Japanese Cars are Better

In a recent survey 47% of Americans stated they believed Japanese cars are better value than American cars, 30% thought American and Japanese are equal, while only 17% of Americans believed that American cars are better value. (The survey results can be found here.)

Despite the above numbers 62% of Americans currently own an American vehicle and 51% say that the next new vehicle they buy will be American (this is down from the 77% who said they would buy American in 1995).

Irrational? No, just a case of subjective value. Personally, I prefer Japanese and German, and I'm prepared to pay the premium.

Comments

[Aaron S. Rose]

The irrationality is present in those who knowingly choose an inferior product and then complain about the proven inferiority when it inevitably presents itself.

Maybe, though, the cause of the complaint is less irrationality and more an unwillingness to personally accept the responsibility for the consequences of our decisions if we believe that the decisions were made with "good intentions."

[Steve Daley]

Aaron,

You might be right about some people not taking account for their personal choices. But generally people choose those things that in total bring them the most satisfaction. Perhaps some people like buying an American car (as opposed to being unAmerican and driving a foreign car) and they like complaining about it.

[Kerry Parker]

Perhaps we should stop using corporate office geography as the differentiator between "American" and "Japanese" (and German, Swedish, Korean, etc.) cars. Why consider a Honda minivan (built in Alabama) "Japanese" and a Ford Focus (assembled primarily from parts made in Mexico) an "American" car, just because Ford is based in Michigan? Is DaimlerChrysler an American or German company?

[Steve Daley]

Thanks for taking the time to read the blog and comment.

I agree it is hard to call a car Japanese if the majority of it was made and built here. The labels of American and Japanese was the language of the survey. Interestingly people do associate the brand with the nationality although that distinction is becoming more and more meaningless in our increasingly global workplace.

Steve

[kindrick]

The answer might also lie in the consideration of long term v short term value. Quality and reliability prove more worthy over the long term. If one is looking at the short term - the actual dollars might be more valuable than the quality and reliability. In other words, the premium for a Japanese or German car wouldn't be in the value consideration for someone looking very short term.

On another point, I'm surprised that 62% of Americans own a Detroit (American) vehicle. I guess I'm not in a representative sample, since the vast majority of the people I know are driving "foreign" cars.