You prolly dont care but if you are stoned like me during the covid times then you can watch all the new movies on instaflixxer. Been watching with my gf recently =)
Have driven Korean, Japanese and European cars. Based on personal experience and that of friends, Japanese and Korean cars take the cake on reliability and availability of parts hands down. Although, European cars are solidly made in terms of body panelling but mechanically, I can't vouch for them. My 1.5yr old European car had issues after issues and final straw was when white smoke started bellowing from the aircon vent. That just shook me to my core. Agent said nothing was wrong but that incident was enuf to convince me that I needed a car change, immediately. Sold it (while still under 3.5yrs full agent warranty) and got a bigger Japanese car instead with that extra cash. Transmission is another key topic one should consider when buying a car. I've used traditional autos with torque converters (TC), cvt and dual clutch (DC) cars. Personal fav is TC and CVTs. DC is really not for me especially, in Spore context where there is so much stop-and-go traffic. If I want branding/comfort/and "conti" feel then I'd go for Lexus, period. If die die want European brand than Merc would be my choice which has less probs among other European brands BUT that is only true for C-Class and upwards models. Anything below that category and with a DC transmission, I will not touch, personally.
Unfortunately I hv owned a few and yes,while they give you a better drive,they tend to fall apart easily compared to Asian makes. 30 years of driving with multiple drives is not stereotyping. It's just plain facts.
Primary factor lies in the weather condition. Many continental makes aren't built for tropical climate. Same reason that Japanese car makers are building plants in SE Asia to cater cars for SE Asian markets. Some JDMs are also have technical problems here in SG. For a continental makes you will have to be a meticulous car owner. I witnessed high end Italian makes having their interior paint melted when they park their rides in the hot sun. Some makes are experiencing transmission problems due to cooling issues too. And spares do come very costly unlike Japanese & Korean makes because of scarcity. Also usually Continental makes when it comes to dismantling usually you will need special tools. Unlike Japanese & Korean makes you can get your car done at any workshops. These are the generic reasons that causes bad reps for Continental Cars. But I will say the built quality & the drive feel is irreplaceable. It is a set of trade offs.
In my personal view, i think a lot Singaporeans are salty/sour grapes when it comes to "continental" cars. Some of those who cant afford it talk shit about it based on hearsay and without experiencing how good some of these conti cars are. I once have that kind of mentality too until i got to drive a Lexus (while not a conti, they are similar on price points) and damn...how wrong was i. The drive was exceptional and the service is like how Julian mentioned, excellent and very personal on many levels. Made me regret playing so much MapleStory during my schooling days sial.
You're extremely confusing. You say ppl talk shit about European cars and yet you take Lexus(which is a 100% pure Japanese car) as an example. What on earth were you thinking???Make up your silly mind!!!
@@comments7335 because I've nv driven a continental car so I cant judge that contis are really good hence I use lexus as an example. Moreover lexus is created by Toyota as a luxury brand to compete with the conti car makers, hence its suffice to say that the quality of their cars is as close as it can get with the contis. While I agree it's not a good example, what I'm trying to say is that some people talk shit about it because they've never experience how good some of these luxury cars are.
I love Mercedes because of the F1 team, but honestly speaking, i don't see myself driving one in my lifetime. The price you pay for an entry model A180, CLA180 or C160, i can easily get a top specced Honda Civic Turbo, or Subaru WRX and etc. It's like why pay roughly the same price for a low-end Mercedes when you can buy a High-end Japanese car? I am priviledged to have my family owned a cheap 1.6 Lancer EX, Mazda MX-5, Mercedes C180, and current owns a Honda Civic 1.6, Mercedes E250 coupe, Suzuki Swift Sport. And honestly the 2 Mercedes are the cars I least wanna drive.
@@roincec Absolutely, for someone like u who's priviledged enough to have driven so many types of cars u will make better judgement on whether the bad rep (e.g high maintenance, poor quality) for conti cars is justifiable. But for me, im speaking from the pov of SOME people who forms negative preconceptions about conti cars without having the chance to experience them first. I'm not saying that all conti cars are damn good, but the idea of good or bad is totally subjective. Then again same as u, i believe that instead of buying low end models from expensive conti brand such as Mercedes, u can be getting more value from high end models from Japanese/Korean car makers.
Consumer report has done annual assessment of ownership reliability of all Brand’s. Toyota Lexus has always been the very top of the list, whilst the German makers and worse of all the Italians and French and American makers fair poorly in the ranks. You can expect to pay really high sums for the German repairs which is a turn off for those who snub German makes. Whilst American cars at least in America has many many spare parts due to demand and supply, so to own an American car would be cost effective still in comparison to European makes. Let's not talk about Italian or French. So most buyers globally would prefer the Japanese makes due to their availability of parts, lower cost of servicing and maintenance and their simpler yet more durable components due to the lack of requirement for performance. The higher the performance the more wear and tear. It is just simply physics
If you buy the executive range of cars from Asian or European manufacturers, models such as the A6, GS, E-class and 5 series (or even the Genesis G80 or Jag XF) and above, where far more effort and money has been spent on development and refinement compared to the aspirational entry-level models, you are likely to have a better ownership experience. I have ordered the nasi lemak from Lexus during servicing of the GS, but they are not the only ones who address customers by name or explain the process. Audi offers comparable service (though it’s pastries and spinelli coffee) and they also assign the same service rep to attend to you (for past 5 years actually). Buy what you can comfortably afford, and be careful of entry cars in the luxury range, unless you are buying just the brand. Something has to give in terms of the quality of such cars, for the manufacturers to offer cars at lower prices.
All these come down to Singaporean Culture. We are generally busy with work and leisure and family. Taking care of things is not common in our culture. Value runs in our blood. We like brand cos its a statement on the road #coe rich kid European cars are alot about design and technology, which costs alot. Majority just want something comfy, easy use, looks good enough, got some show off level, reliability.
