Which Country Makes the Best Automobiles? [Archive]

King Henry V

08-05-2005, 10:09

Although the number of British cars are quite small compared to other countries, I do believe they make the best cars. Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Rover, MG and Bentley (I don't care wether they've been taken over by foreign countries, they are still British designed and mostly British built) are all excellent cars. However, the quality of German engineering is still excellent and they come a close second in my opinion.

King Henry V

08-05-2005, 10:10

P.S I hate Fiats!

lancelot

08-05-2005, 10:40

Got to be the Germans, then followed by Brits.

MG is kaput BTW...and one of the worst, over-priced cars I have ever had the pain of owning.

Beirut

08-05-2005, 11:01

Well Italy cetainly produces the best looking and sexiest cars. Its funny how cars reflect the socitey that produces them.

Are you saying you're Italian? ~:smoking:

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 12:04

Isn't Audi austrian?

Audi was from it's birth German.

As for others:

Romanian cars rule!!!!!

~D

Dutch_guy

08-05-2005, 12:08

yeah , I got to admit the Dacia Logan is a very very good and safe car ~;)

:balloon2:

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 12:12

yeah , I got to admit the Dacia Logan is a very very good and safe car ~;)

:balloon2:

Indeed. very good!!! ~D

We did a test in Romania, and it didn't turn over at even 100 km/h!!!!

King Henry V

08-05-2005, 12:13

What Romanian cars? I hope your streets aren't full of crappy Skodas, Trabants and Ladas.

Al Khalifah

08-05-2005, 12:14

Britain.
Jaguar, TVR, Landrover, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley...

No one builds cars like Britain. Next I would say:
Germany for efficieny and quality.
Italy for high performance.

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 12:17

What Romanian cars? I hope your streets aren't full of crappy Skodas, Trabants and Ladas.

You are very behind!!!!!

WE HAVE 3 Maybach in Romania!!!!
About a dozen Jaguars which I see on the streets, about 5 Ferrarri, dozens of awesome cars.....

Also, about 3 Lamborghini Gallardo.

About 2 Rolls Royce(one Phantom and one Corniche) and 5 Bentley Continental GT.

Mercedes, BMW are common stuff, really!
All of the cars mentioned above have Romanian number plates.

EDIT: And this is only in Bucharest!!!

Problems?! ~D

rasoforos

08-05-2005, 12:17

I think that being in the US got the best of our friend. France is not here, spain is not here, Sweden is not here etc etc....

RELIABILITY:

Working as an assistant managed for a road assistance firm I can say that the question is a bit misleading. Many times a very reliable firm will produce a very unreliable model ( We used to have Hyundai Getz cars duying like flies much more than any other hyundai model ).

From my experience the Japanese cars seemed to be the most reliable. They didnt seem to have the electronic and mechanical glitches that plagued other cars. Ford was reliable as well as Renault. Well known firms like Citroen Fiat and Audi didnt do very well.

My view is that reliability wise I d go for a Japanese Car ( Since I cant afford Volvo )

SENSIBLE CARS:

I d go for French. Very popular and usually good looking, affordable and cheap cars.

PERFORMANCE:

I dont care, as long as it has 4 wheels, goes 'vroom vroom' and has a roof and has good safety I am ok...

Dream Car:

I used to drive a chrysler sebring convertible which was great fun where you are 18 but being 5 meters long and wide was giving me a pain in the ass for everyday usage.

ATM my dream car is a small second hand something, any 'ethnic' origin will do, that I will buy with my own money after I start on my new job ~D

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 12:20

Oh, and about the cars in Bucharest,

We have also a Ferrarri 612 Scaglietti with a Romanian number plate. ~D

Beirut

08-05-2005, 12:25

Edyzmedieval,

No need to yell, we can hear just fine.

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 12:27

Edyzmedieval,

No need to yell, we can hear just fine.

I'm not yelling...... I was just highlighting the beautiful cars that we have here... ~D

The Stranger

08-05-2005, 12:28

Lamborgini

Dutch_guy

08-05-2005, 12:42

Oh, and about the cars in Bucharest,

We have also a Ferrarri 612 Scaglietti with a Romanian number plate. ~D

well I don't care how many good cars you have , you guy's made the Dacia Logan you should be ashamed of yourselfs ~;) ~D

:balloon2:

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 12:46

well I don't care how many good cars you have , you guy's made the Dacia Logan you should be ashamed about yourself ~;) ~D

:balloon2:

Actually, Dacia was bought by Renault, so they should be blamed!!!

