Chinese Cars

OCDinPDX

OCDinPDX

Paint Ph.D
It seems that China has been putting forth plans to import their cars here and then retracting them before they can come to fruition. For the last five years I have been reading that Chinese cars are 'just around the corner' for the American marketplace. At this point it's not a matter of IF they get it here, it's just the question of when.

From what I've been reading, there are several important hurdles in order for Chinese car companies to succeed here. First and foremost is image. With all the poor-quality Chinese products being brought to the United States (i.e. tainted dog food and baby formula, toxic dry wall, etc.), are Americans really going to line up for a Chinese car. Before they even try to sell a car here, first they need to make everything else right. Second, the Chinese seriously underestimate the difficulty of entering the U.S. car market. Just ask the Koreans; it took them 25 years to get their product up to snuff so it wouldn't become the butt of late-night jokes and even now, some still falsely believe they are junk. Third is safety and this flips back on issue #1 (image). With the miracle of modern computers, the video of a Chinese sedan disintegrating and killing its dummy occupants in a 64-kph European crash test is now thoroughly ingrained into the American psyche. That is a rap that is hard to shake, no matter how safe you make your newer cars. Finally, they need to construct a dealership network. Now whether they will choose to piggyback off existing GM (or other marque) franchises remains to be seen but it's a hurdle, nevertheless.

Personally I don't think I would ever buy one simply because of what I've seen in terms of how the Chinese conduct their business. Rather than fixing the problem, it seems they simply try to skirt around it and fool people into thinking the problem is solved. Now I could be wrong, people said this about Toyota in the '60s and Hyundai in the '80s and they are now eating crow but only time will tell.

What's your opinion?
 
If the Chinese accept the challenge (it may take some like the Korean makers) and take their lumps they can probably surpass the Koreans and Japanese for a good share of the US market at the expense of the domestic companies The reason the big 3 sell less vehicles is because the others now sell more than they did.

Making a good car takes patience and stamina and that has not something that has been a highlight of the quarterly results stock holder executive bonus American business mentality.
 
The minute they decide to go for it, they will have 3000 dealerships already signed up. Walmarts are everywhere. :)
 
Since they will sell for less than $10.000.00 yes some will buy them.
Lot of people know nothing about cars and only shop price.
As for me NO I will not buy one from China Korea or Japan at-least not until Ford stops building cars. :mad:
 
black bart said:
Since they will sell for less than $10.000.00 yes some will buy them.
Lot of people know nothing about cars and only shop price.
As for me NO I will not buy one from China Korea or Japan at-least not until Ford stops building cars. :mad:
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Some of Ford's cars come from over there. The Aspire (Anybody remember that car?) was a Korean re-badge. Ford has a stake in Mazda and "share" stuff. It's getting harder to find a "made in America" (or Canada, for that matter) car nowadays. And from what I've read, Ford is trying to pull out of some more "domestic" factories, citing high cost factors/not economically competative.

But, at least they didn't become gov't owned. Hmm... I wonder how the gov't got to buy into 2 of the big 3 car companies without getting into trouble with monopolies and anti-trust regulations. :hmmm:
 
Ronkh said:
Well they have already proved Socialism will take over.
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And of course they've turned that into a racial issue where there NEVER was one before. A few weeks ago MSNBC said that 'Socialist' is code speak for the 'N-word'. Are you freaking kidding me?! :huh: Tell the truth and you're a racist. Disagree with the Messiah and you're a racist. Say anything negative about the self-destructive path this country is well on its way down and you're a racist. When America comes back would somebody kindly let me know?

I'm going to stop now before I get really worked up.
 
I really don't see why everyone is so concerned with the Chinese coming over here and taking on the american automotive industry. The situation has been happening since the first automobiles. In fact the Americans were considered the garbage cars when they first came out in europe. Couple decades later and a lil German upstart peoples car was considered as the xxxxe car of the times. Next decade it was the french and Italians. during the '70's it was the Japanese. In the '80's it was Hyundai. Now look at where all the aforementioned companies are. The president of Toyota when asked who their biggest threat to sales is he was quoted as saying Hyundai. They have made tremendous improvements in all aspects of their cars since the crappy at best Pony. Just give the Chinese time and they will come around to build world class cars. How long it will take is anybodies business.
Now the real question is how will american car companies respond to the onslaught of foriegn competition. Personally I think Ford is going to do the best by being able to pull from thier european model pool. Chevy they have a fighting chance but I feelit is too early to honestly call that one. Dodge I am a bit biased on this one, but even with the Fiat line up behind them and knowing that Fiat stands for Fix It Again Tony even today. They will not make it. Then again as far as I am concerned they can go piss up a rope. They have been producing such garbage and niche cars for so long they deserve the most to fail.
 
