No, you don't have to go quite that far. The Smart-for-Two goes on sale next month.

Review coming up....stay tuned.

 

that's a good point. i forget that many of you guys are buying new(er) cars with warranty's. unfortunately i'm not in a financial position to do that, so for me, it's about the older cars, and as such, i buy only japanese. i've made the mistake of buying older german cars and they sucked!
of all the germans though, i'd say bmw is the most reliable. audi, forget it, i've had to fix things on those things before they were even sold!

 

I would probaly have a 2001 BMW 530.

 

At this young point in my life, I'd probably have a BMW or Audi.

 

You and I are in pretty much the same boat. My BMW was a very reliable vehicle, a 90 325ic, but 2 Mercedes 190Es my parents still have are running repair jobs...next vehicle will likely be a Toyota for them.

 

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Can I speak for those who have owned (many) German cars with no significant reliability or quality problems whatsoever... It should not be a held assumption (as sometimes seems in threads like this) that German cars will give you a headache... Many/Most owners have completely problem free ownership experiences...

I am not denying consumer surveys and case studies about quality/reliability issues... (And Japanese cars are certainly not immune either) That the risk is somewhat higher for some German models/brands... statistically that appears true... but there are a lot of cars out there... a lot of peple who don't bother with enthusiast web sites or consumer surveys... and who do not spend all their time at the dealer!

Chris

 

That is my family perfectly. Over the past 15 years, my family has owned 3 S-Classes, 2 SL, 1 7-Series, and 2 P-Cars (Boxster and a 964). My currently have an 06 A8L as well and it has been perfect so far.

Only 1, the '94 SEL420 ever gave major mechanical headaches, and that was the electrical system had to be rewired.

The Boxster had a minor issue, and that was the plate where the horn is came loose and whenever you would turn the steering wheel to the right, the horn would honk. It was funny for a while, but was then easily fixed for $100.

So...given the past, owning a German car doesn't scare me, especially if it is under warranty. Once I'm out of school and have an income, I don't plan on keeping a car more than maybe 3-4 years. I get bored too easily.

 

I have some hesitation but basically I do agree. What we are talking about here are odds. There is a higher probability of having a trouble free experience with many Japanese brands than European brands. But just as there is a good probability of having a trouble free experience with a European auto, there is a chance of having a poor experience with a Japanese auto. Some of this gets over posted but the reality is the bimmer guys can say we outperform Lexus; the MB guys can say we paid more and well it's a Mercedes; and the Lexus guys can say we are more reliable and largely the wisest value choice. And there in a nutshell is how many threads go. When I started this thread I really intended it for those of us who purchase new. On a used car, I would definitely flip. If you want to enjoy the ownership experience, get the Japanese brand. But, once again, how would things be different if there were no Lexus?

Acura is doing surprisingly well in this poll as the alternative to Lexus but they haven' exactly been paragons of reliability or not have their share of problems. At least not by what used to be Toyota/Lexus standards. By the same token, would any of the Europeans have even tried to improve their reliability (only BMW seems to be making progress on this front) or instituted the free maintenance (while several to begin with I believe only BMW still does this) if Lexus hadn't been there? I would rather leave it at that for this thread. There are certainly cracks in the Lexus reliability but that is best handled in another thread.

 

My honest opinion is I do think BMW an other German brands would have improved on their reliability if Lexus wasn't around. My reason is Acura. Acura was the first Japanese Luxury brand to come to the US. At that time in all they way until about 1998 when the J series engine and new transmission came out (The trans that had the problems in the 98-2003 TL and other cars that shared it), Acura was a very reliable brand.

Up until the Legend name change with the RL in 1996, Acura was doing quite well. Much better position and image in the prestige category than they are today. Lexus; however, came in a few years after the introduction of Acura and surpassed everyone. It is my opinion that Lexus in a way held back Acura as they came out with more models and choices much faster, and the LS obviously put Lexus on the map. When it came clear around the mid 90s that Lexus became the undisputed #1 Japanese Luxury manufacturer, I believe Acura changed their direction. During that whole time between 1996-2005 Acura really was lost. They only now started to gather themselves again, but they are now behind the ball and playing catch up.

Anyway, what I'm saying is if Acura was the top dog for the Japanese Luxury cars, I have a feeling the Legend would have been something greater then when it changed to the RL, the NSX would have had a new generation and not died, there still would be more Acura models to choose from, and the Germans would still have to improve to keep pace with Japanese reliability.

 

Well one thing for sure from this poll. There is a lot of goodwill for Acura among Lexus owners. They would be treated very well if they decide to go after bigger markets.

 

It also shows if Acura totally BLEW its opportunity and watched Lexus blow by them, seeing they were here before Lexus.

 

Obviously cannot argue with that statement. I am not sure exactly what quandary developed at Honda/Acura but the poll really surprised me. And that is after hitting the auto show circuit and coming away feeling that the best build quality shown was Lexus, BMW, and Acura. The RL really deserved better. I am sure we are still in agreement that they ruined the opportunity with this fine car with that initial pricing.

I also hope that when the inevitable testy threads get going that the BMW, Acura, and Audi fans look at the results of this poll. It would be nice if Lexus got the same respect on their sites as their brands do here.

 

For me it is pretty clear. Before the passing of Soichiro Honda, and after the passing of Soichiro Honda. Obviously it took a while after the passing of Mr. Honda for things to unfold, but it is pretty clear what the direction and theme for Honda and then Acura was when he was alive. All their cars from the Civic to the NSX showed that. After he passed it was clear to me at least that the new top management at Honda had a different agenda. They pulled out of many motorsports, they stared in a new direction. This was clear from the type and style cars that came out from Honda and Acura from the early mid 90s to around 2005.

Soichiro Honda was a engineer and a racer. It showed in the companies products and motto. "Precision Crafted Performance". After his passing all that changed.