# Which country makes the best cars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704 "2011-06-24T13:52:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/21 "2011-06-24T22:50:26Z")
Italy consistently wins some variety of “best car in the world” award. Maserati, Alfa, Ferrari, Lancia, Lamborghini… etc. Pretty tough not to vote for them. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/22 "2011-06-24T22:57:07Z")
I got to drive a Ferrari 458 for an hour once. That car is just perfection. So I’ll go with Italy because of them. There is a quote in the “Ferrari GT” game on my ipad that “Ferrari doesn’t sell cars, they sell dreams” that sums it up. Their dealers are snobbish and arrogant as hell…they want you to buy a used Ferrari before they will sell you a new one ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/23 "2011-06-24T23:05:20Z")
You forgot Yugo. In Joe Friday’s immortal words, “… the cutting edge of Serbo-Croatian technology.” My only problem is figuring out which current country had their factories. Was it made in current Kosovo? Serbia? or Croatia? Or perhaps Nagorno-Kharabak?? So many options, so little time. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/24 "2011-06-24T23:34:03Z")
> [@lukeinva](#): > > Italy consistently wins some variety of “best car in the world” award. Maserati, Alfa, Ferrari, Lancia, Lamborghini… etc. Pretty tough not to vote for them. All of those are pretty rare. Italy also has the Fiat and many other crappy brands. The best car has to be be a good daily driver for many people and the exotics can’t cover that. I have a Toyota now and like it and its reliability just fine but my heart is still with German cars, especially BMW. They make a car that makes you feel like you are driving a true performance car yet it can still carry passengers in comfort and make trips to the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/25 "2011-06-24T23:53:48Z")
You forgot to include Korea (Hyundai, KIA) on the poll. Not that I would have voted for them. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/26 "2011-06-25T02:38:12Z")
Yeah, what about the Yugo? Those are some really nice cars. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/27 "2011-06-25T03:02:29Z")
My family had a brand new Opel Cadet. It was a godawful piece of shit. My father dumped it after two years. This was in the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/28 "2011-06-25T03:55:40Z")
> [@Dahnlor](#): > > You forgot to include Korea (Hyundai, KIA) on the poll. > > Not that I would have voted for them. I’d certainly rank them ahead of France and Spain. “Best cars” to me is about reliability & longevity and Japan has dominated those rankings for about 3 decades. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/29 "2011-06-25T07:28:31Z")
Bit hard to judge. Italy has produced some wonderful vehicles; however they can be highly machined and not easily serviced. Taking also ease of manufacture I would have to go with Japan. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/30 "2011-06-25T07:30:44Z")
No contest, Italy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/31 "2011-06-25T17:26:03Z")
> [@lukeinva](#): > > Italy consistently wins some variety of “best car in the world” award. Maserati, Alfa, Ferrari, Lancia, Lamborghini… etc. Pretty tough not to vote for them. No, they don’t. Fiat occasionally wins World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year awards. > [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Strangely, this. The Japanese cars with such a big reputation for reliability and performance are all made right here in the US. Therefore, the US still makes the best cars. This implies that the US made the world’s best cars once before. When was that? ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/32 "2011-06-25T18:52:11Z")
What reliable performance cars is Japan known for? DSM’s are decent performers, until the crank walks. WRX’s are decent performers, until the the engine or transmission blows up. Nissan Z cars are nice, until you boost them. RX7’s liked to spit apex seals out the block. Evos are fast until the axles snap. The Supra was a strong car and could be made to be real strong, and the GTR is currently a world class performer. Other than those 2, I wouldn’t touch a Japanese performance car. ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/33 "2011-06-26T02:01:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > My only problem is figuring out which current country had their factories. Was it made in current Kosovo? Serbia? or Croatia? Or perhaps Nagorno-Kharabak?? Oo oo, just read a [book](http://www.amazon.com/Yugo-Rise-Fall-Worst-History/dp/0809098911)on this. They were made at the Zastava factory in Kragujevac, which is in Serbia today. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/34 "2011-06-26T02:22:32Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > My family had a brand new Opel Cadet. It was a godawful piece of shit. My father dumped it after two years. This was in the 1960s. …I think Richard Hammond bought your car in Botswana and named it Oliver. