Why are Aussie cars inferior to their Japanese counterparts?

[5.4 GT]

*Delete*

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Well, no, because the XR8 isnt being made anymore. Hasnt for a little while now.

There are still 0km FG XR8's on carsales. So yes you can still buy an XR8 instead.

[ExAreSix]

Originally Posted by Eaglexr

At $70,620. I would much rather the locally manufactured FG XR8.
A new FG Falcon XR8 will cost $45,490. And the power figures are cirtainly better than the Nissan Fuga, the XR8 now runs a 5.4-litre DOHC Boss V8 that delivers 290kW at 5750rpm and 520Nm of torque at 4750rpm, mated to a new six-speed manual or recalibrated ZF six-speed automatic transmission.
For an extra $5,000. You can have the luxury pack, which consists of: 19-inch alloys, leather trim, dual-zone climate-control, Premium audio, sports steering wheel and interior highlights. In addition to the already impressive list of standard features.
This one is a no-brainer.

And still accelerates and handles like a barge... Geez you guys put too much emphasis on power figures, without looking at the complete package.

[RobVee]

that nissan is an especially heinous ugly car

[Eaglexr]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Well, no, because the XR8 isnt being made anymore. Hasnt for a little while now.

My mistake, it has been a while.
You can still pick up a descent used XR8 for $34,900 - $38,400.
You do the maths.

[5.4 GT]

Want to go Jap then IS350 F Sport > Nissan Fugly 370GT TYPE S

Around the same price and can buy it from your local Lexus dealer.

Originally Posted by The Motor Report

Powered by the same 2GR-FSE 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine as its Japanese-market counterpart, the 2010 Lexus IS 350 offers 233kW and 378Nm of torque.

It also has intelligent Variable Valve Timing (VVT-i) for inlet and exhaust, and an intelligent electronic throttle.

Mated to a six-speed sequential transmission, the rear-wheel-drive Lexus IS 350 will cover the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 5.6 seconds.

Braking for the IS 350 range is managed by 334x30mm spiral-vented discs up front (38mm larger than the IS 250), along with 310x18mm discs at the rear. Four-piston aluminium calipers figure up front, with single-piston aluminium calipers at the rear.

The IS 350 F Sport gets a specialised suspension calibration, including coil springs 10mm shorter than with the regular IS 350 and tweaked monotube dampers.

The IS 350 F Sport also has a front/rear tyre size differential, with 225/40R18Y front tyres and 255/40R18Y rears.

The 40-aspect ratio tyres were selected in order to increase the car's cornering stiffness, compared with the 45-aspect ratio tyres of the IS 350 Prestige.

Steering is revised for the F Sport chassis package also, with its own steering-gear ratio of 13:6:1, compared with 13:5:1 for the other IS 250 / 350 model grades.

It's basically a poor mans ISF. Has most of the interior appointments including seats, steering wheel, pedals, etc. Sat in one whilst I was at the Toyota Mega Web in Japan last year. Really good looking car in the flesh and very comfortable.

Check out these vids of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V4KFYgk57M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsFmy7H5yRc

[Eaglexr]

Originally Posted by ExAreSix

And still accelerates and handles like a barge... Geez you guys put too much emphasis on power figures, without looking at the complete package.

Casting the net even further, there are the obvious insurance difficulties associated with the Fuga, parts availability, servicing and so on.
So power figures only play a part in the overall comparison.

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by ExAreSix

And still accelerates and handles like a barge... Geez you guys put too much emphasis on power figures, without looking at the complete package.

Lets say:
Brakes: $6,000
Suspension: $3,000
Bushes: $1,000?
Swaybars: $?

Even if you pay $50-55k for one of the remaining FG XR8's you'll still be considerably better off then if you bought that thing once you take into account the additional costs of a non-complianced grey import.

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by 5.4 GT

Want to go Jap then IS350 F Sport > Nissan Fugly 370GT TYPE S

Around the same price and can buy it from your local Lexus dealer.

You been reading the latest MOTOR?
Impressive times for an N/A against the turbo's of BMW and Volvo huh? 5.6 and 13.8...

I was wondering how it would go and sound with a nice intake and exhaust. -Probably a question that will NEVER be answered!

[prasac]

u get better bang for ur buck for a US Ford than u do for Australian.
i'd much prefer a Taurus SHO over a FUGA. the US cars are also very technologically advanced compared to Aussie cars and some Jap cars.

[Grobbo]

Bit dissapointed in this thread coz I was hoping for a bit more meat to the argument - you do hear around the traps that the Jappa's are the most reliable and the local stuff is err, quite far down the list...