They actually made the Logan, and it was first presented as Renault Logan, so Renault is the guilty goat!!! ~D

Sigurd

08-05-2005, 12:56

LamborginiThis, my friend is not a country; the car is spelled Lamborghini which is very important due to the pronunciation. Too many mispronounce the car as if the h is not there behind the g. :book:

Big King Sanctaphrax

08-05-2005, 13:13

I'm with Rasoforos-Japanese cars win for their reliability. It's no good having a flash motor if it breaks down every two miles.

The British car industry is a bit of a bust, in my opinion, because unless you want a land-rover you have to be absolutely loaded to buy anything it produces.

Franconicus

08-05-2005, 13:31

Audi was from it's birth German.

As for others:

Romanian cars rule!!!!!

~D
Audi is still located in Germany (Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm). It is part of the Volkswagen family.

Sjakihata

08-05-2005, 13:54

The most reliable car, is the Volvo series. That's what I think. Saab is good as well. Since Sweden wasnt an option, I went with Germany, since Porsche is from there.

PanzerJaeger

08-05-2005, 14:56

The British car industry is a bit of a bust, in my opinion, because unless you want a land-rover you have to be absolutely loaded to buy anything it produces.

Very true.. :no:

Land Rover only makes 2 models under 30k I believe and one of them isnt sold in the US and the other is.. well.. ~D .

The Brits can get away with it because of the class and performance I think.. they all get a lot of respect, especially over here in the US.

Taffy_is_a_Taff

08-05-2005, 15:06

PJ, what do you think of Morgans (the car)?

Gawain of Orkeny

08-05-2005, 15:49

Britain.
Jaguar, TVR, Landrover, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley...

No one builds cars like Britain.

Thank God ~D

I dont know how they are today but when I was young they were notoriusly unreliable. Their elecrtics sucked. I guess Ford taking over most of them has improved them. ~D

Im speaking from experience. My first car was a brand new MG midget in 1970. It set itself on fire one day. I had a Triumph TR4a. One day going down the street the steering disconected itself and I ran into a fire Hydrant. My Lotus was pretty nice though. Toughest and most reliable car I ever had was a 1968 Volvo 122.

drone

08-05-2005, 16:00

Japan. Reliable, and cheap to maintain (at least here in the US), and fairly sporty for the price.

Germany would win if I had lots of disposable cash. BMW (M5 or Z4) and Porsche would get my business.

Taffy_is_a_Taff

08-05-2005, 16:04

I'm torn between the U.S. and Germany.

Kagemusha

08-05-2005, 17:03

Germany.

Al Khalifah

08-05-2005, 17:15

I guess Ford taking over most of them has improved them.
Like my Ford Escort where the gear box just surrendered when I was in the fast lane of the M1 leaving me in neutral? Or my Fiesta SX that just loved to rust and the coolant loved to leak everywhere? Every country has dodgy cars. The makes you listed are all notoriously unrealiable. I did have the pleasure of owning an imported Mustang for a while though. That was just... awesome! Capri is also fun to screech around corners in.

The most overated country for cars ??? France. The things are so boring its unbelievable and the recent crop look like they were designed by someone who started drawing the design too close to an edge of the paper and had to quickly rush in the rear end. My list of gripes from experiences of driving 8 different Peugeots (106, 106 rallyee, 206, 206 racing version, 206 rallying version, 306, 307 diesel, 406), 4 Renaults (Clio and Clio V6, a Megane standard and a racing moddified version), 3 Citroens (2 C5s and a Xsara) The clutches and gear boxes either provide no feedback at all or require a sledgehammer to put into place, the interiors are too small, the pedals tend to be too small and unresponsive, the steering is often too heavy or too light, they're far too heavy for what they're worth, the brake pads wear out too quickly, the brakes are unreponsive and weak, the gear ratios have been chosen by a man who can't count, the handbrakes are horrible......

Sigurd

08-05-2005, 18:29

Like my Ford Escort where the gear box just surrendered when I was in the fast lane of the M1 leaving me in neutral? Or my Fiesta SX that just loved to rust and the coolant loved to leak everywhere? Every country has dodgy cars. The makes you listed are all notoriously unrealiable. I did have the pleasure of owning an imported Mustang for a while though. That was just... awesome! Capri is also fun to screech around corners in.
Would that be the Escort and Fiesta made in Britain?

The most overated country for cars ??? France. The things are so boring its unbelievable and the recent crop look like they were designed by someone who started drawing the design too close to an edge of the paper and had to quickly rush in the rear end. My list of gripes from experiences of driving 8 different Peugeots (106, 106 rallyee, 206, 206 racing version, 206 rallying version, 306, 307 diesel, 406), 4 Renaults (Clio and Clio V6, a Megane standard and a racing moddified version), 3 Citroens (2 C5s and a Xsara) The clutches and gear boxes either provide no feedback at all or require a sledgehammer to put into place, the interiors are too small, the pedals tend to be too small and unresponsive, the steering is often too heavy or too light, they're far too heavy for what they're worth, the brake pads wear out too quickly, the brakes are unreponsive and weak, the gear ratios have been chosen by a man who can't count, the handbrakes are horrible......
And you just kept buying them?? 15 french cars !!! ~:eek: and you couldn't see a pattern?