I think the example that James have brought out regarding "Honda head-on Skoda" and it suffers a lot of damages. The car is designed to crush into impact when comes to collision, So to say that honda is not good because it crushes like a tin can, it is not very fair. Definitely, there are a lot of budget cars that is lack of safety and builds quality also. Nevertheless, a good talking point to discuss Conti vs Asian makes.
Most European cars that came to sg use to be fitted with continental tyres, i guess that's why we call them continental cars... Im not a typical sg person, a car must fulfil my needs. 1)Availability of spare parts in SG, Malaysia and Thailand 2)Easy to maintain 3)Reliable car 4)Confortable for long drive and getting in and out of the car. To me when you want to sell or trade in ur car in sg dealer will see ur car milage first then only ur brand of car... Very high mileage car has no value even if u drive Toyota which is high demand... 2)
to be honest, A-class really not there. people buying it mainly because of the brand. if its brand is kyundai, no one will bother about it. and it is strange that when you guys talked about car so much, why you all dont understand the front of the car is the crumple zone and it is meant to be crumpled? i thought this is a basic knowledge of any car owner. no offense though.
Actually, when I am looking for cars, I look for strength of the entire vehicle over everything. Asian brands (Malaysian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese) & Chevrolet (GM Korea models) construction is very light & you can tell the body metal is thin. Because of that, fuel economy will be good but at the expense of structural strength. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they are not safe. But I know these cars will not be able to keep me injury free in the event of an accident. On the other hand, there are the American-made and ‘Conti’ (in my opinion should be changed to European or Euro spec) cars are much stiffer in terms of overall strength as their body panels are much stronger and will withstand a good thrashing in the event of an accident. I know that for a fact as I have been involved in two fender benders in the United States, once in a American-made 1992 Ford Explorer SUV and the other was a 2009 Hyundai Sonata Sedan. The first incident, in the SUV, a 10-point buck (male deer) came out of a field along the road and smacked right into the front end of my vehicle. It sustained some damage to my fender, bumper, headlight and grill. The hood (bonnet) was undamaged and myself (the only occupant) did not sustain any injuries. The second incident in the Sedan also involved another, but this time, lighter female deer. My entire front end was completely damaged, needed the hood, fender, headlight, bumper, core support and even the power steering reservoir bottle had to be replaced. Not to mention, I was also injured in this episode and required surgery to fix the damage. You guys might think it’s just bad luck, right? Well, fast forward to 2015 and I’m back in Singapore driving for a ride-share company, I was driving a 2005 Toyota Wish 1.8L MPV and I was rear-ended by a 2005 Nissan Latio in excess of 50+ km/h along Bukit Merah Central. The damage to both vehicles was significant but I sustained back injury due to the impact and caused me to lose my mobility and ability to operate a vehicle for nearly 3 years. The pain and grief I had to endure, the loss of income and subsequent lawsuit where I should have been able to claim 100% for the pain and suffering I endured was drummed down by the opposing lawyer as just bad luck and screwed me out of my life. I’m still trying to pick up the pieces even after life-saving surgery to restore my mobility. So with all this said, Asian-made vehicles, although fuel efficient, are not strong enough to prevent injuries during an accident as compared to an American and/or Euro-made vehicle. This is my arguement and decision that I will choose American or Euro cars over Asian-made cars any day.
Yes, when you compare social status with people without cars. But then you haven't compare social status with people who owns Rolls Royce or Bentley. When wanna compare, compare up not compare down else we will always be at the same place or end up lower. Or else, don't compare.
How true! An Opel I was drove was so shitty. Broken down almost once every quarter. And an BMW my boss drove has its engine oil dripping or depleting constantly for no apparent reason that even authorised dealer workshop can't pin point. Furthermore, a friend's Citroen has its ECU constantly being tripped but no fail proof solutions available and dealer also refused an exchange.
I decided to try after seeing tons of videos on youtube. Honestly it's not necessary. It's expensive and have a "bonding period" of about 1 week. If you are the kind of person that regularly polishes and wax your car, you can try coating once. If you're not that kind of person, then just leave it. I'll leave pros and cons below: Pros: Lasts very long. (I had mine for 6 months now, still Incredibly shiny, and hydrophobic) Don't need to do anything to maintain it. Just wash your car, and it's shiny and clean again. Cons: Expensive, but it's a 1 time payment for a year or 2 if you really takes care of it. After coating, the next 1 week is a pain in the ass to protect, since it needs time to bond. Bird shits not cleaned within hours will leave a mark that lasts as long as your coating lasts. Water will also cause spotting that will also last for the lifespan of the coating.
My family’s BMW X6 has a problem every few weeks, and my brother who is the driver, is literally the most detail, most careful and knows this car like crazy, and yet things just happen oop.....
The German manufacture their cars especially the intermediate to higher segmented cars to a degree of greater complexity firstly for the performance and refinement. Secondly a mid size SUV like the X6 is going to weigh around 2 tonnes and that kind of load on the components is going to significantly wear down parts faster than lighter cars. Do not forget SUVs also sit higher on raised suspensions. With the additional engineering for BMWs to bring some performance and luxury to end user as their market segment, you are going to face increasing maintenance from such designs and component replacement as time goes on, over other more rigid and resilient automotive designs. So expect to pay for the car you want. If you want that degree of complexity and driving reward, pay the German Mechanic to maintain it for you. In car ownership always prepare a feasible sum in your Budget for future repairs and maintenance/servicing requirements. If you think it does not make sense to own one, consider another vehicle that matches your expected tenure of ownership. No amount of babying luxury cars will spare you from repairs and costly maintenances. These are given essential care needed to keep them going.
@@ConstantineJoseph I have to disagree. Lexus RX is also 2 tonne yet it is the most reliable vehicke on earth. Don't take my word...you can do your own research.
Drove 2 VWs and from my experience VWs aren't that reliable. Spent too much on the mechatronic and sensors which is a known common fault on VWs. But after getting a merc my outlook on conti cars changed. Never had a problem with my current ride.
