Reading HJ's column in today's Telegraph, I noticed that the first three questions were all about reliability and the cost of repairs. All three cars were British built (I think).
As breaking down is the most frustrating thing to happen to a driver, surely the only answer is to throw patriotism out of the window and buy German or Japanese? Several years ago I flew the flag, to my cost, with Austin and British Leyland and it cost me an arm and a leg, apart from time lost and frustration.
I recently bought myself an MB 320CDI and am proposing to buy a Honda Civic for seconds. All the various satisfaction surveys show reliable cars to be highly rated. So I think I am doing the right thing.
What do you think?
Duncan
|
I think the answer to your questions lies in the mix of brands one sees in locations worldwide which have:
** extremely harsh climatic conditions (in Australia your life may depend
on your vehicle's mechanical integrity);
** places where parts and servicing is hard to come by (Taliban in Toyotas)
** vehicles doing massive mileages or prolonged high speeds (Germany)
Not too many Rovers hacking it under any or all of the above. Patriotism for its own sake as dominant factor in the vehicle buying decision if you're a Brit is misplaced sentimentalism, little else, and has been for at least the last 40 years.
|
|
Perhaps Duncan should check where the Honda Civic is built, Swindon in Wiltshire so his Civic would be more British than my Vauxhall Astra which was built in Russelheim, Germany.
Many of the most reliable Japanese cars are built in Britain for all of the EC.
It's interesting that when Ford bought Land-Rover they had to improve quality UP TO Ford's level, despite Land-Rover working to BMW's quality standard.
Even American built Mercedes-Benz have a poor reutation for reliability.
The real answer is to stop slagging "British" cars and praising "German" or "Japanese" cars and concentrate on the factory that they were built in, it's always recorded on the VIN plate.
|
|
Many of the problems are not just build quality, they are related to design and engineering, which in the case of Honda Civic for example is presumably from Japan. (I stand to be corrected here).
But it then raises questions about MB USA production. It would be interesting to know if the concerns there are about design or build problems?
The much praised Toyota Yaris is now built in France I believe and there seemed to be some mixed messages abou the reliability now they are ageing. But where were they designed and what is the nature the faults now arising?
|
|
My wife had a C-class saloon (96 P from memory) and it was total crap. Three auto boxes, miscellaneous other transmission faults, power steering pump, wiper fell off, etc...
She now has an Audi
|
|
I have run leased S3 BMWs for the last ten years. (we have three in the firm)
They get changed at between 18mths and 24 month intervals (depending on
mileage). None of them have come to an involuntary halt, not even a puncture
(mental note: keep away from Alwyn's neck of the woods and scrap yards) - they all run to a well "above average" mileage and so far so very good.
|
|
Peter,
I have been told (by Toyota UK), and its been in other posts in this forum, that only some versions of the 1.0 model of the Toyota Yaris are built in France.
Assuming Toyota are telling the truth, that is a fact
Bob H
|
When my mate retired and went to live in Cyprus 9 years ago he bought the car of his dreams a brand new mercedes. (Not sure of the model).
I visit him twice a year and on two occassions he has shown me boxes of suspension parts reolaced by the MB dealer which had expired on Limassol's rough roads. His wifes Mazda bought cheaply at the same time has never gone wrong. OK proves nothing but that a certain amount of luck good or bad can colour ones ideas which cars are more reliable than other.
The other day a taxi driver was telling me that his Montego diesel had done 400 thousand miles with nothing going wrong before he passed it on to his wife as a runaround and is still going strong.
British engineering is as good as any in the world under the right conditions of management and investment. Its just that the British public are the least nationalistic in supporting their own industries and praising the quality of others.
In France it seems 90% drive French cars. That gives a message which one can make their own assumption. Is it because they're so good?????
Alvin
|
All these comments show that it makes little sense to write off a manufacturer because of one or two unfortunate personal experiences. Statistically very unsound. Over 40 years I have owned a series of Leylands, then Peugeots, and would not describe any of them as a lemon (one Maxi I moved on rather quickly when I found the sills rusting badly). There will always be Monday or Friday cars, but the proportion will vary from maker to maker - the Japs seem to come out best overall.
|
|
|
No one seems to haver mentioned that the Ford Probe is an American car built in the good old U S of A and the Omega is a German car. Of the three, only the MGF VVC is a true Brit.
HJ
|
If you want reliability its got to be a Japanese brand and for my hard earned its Toyota/Lexus,those Taliban knobbers know nothing about running a country,but they do choose a reliable car brand.Can you imagine anything from Land/Range Rover surviving with those idiots.
|
|
|
Au contraire - the Taliban knew how to run a country (whilst not in agreement with the way they did it) they managed very well for five years !
|
Is that by good by Medievel standards?surely not in the21st century.
|
I'd always understood the Ford Probe to be a rebadged Mazda. Are the latest ones actually made by Ford, HJ?
P.
|
|
|
Good as in they were in charge......bit of a change for that neck of the woods.
The impression I get from up here that it was regime that was run by the Taliban for their own ends using their interpretation of Islam as an excuse to opress the natives (i.e. from my understanding the head bannanas were all foreign to Afghanistan) and do what they wanted. Maybe good was a bad choice of word ! Agree with their choice of vehicles though.
|
|
|
Yes - BL/Rover etc. did make some pretty awful products back along.
Things have changed a little since then.....
Find a good dealer [not as difficult as it sounds!] and you won't go wrong with an MG-Rover.
Rgds
David
|
MG are going exactly the same way as in the past.
People must have really short memories of the MG Montego Maestro and worst of all the Metro.
I will never buy a Rover again. The new MG cars look hideous, did they get a 17 year old boy racer to do the styling?
|
When it comes to a car's appearance, that really IS a personal opinion !!
|
|
|