Chinese cars

[Nasher]

Mazda MX-5… rust…

Does any more need to be said?

Mazdas rust due to lack of underside protection, as any car will in the UK. Japan don't salt their roads so they skimp on it sometimes. But that can be easily fixed.

Others rust because of cheap steel or just skipping entire treatment processes. Chinese steel (and aluminium) is especially poor quality to start with. You never want tools made in China because they break, their cars won't be any stronger. You might get 10-15 years from them before the subframes start to crack, which is what happens on old Kias.

China could make good quality things, but they don't. Because then it would be just as expensive as European and American made stuff. You get what you pay for

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Mazdas rust due to lack of underside protection, as any car will in the UK. Japan don't salt their roads so they skimp on it sometimes. But that can be easily fixed.

So a car made for the U.K. and wider European market lacks the required rust protection but that ok because it’s made by a ‘western’ aligned country despite it not being of sufficient quality to be sold here? You’d think they fix it after 1st generation but nope, I had a Gen 3.5 and that started to rust through its boot lid, it was not even 10 years old.

Good to know you can remain objective, oh wait.

It’s not just the MX-5 either, don’t the their pick up trucks have massive issues with their structural parts rotting through?

 

[sovietspybob]

Yeah tbf i wouldn't really touch another Mazda again after having 2 and luckily getting rid of both before they turned into piles of dust on the drive. Shame as i really like the 3 and 6 but it seems a poor place to put your money when other cars don't rust to nothing

And if that's how low the bar has been set by the 'legacy' auto makers then China stands a good chance in my eyes.. German stuff costs a fortune to fix and breaks frequently, lots of the other stuff rots etc etc. If you're going to have a car which falls to bits anyway, why not have a cheaper one?

 

[SkyTerran]

Not sure i'd buy a Chinese designed and built car. They know how to build things but imo their software often has bugs or glitches, a Chinese EV will have a lot of software running.

Many Chinese car companies actually use car software produced by the like of Huawei (Harmony OS based) or have partnered with big tech like Microsoft to make their own and they try to emulate what Tesla has on their cars.

 

[jpaul]

well yes it's a balance between lifetime reliabiity, repair cost of different parts of the car - need a new style of auto journalist who analyses cars further than just skin deep;
to inform the discriminating private buyer about these characteristics.
( Watched detailing guy youtube who analysed paint depth across an i4, some of the german guys who also do detailed panel gap analysis, or Munro looking at ev6 build quality )


Looks like SAIC ieMG are acknowledged to have a different galvanising process , in similar vein to modern paints that have to be more environmentally friendly

Setting new benchmark: Henkel helps SAIC-GM make new technological breakthrough | Automotive World

Henkel Asia-Pacific announced that its automotive team had used Bonderite M-NT 1820 surface pretreatment technology to help SAIC General Motors

www.automotiveworld.com

but also fits all metal substrates, thus greatly shortening the process time and saving cost in equipment investment and process control. With Bonderite M-NT 1820, heavy metals, solid waste and waste water are all significantly reduced, thus saving resources and waste treatment cost. Since the processes of surface conditioning and passivation can be skipped, investment in process and equipment footprint are saved and the operational cost including water, electricity, gas and chemicals are reduced.

 

[HangTime]

Don’t forget those pesky Korean cars no one wants, oh wait….

Chinese designed cars (so not the stuff still mainly designed in Sweden) have come a long way and are pretty much as good as what the likes of Stelantis are putting out at that end of the market. At the other end the likes of Nio and Xpeng have an interesting offer.

Skoda used to literally be a laughing stock second only to Lada and now they have a bunch of well respected models like Superb, Octavia, Kodiaq etc (I appreciate they are part of VAG now). History shows us that these manufacturers that spring up away from the traditional heartlands can evolve, they typically enter the market competing on price (and sometimes it shows) but over time refine their practices, build their reputation etc. Dacia are an example of someone on the midpoint of that journey, still looked down upon a bit but market share continuing to grow significantly, and their cars are no longer bare bones models (more kit and more expensive than they used to be).

It's quite conceivable for Chinese brands to establish themselves in the same way, although I fear they may suffer from over-saturation in terms of brands. By which I mean if there was 1-2 dominate Chinese brands that might help them get established. Then again, Japan had Honda, Toyota, Nissan etc taking over the world so what do I know.

