Are we Witnessing The Rise of Budget Friendly Chinese Cars? [Poll]

Trying2SaveABuck on 06/01/2024 - 22:37
Last edited 06/01/2024 - 22:40

So it is pretty clear the used/new car industries golden ride during the chip shortage/COVID is over with new car prices dropping dramatically from the crazy highs and new cars being put under pressure from the rise of the 'cheap Chinese car'

So for a long time GWM had offered no 'real' threat as there was a a view Chinese cars 'would be less reliable and inferior' esp to the established competitors but now we have BYD, MG, Haval, GWM and LVD - it seems these budget friendlies cars has put downward pressure on the market like we have never seen. It feels like the tide is changing and
with long 7 warranties giving consumers some certainty more and more people seem to be jumping on the Chinese car trend.

this might be anecdotal but i feel like im seeing more and more MGs and Havals on the road in particular. Now i got nothing against Chinese cars or people owning them but i feel like we are going into a bit of a revolution and not just the EV kind people keep talking about.

i personally encourage anything that brings more competition to the market and feel like views on these Chinese cars are changing. It kind of feels similar to the change in attitudes to Korean cars we had about 10-15 years ago with Kia and Hyundai

my question is would you buy a Chinese owned and made car?? [i probably would, if my budget didn't allow for a Japanese car i do have a strong bias to Japanese cars, i dont know if that will ever change]

Poll Options

  • 92
    Yes i'd buy a Chinese Car
  • 72
    No i wouldn't buy a Chinese car
  • 8
    I dont know
Automotive

Comments

  • Wiadro on 06/01/2024 - 22:42
    +4

    im seeing more and more MGs and Havals on the road in particular.

    people need cheap shitty cars to get around from A to B

  • Euphemistic on 06/01/2024 - 22:57
    +4

    People have always bought cheap new cars. First it was Japanese. Then it was Korean. Now it’s Chinese. Some makes have fallen by the wayside (Daewoo, Chery) and the stronger brands have stuck around (Hyundai, Kia). Chinese cars seem to have upped the quality and inclusions a lot quicker than Hyundai/Kia did, but the current Chinese cars are still sold cheaper for a reason.

    There will always be cars built down to a price for the market. Where they come from is less important.

    Would I buy a Chinese car? Maybe, but it would wan to provide as good driving dynamics as the competition and have a quality ‘feel’ about it. I would also want the brand to be well established and have been around for a while. I would not want to buy a car and then find it has become an orphan like Daewoo or early Chery.

    EVs are going to change the market again because there’s a lot of new players coming in fast while the legacy car makers are dragging their heels with EVs.

    Recently bought a twin cab ute. Did consider an LDV as price was good, but aftermarket gear is lacking. That means modifications would have been a lot harder to organise than for the Isuzu I ended up with.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 06/01/2024 - 23:22
      +1

      Chery is back baby: https://cherymotor.com.au/

      • Euphemistic on 07/01/2024 - 06:52

        But will Chery last the distance this time? I suspect not unless they bring in EVs.

        • Sinnerator on 07/01/2024 - 08:31
          +6

          this time it's real, last time it was just them getting their chery popped

    • saltypete on 06/01/2024 - 23:23
      +1

      Yes, if I was looking for a Ute to go off road or remote I’m not sure I would get a Chinese one atm. Parts and other support would need to be a bit more evident for me.

    • freefall101 on 07/01/2024 - 05:11
      +4

      My parents bought a Subaru in the early 80s because it was the only thing they could afford. My grandfather mechanic looked at it and said it was a piece of junk, Japanese cars would just break within a few years and they wasted their money. Ran great for decades.

      Basically as you said, buy the car you need. I’d never discount an entire country of cars, particularly with the wide range coming out of China.

  • Tiredman on 06/01/2024 - 22:58
    +4

    I like them, competition is good. Been to China a few times. Eye opening experience each time i go. EVs everywhere and some of the newly built train stations are stunning, reminds me of space stations.

