Japanese vs. US cars--what is the truth?

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wutitiz

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Mar 5, 2008
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As I posted in my other thread, I am trying to figure out what kind of small truck to buy, since I want to be able to haul my motorcycle on occasion. I was hot and bothered over the Hummer H3T but have all but given up on that idea.

So now I am thinking about either a crew-cab (4 door) Dodge Dakota or Toyota Tacoma. I lean towards the Dodge, but everything I see and read extolls the Toyota. Every third word written about it seems to be 'bulletproof.' Everything written by reviewers reads like ad copy.

My question then, is do Japanese vehicles really deserve the gold-plated rep they seem to have? I have heard some pretty distressing stories on the local 'radio car repair' show about the cost of parts for imports (both Japanese and German). There was a guy who needed a new catalytic converter for his Infiniti, and was quoted $3000 for the OEM part. The host confirmed that the price sounded about right, and further that it was not a good idea to look for a cheaper non-OEM part.

I drive a Jeep and have had few problems with it, but Consumer Reports hates it. Before that I had a Subaru, and I liked it, but when I worked on it some of the parts seemed cheesy even to me.

What is the truth--are Japanese cars really that much better? Or could this possibly be one of those self-feeding memes that everyone believes because everyone else believes it? I don't doubt that the Japanese makers pushed the American makers to improve, but I wonder now whether the popular belief accurately reflects the reality.
 
Japenese cars are made in America. Go figure. My dad drove one of those small 4 cylinder pickups for close to 20 years. It wouldve kept on going if it hadnt been for a broken gasket (I think) that leaked water into the engine. The repair wouldve cost more than what the car was worth, so he sold it to someone who could fix it himself. Now he drives another Toyota and loves it.
 
I don't think there's much difference in overall brand qualities. Check out the quality rankings; there's hardly any difference between 4th and 16th place. And nearly all brands have improved significantly over the last 10 years, so most of the prejudices are long outdated.

And FYI, the top quality automobile manufacturer for the last couple of years has been Porsche, a German company.

Wife's Japanese Lexus has been nearly trouble-free, and she bought it used. Lexus was the #1 car brand for 11 consecutive years. But very similar to your Infinity story above, when she needed a new exhaust and a couple of other small things, the bill was $3,000.
 
Get the Toyota, you wont be sorry. US workers are employed by Toyota here. IMO Tacoma is better truck. Long miles on engine and transmission. I had a 99 Ford Ranger 4x4 and it died after 150,000. Very sad, 88 Toyota truck went 315,000 on original clutch and I did any and all repairs. Repairs were bolt on issues like alternator, oxygen sensing unit, fuel pump, that sort of stuff. Just a shady tree mechanic, not a pro. It lasted till 380,000 and then I let the oil get a little too low and siezed motor. I sold it for 1,000 without an engine. I wish I could say the same for Ford and Chevy small truck, but cannot. The big Chevy trucks are a good value I hear, but never owned one.
 
Good point - a lot of Japanese cars are made in the USA these days while a lot of "American" cars are farmed out to Mexico and/or Canada.

My family (and extended family) has always had superb experiences with Japanese cars (specifically Honda and Toyota). We run them into the ground, and that can take a long time.

I have some extended family who have also had good longevity with American vehicles. The difference? They work on their own cars, and aren't afraid to do it often.

I'd still be driving a '94 Accord (back then the Accord was about the size the Civics are these days) today if it hadn't been totaled in a flood about a year or so ago. I know that's not really that old of a car, but it was still running like a top and the only unscheduled maintenance I ever had to get done was a muffler replacement. It easily had many more years left in it.

I was also (pleasantly) shocked at how much GEICO gave me for it. If nothing else, look at the resale values on Hondas and Toyotas versus American. When I was shopping for my current Honda I ended up deciding it just wasn't worth it buying used - the cost savings weren't that great and I wasn't getting a warranty, peace of mind, etc. I could potentially be inheriting someone's problem(s) for tiny savings.

My Uncle later jokingly said to me, "You made the right choice. You've got to be crazy to buy an American car new or a Japanese car used." While it's certainly an exaggeration, I thought there was a sliver of truth in it...