I'll buy used ones. Cars that are bad new become dirt cheap used.

When's the last time you priced a 2002 Daewoo Lanos? How about an Olds Alero or Ford Contour? They make the best cheap little commuter cars if you can keep them running smoothly. I'd take a $500 '96 Contour over a $2000 '96 Camry any day of the week! Then again I am into older cars and you'd probably see me putting around in an '86 Camry for $500 first!!!
 
occupant said:
I'll buy used ones. Cars that are bad new become dirt cheap used.

When's the last time you priced a 2002 Daewoo Lanos? How about an Olds Alero or Ford Contour? They make the best cheap little commuter cars if you can keep them running smoothly. I'd take a $500 '96 Contour over a $2000 '96 Camry any day of the week! Then again I am into older cars and you'd probably see me putting around in an '86 Camry for $500 first!!!
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:wow: You're saying you'd rather buy a car with spotty reliability for cheap than a reliable car for a bit more? You could end up paying the $1500 difference on a couple of repairs. (The Mercury version of the Contour is the Mystique, which has been nicknamed the Mistake due to all the faults inherrent in the line-which is why it was quickly dropped.) Also, with a car like the Contour, since it wasn't made for very many years, there aren't many cars in the junk yards for parts, and if you want/have to buy the parts new, they are expensive, as they are either scarce or "special made." Even if you are handy with repairs, it'll still cost you for the parts.

I think I'd go with the car with the good track record (unless it was my second car, and I liked the styling or something). It just wouldn't be worth the risk to me to risk missing work due to car failure.
 
Big Leegr said:
:wow: You're saying you'd rather buy a car with spotty reliability for cheap than a reliable car for a bit more? You could end up paying the $1500 difference on a couple of repairs. (The Mercury version of the Contour is the Mystique, which has been nicknamed the Mistake due to all the faults inherrent in the line-which is why it was quickly dropped.) Also, with a car like the Contour, since it wasn't made for very many years, there aren't many cars in the junk yards for parts, and if you want/have to buy the parts new, they are expensive, as they are either scarce or "special made." Even if you are handy with repairs, it'll still cost you for the parts.

I think I'd go with the car with the good track record (unless it was my second car, and I liked the styling or something). It just wouldn't be worth the risk to me to risk missing work due to car failure.
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Depends on the specific car, but yes, if I had a choice between running driving 1996 model cars, $500 for a Contour and $2000 for a Camry, I'd take the Contour hands down. I can always buy a broken one for parts. Plenty of Contour/Mystiques in the two yards I frequent most. Plenty of Escorts and Tauruses too. Parts galore. I'm somewhat masochistic in the way I buy cars. If it's not broken somewhere, I don't want it. A car isn't truly mine until I've busted a few knuckles or zapped myself a few times.
 
FWIW, don't know how many of you are old enough to remember that "Made in Japan" was a joke punch line. In fact, the Japanese were having so much of a poor quality image problem at one time that they named an industrial town "Usa, Japan." You got it... they stamped their goods "Made in USA."

Then came Toyota, Sony, Honda, Mitsubishi, etc., etc. Thank you Mr. Deming.
 
I heard on the news this morning GM is wanting to ask the government for more money.

Say what you want about the quality of manufactured goods from overseas - America (i.e. American workers and non-purpose serving unions) priced a lot of American manufactured goods right out of business.
 
Bunky said:
Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega...good examples of American engineering.
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1997-2002 Escorts and 2005+ Cobalts. Much better examples. Say what you will about the Escort, but in a time when Neons and Cavaliers were failing offset crash tests, a 1997 Escort can do better than a 2004 Cavalier. The Cobalt is superior to both. For small cars they are TOUGH.
 
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