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/35 "2011-06-26T02:40:56Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Define “best.” The one the keeps you alive. Volvo, Sweden. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/36 "2011-06-26T03:42:11Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Strangely, this. The Japanese cars with such a big reputation for reliability and performance are all made right here in the US. Therefore, the US still makes the best cars. Millions of Japanese cars are made in Thailand – it’s ranked as the 12th-largest auto manufacturing country in the world – so maybe it’s Thailand. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/37 "2011-06-26T04:14:44Z")
With the international nature of modern corporate structure we’re really talking about where the corp is headquartered. Where they are assembled doesn’t really matter. Besides, there is a definite design and engineering paradigm difference between the different “car countries”. Personally I go with American because comfort and style are so important for me. I worked for an oil company for several summers in a row (I’m a teacher during school year). One year my job was to do the titling and tax stuff for the company fleet. The VP level and above employees could choose between Lexus and Cadillac. I basically spent a whole summer driving one or the other every day (usually a CTS or IS 350). The Caddy was so much more comfortable I just couldn’t imagine willfully choosing the Lexus if you had the choice. The IS was about as comfortable as a Corolla. And yes I’m a normal sized person (6 foot, 180 lbs). It may have to do with my driving habits. Past a certain basic level I don’t have any use for high performance. I’m not a race car driver. I do however spend hours a week stuck in slow moving traffic. A big comfy adjustable seat and a quiet cabin are far more useful to me that a few tenths of a second in a 0-60 speed test. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/38 "2011-06-26T04:21:10Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#): > > With the international nature of modern corporate structure we’re really talking about where the corp is headquartered. Where they are assembled doesn’t really matter. Besides, there is a definite design and engineering paradigm difference between the different “car countries”. > > Personally I go with American because comfort and style are so important for me. I worked for an oil company for several summers in a row (I’m a teacher during school year). One year my job was to do the titling and tax stuff for the company fleet. The VP level and above employees could choose between Lexus and Cadillac. I basically spent a whole summer driving one or the other every day (usually a CTS or IS 350). The Caddy was so much more comfortable I just couldn’t imagine willfully choosing the Lexus if you had the choice. The IS was about as comfortable as a Corolla. And yes I’m a normal sized person (6 foot, 180 lbs). > > It may have to do with my driving habits. Past a certain basic level I don’t have any use for high performance. I’m not a race car driver. I do however spend hours a week stuck in slow moving traffic. A big comfy adjustable seat and a quiet cabin are far more useful to me that a few tenths of a second in a 0-60 speed test. The IS is quite a bit smaller inside than a Corolla, so its hardly surprising. Maybe it’s more correct to say that you just don’t like tiny cars? Toyota makes larger cars too, if you were so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/39 "2011-06-26T06:13:16Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > The IS is quite a bit smaller inside than a Corolla, so its hardly surprising. Maybe it’s more correct to say that you just don’t like tiny cars? Toyota makes larger cars too, if you were so inclined. You are probably right. Though my in-laws have an Avalon and a Lucerne, I prefer the Lucerne, though it drives kinda heavy. The Avalon is just “meh”. I think I’d take a Taurus over both of them had I the choice though. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704/40 "2011-06-26T14:57:40Z")
I do love my boyfriend’s BMW, but I went Japan. He had a Civic before that was over 10 years old and I am sure will service it’s new owner for still more years to come. My 99 Eclipse was a dream until I wrecked it ☹ Now I am stuck with an Oldsmobile and it’s a POS. Before he went with the BMW we test drove the Altima Coupe and I really liked that as well. I LOVE Acuras and always have. I wish they still made Honda Preludes, my brother had a couple that were really cool. Basically, discounting really high-end cars I can’t afford (all those 100k plus Mercedes/Lotus/Maserati type cars) all the cars I am drawn to for looks and reliability are always Japanese makers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-country-makes-the-best-cars/586704.md?page=3)