If I might pick up a veeeery broad brush to paint with for a second....
It seems to me that American cars are cheaper and easier to work on, but ultimately require more work.
Japanese cars, on the other hand, require far less work, but you might have to pay more for parts and labor when it is required.

So pick your choice I guess. I don't have the background, tools, or facilities to work on my own car. I therefore drive a Honda. It treats me great (knock on wood).

I'm pretty sure my Ex's Dad still drives an '89 Toyota pickup, but I can't confirm the model or year given the ex status :rolleyes:

As for German, my family only has limited experience but it wasn't good. Two different family members had two different VW's. Both had weird electrical issues within 2 years or so (blinkers that wouldn't blink.... nonsense like that). I think the work on those was expensive, but I don't really recall because they got rid of them so quickly.

I predict quite the Holy War for this thread though. As far as I'm concerned: you do your thing, I'll do mine (whoever you are). The die-hards on either side won't ever convert.
 
I don't have too much to add, but I have a diesel 1992 Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero) that I imported from Japan, and the build quality is absolutely amazing. In 20,000km of driving over 18 months, it has cost me about $1500 in service. It's as reliable as my old Valiant with its slant 6, lol. Slightly better :D vehicle though since it seats 7, has heated leather suspension seats, a diesel engine, and a versatile 2WD/AWD/4WD system.
 
The Tacoma is made at NUMMI in California. A joint venture with GM and Toyota. AFIK, its a UAW plant as well.
 
My first vehicle was a Toyota Revo (a small utility vehicle available in SE Asia). I learned how to drive with that car and it lasted for almost 10 years before we sold it and I got a Honda CRV. Hated it. Sold quickly, and got a Toyota Hi Lux. The best Japanese pickup available here. :) 4 years old and going strong!
I don;t think I'll ever get an American car because of the higher cost and relatively low mileage.
 
For many years I resisted buying a Japanese car or truck. I'm an American, I buy American cars.

I finally got tired of spending big money on major repairs on my detroit iron at under 100 thousand miles. I got jealous of my Nissan, Toyota, and Honda driving friends who were getting 150 and 200 thousand miles out of thier cars with very little problems. Finally, after my last U.S. made truck, a brand new chevy in 1988, that was towed back to the dealership on a regular basis while still under warentee, I bought a Toyota in 1990.

Never looked back once.

It went 140 thousand with no problems, and the only reason I sold it to the guy down the street, I tore up my right rotator cuff in 2001 and couldn't drive a stick anymore after the surgery. I never looked at or even considered another brand of truck. I went out and bought a 2002 Tacoma with an auto transmission. Now at 84 thousand miles, the only thing it's needed has been gas, oil changes, and a new set of tires at about 60 thousand miles, and set of front brake pads.

Oh, the guy down the street is till running my old blue '90 Toyota. It's up to 238 thousand miles now, and still going like the energizer bunny. The guy takes good care of it, and loves it.

Trucks? I won't even look at it unless it's a Toyota.
 
At least two of our Chevrolet Impala police cars have stickers which indicate they are proudly made in Canada....

The "American" vs. "Foreign" business gets complex, with many American firms heavily invested in foreign companies, and using many foreign-manufactured parts.
Meanwhile, many "foreign" cars are manufactured in the US by US workers, and even if not, are imported, distributed, sold, and serviced by Americans....

I think the best you can do presently is to do thorough research. Consumer Reports, car forums, recall records, etc. Just get the most bang for your buck regardless of origin.
 
Farmer, the weird thing is that the Toyota Tacoma compact pickup sold here is not really high mileage (if you mean fuel economy). It's in the same ballpark with the Hummer H3T and the Dodge Dakota--about 15 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the hiway (15.68 and 8.5 km/l, respectively). I'm not sure why 'compact' trucks have gotten so big over the years. I recently saw a new 4wd crewcab Tacoma in a parking lot. I looked it over and talked w/ the owner. It was huge! They sold lots of small trucks in the 80's and 90's, so I wonder what are the reasons for the packing on of pounds.
 