Tricon

08-05-2005, 18:39

IMO the germans build the best cars. The Audi incident , however, proves that there are exceptions. But then again, I wouldn't jusge US cars on Dodge Rams alone...
The most cost effective cars are probably japanese.
the british... well aren't most of them german owned by now? Anyway, I've never driven one, so I can't honestly form an opinion.

PanzerJaeger

08-05-2005, 19:49

PJ, what do you think of Morgans (the car)?

Theyre pretty cool, not really my taste though. The newer looking one (aero8 i think) is really nice. It combines that old style with a modern flare.. :thumbsup:

Gawain, theyve really improved quality control over the years.. although the electronics are probably the most unreliable part of most British vehicles.

the british... well aren't most of them german owned by now?

Actually, I believe Ford has bought most of them from Germany - I know they have Land Rover, Jaguar and some others.

However, they are almost entirely designed and made in Britain.

The Germans and Ford did a lot to increase quality, but didnt stifle the British designers.

Al Khalifah

08-05-2005, 22:25

And you just kept buying them?? 15 french cars !!! and you couldn't see a pattern?
Oh god no! I used to test drive them and I am still interested in amateur production car racing and a bit of rallying. One of the best participation sports in the world, I can see why people think it's boring to watch - I find it quite boring to watch too.
I couldn't possibly have bought that many cars in 8 years in addition to the non-French cars I have driven.

Taffy_is_a_Taff

08-06-2005, 05:11

yeah, Morgans are nice.
I know lots of people who hate how they look. I used to like how the newer ones look but now I'm not so sure, I think I prefer the older ones that had the old styling because, well, they are old.
Then again I've also recently decided that I like Morris Minors.

Not that I know about working on Morgans but I also prefer older cars because it's easier to work on them (for anything that you can't do with a computer).

swirly_the_toilet_fish

08-06-2005, 06:56

Nothing says power and performance like the "volkswagen."

...

:laugh4:

Samurai Waki

08-06-2005, 07:24

British! I've only owned one other vehicle that wasn't British manufactured. An H1 that I rolled about 4 years ago. If I ever get a SUV again I'm going to get a Landrover.

Meneldil

08-06-2005, 11:35

1st - Japan. Toyota wins easily. To bad the Prius is kinda a faillure in Europe.
2nd - Germany. Overall, they make really good car. Audi, VW and Mercedes are all great, although I usually don't like these cars.
3rd - France. Renault are usually great (possibly the best cars for a young driver), and PSA is making some great cars (although Citroen is having difficulties I think). But I agree that the new french cars design are quite *horrible*. Dunno where they found their designer, but they should all be fired.
4th - UK. I've never driven any car from GB, but I just like the design. TVR, Rolls, Jaguar, etc ~D

Now, US might also make good cars, but I've never tried them, and most of them really look ugly (alhough Ford is doing a bit better than other)
And Italian cars just suck. Fiat is probably the worst car maker ever. I will never buy, drive or even enter in a Fiat. But I wouldn't mind driving a Ferrari or a Buggati, just for the fun.

Beirut

08-06-2005, 11:46

PJ, what do you think of Morgans (the car)?

We've got a a guy here in town with a Morgan. He loves the car so much even named his son Morgan. Seriously. :yes:

dessa14

08-06-2005, 12:09

germany, and then france.
germany because i am driving a 1970s volkswagen golf, that has never been rebuilt and runs in good nick, france because of the new citeron xsara, they've had the least serious problems with their cars in the world rally championship, like 4 in 2 years or something...
btw my family own a new toyota, my friend owns a toyota supra, a whole heap of people i know own toyotas, and they are S*&T we checked them out and yes they are cheap, but they are still pieces of rubbish, horrible build quality.

thanks,
dizzy

Gawain of Orkeny

08-06-2005, 15:39

How can anyone vote France? Gah.

Now, US might also make good cars, but I've never tried them, and most of them really look ugly

Yeah right
American cars are far nicer than French ones.

Sigurd

08-06-2005, 17:39

btw my family own a new toyota, my friend owns a toyota supra, a whole heap of people i know own toyotas, and they are S*&T we checked them out and yes they are cheap, but they are still pieces of rubbish, horrible build quality.

thanks,
dizzyIf I am not mistaken, Australia builds her own Toyotas and Mitsubishis.
Here in Europe those two car brands have a very high quality signature. They even give a 5 year warranty on their cars.
In Europe Toyota’s headquarters lie in Brussels and has factories in UK, France, Poland and Turkey.