  • Some Human on 06/01/2024 - 23:09
    +4

    Toyota 4 life!

    • cloudy on 08/01/2024 - 07:36

      Toyotas in my mind used to be the budget friendly brand. But when I see a Yaris hitting 30k and rav4 in the 60k I realised it’s the next high yield investment

  • saltypete on 06/01/2024 - 23:19
    +3

    I just picked up our Shanghai build Tesla. It’s fine,
    Have been to China multiple times and have to say that the Chinese are quite picky when it comes to quality and features - and they buy local a lot more now. There are some very average EVs being used as Didis, but mostly they are pretty decent - even at well over 100,000 km they are holding together pretty well.
    There’ll be a lot more Chinese built cars heading this way, including some pretty well priced EVs. Probably worth waiting a year or so if you can.

    • coffeeinmyveins on 07/01/2024 - 22:19
      +2

      A Chinese made tesla isn't exactly the same as a Chinese car company

  • AustriaBargain on 06/01/2024 - 23:26
    +4

    It's surreal seeing a 2022 Chinese SUV with 60k on it going for cheaper than a 2010 Rav 4 with 250k on it. Online opinions say they are shit, but at these prices it's obvious China is soon going to dominate. One day China will become rich and we'll have to turn to India for cheap shit.

  • THICKnSLOW on 06/01/2024 - 23:28
    +1

    You know what sells? Cars people can afford.

    I don't want my mode of transport to be complex like a mobile phone, only accessible on one screen, constant updates and changes to software and bugs, fixed battery that means limited life and is troublesome and relatively expensive to exchange with a replacement battery.

    Yes absolutely I see a load of Chinese EV's mixing it up with Teslas, and some random Euro EV's around too.

    Never EVER buy a fixed battery EV, lease it.

    • payless69 on 07/01/2024 - 06:29

      Why lease when you can replace the battery of a 62k Ionic for an absolut bargain price of what Gerry cals ONLY 60k?

  • brendanm on 06/01/2024 - 23:37
    +1

    For people that are buying on price, sure. For people buying for quality of vehicle or driving experience, likely not.

  • sumyungguy on 07/01/2024 - 01:47
    +3

    We started out disliking Japanese cars, endured a short period loathing Thai-built imports which outnumbered those ex-Japan, then despised everything Korean, then scorned every model of Mercedes Benz and VW that wasn't built in Germany. Now it's China's turn. BTW, Tesla's next Gigafactory is in Mexico.

  • payless69 on 07/01/2024 - 06:25
    -6

    When Karl Benz and Wilhelm Maybach sort of invented the car, the Americans forced the world to breathe lead and lower global intelligence.
    There was a time we would buy a German TV and camera. Nowadays we don't even know anymore where our cars are built.
    When GM bought Daewoo they killed it, they killed the legendary Holden too. Speaking of AH's there is somebody at the helm of GM I can only laugh.
    Ford is run by a boy and their Mustangs made in Mexico sell like hot cakes whilst yankee boys keep buying what they call pickups.
    Who remembers Proton from Malaysia? They are now trying the same thing with a Vinfast in Vietnam. Or a Mahindra from India.
    I have been to Hong Kong's dealer street endless times that is where McLaren can survive and poor people are known to drive a boring Mercedes. Saw my first RHD Tesla there.
    BTW, India is full of electric cars made by Tata with zero problems. You can buy any Citroen, Skoda or other model electric from big glass house dealers on the streets of Chennai.
    Anybody with money there uses an Iphone 15 pro Max made in India. No Teslas there yet, no more Fremont built Plaids in poverty stricken Australasia.
    Would I buy a Cherry from the dealer who can't even fix my Kia? I still prefer a gap laden Musk junk. Gaps matter more to me when I shop in Kings Cross.
    Going bush? We all know the Cruiser will get there and back and dealers are schooled the Japanese way.
    For a moment I thought the L from LDV came from Lada?

