Why a German car and not American???

[gt_mustang]

very interesting points i have read

@viper the crown vic wasnt aimed at everyone only a reply to the quote i mentioned

@mayavi why am i comparing a 30 year car to say that RELIABILITY does exist on these americans hey they are still on the road na!!!! compare that with a german

i guess ive found my answer in Xehausts post i really got the meaning on a geman when he mentioned testing even the buttons for ergonomics!!!!

but then i guess my first car will be the mustang but im saw the 335i coupe and man it looks hot

what are the differences in safety features on an american and a german
can we compare the two on different fronts to see why a german is superior

[RX135]

Originally Posted by NOS Power

From an enthusiasts point of view i seriously think german cars are like german people - monotonous, nothing exciting about them, very boring to drive, have tonnes of electronic wizardry to take care of your worst nightmare.

Alas!

Looks like you have never tasted "Ultimate Driving Machine" AKA BMW or a Porsche. Do that once and find out yourself why people world over crave for German cars.

[srishiva]

It all comes to requirements. In a country that likes SUVs and minivans, there was not much motivation to start with. Its the size that mattered.
The biggest challenge to U.S companies is to find a way to beat the Japs with reliability. If the japs can build something thats already reliable and add luxury and performance that the Germans have, days are not that far when Japs will rule this segment also. But the Germans would continue to rule if they dont sacrifice reliability.
Its a hard market to penetrate since its not just the cars but also the tradition and brand name that matters most.

[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by NOS Power

From an enthusiasts point of view i seriously think german cars are like german people - monotonous, nothing exciting about them, very boring to drive, have tonnes of electronic wizardry to take care of your worst nightmare.

Oh what a terrible thing to say! I can promise you German people are neither boring nor monotonous.

I think if you count the number of American cars outside the States and the number of German cars outside Germany you will find that the whole world prefers German cars. Manufactured by exciting and wonderful people that love variety!

[Thad E Ginathom]

And that's telling us!

The One has spoken. The German One

[TheOne®]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And that's telling us!

The One has spoken. The German One

Sorry, this just couldn't stay uncommented from my side lol.

After reading through this interesting thread I just want to add one thing to it (as many things have already been said):

Germany has rules over rules haha. We even have rules for the rules! Especially in the automotive industry (concerning traffic in general, transport of children, safety issues, technology itself, environment protection etc. etc.), the manufacturers are often having a hard time to meet all those rules. So they need to make double-sure in everything they do in order to survive and moreover, in order to be successful. This and the great passion for cars the Germans have (cars here are quite a status symbol lol) let us strive for perfection when it comes to building a new car, no matter if it comes to technology, reliability, design, handling and whatever more.

And I think this is what is recognised in the various markets!

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by NOS Power

From an enthusiasts point of view i seriously think german cars are like german people - monotonous, nothing exciting about them, very boring

Oh dear lol. There's a thoughtless comment.

No NOS, Germans are not boring. Precise and hard working perhaps, but not boring. Germany may have some boring people, but how can you classify a nation? Trust me they have as varied a populace as us. And that's from an enthusiasts point of view, lol

I do not question your choice of cars, but in your opinion are American cars like American people too?

I think if you count the number of American cars outside the States and the number of German cars outside Germany you will find that the whole world prefers German cars.

And that's the truth.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by TheOne®

I think if you count the number of American cars outside the States and the number of German cars outside Germany you will find that the whole world prefers German cars.

But that's only in comparison. The ultra-exciting Japanese take first place.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

but in your opinion are American cars like American people too?
And that's the truth.

GM/Ford sales outside US is about equal to VW/Opel sales outside Germany.

Lets not get Chrysler, Benz, Audi, Porsche sales into this. these are niche players in most markets.

BTW remember Jap (Honda/Toyota/Nissan) cars trump both German and US cars in this measure.

Between German cars and US cars though one could point that worldwide German car sales are rising while US car sales are falling.

[Blue Thunder]

Originally Posted by gt_mustang

what makes these german giants more appealing than their american couzins ???......

Because there are a lot of "Dumb American Blonde" jokes, but no "Dumb German Blonde" jokes

Well, jokes apart : the reason, IMO, is that Germans are well known for their engineering expertise, and their passion for perfection at work. German-engineered cars are known for their perfect workmanship. One can give a lot of examples for this, but let me tell one thing that I feel may help in explaining this :notice the windshield wiper in the first batch of Mercedes Benz cars sold in India. It will be a single wiper blade which will be cleaning more than 95% of the windscreen area. This is artistry in engineering (again, IMHO). There is a cam-action in the wiper mechanism, which makes the wiper go up and down as it is going left and right across the windscreen. So much engineering thought has gone into this seemingly small aspect of the whole car : imagine what they would thought about/designed for the rest of the car .

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by navin

GM/Ford sales outside US is about equal to VW/Opel sales outside Germany.

Who do you think owns Opel?

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

So much engineering thought has gone into this seemingly small aspect of the whole car : imagine what they would thought about/designed for the rest of the car .

Imagine how much it's going to cost to replace a single windscreen wiper motor/mechanism on a Mercedes Benz, versus a Honda.

[navin]

When somone talks about German cars they are not refering only to Benz, Audi and Porsche. It is like saying all Italian cars are Maseratti, Ferrari, Lamborghini. VW and Opel sell more cars than Benz, Audi (division of VW), and Porsche (owns controling stake of VW). But yes, Blue Thunder, if one compares the VW Jetta to say a Ford Taurus (both configured to cost $25-27K) and the difference in engineering is still there (disclaimer Ford also owns Jap based Mazda and Swedish Volvo).

[navin]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Who do you think owns Opel?

But Opels are German engineered. It's like saying that Volvo is American.

[phamilyman]

erm, ever considerd the fact that you pay for brands, who have global research centers, factories all of which are in china, and cross ownership.

So its just ALL in your head.

PS: Can anyone recall the case where an Indian sued opel (?) because his car had the engine/drivetrain from Detroit Diesel (?) of GM and NOT german engineering? I'll google and post back in a day or so.

[androdev]

Vorsprung durch Technik.

Neither Japan nor America builds a mass-produced V12 automobile.