amdfaisal said:
as far as quality is concerned, i think thai-built cars are OK... some ppl say better than m'sian-made cars le... it tends to be true i think. even JDM cars have quality issues... read in the star once concerning the suzuki grand vitara. radical cost-cutting is forcing everyone to be a bit 'forgetful' about quality
Actually, I don't think it's cost cutting.. more like they are trying to shorten the lifetime of the car so that people will conform to their 3-5 year product cycle..
If you change car every 3 years, it would mean they would get new models out every 3 years.. (and have constant supply of buyers too!)
For most people outside Malaysia, (eg. US) where a new civic costs less than 20K, you can see where the 3-5 year product cycle fits in the overall plan for auto manufacturers to ensure continuity of sales.
Only in Malaysia that car buyers are 'guaranteed' ownership of the car for 9 years due to 'affordable' (
For modders, I still think that older models are where the performance is at.. esp if you're talking about sports compact VW golf, Civic, AE86, etc. etc. (street cars, basically).. They are practically built to last, and doesn't take much modding in terms of getting them to last compared to newer models (barring cars that are built for speed, (eg. DC5R, EVO MR, etc.)....
And the newer models all come with new features that the manufacturers claim to be improvements... esp the new 'enviromentally friendly' plastics and vinyls... which supposedly is easier to deteriorate
faster for enviromental friendliness.. and notice how much thinner the new panels for all cars are? They claim it's the crumple zones to protect the passengers in the cabin.. They're the ones that hired engineers, so I won't argue that point.
Fact is, you won't see most of these new cars hitting 20 without some serious TLC (Tender Loving Care) a.k.a (not driven... often!)
Of course, safety is paramount as these manufacturers claim.. and balancing that against running an operating loss is definitely a hard choice... NOT!
After all that, you still see the accident rates keep increasing, and so it the death toll.. (at least in Malaysia, even after the ridiculous reduction of the speed limit down to 80kmh!... Hoi! Why don't you make it 20kmh!? Then I can take my mountain bike and overtake everyone at 35Kmh, and still achieve the 'Sihat Malaysia!' objective.. and I'm less likely to fall asleep at the wheel either.
I think the accidents happen because license is too easily obtained. :angry_smile:
I know personally that I can't drive without my glasses.. And I've had the opportunity of being stranded in Kota Bharu when I broke my glasses on a holiday, and with no shops open.. I had to get a friend to send me home.. but why are they handing out licences to old men who have dubious eyesights!? And why are there no eye test for yearly licence renewal? (as an example on clamping down on 'unable' drivers.. there are possibly more criteria, but I'll leave that to everyone's imaginations)
I know that the
'more' drivers there are on the road, regardless whether they are actually able or not, would mean
'more' possible buyers for our local makes... see where this is going?
Anyway... 150K for a 'New' type R?
Gimme a SR3 with a 'Boosted K20A' anyday, and I'll still not break that 150K limit, and wipe the new R's ass all over the strip/track. :P (one could wish, yes?)