Would love to see some hard evidence of that being the case with the latest stuff - so hard to know with so many Falcadores on the road... There's always going to be horror stories.

My AU ownership has certainly diminished my enthusiasm for the local stuff a little, but I realise that's a bad example and I should be more open minded to the newer stuff... Can't help but think that underneath all the new FG tinsel there's still a fair bit of AU DNA tho... :-/

See, maybe the impression of local stuff being lower quality simply comes from people's experiences with the older models?

[mik]

it does`nt matter how many gadgets you put in the nissan it will always be an ugly fuga !

[FPV]

The Lexus IS is in the 3 series size class so is not a direct competitor to the Falcon, however it is a potential option for buyers especially in terms of price point.

Infiniti is due to return in 2012 according to the Nissan, and the Infiniti M (Nissan Fuga) will be a launch model. I think the M56S will be a good competitor to the G6E Turbo (M56S is not an FPV competitor, however there are rumours of an M IPL). Basically it is the equivilent of Ford leaving the Falcon here but selling it internationally under the Lincoln brand.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Grobbo

You been reading the latest MOTOR?
Impressive times for an N/A against the turbo's of BMW and Volvo huh? 5.6 and 13.8...

I was wondering how it would go and sound with a nice intake and exhaust. -Probably a question that will NEVER be answered!

One of the things about the hyper Japanese N/A V6s such as the IS350, 370Z and of course my fearless datto is that the intake and exhaust are EXTREMELY good and aftermarket ones just tend to make more noise than extra power.

The party trick is the ECU. With the 350Z the engine is limited to 65% in 1st, 75% in 2nd and 85% in 3rd. Just a simple Osiris UPREV (datto equiv of SCT) to turn those off and set it up for 98ron (and if it is one of the 250 limited ones turn that off) makes a HUGE difference in low end acceleration (and of course "terminal" velocity).

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by ExAreSix

And still accelerates and handles like a barge... Geez you guys put too much emphasis on power figures, without looking at the complete package.

I'd like to see this melted plastic looking overstatement put up at a drag strip or go round a track against an FG GT and see who won, I suspect the barge would hand it to it easy,
While it may have more gadgets and gimmicks stuffed into it than a small country that don't make it a great or even good car and the weight of it would make the motor and brakes and all that other stuff no matter how good perform just like a regular dirty old EL FALCON let alone a $70,000 one

[saam]

watch this space....

within a few years the great wall of china cars will have more gadgets then our locals

[flappist]

Originally Posted by tezxr8man

I'd like to see this melted plastic looking overstatement put up at a drag strip or go round a track against an FG GT and see who won, I suspect the barge would hand it to it easy,
While it may have more gadgets and gimmicks stuffed into it than a small country that don't make it a great or even good car and the weight of it would make the motor and brakes and all that other stuff no matter how good perform just like a regular dirty old EL FALCON let alone a $70,000 one

Do you ever actually READ any of the PCOTY or BFYB comparisons?

[kpcart]

the problem with large jap cars, sure they may be more technological, but they arent as spacy or comfortable as a falcon, dont have as much torque down low, can make as much power as a falcon but require more technology to get there, and higher revs. higher service costs and they cost too much as they are imports. they are inpracticle in australia. they are nice for the jap market, but dont fit in here at all. a toyota aurion is a different story, as its made here. also those large jap cars often use far more fuel then they are rated for, as you have to drive very very slow to achieve the claimed economy and drive below the tractable torque curve. i garuntee if you want the fuga to move as swiftly as a falcon, it will chew much more fuel then the falcon.
by the way that fuga thing isnt even in the same class as a falcon, its more a mondeo size. then there is the fwd/rwd argument, aussies love rwd.

[kpcart]

also i think the person who posted this should have put a standard run of the mill jap car to compare to a standard run of the mill aussie car. in that sense it would be a Toyota Corolla vs a Ford Falcon. to answer his question 'why are aussie cars inferior to their japanese couterparts?' i say who told you they are? because they are not. i think the falcon is a hundred times better then a corolla. the fuga, we would have to compare a $70,000 hsv, and id take the hsv any day, as i think most sane people would. I dont know what this guy thinks is 'inferior', maybe on a racetrack where 99.999% of people who buy cars dont go. certainly in normal driving, the large aussie cars are some of the best on the road (euro, jap, american included). as everyone else here says, its still a nissan fuga, which means no one considers nissans as some sort of magic luxury super car worth spending extra on, jap cars still dont have a respect for them in australia, nowhere near the respect of the tried and trusted falcons and commodores, which are the best value cars for performance/servicing costs and even economy (with the latest ones) built for australian roads. infact all jap cars that have tried to take on the aussie large cars have failed, we had the skyline in 89s, then the magna (biggest piece of crap ever built until they got rid of the astron motor), the camry and then others. all have proven to have more technology then the aussie cars, but are smaller, less comfortable, have less torque which is what makes a smooth ride in normal slow driving and all even look worse. take you car snobbery somewhere else.

