Look Out Toyota, Here Comes The Good Enough Chinese Car

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Hmmm at Edmunds Ive been on the ECHO forum since almost Day One. There are like thousands of posts there going back to 2000 or so.

Peerhaps the answer you seek is there. I will look as time allows...

I just looked on Edmunds per your suggestion. I didn't find anything. Perhaps I am not wording my search 'just right'.

[Absolutely Red 12]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

Didn't the Chinese buy the Hummer brand?

Naw, deal fell through.

[jcboy]

i still wont buy a China Car. or a motorcycle. those are life and death boundaries that we're talking about. its not so fine to buy a china celfone, (for fear of exploding batteries), moreso a vehicle.

we have China built bikes here and the most common problems are electricals (alternators,dynamos,wiring,etc) and panels fitting each other like a glove (although the latter can be addressed by better manufacturing)

i know so because my brother is a bike mechanic, and i usually help him if there's something he cant seem to troubleshoot in electricals...and my dad used to be the area manager for Foton (a china brand as well). we used to have a china pickup truck which was from Month 1 (brand new) making all the squeaks in the underchassis which transmits through the cabin. and oh yeah, that very noticeable body roll. FAIL. (sorry Foton, this is first hand experience and not opinion)

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by jcboy

i still wont buy a China Car. or a motorcycle. those are life and death boundaries that we're talking about. its not so fine to buy a china celfone, (for fear of exploding batteries), moreso a vehicle.

we have China built bikes here and the most common problems are electricals (alternators,dynamos,wiring,etc) and panels fitting each other like a glove (although the latter can be addressed by better manufacturing)

i know so because my brother is a bike mechanic, and i usually help him if there's something he cant seem to troubleshoot in electricals...and my dad used to be the area manager for Foton (a china brand as well). we used to have a china pickup truck which was from Month 1 (brand new) making all the squeaks in the underchassis which transmits through the cabin. and oh yeah, that very noticeable body roll. FAIL. (sorry Foton, this is first hand experience and not opinion)

Reminds me of stories I used to hear about the Citroen (2V ?) that had the basket seats.

[Superfly]

Eh, I'm not impressed. Cars sold in the states always run at a higher sales cost even if it is manufactured cheaply out of the country with low wage labor. I doubt a Chinese car would be any different in price point. Not to mention the fact that many Americans, especially today, would probably actively spurn purchasing a Chinese-manufactured car. Look at how much people detest the Japanese automakers...

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Superfly

Look at how much people detest the Japanese automakers...

Yes theyre called idiots. Lots of them around.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Yes theyre called idiots. Lots of them around.

[sqcomp]

I'm not going to invest in unproven products from China. I'll look at it in 10 years...but by then, I won't need to buy a BS cheap copy of a "car".

The goal was to "not to copy but approximate the Aygo"

*cough*

It's a copy without the technology put into the R&D. We all know how badly the Chinese are with patent ripoffs. Any of you guys ever see that Top Gear episode where the show went to China to talk about their budding auto industry?

[*MAD DOG*]

Originally Posted by DonM

Sorry, but the words "quality control" are not part of the Chinese vocabulary - I won't buy anything made in China if I can help it.

So what do you use for a tv, smartphone and pc then?

[*MAD DOG*]

Originally Posted by junorico24

They are already sold in Australia.Presently there is two Chines brands in Australia. Great Wall Motors and Chery. Great Wall Motors produce SUV's and pick ups and they are selling like hot cakes. They are cheaper but not by much.You would be surprise to know they are only a few grand cheaper than other makes.

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

How do Australians (government officials and consumers) feel about vehicle safety? Less of a priority than for Americans and for Germans?

Originally Posted by junorico24

They comply with safety.The biggest problem is drink driving like an idiot and speeding not the cars fault per say.If you can get past the mental paranoia about Chinese vehicles being unsafe.Then you will have a normal safe vehicle to drive around in.


