> There was a time when U.S. manufacturers looked down on their Japanese rivals as purveyors of cheap, low-quality knockoffs. That 1960s conventional wisdom is taught these days in business schools as one of history's most glaring examples of corporate hubris.
Aren't you just falling into the same assumption? Japan's auto industry was known for making "junk" for awhile (toyota reverse engineered chrystler models of the time), then they really took off and built a reputation for quality. The point of the article is that the same may be happening again, just substitute japan for china and the US for japan. History rhymes.
I just accepted a job offer to relocate myself to USA, CA, SF.
Renting a car for now. First month was Chevrolet. Lowest life piece of junk ever driven. Eats gas really well but refuses to accelerate without counseling.
Back where i live I owned Chrysler 300S, 4WD, 5.7L, v8.
Best car ever driven.
Bottom line - only high end american cars are decent. And seriously well built. Anything below that is a wall-mart-ish compromise.
Now i renting Kia Soul. Ugliest looking vehicle ever driven.
Yet: Consumes fuel like a bicycle, leaves all local "coolios" behind on HWY 280 like a charm.
Asians do have a sense to build a lovely cars today if you can live with occasional weirdness. Foundation is good.
Having said that - asian-built stuff in consumer space is hit and miss giving 75% to miss.
I used to do professional photography. That's where the camera cost $8K - just the body.
Top notch quality.
Top notch performance.
Top notch reliability.
It was - Canon 1-class.
Guess where it was made in?
Hint: 5-letter country, and the first letter is not "C".
You're right (insofar as you've simply stated your opinions and can't be wrong about your opinions) but beyond that I don't know what to say. Your reply didn't address my comment _at all_, which was a reference to the situation in the past with a hint that things change and the future could be different. You're just telling me the situation today, which I'm asserting was not the situation in 1950, and will likely not be the situation in 2050.
Then of course when 95% of crap around is from China - its not that difficult to stand out.
And i'd rather pay a premium for Japanese made product than to pay for China made junk same price as if it was made in USA.