Buying a car about the choice of lifestyle. Don't need to stress it too much financially, just be comfortably & grab whatever you can afford. For me, I don't really think all conti cars considered as luxury cars, usually I'd only consider BBA (Benz, BMW, Audi), Volvo, Lexus for daily use vehicle, due to 3 things, 1) More robust & safer body structure, 2) Quieter ride experience, 3) Performance & Hi-tech features. Frankly, car reliability really depends on your luck, if you get a new one, if anything happens, can just return back for warranty claim. But if you get a used car after warranty period, then must reserve a fund and get to know some reliable workshop to prepare for some possible major repair or overhaul, especially those more than 5yrs or 7yrs old BBA cars. But some ppl still prefer to get those old machine, not only for price factor, because of mod-abilities without any doubts or worries for voiding warranty.
SG people don’t care about safety. jap car yes has low running cost but if serious accident happen, people might not have the life left to spend money being saved.
No brainer question. Toyota Lexus always TOP the consumer reports list year after year for renown reliability. If you are asking for value and not performance or refinement, then it is Toyota or Lexus all the time 24/7 365 days of the year
Contradicting opening. Look at the no. of times the 'continental' term was used in the below in comparison to the Mazda 3. Shouldn't the Mazda 3 deserve to be reviewed as a class of its own and credit to the Japanese maker rather than making reference to 'continental'. It seems like the video is trying to convey that Asian cars are always lagging behind. At the end of the day, the badge matters to most Singaporeans unfortunately and 'continental' cars are embedded in the car buyers. If not pls suggest a term for differentiation? ua-cam.com/video/blQzteIB4oQ/v-deo.html
Comparing Mercedes A Class Sedan with Nissan X-Trail is very embarrassing In other countries, the A-Class sedan is much more expensive than X-Trail to almost twice as expensive. So if in Singapore the price can be similar you should be able to think which one is "overpriced".
Conti cars is just builded using thicker metal. The suspension is also more well tuned. Biggest draw backs, expensive parts. Sensor everything. So naturally expensive to maintain.
suggestion to do this "live" la... then folks can comment on the live chat.... anyway, i had my audi for 8 years now and so far i guess i am "lucky" cos it has been pretty trouble free, besides the usual wear and tear stuffs..... oh, and the famous "eat" engine oil issue which requires just more regular topping up of EO... haha...
The term "conti" is an expression used by the boomers to describe cars that are made by Western countries. The perception by that generation is that they were made to drive across continents, hence continental, or "conti" car. Lexus was Toyota's attempt to built and market a continental car. In this new millennia, this categorization doesn't really apply anymore. The Germans and Japanese has basically dominated the market with reliable cars with good performance. But when it comes to value for money, Toyota is at the top.
Prestige. Prestige. Prestige. If you’re an aspiring businessman trying to put up a presentable and striking image, buy the 3 series. If you’re a retired folk or a middle aged dude, and don’t care for what others think, buy the camry and enjoy your peace of mind
my parents old volkwagen tiguan was a piece of crap unfortunately. Gearbox spoilt and repairs after repairs had to be made.. I did enjoy driving it tho
Then that is selective blindness from your part. Don't see the roadside, go to the workshops to see for yourself if Japanese/Korean car have the fair share of issues compared to their continental counterparts.
Sad - Don’t pass so quickly, cos’ it depends very much on whether you maintain and service your car. Many don’t or cut corners to “save” costs, thus ending have to call the tow trucks. I’ve owned and driven Japanese, Korean and European cars, so far all have served me well, especially all my Mercedes and BMW.
broooo its not about what are you talking. its about character. example and you like std family car and bigger. and his like vw golf gti dsg for fun car. thats it. its not about value of buying. its in your heart. your mind. and me, i like audi or vw passat 2.0 tsi. its about what you got whats on that car
They’re called euro’s not “conti’s”. The bad rep they get is from dumbass kids who think they can afford leasing a base model 3 series for the sake of ‘status’ and cry over the maintenance costs. No shit, you’re servicing through the stealership, what did you expect? Warranty doesn’t last forever, maybe if you picked up a torque wrench with the wealth of Information out there and tried fixing the small things rather than complaining about sending the car in for every small thing. Preventative maint is imperative on german vehicles just because they’re so over engineered, catch the faults before they fail completely. Worst case, go buy a Honda.
Some thoughts about the chat. "Continental" car does have that prestige in the Asia, not just in Singapore but neighbouring countries and further North Asia. It's a signal that you have "arrived", after driving Korean and Japanese makes as the initial cars. It is definitely more sturdy, partly it is because it is heavier and more rigid especially at high speeds at NS highway. The German cars are meant to pound the highways, which is partly due the fact that most of their autobahns does not have speed limits, you drive until the speed you are comfortable with. So German cars are made for speed and stability at high speeds. But with regards about the Accord kissing the Skoda, the comparison may not be right as cars are build to absorb impact especially the frontal part as compared to the rear. The Accord may collapse more to absorb the impact of the crash to protect the occupants. If we reverse the scenario, the Skoda may have less frontal damage than Accord, does it mean it is more sturdy or it fare worse in absorbing the impact. We won't know and usually only those scientific laboratories have more detail data on such crash tests. And don't say too early about never to drive continental car if you are a millionaire. Though in your career, you might have drive 400 cars, it was for the purpose of reviews and the short test time is hard to tell. You need to drive for at least 2 weeks to a month to appreciate each car nuances to understand their mechanics and things that may not tell in a review drive. Even after driving my car for 1-2 years, I can still discover new things that I would not previously know. And as we aged, we tend to change our thinking too, appreciating finest details of things that may not matter when we were younger. And yes, RS245 is a beauty, probably the most high performance continental car you can get at that price.
I’ve been in a fender bender with a merc b200 while driving my Saab 9-5. The merc rear caved in while my Saab only had scratches on my bumper. So not all cars are built the same.