Rupestris said:
The Tacoma is made at NUMMI in California. A joint venture with GM and Toyota. AFIK, its a UAW plant as well.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that; that takes the cake. No way am I buying a vehicle from a socialist, totalitiarian place like California.

Just (half) joking, of course.:D
 
Toyota! hands down. the Tacoma's final assembly point is in Kentucky, Japanese engine (much tighter tolerances). great truck, i was looking at buying one about a year ago. (ended up not buying anything, will wait for it to come with a V8) it looks better, performs better, and lasts much longer.

take it from a mechanic, who by the way, is at work right now after changing a rusty brake line on a Crysler. 1998. and i've done this job over 5 times on different "American" trucks. they just aren't how they used to be, not even close. if you want an example, look at Mercedes from 2000 on since they merged with Crysler... they just suck

as far as parts prices go, Infiniti and Lexus are "premium" brands... go figure. Toyota isn't. you'd be surprise at the price differences. labor prices, same job on both cars, give me the Toyota. even if i take a hit and lower the labor for you, i'm still walking away from the Toyota happy, never on a Dodge.
 
once a car part has been in manufacture for more than 5 years (I think) the manufacturers allow the out source company to independently distribute the part, and the price comes way down. however you have to find a place that is willing to sell the cheaper part at the cheaper price, as the catalog price remains the same. as for someone not recommending replacing a catalytic converter with a nonOEM spec one makes me wonder, unless it was so that the person would not have to get an emission re-cert. But often things like alternators, water pumps and other engine parts are kept for many model years to reduce development costs.

I was able to find parts for both my VW and Subaru for a tiny fraction of the cost (10-15%) of dealer list price. and that was for OEM labeled parts!

also helps to dig deep and find what a vehicle's relatives are and where similar parts can be found for.

Shameless plug for nissan frontiers, everything you want in the Tacoma, but lighter, cheaper and faster.
 
Tacoma. period
made in tennessee
great warranty
couple styles to choose from
rugged as hell! vids all over youtube on their durability
endless customization options
 
Overall, I have to say that the most reliable and long lasting vehicles I have ever owned have all been Japanese (Toyota and Honda).

My Ford trucks have also served me well.

But my Chevy and Dodge vehicles have consistently failed every time....so much so that now I simply will never again buy a Chevy or a Dodge/Chrysler car or truck.
 
Wow- good timing- my experience hasbeen the opposite! The last three Fords I had will probably be the last three Fords I will ever have. My last two Chevy's were great (1 car and one truck).

With that said, I don't think you can generalize that much- they all have good & bad years and models.

Now, to go ahead and generalize anyway, I don't think you can beat Honda cars or Toyota Tacomas. I've got about 60k on an '05 4WD extra cab and couldn't be happier with it. On road and off road it handles great in spite of having pretty good ground clearance. Plenty of power for deep sand or steep hills, but I wouldn't mind better mileage- 17-19 mpg. No repairs! Get the Taco!
 
I think the biggest trick is to never buy a new model year before it has a chance to be reviewed by someone like Consumer Reports. Even a line with a great rep will sometimes slip into expensive mediocrity from time to time. I'll never forget the time my dad bought a Ford Pickup. This was back when they were rated #1 for years and years. Sadly he bought the model year and model that sucked. But hey, at least he put the town mechanic's kid through college. :D
 
I had two Dodge 4x4 pick-ups (1500) and they both sucked. Why I bought the second one I'll never know. One was made in Mexico and it was the worse of the two. The other made in Louisiana IIRC, but with Mexican made engine. I bought only American brand cars for years, but as mentioned above, got tired of seeing friends Japanese brand cars proving much more reliable. I finally broke down back in 2005 and bought a Toyota Rav 4, which was totally reliable, but ended up being a little small for me. I recently traded up to a Toyota 4-Runner, same platform as the Tacoma, and love it. Everything I could have asked for in a 4x4. The f&F is even better than the Rav . My buddies Tacoma is built really well too, but still pretty new. No problems so far. Whatever you do, dont get a Dodge.
 
I know three people that recently had a dodge truck and hated it. I have a Honda assembled in Ohio and I love it. I've never had a Toyota.
 
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