Japan and continental car almost same price now, but ...

[EricChan]

Somehow we aren't comparing apple to apple when we say this is more expensive than that beside the economy of scale issue.

 

If you buy a $200K car, whether it is Conti or Jap, the cost to maintain will be higher. Of course it a particular brand is so common, a pre-owned part will be available easily thus cost lower. If cost is an issue, best to consider the most common and cheapest model.

 

Every weekends, you will see the massive jams at the causeway. Are they all Jap cars? The notion that Conti car cannot take heat is no more valid today. In summer, the heat over there is much higher than Singapore.

I can only point to the real pool of colleagues' cars ( about 80 in total), and it is obvious that the Japanese ones are distinctly more reliable than conti ones albeit the tier 2 (non premium German) type.

Acclimatization issue does seem to be a common complaint among these tier2 conti owners - some think must park in the shade to avoid problems .. Several had gearbox noisy , some nuisance alarms , some electronic malfunctions, and a higher rate of unusual failures than jap . New cars (and less than 3 /4 years generally no real issue). Needless to say there were quite a few conversions from tier2 Conti to jap

Edited February 25, 2016 by EricChan

[Sglanevo]

Thanks for all this wonderful readup on this topic. Nw i knw why my inlaw say jap cars are reliable. Of cos german made like merz is his favorite and my uncle too but it too high price for me to own. Then wv cars nw hve gear box issue, then shld consider jap cars for nw. Am driving altis now, i must say the engine from japn is pretty awesome but the body and parts from thai just cant make it. I end changing the same brand of the shock absorbers from jap entirely from outside workshop cos warranty over. Cos me 500 bucks. During warranty, one leak and borneo just replace that one. Haiz

[Hondaes8]

Thanks for all this wonderful readup on this topic. Nw i knw why my inlaw say jap cars are reliable. Of cos german made like merz is his favorite and my uncle too but it too high price for me to own. Then wv cars nw hve gear box issue, then shld consider jap cars for nw. Am driving altis now, i must say the engine from japn is pretty awesome but the body and parts from thai just cant make it. I end changing the same brand of the shock absorbers from jap entirely from outside workshop cos warranty over. Cos me 500 bucks. During warranty, one leak and borneo just replace that one. Haiz

 

truly agree. I also drove before 2009 Altis and have the same issue and BM say insurance only covers the shock absorber that is damaged. Quite unprofessional as many mechanics also knows that it has to be changed in pairs. 

 

after 6 years of driving, engine swee swee but there is some noise from the under carriage, which mechanics also cannot pin point, despite mine was an accident free car....after that changed to Honda stream and build quality seems to be much better, except for the brakes, which Toyota still has better bites..

[Forte3737]

Why no Lexus?

Cos made by Toyota

[Lotr]

If you just YouTube reviews of any models. You would notice many differences. Engine capacity to finishes.

 

I beg to differ.  Sure, overseas there are many different grades/version of the same model in terms of engine type, capacity, transmission and other specs such as hid lights, cruise control, electric seats etc etc.  That is because their market is so so much bigger than Singapore.  

 

However for Singapore, the AD will bring in one or two of the grades/version of the same model.  However, I still think that for the same grade/version whether overseas or Singapore, they will be the same car.  I just don't see why would the manufacturer custom made a version just for a small market like ours.

[Chrispie]

I also changed from conti (alfa 159) to jap (xtrail) .

 

Though I can say for sure the jap will be much more reliable than the alfa, the alfa rewards the driver in ways the jap car can never even come close.

 

So sometimes a car is not just about a transportation. It is also about how it transports you. So one might just be willing to compromise in one way or another.

[flashbang]

Starting out = jap car for reliability and convenience.

 

When huat liao = conti car for the seh, need more $$ and time also no problem.

[Sglanevo]

truly agree. I also drove before 2009 Altis and have the same issue and BM say insurance only covers the shock absorber that is damaged. Quite unprofessional as many mechanics also knows that it has to be changed in pairs.

 

after 6 years of driving, engine swee swee but there is some noise from the under carriage, which mechanics also cannot pin point, despite mine was an accident free car....after that changed to Honda stream and build quality seems to be much better, except for the brakes, which Toyota still has better bites..

Funny how some Pi models are such hot sellers yet AD doesnt bring in. So that time i ask borneo why dont bring in wish can be seen everywhere. Then the SE told me that they r not allow to sell other model other than those allowed by Toyota. So no choice keep selling the aweful looking Pinic.

[Bismarck]

I feel servicing and maintenance is a normal thing to do whether you drive conti or jap. But the thing about conti is the parts. Really expensive to replace the parts. And must be original somemore.

[Ara84]

I don't know if I am the very few that notice this but ergonomics plays a huge part in the cars I buy. I'm a big and tall guy (aka FAT) so I need to make sure that I fit comfortably in a car before I consider it.

 

Somehow for bread and butter cars the conti's are better in ergonomics versus japanese. That is why I choose conti. But if we are talking high end then thats a totally different discussion. 

[sake]

I feel servicing and maintenance is a normal thing to do whether you drive conti or jap. But the thing about conti is the parts. Really expensive to replace the parts. And must be original somemore.

That is why Stuttgart Auto has this selling point......free servicing ,maintenance  and parts for everything (except tyres) for 5 yrs. Of course car price has probably taken into account all these.

[Jumpmanz]

That is why Stuttgart Auto has this selling point......free servicing ,maintenance  and parts for everything (except tyres) for 5 yrs. Of course car price has probably taken into account all these.

 

this is really a good marketing tool for increased sales

 

[Vratenza]

this is really a good marketing tool for increased sales

 

 

That level of customers, do they really consider free servicing/free parts when deciding what to buy?

[Runforyourlife]

That level of customers, do they really consider free servicing/free parts when deciding what to buy?

 

Get a macan, the lowest in the range.

[sake]

That level of customers, do they really consider free servicing/free parts when deciding what to buy?

definitely yes. convenient and hassle free. no need to worry for 5 yrs. after 5 yrs change car.

[Jumpmanz]

That level of customers, do they really consider free servicing/free parts when deciding what to buy?

 

yes. it's a 'feel good' factor. knowing if they compare similar range car across the other brands.

 

[Victor68]

definitely yes. convenient and hassle free. no need to worry for 5 yrs. after 5 yrs change car.

 

5 years is about time where you need parts replacement. For some, after the 3rd year, you will start to feel them. To consider replacement of car at the end of each 5 year cycle (I was doing that for a few of cycles), it depends very much on your entry point. Can be a very costly affair.

 

[sake]

5 years is about time where you need parts replacement. For some, after the 3rd year, you will start to feel them. To consider replacement of car at the end of each 5 year cycle (I was doing that for a few of cycles), it depends very much on your entry point. Can be a very costly affair.

 

convenience vs costs.......C'est la vie