Which company or alliance makes the best cars?

I go with BMW....

http://www.royal-car.com/usedcarsforsale/usedcars.php

Anything NOT designed and built in America - GM and Ford are both rubbish in my experience.

The best 4 x 4s are obviously Land Rovers

Superlib - "Chevy/Ford" make the best sports cars? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - nice sense of humour there

Bring back the YUGO! As Dan Akroyd said "The CUTTING EDGE of Serbo-Croatian technology!"

Lada all the way.

There's a reason why the Toyota Land Cruiser is the vehicle of choice for Mujahadeens in the Middle East and drug cartel guerillas in South America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uc4Ksz3nHM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfZDtC9kjVk&feature=related

oops should have read honda s2000, i need to start using the preview function

Datsun haha

Too bad they dont make em anymore, those things went pretty well for what they were, and kept going even when they were ancient and falling apart.

All japanese cars seem to have thier gremlins...nissan suspension...toyota cam pulleys...

Hondas always feel weak when I drive them, cant explain why. Toyotas feel mechanically sound untill about 80000 kms, then all sorts of things go wrong, and the body always feels too flimsy, and is prone to rust.

MAzdas...too easy to steal, or at least that was thier claim to fame for a long time back home.

European cars, over priced, all prestige and nothing much else to back it up. I liked how th ehonas200 outperformed equivalen prosche and bmw models when it came out. A little bit plain in design though.

Mitsubishi...run like a cut cat..just cant trust that company though.

I guess ford...although a bit boring in design these days and lagging behind in technology and performance to other less reliable makes. Still a solid bet, and thier classics stay classic, if that makes sense.

Please don't fall for the Toyota hype. They have plenty of faults and failures, and their working practices are horrible. Just go visit Toyota city and see how fun that place is...

First of all, any "automatic" seal of approval is suspect. No one should get any "automatic" seal of approval. I have no idea what you are referring to. What I am referring to is the data provided by Consumer Reports based on years of consumer use and long-term repair records (reliability), as reported by consumers. Ford scored well in JD Power & Associates 2007 initial quality study, but this is based on new cars--consumers' INITIAL impressions of new cars. This speaks nothing to the long-term reliability. As far as long-term satisfaction, Japanese cars consistently score at the top. There is a reason why Toyota sales surpassed GM's last year. Plus, while Japanese manufacturers continue to open new manufacturing plants in the US, American car manufacturers close their American plants and move them to Mexico. If you're confident in Mexican-made so-called "American" cars (Ford & GM included), well...more power to ya!

"Here in the US,everyone knows that Japanese cars are the most reliable."

Really ? So why did Consumer Reports refuse to give Japan's largest automobile manufacturer an automatic seal of approval this last year ?

The fact is, Japanese manufacturers are no more reliable than any of the other industry leaders. The fact that they may hide their defects or manipulate their quality data is common knowledge. I'd suggest, being there in the US, that you stick to GM or Ford. "Real" research indicates they are just as, or more so, reliable than any foreign made automobile out there. And both have been industry leaders for years, why risk it with the foreign models !

Here in the US,everyone knows that Japanese cars are the most reliable. European brands are running off of the momentum of their prestige. Initially, the top European models deliver the best performance and handling, but the newest models have poor reliability records. I know this from personal experience, and it's backed up by sources such as Consumer Reports. My husband and I both drive German cars. I love the performance of mine, but both of our cars have undergone major repairs. My husband swears he will go back to Japanese next time.

Try the Pontiac G8 for 2008 ! A near 400hp 6.0L V8 based on the bulletproof and world known Aussie Holden Commodore with a classy but stylish interior with price of around $32,000? Just what the J salaryman should be cruisin' the streets of Osaka in !

The company that sells the most cars.

Family Passenger Car: Toyota/Honda

Truck/SUV: Ford

Sports Car: Chevy/Ford

Luxury: BMW/Mercedes

Economy: Honda

I've got a 2004 Honda Civic and a 2007 Toyota Sienna, both of which are comfortable to drive and have been reliable so far.

"Europe, especially in Scandinavia, Germany or Switzerland, the Japanese cars dominate the market."

I meant "Austria"

In Europe, many countries make an annual survey of the car reliability.