A.Saturnus

08-06-2005, 18:52

Germany.

Three things are recommended in Germany:
Beer, cars and unlimited speed on the motorways - what a combination!

FesterShinetop

08-06-2005, 20:35

Gawain of Orkeny

08-07-2005, 01:04

I guess we must really hate Frnace nowdays as I cant remeber the last new French car Ive seen. Last I remember here were Citroens from the 40s and the renault daphines,

http://gilles.chagnon.free.fr/cours/html/images/dauphine.jpg

I remeber the girl across the street had one. I was about 10 then and thought it was cool. So little. Was one of the few cars that was in the same class as the beetle back then.

Big King Sanctaphrax

08-07-2005, 01:09

Tough choice between Germany and France... I think France wins because of the comfort.
I would've said Italy as they undoubtly produce the most exotic cars, but they also created the Fiat Multipla... ~:eek: THE most horrible car created EVER in history and beyond!

Admittedly the Multipla is incredibly ugly, but for long journeys those things are the bomb. Masses of leg and luggage room.

Reverend Joe

08-07-2005, 07:07

I am disregarding sports cars (because I hate them) so i have to go with Germany. The origional Beetle was the greatest car since the Model T.

Gawain of Orkeny

08-07-2005, 08:17

Again id lile to know why if french cars are so wonderful there are none imported over here.

Ser Clegane

08-07-2005, 08:38

Again id lile to know why if french cars are so wonderful there are none imported over here.

Good question - as the current French cars (especially Renault) are truly excellent cars.

Perhaps it has indeed something to do with
a) general prejudices against French cars
b) a dislike of the French

So that French automotive companies considered it not to be worthwhile to set up a distribution network in the US or even make the investment to produce cars in the US.

Whatever the reason - it sure is a loss for customers in the US...

dessa14

08-07-2005, 08:59

australian toyotas are put together in australia, the bits come from japan, even the bits are pieces of rubbish though, personally, i like the quality of the french and german cars.
i have found that pommie cars seem to have a general rule. Great... except for that one vital thing...
i personally like volkswagens the most, i love test driving the new golfs and passats when they come out here.
lately alot of the french cars are hideous looking.
i do still like the peugeot (sp is wrong) line though
thanks,
dizzy

rasoforos

08-07-2005, 12:38

Again id lile to know why if french cars are so wonderful there are none imported over here.

90 something per cent of american cars are not imported in most European countries either on the grounds of:

a) they look ugly( both ways) / tastes differ and European and American cars have evolved separately in many cases. However, the most beautiful car I ever driven was american.

b) Too big and power hungry-fuel thirsty, inefficient, not enough juice per cc...

c) Expensive transportation costs, you have to wait months for some customisations.

Simple as that. Unlike the Asian constructors, most american ones apart from ford, develop cars for America and not for global markets. As a result the imports of cars in the country are affected too.

Shaka_Khan

08-07-2005, 12:53

A Korean car company is like Cinderella trying to look pleasing.

I'll choose a German car when I deserve one. ~D

Al Khalifah

08-07-2005, 21:57

Good question - as the current French cars (especially Renault) are truly excellent cars.

Perhaps it has indeed something to do with
a) general prejudices against French cars
b) a dislike of the French

No... its this:

The most overated country for cars ??? France. The things are so boring its unbelievable and the recent crop look like they were designed by someone who started drawing the design too close to an edge of the paper and had to quickly rush in the rear end. My list of gripes from experiences of driving 8 different Peugeots (106, 106 rallyee, 206, 206 racing version, 206 rallying version, 306, 307 diesel, 406), 4 Renaults (Clio and Clio V6, a Megane standard and a racing moddified version), 3 Citroens (2 C5s and a Xsara) The clutches and gear boxes either provide no feedback at all or require a sledgehammer to put into place, the interiors are too small, the pedals tend to be too small and unresponsive, the steering is often too heavy or too light, they're far too heavy for what they're worth, the brake pads wear out too quickly, the brakes are unreponsive and weak, the gear ratios have been chosen by a man who can't count, the handbrakes are horrible......

The only way I could see someone rating French cars in general over other countries' cars would be if they were young and only had a very limitted experience of driving and/or a very tight budget. All countries have their bad apples, but the simple fact remains for pretty much all French cars:
They are boring to drive
and for the rare model that isn't (such as the Clio V6), I guarentee you that there is an equivalent class of car made by another country that is better. They are just boring and the design is either predictable or different in a bad way.