars. No-one makes a V8 like an American V8.

Big Nasty

JHMEG wrote: »

The Americans quite like their own cars. No-one makes a V8 like an American V8.

Quite right!

To be fair the older American cars where the pinnacle of design, and by that I'm talking about asthetics only. The japs improved on this with their efficency and economy but drew the asthetics from American cars. Today, unfortunately, most American cars are uninspiring balls of ****e apart from some of their performance cars.

Having lived and worked in many European countries there are no where near as high a percentage of Jap cars present as there is here.

cabrwab

Fintan Stack wrote: »

I know which one I'd be in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKWkn1xKQ1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4Kxg4EbDQ

Look at the back of that toyota deforming like tissue.

And if your going to buy an asian car please dont complain about the economy in this part of the world

Look up all pick up trucks and see what happens! They all crumble and fold in half! Thundra is a heavy machine though.
Why not look at the likes of the last model avensis versus passet, toledo.

Mx5 is a great little car.

Us irish love the reliability of the jap cars. Although newer models are not as good as they used to be especially toyotas, but god the old toyotas are hard to beat and could go on and on.

But i can see why continental countries don't go with jap cars, especially when some countries have there own.
Italy eh?!!!