Since many years, Toyota is the top (or sometimes 2nd) on the list. On the contrary to the general idea, the Mercedes and the BMW are not the most reliable cars. (Although they are very high standard, of course) In Europe, especially in Scandinavia, Germany or Switzerland, the Japanese cars dominate the market.

The Japanese makers make the car in the needs of the market. The same model in Japan, in Europe or in America is not the same. That’s what Americans can’t do. The American cars are just not adapted in Europe. (Or in many countries) Too big, suspensions are too soft, heavy looking and not economical, without mentioning their reliability.

Most of German cars are very reliable. But they are more expensive than the Japanese cars. I used to have BMW, now I have Mercedes and Lexus. German cars have a very steady drive, but less comfortable than Lexus. It all depends on what you are looking for.

Like Notginger, I’m interested in Tata’s compressed air engine car. It’s actually developed in Southern France by a French engineer. They tried to commercialize it since more than a decade. But no European Car Makers were interested. (We think because of the lobby of oil companies) That’s why they had to go to India to produce the car, which is not a bad thing.

Let's get back on track folks. This topic isn't why Japanese cars are horrible, not so respected, etc. etc. Please save your efforts for the other topics. This question simply asks which company or alliance makes the best cars. Easy. And I still say Ford, not necessarily because they make the best quality, but they make the most appealing ones to the mass market and still carry that legendary name. The most wanted classic cars are Ford ones, not any other company as much.

First Ford I ever bought was still chuggin along after 200,000 miles ! Most recent Auto reports have "Subaru" once again taking top honors... too bad they look so damn god awful ! Still, ya can't go wrong with a GM either, they been number one for 70 years, they must be doing something right !

Who can belive japanese cars ? They are made to be "alive" for 8 years, after that, if you wish to have a car you need to change almost everything (except seats maybe). The reason is that Japan is a consumer country, so they need to change them often to give a job to car-makers. Maybe same car's made in EU by japanese companies are better, they have to respect EU rules... Toyota ? The best publicity that makes you happy "to buy", but reality is not the same as the publicity. After some survey's made in Japan some 15 % of Tokyota new cars are having troubles in the first year, and get repairment, troubles that can be also dangerous for the people using them.

For reliability - any Toyota. Sitting at a light yesterday afternoon, six out of seven were Japanese makes (and five of those new Toyotas) so I don't buy into "Westerners" going BMW/Euro.

For fun - my 1984 Jeep CJ

14 posts do far, and nobody has mentioned Volkswagen.........the best "affordable" car out there.

8~10 year old used Range Rovers are the best......

Especially if you appreciate the health benefits of walking.

Tata. I'm looking forward to their new model that runs on compressed air.

You're right about Japanese cars being imitations of European ones. They are reliable as hell, but nobody really lusts after one, just people on a budget. Anytime a westerner gets some decent money for a car, they don't bother with Japanese ones.

Bugatti made by S.A.S

Once I would have said Mercedes Benz, and even SMART, (especially SMART for getting about in Japan,) but a buddy of mine is having a heck of a time getting through to them about defects. http://mercedes.benz.japan.co.ltd.googlepages.com/home So, I'll stick with my Toyota. So far, so good.

BMW...

what's the definition of best? cheapest? cleanest? nicest? fastest?... for me, the best cars in the world are the Germans: robust, trusty, elegant, and up-to-date. Japanese cars are cheap in Japan, but expensive in Europe. They're just wannabes of the best European cars, but in a most modest version. Their reputation in Europe are much lower that it's supposed in Japan. American cars are disappointing and worthless. For me, the BEST is BMW.

Yeah, the point is too vague. All cars have good and bad points.

Performance - Subaru Reliability - Honda Value - Toyota Dreams - Lamborgini Ridiculous - Lada

Ford

mitsuzukisaki

BMW wins, forget about it!!

Each and Every Company, though answer expected seems 'Toyota' !

I also used to think Honda made the best cars, but recently I have become a BMW enthusiast.

This is to vague what do you mean by best, the most affordable or the greatest amenities.

Hands down a Honda will run for ever just ask the wife " OIL you mean there is oil in there I'm supposed to check"