[chevypower]

Japanese cars just lack character and style. They are not ugly, they are just bland. Even the premium brands like Lexus are bland. First they copy Mercedes, then they switch to copying the side profile (including the Hoffmeister kink) off BMW. I considered going with Toyota, but found the Whirlpools to be more suited for my appliances. Case in point would be Lexus LF-A. Supposedly their best car ever. Looks like crap! The Ferrari California and 458 look so good!

[pulpist]

That is one ugly bit of metal pressing.

[4.0i_SiX]

What makes it a generation ahead? The outside looks like a Hyundai S-coupe and the interior just has a curvy dash and tacky stick on woodgrain? No thanks

[Nikked]

Thats nice! Its has curves instead of the angular designs in many cars these days, best looking nissan 4 door in a while.

But yes, even a Aurion has features like keyless entry, full electric seats etc...the technology is there for ford to use, they just don't...

[sanchoXB]

I think what OttoXR8 is getting at it the difference in quality between Japanese and Australian cars and I have to say I agree.

I have had a 2004 XR8 ute which was slow and had the 5 speed manual which is the worst gearbox I have ever used, talk about stupid ratios.

I have also had a 2003 Futura which I bought 2nd hand and was returned many times until warranty expired and was a car that I was never confident in, sold it at 86000k.

I now have a 2005 Camry and it is worlds ahead of a falcon or commodore of its age. Smoother, quieter, finished off a lot better and has more go than the 6 cyl futura. (obviously doesnt compare to performance falcons) I love Fords but will stick with the old classic fords, any modern car I get from now on will be Toyota. Looking at upgrading to a supercharged TRD Aurion.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

.... sure it looks nice,.

except that dash "help i think i'm melting".

too curvey. check out the radio

[GT0132]

Fuga = Ukin FUgly

Looks more Jap than a 70's Toyota Crown

[irlewy86]

So much walnut, so little taste.

[jmack]

hope there is a backseat in this car you might have to do a hitower job on it(police academy)dosnt look like much leg room in the front

[theboxmike]

Originally Posted by sanchoXB

I now have a 2005 Camry and it is worlds ahead of a falcon or commodore of its age. Smoother, quieter, finished off a lot better and has more go than the 6 cyl futura. (obviously doesnt compare to performance falcons) I love Fords but will stick with the old classic fords, any modern car I get from now on will be Toyota. Looking at upgrading to a supercharged TRD Aurion.

ARE YOU KIDDING? They are one of the worst cars i have ever driven

Terrible sound engine, gutless as anything. And the build quality was very average (bin lids and such were not fitting correctly.) There were no extra gadgets that i could see from say a G6E other than keyless entry. At least you should of got an Aurion.

[SB076]

Originally Posted by OttoXR8

A driving mode selector knob has been installed as standard equipment on all models, situated below the transmission gear lever and between the heated and ventilated front seat controls, providing four selections labeled "Standard", "Sport", "Eco", and "Snow", allowing the 7-speed transmission, engine and various systems to optimize driving based on varying conditions.

Double-piston shock absorbers, developed by Kayaba Industry Company, have replaced the ones previously supplied by Hitachi.

Some of the optional interior equipment includes heated and ventilated front seats, power reclining rear seats, power ottoman for the rear passenger opposite the driver, and HDD navigation.
Safety technology has also been introduced, such as Lane Departure Prevention, which uses a small camera mounted above the rearview mirror to gauge distance from the lane markers, and will lightly tap selected brakes when necessary to help ease the car back into the correct lane. It will allow for unimpeded lane changes when the turn signal is used, and will yield control to the driver at all times.

Blind Spot Intervention System uses sensors to provide a visual warning in the side view mirror. If the car senses that movement towards the obstacle is occurring, it will provide an audible warning and will apply opposite side brakes to guide the vehicle into the correct lane.

Yeah I agree, not only that but i recently compared a G6ET with a Veyron and I must admit Ford Aus has really dropped the ball. Not only does the Veyron out accelerate the G6ET but the G6ET is unable to reach 400+k's per hour

What are you comparing the Fuga too?

As for features, Lane departure pevention, blind spot intervention, the car helps ease itself back into the correct lane? What are we as humans incapable of doing that are we?

Anyway if you want to purchase a second hand Fuga at $70,000 and pay the compliance costs feel free.