I think only a certain brands of continential cars will elevate your to "You've made it" status. I can think of a few usual brands like Merc, BMW, Volvo and Audi. These brands are unique cos they represent that status of wealth back in our parent's days, especially so for the Merc. Let say you tell your parents of relatives that you drive a "Skoda" or "Peugeot". I bet they made even think "is it a china or korean brand".
Given the response of the VAG during dieselgate, I'm inclined to think that they are not concerned with anything, but sell more cars and make more money. The amount of pollutants pumped in the atmosphere because of the emission cheating devices, has been compared to genocide, and there's a strong sentiment to prosecute them criminally. I definitely wouldn't buy a car by such a corporation which is accused of criminal misconduct. Japanese and Korean please.
Some "luck" can be controlled if you have done your due diligence on researching how the car is doing globally, especially so for continental cars were we are always almost 1 years late in the release compared to Europe. A good example is the VW DQ200 7DSG dry clutch, initial batches have countless of issues with clutch and MU only for VW to find out the root cause and change it's servicing strategy (use mineral oil instead) to prevent this issue. And the fact the VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda still uses this particular DSG had proved that it is still very confident of it's technology. But you will also have to consider the fact that we are a hot and humid country here with a lot of urban traffic, which is not exactly healthy for all types of dry clutch transmissions, be it a VAG or a Hyundai dual clutch. As long as the driver understand this and know how to reduce wear and tear it will last.(eg, stop letting the car with dry clutch creep in a traffic jam). Other's flaws are not so straight forward in terms of "luck". A good example will be a particular batch of Subaru Forester's brake switch issue (2015 batch) with causes the brakelights to stop working and the push start button to fail. This is not a wear and tear and will bound to fail within 2 years regardless of mileage. Subaru's officially recall for this issues came only in 2018, two years too late when most of the owners would have already replace the switch due to the premature failure.
Perhaps luck plays a part, but nowadays, cars are generally quite reliable. In fact, with proper servicing and maintenance, they can definitely last longer than their COE. Scrapping cars in their tenth year is, in my opinion, a waste of resources and should be reviewed, if we are serious about sustainability.
Watched a few episodes of backseat drivers, no offence to James but his over laid back style and his points are off the mark due to his way of expressing and examples a bit 😓. Back to the point, I think Asian makes are also not as reliable compared to the past becos more technology are being put into the cars. More tech = more things can go wrong. Generally "conti" cars are more expensive to maintain cos parts are generally more expensives especially when demand is lower as the ratio of Asian makes car in SG is higher. Parts demand and supply plays a big part in prices, simple as that.
A real conti car is from MERC, BMW, jaguar, not skoda or toledo which I never heard of for toledo, to say kia cerato lacks of performance that's bullshit. Kia cars are solid in build cos dosent matter which model u are getting, they are giving u 2nd highest avant steel metal that's why they are heavier, compares to Honda and Toyota which thier car is blown out actually not much security but they are much lighter, that's why thier pick up is there. For cerato pick up is pretty good for a much heavier car. Compare this 2 car in terms of exterior, interior and performance, toledo can step aside, in terms of resale value, toledo can step aside too, in terms of maintenance, toledo can step Farrrr away. The real conti car, is at least 2 litre and above not 1.5 cc or 1.6 cc. They are never known for building small car. Apple to Apple. Anything below 2 litre for conti is a waste of time FYI audi regardless of cc there's always gearbox issue, u guys be the judge.. Hope this info help u guys.
I'm driving a 2009 VW Golf. I bought it used, renewed the COE and it's still going strong. Most refined hatchback in its class back then
Negative impressions? Brands like Audi, BMW, Mercs has constantly been selling like hot cakes in Singapore.
Do a video on the cars you guys have owned and are driving now, will be great to hear! :)
You prolly dont care but if you are stoned like me during the covid times then you can watch all the new movies on instaflixxer. Been watching with my gf recently =)
@Dane Zechariah yea, been watching on InstaFlixxer for since november myself =)
@Dane Zechariah Yea, I have been watching on InstaFlixxer for since december myself :)
@Dane Zechariah definitely, been watching on InstaFlixxer for years myself :D
Have driven Korean, Japanese and European cars. Based on personal experience and that of friends, Japanese and Korean cars take the cake on reliability and availability of parts hands down. Although, European cars are solidly made in terms of body panelling but mechanically, I can't vouch for them. My 1.5yr old European car had issues after issues and final straw was when white smoke started bellowing from the aircon vent. That just shook me to my core. Agent said nothing was wrong but that incident was enuf to convince me that I needed a car change, immediately. Sold it (while still under 3.5yrs full agent warranty) and got a bigger Japanese car instead with that extra cash. Transmission is another key topic one should consider when buying a car. I've used traditional autos with torque converters (TC), cvt and dual clutch (DC) cars. Personal fav is TC and CVTs. DC is really not for me especially, in Spore context where there is so much stop-and-go traffic. If I want branding/comfort/and "conti" feel then I'd go for Lexus, period. If die die want European brand than Merc would be my choice which has less probs among other European brands BUT that is only true for C-Class and upwards models. Anything below that category and with a DC transmission, I will not touch, personally.
Driven a vw dry clutch for two yrs. It is the most unsettling two years of driving in my life.
Ahh. Pre COVID prices
It would be perfect if Skoda Singapore brings in the Octavia RS estate
That's really a beautiful car and I think there is someone driving it in Singapore through a special arrangement.
yea agreed, to me the estate/wagon looks nicer.
@@alvinkuo Was it self imported from the UK or?
Francis Xavier last year there was a PI who imported the Octavia estate but it has since discontinued.
I drove my fd2r for 13 years.
270k km travelled, I changed 1x absorber.
Changed radiator on its 13th year before I sold.
Very durable.
How about doing a segment of last 2 or 3 cars you own, what you liked or dislike about it?
Second this!
Most people who makes sweeping statement that conti are not reliable and expensive to maintain never actually own a conti before.
Unfortunately I hv owned a few and yes,while they give you a better drive,they tend to fall apart easily compared to Asian makes. 30 years of driving with multiple drives is not stereotyping. It's just plain facts.
