Japanese car vs. American/German car

[Ave`]

I think Japanese car is good for every occasion...something you drive to work or go somewhere with your family, comfy, big interior and nice. While European car is more channeled towards being a sport car which usually suit a single man and his hot gf rarely any kid is pictured during making this designs. Last and least of them all, American car. Which is just crappy. Btw I drive a japanese car.

[Hogan]

Its not really like that here....
kinda the other way around
whites and their Civics, Nissans, Toyotas
asians with their BMWs and Mercedes.

I don't know about where you're from but here the rich guys (of any race) are driving the BMWs and Mercedes. And the poor the Japanese cars.

[Hogan]

I guess its a good way of telling whether a eurasian is rich or poor

[morningstar]

I think in Asia (i speak of Malaysia) - driving a European car is something of a status symbol, while driving a Japanese car which is cheaper, and usually a bit more practical is what is used by people who can afford more than a local car, and do not want to waste the cash on an overpriced european car.

I have noticed that in Australia - there are huge amounts of Japanese cars on the road as well, a large quantity of which are driven by european-australians.

There are European cars in both countries, but i feel it is more of a status symbol in Malaysia then in Australia, or a preceived status symbol.

Of course, not all people take it to be as important, but in comparison to Australia, i feel that in Malaysia, what car you drive seems to be quite a big deal..is it a ratty old Proton? or a practical Japanese car, or an extremley expensive European car?

[LaFace]

Personally, I'm not a fan of those skylines, civics etc that are done up with body kits, rear spoilers etc.

To me, they look like toys. Perhaps the reason I think this is because down here, the younger people who drive them are often youths that love to speed race, do burnouts etc

The only sports cars I like are the top end ones, eg. Ferrari, Lamborghini etc

In terms of the opening post, I'd rather drive a BMW, Mercedes etc

[ladystacey]

I had pretty much american, asian and euro cars over the years don't really prefer one over the other. Although I do find brit cars needing more maintance then usual with the timing belt, etc.
I sold my cars before I moved to much of a pain to transfer them and pay fees so I will probably buy a new one after the winter here but more like a weekend car since I pretty much walk and sub everywhere now.
I think I might go hybrid just because I hate getting gas, it's not so much how much it is or paying for it, I just really hate going to the gas station and getting gas, LOL

[ladystacey]

^I know but less trips to the gas station at least and since I would still be on foot and sub most of the time anyhow I would rarely need gas. I really hated to have to gas up almost once a week before, I prefer once a month.
I have not come upon any dealerships that sell a electric car that isn't the size of my closet yet so until then I will have to settle for the hybrid.

[EA Observer]

I drive an American auto (made in Canada, I think), but wouldn't consider buying another one as a first choice. It's really too bad that American cars lost respect due to poor designs and craftsmanships, on top of their increasing costs to the makers and customers. I know that GM, Ford, and Chrysler have been trying to win back their customers, but after messing up too often for too long, it's really tough to do. In fact, I'm not sure that I would even consider buying a foreign make made domestically, like Toyota Camry built in Alabama, USA.

[ladystacey]

Whoohoo! American car built by American for the American that likes to fly and crash into things, whoohooo! Smashy, smashy ;D




For those that just wanna little weeeee, now introducing

[LaFace]

kyuree said:

zoffster1 said:

I see a lot of hybrid cars there, While I like the idea, their performance leaves something to be desired.

my friend's working at it

it's his field , his thesis paper was about that, too

LaFace: I understand what you mean design-wise but I'm a girl and an AYGO is totally fine for me ;D


I think in Korea you HAVE to buy a Korean car in order not to be labeled a traitor. But then again they copy the design of European cars

^oh it's not necessarily the design, in terms of the car being more suited toward a feminine preference, as I used to think some of these types of cars look good, eg Toyota Supra.

It's just that as I reached my later teen years, I think it was a mental factor that influenced my discontent for these cars, and this was due to the young people that drive these cars often being the types who are dangerous drivers, doing all sorts of crazy things, whether they be at inappropriate times, affecting other drivers etc.

Basically, this negative association probably affected the way I view the car's look. Perhaps an analogy could be, if you saw a really physically attractive person of the opposite sex, but once you started to get to know them and discovered that they had a very unattractive personality, the way you view them physically then changes for the worse.

[EA Observer]

ladystacey said:

Whoohoo! American car built by American for the American that likes to fly and crash into things, whoohooo! Smashy, smashy ;D

Actually, the American automakers used to make great muscle cars, like the one you show that starred in Dukes of Hazard. Mustang, GTO, Camaro, Barracuda, etc. had both powers and styles unmatched by mostforeign cars. I think the oil crisis in the 70's put an end to the muscle-car era, but the companies could only follow up with ugly, crappy lemons, l;ike Chrsler K cars, J cars and all those with even boring, uninspiring names. Of course, that's when the Japanese cars really began to sell well, too.