    • Hackney on 07/01/2024 - 07:22

      Mustang is a actually manufactured in Dearborn Michigan(Flat Rock assembly plant to be more specific)for our market,UK & the US domestic market.Do some research.

      • payless69 on 07/01/2024 - 07:40
        -2

        Thanks for the update, here is the future from a Yank:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0MobTd7LiE

        • Hackney on 07/01/2024 - 08:26

          Watched that weeks ago.&?Another fact,EV sales are tanking in the US,with inventory stocks of well over 90 days, dealers are having trouble shifting Tesla’s.Chinese EVs are slapped with a 25% tariff into the USA,EU is also trying to do something about the enormous influx into their market by them.South America is a big market for the Chinese EV manufacturers.

        • pegaxs on 07/01/2024 - 10:50
          +2

          Holy shit that video is bad… It is literally a click bait styled, algorithm content farm video to get clicks. It just keeps repeating the same sound bite over and over without making any point… And it's just full of the same wishy-washy crap you hear in the Fartbook and YouTube scamvertisments.

          You need to stop getting all your talking points from AI bots and SkyNews.

          For a moment I thought the L from LDV came from Lada?

          No, it actually comes from "Leyland", yep, the same company that made Land Rovers, Minis, MG, Rover, Jaguar and a whole host of ungodly shitboxes out of the UK. I would prefer a Lada over a Leyland.

          • Hackney on 07/01/2024 - 11:59
            +2

            @pegaxs: Lada? Absolutely!

          • payless69 on 07/01/2024 - 12:18

            @pegaxs: Agree: The whole youtube has lost credible moderation and is filling with excrement.
            But what I love is the supply will push ev costs down and the petrolheads gotta foot the bill.

            • SBOB on 07/01/2024 - 13:23
              +3

              @payless69:

              youtube has lost credible moderation and is filling with excrement.

              Yet you actively watched and shared the click bait.
              Not a whole lot of internal credible moderation of your own media consumption happening there.

        • bdubba on 07/01/2024 - 12:43
          +1

          You do realise that’s an AI voice and not a real person?

  • CyberMurning on 07/01/2024 - 07:10
    +1

    So what's the bads about those mg byd and all the Chinese cars?

  • samcro on 07/01/2024 - 09:06
    +1

    Yes, I would and I did!

    • Switchblade88 on 07/01/2024 - 11:41
      +1

      As did I, and I'm very happy with mine

  • apsilon on 07/01/2024 - 09:14
    +1

    It kind of feels similar to the change in attitudes to Korean cars we had about 10-15 years ago with Kia and Hyundai

    That's exactly it. The Korean cars were cheap and a bit nasty when they first appeared but they improved over time and also became not so cheap. Today my "daily" is a Kia. Same thing is/will happen with the Chinese made cars, likely in a shorter time frame as China is capable today of world class production even though they still have the reputation in some circles of being junk (and is still warranted in some cases but the same can be said for any country). I probably wouldn't buy one today but in a few years time, it's certainly a possibility.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/01/2024 - 10:01
    +1

    I would absolutely buy a MG4 or a BYD Seal.

    • Euphemistic on 07/01/2024 - 21:51

      A sign that ‘ChINa cAr BaD’ isn’t a blanket rule. Just like to a of other products, China CAN make very good stuff when they want to, but they also make plenty of cheap rubbish. In this market we’ve only really experienced the cheapest Chinese cars thus far.

  • Nugs on 07/01/2024 - 10:30
    +2

    Why don't Chinese cars come with an 8 year warranty, being a lucky number for them?
    .

    • sumyungguy on 07/01/2024 - 13:15

      7-years is comfortably longer than the first owner's tenure, nothing to do with longevity, just clever marketing. The auspicious number is nine, a bridge too far.

      • jakka on 07/01/2024 - 14:06
        +1

        No it’s not, the average Australian keeps their car for 10.7 yrs. However I believe most would have the intention of buying a new car within 7yrs.