There is a saying, stay away from the EU cars. Buy Lexus instead
@ Yes correct buddy. Lexus is more reputable than Europe & American
Primary factor lies in the weather condition. Many continental makes aren't built for tropical climate. Same reason that Japanese car makers are building plants in SE Asia to cater cars for SE Asian markets. Some JDMs are also have technical problems here in SG.
For a continental makes you will have to be a meticulous car owner. I witnessed high end Italian makes having their interior paint melted when they park their rides in the hot sun. Some makes are experiencing transmission problems due to cooling issues too. And spares do come very costly unlike Japanese & Korean makes because of scarcity.
Also usually Continental makes when it comes to dismantling usually you will need special tools. Unlike Japanese & Korean makes you can get your car done at any workshops.
These are the generic reasons that causes bad reps for Continental Cars. But I will say the built quality & the drive feel is irreplaceable. It is a set of trade offs.
In my personal view, i think a lot Singaporeans are salty/sour grapes when it comes to "continental" cars. Some of those who cant afford it talk shit about it based on hearsay and without experiencing how good some of these conti cars are. I once have that kind of mentality too until i got to drive a Lexus (while not a conti, they are similar on price points) and damn...how wrong was i. The drive was exceptional and the service is like how Julian mentioned, excellent and very personal on many levels. Made me regret playing so much MapleStory during my schooling days sial.
You're extremely confusing. You say ppl talk shit about European cars and yet you take Lexus(which is a 100% pure Japanese car) as an example. What on earth were you thinking???Make up your silly mind!!!
@@comments7335 because I've nv driven a continental car so I cant judge that contis are really good hence I use lexus as an example. Moreover lexus is created by Toyota as a luxury brand to compete with the conti car makers, hence its suffice to say that the quality of their cars is as close as it can get with the contis.
While I agree it's not a good example, what I'm trying to say is that some people talk shit about it because they've never experience how good some of these luxury cars are.
I love Mercedes because of the F1 team, but honestly speaking, i don't see myself driving one in my lifetime.
The price you pay for an entry model A180, CLA180 or C160, i can easily get a top specced Honda Civic Turbo, or Subaru WRX and etc.
It's like why pay roughly the same price for a low-end Mercedes when you can buy a High-end Japanese car?
I am priviledged to have my family owned a cheap 1.6 Lancer EX, Mazda MX-5, Mercedes C180, and current owns a Honda Civic 1.6, Mercedes E250 coupe, Suzuki Swift Sport.
And honestly the 2 Mercedes are the cars I least wanna drive.
@@roincec Absolutely, for someone like u who's priviledged enough to have driven so many types of cars u will make better judgement on whether the bad rep (e.g high maintenance, poor quality) for conti cars is justifiable. But for me, im speaking from the pov of SOME people who forms negative preconceptions about conti cars without having the chance to experience them first.
I'm not saying that all conti cars are damn good, but the idea of good or bad is totally subjective. Then again same as u, i believe that instead of buying low end models from expensive conti brand such as Mercedes, u can be getting more value from high end models from Japanese/Korean car makers.
Consumer report has done annual assessment of ownership reliability of all Brand’s. Toyota Lexus has always been the very top of the list, whilst the German makers and worse of all the Italians and French and American makers fair poorly in the ranks.
You can expect to pay really high sums for the German repairs which is a turn off for those who snub German makes. Whilst American cars at least in America has many many spare parts due to demand and supply, so to own an American car would be cost effective still in comparison to European makes. Let's not talk about Italian or French.
So most buyers globally would prefer the Japanese makes due to their availability of parts, lower cost of servicing and maintenance and their simpler yet more durable components due to the lack of requirement for performance. The higher the performance the more wear and tear. It is just simply physics
If you buy the executive range of cars from Asian or European manufacturers, models such as the A6, GS, E-class and 5 series (or even the Genesis G80 or Jag XF) and above, where far more effort and money has been spent on development and refinement compared to the aspirational entry-level models, you are likely to have a better ownership experience. I have ordered the nasi lemak from Lexus during servicing of the GS, but they are not the only ones who address customers by name or explain the process. Audi offers comparable service (though it’s pastries and spinelli coffee) and they also assign the same service rep to attend to you (for past 5 years actually). Buy what you can comfortably afford, and be careful of entry cars in the luxury range, unless you are buying just the brand. Something has to give in terms of the quality of such cars, for the manufacturers to offer cars at lower prices.
Good perspective! Thanks for sharing.
- Jon
All these come down to Singaporean Culture.
We are generally busy with work and leisure and family.
Taking care of things is not common in our culture.
Value runs in our blood.
We like brand cos its a statement on the road #coe rich kid
European cars are alot about design and technology, which costs alot.
Majority just want something comfy, easy use, looks good enough, got some show off level, reliability.
I think the example that James have brought out regarding "Honda head-on Skoda" and it suffers a lot of damages. The car is designed to crush into impact when comes to collision, So to say that honda is not good because it crushes like a tin can, it is not very fair. Definitely, there are a lot of budget cars that is lack of safety and builds quality also. Nevertheless, a good talking point to discuss Conti vs Asian makes.
Some truth actually. See this 2015 accident. You think a Honda will be the same?
www.tnp.sg/news/others/watch-mobile-crane-rams-12-vehicles-along-kje
Most European cars that came to sg use to be fitted with continental tyres, i guess that's why we call them continental cars... Im not a typical sg person, a car must fulfil my needs.
1)Availability of spare parts in SG, Malaysia and Thailand
2)Easy to maintain
3)Reliable car
4)Confortable for long drive and getting in and out of the car.
To me when you want to sell or trade in ur car in sg dealer will see ur car milage first then only ur brand of car... Very high mileage car has no value even if u drive Toyota which is high demand...
2)
to be honest, A-class really not there. people buying it mainly because of the brand. if its brand is kyundai, no one will bother about it. and it is strange that when you guys talked about car so much, why you all dont understand the front of the car is the crumple zone and it is meant to be crumpled? i thought this is a basic knowledge of any car owner. no offense though.
