Chinese taste in cars is different
01-14-17, 06:10 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
...........not with the way that many people in that country drive LOL. Part of the problem is the culture. China was a relatively primitive, agricultural society for centuries....one of the oldest continuous societies on the planet. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries pretty much by-passed the country because of colonialism, the Japanese invasion in the 1930s and 40s, and later the inefficient, state-run Communist economy of Mao Tse-Tung. It is only recently that the nation has transformed from most of the population riding bicycles and animal-driven carts to a fair (and rapidly increasing number) owning and operating private automobiles (and, boy, do they love their Buicks) 
. But, perhaps because of their massive population and lack of past experience with automobiles on a large scale, the Chinese, as a whole, unlike most Westerners, who have been an auto society for over a century, don't seem to truly understand the dangers of carelessly operating vehicles. They's why so many of them think nothing of doing things behind the wheel that we would consider unthinkable. Of course, to be fair, we have our problems, too, like cell-phones/texting and alcohol-use while driving, but the Chinese take it to a whole new level. If some of them, for example, decide they don't want the ramp on or off a high-speed expressway, they will stop right there on the ramp and try to do a 180 by turning around and coming back out. This (among other problems) is why the injury and death rate on Chinese roads is so high.
. But, perhaps because of their massive population and lack of past experience with automobiles on a large scale, the Chinese, as a whole, unlike most Westerners, who have been an auto society for over a century, don't seem to truly understand the dangers of carelessly operating vehicles. They's why so many of them think nothing of doing things behind the wheel that we would consider unthinkable. Of course, to be fair, we have our problems, too, like cell-phones/texting and alcohol-use while driving, but the Chinese take it to a whole new level. If some of them, for example, decide they don't want the ramp on or off a high-speed expressway, they will stop right there on the ramp and try to do a 180 by turning around and coming back out. This (among other problems) is why the injury and death rate on Chinese roads is so high.
01-17-17, 08:29 PM
#17
Lexus Test Driver
Simple. One thing that keeps prices down on vehicles sold in China is that their government (and, to an extent, their consumer tastes) does not force the addition of so much standard equipment. Vehicles sold in that country don't have to have anywhere near the amount of safety, emission, and convenience features that is the case here in the U.S. Fewer features, of course, usually means a lower price....that's why they can offer subcompacts and entry-level cars there that start at the U.S. equivalent of well under 10K.
As for Chinese driving standards, they're there on paper but almost nonexistent on the road. Most drivers think other drivers will move out of the way if they do something stupid, so driving against the flow of traffic and running red lights isn't unusual. No one ever, ever gives way to merging traffic, so traffic jams at toll booths and accident sites take bloody forever to get through.
Still not the worst driving conditions around though. I'd nominate India and Indonesia for that dubious honor
Last edited by chromedome; 01-17-17 at 08:35 PM.
01-17-17, 08:33 PM
#18
Lexus Fanatic
Not really. For local brands like Geely or Hongqi or Haval maybe, but locally assembled Hondas, Toyotas, Buicks, VWs etc all have the same safety equipment as US-market models. In fact, larger cars like the BMW 5-Series and Audi A6 cost more in China compared to similarly-specced US variants because of higher taxes, even though those models are built in China.
01-17-17, 08:42 PM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
That's very true and it's an unfortunate fact I've seen in many Asian countries. For example, a lot of locally assembled Hondas, Toyotas and Fords in Southeast Asia have things like side airbags and traction control missing at lower price points because of high vehicle taxes (even for locally assembled cars) and the need (or greed) for higher margins. American drivers are lucky because cars are cheap and well-specced; even European drivers don't get all the goodies at the same price.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post