        • sumyungguy on 07/01/2024 - 14:28

          Yes it is. You’re quoting the average age of cars in Australia

        • Euphemistic on 07/01/2024 - 21:52
          +1

          The average ago of cars in Australia is 10.7 years, but plenty of them have been through a few hands by that age.

  • GordonD on 07/01/2024 - 13:07
    +5

    Most of you are old enough to remember that what people are saying about Chinese cars now is what a lot of people were saying about Korean cars early on.

    I'm old enough to remember its what a lot of people said about Japanese cars early on. And yes, it was substantially added to by the exact same "hate the enemy" mentality.

    China has gone from nowhere to the biggest exporter of cars in just a few years. Where a decade or two ago European car manufacturers were building car manufacturing plants in China and North America, today Chinese car manufacturers are building car manufacturing plants in Europe and North America.

    BYD is on the verge of overtaking Tesla as the biggest manufacturer of EVs. And lots of other Chinese manufacturers are building EVs too. Added to by arguably China building the best EV batteries and making the fastest progress with them.

    Anyone who says they'll never buy a Chinese built car will be eating their words in a few years. They'll have little other choice.

    Yes, a lot of them are cheap crap. But the first Japanese cars were too. And the first Korean cars were too. That was when they were primarily building for a low income domestic market that could only afford cheap crap. But as they sell more overseas they build for overseas.

    • Gdsamp on 08/01/2024 - 14:55

      just want them to start hiring western design personnel

      Fonts on the UIs of chinese cars generally look cheap and crap (like Eurostile on the haval products), the build your dreams badging looks tacky and many interiors are too overstyled

  • Kongzi on 07/01/2024 - 21:12
    -1

    I only buy Aussie made cars

    • GordonD on 07/01/2024 - 21:53

      So have you got a Brabham BT62, or an ACE EV?

      • Euphemistic on 08/01/2024 - 09:27

        ACE = Aussie assembled. Does that really count.

    • Fredfloresjr on 08/01/2024 - 09:20

      So you are not buying any then? Lol

  • BDKM on 08/01/2024 - 07:35
    +4

    I used to be a hater but this video turned my world upside down

    https://youtu.be/yF9ksaXfUGg?si=yGfJDD7brTrzXqLF

    A cheap Chinese car that looks like a shoe not only is quicker / just as quick than a Lambo and a Gtr but brakes better……my mind has been blown…..how embarrassing is that imagine flexing your Lambo in traffic and you get owned by an MG4….

    320 kW/600 Nm hits 0-100 km/hr in 3.8 seconds for 60k I say more power to the Chinese and well done.

    I’d buy one just to own all the expensive car douchebags in traffic all day …. Can’t put a price on that.

  • kevino7 on 16/01/2024 - 21:09
    +1

    Bought an MG4 recently. Great car. China has been making electric cars longer than most major car companies.

  • nswnotill on 17/01/2024 - 13:45

    I will not be purchasing a Chinese EV any time soon. There are advances being made in the technology very quickly all over the world (better more efficient lightweght batteries etc) giving longer distances between charges.
    the recent decision by Hertz to sell off 33% of their Chinese EV rentals (20,000 vehicles) seems to me to be significant - body spare parts are too expensive, and long time delays in supply. Also note that EV cars are very susceptible to cold weather ( as shown recently in N. America.
    Maybe OK for city runabout , but risky for long rural trips.

    • lolcoaster on 17/01/2024 - 16:00

      the recent decision by Hertz to sell off 33% of their Chinese EV rentals (20,000 vehicles)

      They don't have any Chinese EVs though?

    • netpenthean on 19/01/2024 - 16:00

      we don't really have cold weather here, like in N America

      also the Hertz thing seems to be more a niche thing to hire cars - hire cars seem a particularly bad use case for EV's (where you are likely a tourist in a city - don't want hassle of charging and don't know the surroundings - quite different from a daily driver)

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