Hi, I would like to request for Seat car reviews please?!
Actually, when I am looking for cars, I look for strength of the entire vehicle over everything. Asian brands (Malaysian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese) & Chevrolet (GM Korea models) construction is very light & you can tell the body metal is thin. Because of that, fuel economy will be good but at the expense of structural strength.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they are not safe. But I know these cars will not be able to keep me injury free in the event of an accident.
On the other hand, there are the American-made and ‘Conti’ (in my opinion should be changed to European or Euro spec) cars are much stiffer in terms of overall strength as their body panels are much stronger and will withstand a good thrashing in the event of an accident. I know that for a fact as I have been involved in two fender benders in the United States, once in a American-made 1992 Ford Explorer SUV and the other was a 2009 Hyundai Sonata Sedan.
The first incident, in the SUV, a 10-point buck (male deer) came out of a field along the road and smacked right into the front end of my vehicle. It sustained some damage to my fender, bumper, headlight and grill. The hood (bonnet) was undamaged and myself (the only occupant) did not sustain any injuries.
The second incident in the Sedan also involved another, but this time, lighter female deer. My entire front end was completely damaged, needed the hood, fender, headlight, bumper, core support and even the power steering reservoir bottle had to be replaced. Not to mention, I was also injured in this episode and required surgery to fix the damage.
You guys might think it’s just bad luck, right? Well, fast forward to 2015 and I’m back in Singapore driving for a ride-share company, I was driving a 2005 Toyota Wish 1.8L MPV and I was rear-ended by a 2005 Nissan Latio in excess of 50+ km/h along Bukit Merah Central. The damage to both vehicles was significant but I sustained back injury due to the impact and caused me to lose my mobility and ability to operate a vehicle for nearly 3 years.
The pain and grief I had to endure, the loss of income and subsequent lawsuit where I should have been able to claim 100% for the pain and suffering I endured was drummed down by the opposing lawyer as just bad luck and screwed me out of my life. I’m still trying to pick up the pieces even after life-saving surgery to restore my mobility.
So with all this said, Asian-made vehicles, although fuel efficient, are not strong enough to prevent injuries during an accident as compared to an American and/or Euro-made vehicle. This is my arguement and decision that I will choose American or Euro cars over Asian-made cars any day.
Another sceptical is because most conti car is turbocharged and always driver tend to drive fast even at narrow carpark
In Singapore, I feel that as Long as you got car, it counts toward your social status already. Do not need to be BMW or Mercedes.
@Ong Ben Yes, I personally don’t think that owning a continental car is a yardstick of how successful a person is.
Think buy a Patek Philippe better
This i 100% agree!
agree !
Yes, when you compare social status with people without cars. But then you haven't compare social status with people who owns Rolls Royce or Bentley. When wanna compare, compare up not compare down else we will always be at the same place or end up lower. Or else, don't compare.
Miss the car reviews, can’t wait to watch it again.
Must wait till Singaporea has less "Covidiots"
How true!
An Opel I was drove was so shitty.
Broken down almost once every quarter.
And an BMW my boss drove has its engine oil dripping or depleting constantly for no apparent reason that even authorised dealer workshop can't pin point.
Furthermore, a friend's Citroen has its ECU constantly being tripped but no fail proof solutions available and dealer also refused an exchange.
Opel insignia grandsport is a good car too. Many drivers associate Opel with unreliability. But why?
Possible to start discussion about ceramic coating for cars? Are they necessary, should new car be coated, etc
I decided to try after seeing tons of videos on youtube.
Honestly it's not necessary. It's expensive and have a "bonding period" of about 1 week.
If you are the kind of person that regularly polishes and wax your car, you can try coating once. If you're not that kind of person, then just leave it.
I'll leave pros and cons below:
Pros: Lasts very long. (I had mine for 6 months now, still Incredibly shiny, and hydrophobic)
Don't need to do anything to maintain it. Just wash your car, and it's shiny and clean again.
Cons: Expensive, but it's a 1 time payment for a year or 2 if you really takes care of it.
After coating, the next 1 week is a pain in the ass to protect, since it needs time to bond. Bird shits not cleaned within hours will leave a mark that lasts as long as your coating lasts. Water will also cause spotting that will also last for the lifespan of the coating.
@@roincec interesting. I'll quote you if we do that topic! I mean, if you're okay with it that is.
Actually even Americans are shifting toward Japanese smaller cars. Even though they don't have cat COE, hefty road tax and fuel is cheap.
My family’s BMW X6 has a problem every few weeks, and my brother who is the driver, is literally the most detail, most careful and knows this car like crazy, and yet things just happen oop.....
The German manufacture their cars especially the intermediate to higher segmented cars to a degree of greater complexity firstly for the performance and refinement. Secondly a mid size SUV like the X6 is going to weigh around 2 tonnes and that kind of load on the components is going to significantly wear down parts faster than lighter cars. Do not forget SUVs also sit higher on raised suspensions. With the additional engineering for BMWs to bring some performance and luxury to end user as their market segment, you are going to face increasing maintenance from such designs and component replacement as time goes on, over other more rigid and resilient automotive designs.
So expect to pay for the car you want. If you want that degree of complexity and driving reward, pay the German Mechanic to maintain it for you. In car ownership always prepare a feasible sum in your Budget for future repairs and maintenance/servicing requirements. If you think it does not make sense to own one, consider another vehicle that matches your expected tenure of ownership.
No amount of babying luxury cars will spare you from repairs and costly maintenances. These are given essential care needed to keep them going.
@@ConstantineJoseph I have to disagree. Lexus RX is also 2 tonne yet it is the most reliable vehicke on earth. Don't take my word...you can do your own research.
Drove 2 VWs and from my experience VWs aren't that reliable. Spent too much on the mechatronic and sensors which is a known common fault on VWs. But after getting a merc my outlook on conti cars changed. Never had a problem with my current ride.