Peace..Go scoop yourself a Great Wall.

http://www.greatwallmotors.com.au/de...ticle&ID=21794

There is 25 559 Great Wall Motors on Australian Roads and growing baby. So they are not as bad as you think. However it is by no means cheap buddy.$ 28 990 for a suv DIESEL. Which is not bad. The Panda is less than 10K. You get what you pay for..BTW you can purchased a pick up truck loaded with features power package, air con, air bag, abs and power windows etc for the same price as a midget YARIS. End of STORY.

It is true. We do have Great Wall here in Australia. The ute's do sell as they are priced to do so. They scrape in and meet the minimum Australian design standards. That's how they are in our market. Only tight arses purchase these vehicles.

However, I would not be caught dead in one and they still use asbestos in their cars, making these cars a real problem in my opinion. Who knows what else they are using to manufacture these cheap, tacky, nasty pieces of crap? Lead paint? Depleted uranium doors?

They recalled almost 25,000 of the cars just on the asbestos use alone http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor...814-246a8.html

An example of how crap these vehicles are is the only way to put the 4 cyclinder X240 into 4WD mode is to turn the steering on full lock and putting it into reverse. This is a review of the Great Wall X240 http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor...810-23xtz.html While it survived a trip over 1100 sand dunes in arguably one of the harshest climates in the world, I still would not own one, nor get in one.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by *MAD DOG*

However, I would not be caught dead in one and they still use asbestos in their cars, making these cars a real problem in my opinion. Who knows what else they are using to manufacture these cheap, tacky, nasty pieces of crap? Lead paint? Depleted uranium doors?

Obviously this is a marketing statagy designed to appeal to the Aussie sense of ruggedness.

"Come with me babe. My car has ASBESTOS in it! And which is more dangerous the asbestos or me...well...you'll have to find that out for yourself!"

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Obviously this is a marketing statagy designed to appeal to the Aussie sense of ruggedness.

"Come with me babe. My car has ASBESTOS in it! And which is more dangerous the asbestos or me...well...you'll have to find that out for yourself!"

[TPA5]

I'll chance it with off-brand breakfast cereal and socks, but I gotta say I'd feel less comfortable with off-brand cars that hurtle me down the pavement at 100km/h. Because really I'd prefer to not have pieces of my vehicle tear off in a high-wind while my brakes disintegrate because they're made from rice paper and the tears of small children.

[*MAD DOG*]

Originally Posted by TPA5

I'll chance it with off-brand breakfast cereal and socks, but I gotta say I'd feel less comfortable with off-brand cars that hurtle me down the pavement at 100km/h. Because really I'd prefer to not have pieces of my vehicle tear off in a high-wind while my brakes disintegrate because they're made from rice paper and the tears of small children.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by TPA5

I'll chance it with off-brand breakfast cereal and socks, but I gotta say I'd feel less comfortable with off-brand cars that hurtle me down the pavement at 100km/h. Because really I'd prefer to not have pieces of my vehicle tear off in a high-wind while my brakes disintegrate because they're made from rice paper and the tears of small children.

^^^^^ This. Plus the asbestos issue. Ugh. I guess a more accurate way to refer to myself would be frugal, rather than cheap. One Aussie member referred to the 'cheap arses' in his country who buy some of the Chinese cars. I would pay more just to be asbestos free (as in not purchasing a car from a Chinese manufacturer).

[nookandcrannycar]

On the Bloomberg scrolling ticker this morning - 'China will have a global automaker within 10 years'

[bronsin]

That certainly is a possibility.

But I have to change my position here. I doubt very much we will see truly cheap cars from China here. Cars in the US are EXPENSIVE. Read PROFITS. China will want to take advantage of that.

[junorico24]

http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and...t_drive_review

DRIVING

Here’s the most surprising part: the Chery J3 actually drives quite well. In fact, I’d venture to say it feels like the most complete Chinese car I’ve driven to date. That’s not damning it with faint praise, but it does come with a few qualifications. The 1.6-litre is a little breathless and needs to be revved to really get moving. And although the engine itself is quite smooth and refined, Chery is yet to master the craft of noise deadening, so you hear more of the engine’s goings-on that you do in other cars.

MPG is a bit dissapointing.