 

[Nasher]

Skoda used to literally be a laughing stock second only to Lada and now they have a bunch of well respected models like Superb, Octavia, Kodiaq etc (I appreciate they are part of VAG now). History shows us that these manufacturers that spring up away from the traditional heartlands can evolve, they typically enter the market competing on price (and sometimes it shows) but over time refine their practices, build their reputation etc. Dacia are an example of someone on the midpoint of that journey, still looked down upon a bit but market share continuing to grow significantly, and their cars are no longer bare bones models (more kit and more expensive than they used to be).

It's quite conceivable for Chinese brands to establish themselves in the same way, although I fear they may suffer from over-saturation in terms of brands. By which I mean if there was 1-2 dominate Chinese brands that might help them get established. Then again, Japan had Honda, Toyota, Nissan etc taking over the world so what do I know.

Skoda isn't really the old Skoda though, they are just re-badged VWs now. Like Audis.

 

[hurfdurf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1701750453615132960

Britain getting bodied by China. It’s over for the UK as a respected country.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

400hp + £35k =

 

[adam cool dude]

400hp + £35k =

If going fast in a straight line is all that is important to you.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Which covers 90% of people who buy 'fast' cars, happy days.

 

[sx_turbo]

Did people not used to scoff when Japanese cars first came on the scene? Look at them now. Maybe China is next.

Yeah put same restrictions on them at the time i believe aswell

 

[Diddums]

I remain unconvinced. There's simply too much inconsistency across all the brands, and having seen how bad Chinese ferrous can be, it'll take at least another 10 years for me to see enough longevity in their products to warrant my coin.

 

[dlockers]

I remain unconvinced. There's simply too much inconsistency across all the brands, and having seen how bad Chinese ferrous can be, it'll take at least another 10 years for me to see enough longevity in their products to warrant my coin.

Tbf 10 year isn't long at all. Look at Skoda.

 

[Diddums]

Tbf 10 year isn't long at all. Look at Skoda.

Ya but that isn't really comparable tbh, Skodas are all VAG products now, so mainly german. I'm comparing this more to the Chinese bikes, which everyone compares to the Japs in the 70s but are still spectacularly rubbish. You won't find many older than three years old as they just fall apart and rust like mad. They also don't hold their resale value vs the japs, not even remotely close.

Maybe the cars are better but I don't have much to go on, whereas I see evidence of Chinesium rubbish every single day in my Faceballs groups.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Maybe the cars are better but I don't have much to go on, whereas I see evidence of Chinesium rubbish every single day in my Faceballs echo chamber groups.

FTFY

 

[Diddums]

FTFY

Look, I know you think they're the second coming and all that, but I've been in engineering for long enough to know that skepticism is healthy. Buy one, see how you get on. I'm happy to be proven wrong

 

[dlockers]

Ya but that isn't really comparable tbh, Skodas are all VAG products now, so mainly german. I'm comparing this more to the Chinese bikes, which everyone compares to the Japs in the 70s but are still spectacularly rubbish. You won't find many older than three years old as they just fall apart and rust like mad. They also don't hold their resale value vs the japs, not even remotely close.

Maybe the cars are better but I don't have much to go on, whereas I see evidence of Chinesium rubbish every single day in my Faceballs groups.

For enough but they own Polestar/Volvo now, and domestically those cars are just as good and dirt cheap.

The exports we see "at a cost" are not good indicators IMO to what they can do. See, iPhone, most consumer electronics etc.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Look, I know you think they're the second coming and all that, but I've been in engineering for long enough to know that skepticism is healthy. Buy one, see how you get on. I'm happy to be proven wrong

Nah they charge too slow, prefer my Chinese Tesla

 

[Diddums]

For enough but they own Polestar/Volvo now, and domestically those cars are just as good and dirt cheap.

The exports we see "at a cost" are not good indicators IMO to what they can do. See, iPhone, most consumer electronics etc.

Absolutely, the Chinese can make seriously high quality stuff when paid to do it, but let's be honest, the ratio of absolute tosh to quality goods coming out of China is still vastly skewed towards the former. I'm not saying they only make rubbish cars, simply that it'll take a lot for me to be convinced. They're still fairly new on the market, we don't have enough data to make an informed decision.

Yet.