I am driving skoda now, it has the conti feel yet reliable and priced like toyota. Also skoda cars are spacious and well spec
Jealous! 😲 the RS?
I like Skoda cars, but the OMV is rather low unfortunately. Resale value will be an issue, unless you are driving it for 10 years.
If it can survive 10yrs
Buying a car about the choice of lifestyle. Don't need to stress it too much financially, just be comfortably & grab whatever you can afford.
For me, I don't really think all conti cars considered as luxury cars, usually I'd only consider BBA (Benz, BMW, Audi), Volvo, Lexus for daily use vehicle, due to 3 things,
1) More robust & safer body structure,
2) Quieter ride experience,
3) Performance & Hi-tech features.
Frankly, car reliability really depends on your luck, if you get a new one, if anything happens, can just return back for warranty claim.
But if you get a used car after warranty period, then must reserve a fund and get to know some reliable workshop to prepare for some possible major repair or overhaul, especially those more than 5yrs or 7yrs old BBA cars. But some ppl still prefer to get those old machine, not only for price factor, because of mod-abilities without any doubts or worries for voiding warranty.
SG people don’t care about safety. jap car yes has low running cost but if serious accident happen, people might not have the life left to spend money being saved.
The recent promo for the A4 brought the price down to $135k. Would you think it’s better value than a Camry? Julian, would you buy the A4?
No brainer question. Toyota Lexus always TOP the consumer reports list year after year for renown reliability. If you are asking for value and not performance or refinement, then it is Toyota or Lexus all the time 24/7 365 days of the year
Constantine Joseph Alright Julian! Have a nice day!
@@lewisthong3462 cheers mate
You should look up for scotty kilmer on youtube.
Contradicting opening.
Look at the no. of times the 'continental' term was used in the below in comparison to the Mazda 3. Shouldn't the Mazda 3 deserve to be reviewed as a class of its own and credit to the Japanese maker rather than making reference to 'continental'. It seems like the video is trying to convey that Asian cars are always lagging behind.
At the end of the day, the badge matters to most Singaporeans unfortunately and 'continental' cars are embedded in the car buyers.
If not pls suggest a term for differentiation?
ua-cam.com/video/blQzteIB4oQ/v-deo.html
It's like choosing between an apple & Rolex watch
Can review on resale cars for all option
Comparing Mercedes A Class Sedan with Nissan X-Trail is very embarrassing
In other countries, the A-Class sedan is much more expensive than X-Trail to almost twice as expensive. So if in Singapore the price can be similar you should be able to think which one is "overpriced".
All cars in Singapore are overpriced....
Thought u guys will discuss slightly on the driving behaviour or traits of drivers driving continent cars,
Don't think can generalise like that la. Although, I noticed some BMW drivers can be pricks. SOME!
🙊🙊
Conti cars is just builded using thicker metal. The suspension is also more well tuned.
Biggest draw backs, expensive parts. Sensor everything. So naturally expensive to maintain.
suggestion to do this "live" la... then folks can comment on the live chat.... anyway, i had my audi for 8 years now and so far i guess i am "lucky" cos it has been pretty trouble free, besides the usual wear and tear stuffs..... oh, and the famous "eat" engine oil issue which requires just more regular topping up of EO... haha...
The term "conti" is an expression used by the boomers to describe cars that are made by Western countries. The perception by that generation is that they were made to drive across continents, hence continental, or "conti" car. Lexus was Toyota's attempt to built and market a continental car.
In this new millennia, this categorization doesn't really apply anymore. The Germans and Japanese has basically dominated the market with reliable cars with good performance. But when it comes to value for money, Toyota is at the top.
Prestige. Prestige. Prestige. If you’re an aspiring businessman trying to put up a presentable and striking image, buy the 3 series. If you’re a retired folk or a middle aged dude, and don’t care for what others think, buy the camry and enjoy your peace of mind
i used to own fiat doblo, that van is a money pit. always have some problems here & there plus spare parts are expensive!
mt gf left me because i drove an 2008 nissan for a 2019 bmw 5 series... but i drove a 2008 nissan GTR lol
My condolences. She does not know what she's missing.
Bro you got to be kidding me. Don’t fake news leh hahaha
If rs245, why not superb? The latter being bigger, more luxurious and very decent specs too. What's your opinion?
my parents old volkwagen tiguan was a piece of crap unfortunately. Gearbox spoilt and repairs after repairs had to be made.. I did enjoy driving it tho
I seen more than enough “continental” cars at the side of the roads waiting for tow trucks. So I will pass for now!
And I’ve seen a fair share of Japanese cars breaking down including the new Honda Civic turbo.
Then that is selective blindness from your part. Don't see the roadside, go to the workshops to see for yourself if Japanese/Korean car have the fair share of issues compared to their continental counterparts.
Sad - Don’t pass so quickly, cos’ it depends very much on whether you maintain and service your car. Many don’t or cut corners to “save” costs, thus ending have to call the tow trucks. I’ve owned and driven Japanese, Korean and European cars, so far all have served me well, especially all my Mercedes and BMW.
broooo its not about what are you talking. its about character. example and you like std family car and bigger. and his like vw golf gti dsg for fun car. thats it. its not about value of buying. its in your heart. your mind. and me, i like audi or vw passat 2.0 tsi. its about what you got whats on that car
They’re called euro’s not “conti’s”. The bad rep they get is from dumbass kids who think they can afford leasing a base model 3 series for the sake of ‘status’ and cry over the maintenance costs. No shit, you’re servicing through the stealership, what did you expect? Warranty doesn’t last forever, maybe if you picked up a torque wrench with the wealth of Information out there and tried fixing the small things rather than complaining about sending the car in for every small thing. Preventative maint is imperative on german vehicles just because they’re so over engineered, catch the faults before they fail completely. Worst case, go buy a Honda.
Some thoughts about the chat. "Continental" car does have that prestige in the Asia, not just in Singapore but neighbouring countries and further North Asia. It's a signal that you have "arrived", after driving Korean and Japanese makes as the initial cars.