These days I see more young chicks driving fast, stylish sports cars than guys.

[ladystacey]

^ Hey what's wrong with the K car? I learned how to drive in my friends mom's K car, LOL it was great for first time driver
I used to race a lot with my Ex's mustang, (he built race cars as a hobby) he actually would beg me and bribe me to race his car or even his friends cars since I was able to clock the car in 5's, 6's and they could only get 7 or 8's. I think I just had easier time feeling the right time when to switch gears to get better speed then they did and I wasn't into cars that much or racing I just liked the speed.

[delorian]

I drive a japanese truck myself -- toyota tacoma.

I notice mostly yuppie white people drive german cars, especially BMW's. Asians tend to stick to Japanese cars. Poor people buy Korean cars it seems, though I think that may be changing as Hyundai slowly improves the quality of their products.

[LaFace]

kyuree said:

laface said:

^oh it's not necessarily the design, in terms of the car being more suited toward a feminine preference, as I used to think some of these types of cars look good, eg Toyota Supra.

It's just that as I reached my later teen years, I think it was a mental factor that influenced my discontent for these cars, and this was due to the young people that drive these cars often being the types who are dangerous drivers, doing all sorts of crazy things, whether they be at inappropriate times, affecting other drivers etc.

Basically, this negative association probably affected the way I view the car's look. Perhaps an analogy could be, if you saw a really physically attractive person of the opposite sex, but once you started to get to know them and discovered that they had a very unattractive personality, the way you view them physically then changes for the worse.

But actually that's a bit weird... not even the analogy works.
And here young ppl don't have Japanese cars
They have old used cars... (mostly European)

I think there is this one VW for which you have to pay more insurance in Germany b/c mostly young ppl (inexperienced/dare devil = many accidents) drive.

^I should point out that where I'm from, the type of young people who drive the civics, supras, skylines etc that are built with rear spoilers, bodykits etc, are generally people who are irresponsible drivers, that speed on our streets/roads at all times of the day, do burnouts (skid marks) and other things that are quite dangerous. Not all young people are like this, but many of those who own these types of cars are (daredevils, like you said). As you mentioned, it's different where you live, as I'm sure it is in other areas around the world.

Having said that, the analogy works like this. You see an attractive person from the opposite sex (nice looking car such as a supra). You get to know this person, and it turns out they have an ugly character (get to know what type of people own these cars, ie dangerous/irresponsible drivers that the police have been cracking down on in the last few years). Associating the person's character with their physical look, can cause you to view them as less physically attractive than when you first saw them (just like associating the character of the drivers with the look of the car, can cause one to view the car as less attractive than when you first saw it).

Of course this doesn't hold true for everyone down here, it is just a generalisation, best handled by considering each case individually.

I hope that makes more sense Kyu-Ree?

[LaFace]

kyuree said:

laface said:

I hope that makes more sense Kyu-Ree?

errr, I understood what you wanted to say but I think it's nonsense (sorry ).

I mean w/ a person it's a specific person but w/ a car... of every car there are thousands of this car... And only b/c other drivers of a car are dare devil doesn't mean you become one once you hold this car's steering wheel!
Unless you're telling me you don't want OTHERS to associate you w/ those dare devils?

Yes, it's true there are thousands of say supras, many of which have sensible owners. However, down here, of the supras that are fully built up with bigger engines, exhaust, large spoilers, lowered kits etc, the majority of these drivers are daredevils. It's just something that is widely known down here.

I know I won't become an irresponsible driver if I went behind the wheel of one of those built-up cars, but I'm not saying whether I'd like to drive such a car, I'm just commenting on the look of them. If cars have been altered to be more 'daredevil' worthy, then I just don't like the look of them, now knowing what type of drivers own them. My dislike for irresponsible drivers causes me to be biased against the look of 'built-up' cars

I'm guessing it's different with the drivers of 'built-up' cars where you live. If more sensible people are associated with these cars, then I wouldn't have a problem with them.

edit: For the record, down here, daredevil drivers (no matter their ethnicity) usually build up cars that are from Japan. Overseas, it could be that daredevil drivers do it with European cars, American cars etc.

I guess I should have said that I don't like any car built up solely for daredevil-driving purposes (no matter where they are from), as opposed to just saying the Japanese cars in my opening post (as they are the car of choice for that behaviour in my area).