Ah, but some car owners are very satisfied with their German cars.... 
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Posted on 11/29/2003 11:13:40 AM PST by freedom44
Mercedes and BMW for all their glamour, aren't the preferred choice of German car-owners, according to two surprising new surveys released this week.
When it comes to overall ratings, nothing tops the charts like a Mercedes Benz. But for everyday use, German car-owners prefer Japanese cars to the legendary names of their native country.
The stunning news is the result of two surveys conducted separately by car magazine AutoBILD and German car-insurer ADAC. The so-called Automarxx survey, conducted by ADAC with the Center for Automotive Research at Gelsenkirchen Technical College, asked more than 38,000 car owners to rank international car companies in terms of consumer satisfaction.
The German automobile industry's first entry on the list is Porsche at number eight. Toyota and Honda lead a pack of Asian rivals in the first seven spots.
The study, which will first be released to the public next week, is sure to disappoint the likes of Mercedes and Audi, who apparently enjoy a better reputation abroad than at home.
Not even in the top five
Covering a range of areas from company strength and market position to design and environmental friendliness, the latest Automarxx survey is the first to feature a Consumer Satisfaction section.
The consumer questionnaires looked at both the products and service of 33 manufacturers, and included ratings of electronics, motor power and comfort as well as of cost and standards of garage work.
While German brands Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche still occupy the top five of the Overall Rating section, they barely figure in the Consumer Satisfaction top ten, beaten by Toyota at number one, followed by other Asian competitors such as Subaru, Honda and Mazda.
Quality over image
The competition is not surprised by the results. Speaking from the Essen Motor Show, which opened on Thursday, Mazda's Peter Tuhl told Deutsche Welle that Mazda's position in the top five reflected the Japanese company's enduringly high technical standards.
He said a Mazda owner experiences "lasting satisfaction." A German car owner, on the other hand, is more like a "disappointed lover who realizes the first promises aren't going to come true".
The survey results seem to back up the mark. Mercedes has no problem with its image, but rather with its follow-through, according to the results.
Dr. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, who led the survey, said the emphasis German companies like Mercedes place on innovation comes at the expense of production quality.
"Every technical innovation increases the risk of a break-down," he says."In this respect, Toyota is more conservative, which may not be good for its image, but is very beneficial in terms of reliability."
"Made in Germany" loses clout
The AutoBILD survey confirms the trend. The first German entry on the list is BMW at number five, again trumped by Asian rivals.
VW CEO Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder admitted to AutoBILD that "in technical terms, Toyota is better then us. But not just us."
The results of the Automarxx survey are a blow to Stuttgart-based Mercedes in particular, which comes in at an astonishingly low number 32. Other German manufacturers fared equally badly, with Volkswagen at number 31 and Opel only four places higher.
I'm really impressed with their paint job, too, as mine is now 7 yrs old, closing in on 100,000 miles, and has no dings or chips in the paint.
Chryslers SUCK. My first car was a 1987 Plymouth Sundance. It ate clutches, and went through two starters in the four years I drove it. I HATED it. I got a 1994 Plymouth Sundance in 1995 (yes, bought by Daddy...so shoot me) and traded it in for a mere $900 in 1999. That's UP from the $500 they wanted to give me. It ate belts...I had to constantly take it in to have belts changed or tightened. It ate gas, too...for a compact car it had worse fuel efficiency than the Honda I now drive (which has a much larger engine). The driver's side inside handle came off and since it was never put on properly in the factory, the Chrysler dealership charged me $70 to have it WELDED to the door frame, which I thought was pretty cheap since they had to take the door off and take it almost completely apart. Pissed that it even HAPPENED, though. And in the winter of 1998, the paint started peeling off of the car in hand-sized chunks. I complained to Chrysler, who said it wasn't their fault; it actually was, and there were class actions in 13 states over the manufacturing fault that caused it. Chrysler offered to pay 50% of the cost of repainting the car, but I had to have it done at a Chrysler dealership, which would have still left me about a grand out of pocket. I told them to go f*ck themselves, and I bash Chrysler to anyone who will listen. I will NEVER purchase a Chrysler again and will do anything I can to persuade others not to buy from them. They SUCK.
Story of my life.
Don't knock it. Sand gives your pistons traction.
They suck a$$.
You'd be better off just lighting a pile of money on fire.
You obviously don't work in the car business. Go trade in a first year German car. Bring a shovel for your casket. : )
Ah, but some car owners are very satisfied with their German cars....
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.