It is definitely more sturdy, partly it is because it is heavier and more rigid especially at high speeds at NS highway. The German cars are meant to pound the highways, which is partly due the fact that most of their autobahns does not have speed limits, you drive until the speed you are comfortable with. So German cars are made for speed and stability at high speeds.
But with regards about the Accord kissing the Skoda, the comparison may not be right as cars are build to absorb impact especially the frontal part as compared to the rear. The Accord may collapse more to absorb the impact of the crash to protect the occupants. If we reverse the scenario, the Skoda may have less frontal damage than Accord, does it mean it is more sturdy or it fare worse in absorbing the impact. We won't know and usually only those scientific laboratories have more detail data on such crash tests.
And don't say too early about never to drive continental car if you are a millionaire. Though in your career, you might have drive 400 cars, it was for the purpose of reviews and the short test time is hard to tell. You need to drive for at least 2 weeks to a month to appreciate each car nuances to understand their mechanics and things that may not tell in a review drive. Even after driving my car for 1-2 years, I can still discover new things that I would not previously know. And as we aged, we tend to change our thinking too, appreciating finest details of things that may not matter when we were younger.
And yes, RS245 is a beauty, probably the most high performance continental car you can get at that price.
I’ve been in a fender bender with a merc b200 while driving my Saab 9-5. The merc rear caved in while my Saab only had scratches on my bumper. So not all cars are built the same.
I think only a certain brands of continential cars will elevate your to "You've made it" status. I can think of a few usual brands like Merc, BMW, Volvo and Audi. These brands are unique cos they represent that status of wealth back in our parent's days, especially so for the Merc. Let say you tell your parents of relatives that you drive a "Skoda" or "Peugeot". I bet they made even think "is it a china or korean brand".
@@silenthunt yeah, you are right. The older generation think of Skoda as Russian car.
Camry vs Passat pls.!
Given the response of the VAG during dieselgate, I'm inclined to think that they are not concerned with anything, but sell more cars and make more money. The amount of pollutants pumped in the atmosphere because of the emission cheating devices, has been compared to genocide, and there's a strong sentiment to prosecute them criminally. I definitely wouldn't buy a car by such a corporation which is accused of criminal misconduct. Japanese and Korean please.
Audi cars leak here leak there. Imo
Cuz I got the perception that only old man drive lexus cars...
Sadly, the smaller new BMWs and Mercedes are all small engine and even front wheel drive. I definitely would not want to waste money on these.
i wonder what kind of cars Julian is driving ?
I actually love Europian cars
@Julian CAMRY FTW
I feel that both are about the same... basically I think it boils down to luck..
Some "luck" can be controlled if you have done your due diligence on researching how the car is doing globally, especially so for continental cars were we are always almost 1 years late in the release compared to Europe. A good example is the VW DQ200 7DSG dry clutch, initial batches have countless of issues with clutch and MU only for VW to find out the root cause and change it's servicing strategy (use mineral oil instead) to prevent this issue. And the fact the VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda still uses this particular DSG had proved that it is still very confident of it's technology. But you will also have to consider the fact that we are a hot and humid country here with a lot of urban traffic, which is not exactly healthy for all types of dry clutch transmissions, be it a VAG or a Hyundai dual clutch. As long as the driver understand this and know how to reduce wear and tear it will last.(eg, stop letting the car with dry clutch creep in a traffic jam).
Other's flaws are not so straight forward in terms of "luck". A good example will be a particular batch of Subaru Forester's brake switch issue (2015 batch) with causes the brakelights to stop working and the push start button to fail. This is not a wear and tear and will bound to fail within 2 years regardless of mileage. Subaru's officially recall for this issues came only in 2018, two years too late when most of the owners would have already replace the switch due to the premature failure.
Perhaps luck plays a part, but nowadays, cars are generally quite reliable. In fact, with proper servicing and maintenance, they can definitely last longer than their COE. Scrapping cars in their tenth year is, in my opinion, a waste of resources and should be reviewed, if we are serious about sustainability.
Lexus cars are boring.
Watched a few episodes of backseat drivers, no offence to James but his over laid back style and his points are off the mark due to his way of expressing and examples a bit 😓. Back to the point, I think Asian makes are also not as reliable compared to the past becos more technology are being put into the cars. More tech = more things can go wrong. Generally "conti" cars are more expensive to maintain cos parts are generally more expensives especially when demand is lower as the ratio of Asian makes car in SG is higher. Parts demand and supply plays a big part in prices, simple as that.
No offence taken! I exist to make the other two shine. =) thanks for watching though!
If you want to burn your money on petrol and maintenance then drive Continental car la
James why you never buy Conti car?
“James don’t anyhow say things!” Lol
@@nickteoyoutube No conti money. Asian car air-conditioning also leagues better than conti cars.
Haven’t you guys heard of continental breakfast?
A real conti car is from MERC, BMW, jaguar, not skoda or toledo which I never heard of for toledo, to say kia cerato lacks of performance that's bullshit. Kia cars are solid in build cos dosent matter which model u are getting, they are giving u 2nd highest avant steel metal that's why they are heavier, compares to Honda and Toyota which thier car is blown out actually not much security but they are much lighter, that's why thier pick up is there. For cerato pick up is pretty good for a much heavier car. Compare this 2 car in terms of exterior, interior and performance, toledo can step aside, in terms of resale value, toledo can step aside too, in terms of maintenance, toledo can step Farrrr away. The real conti car, is at least 2 litre and above not 1.5 cc or 1.6 cc. They are never known for building small car. Apple to Apple. Anything below 2 litre for conti is a waste of time FYI audi regardless of cc there's always gearbox issue, u guys be the judge.. Hope this info help u guys.
I thought it's a car channel and I end up hearing 3 guys talking so carefully with their words for 20 min?! Really BORING！
So the answer lets buy a lexus
Can understand conti breakfast but cant understand/dislike conti cars connotation
Dumb Dumber Dumbest
Just a name,!!!
Iee