Car Manufactures Strong Points?

Volvoboy

Random pondering moment, but given the list of car makers who would ya say is best at one given thing?

Toyota - Diesel engine

VW - Interiors

Volvo - Safety

Renault - Safety

argosy2006

toyota diesel safe,,, but there not the best if others are running at time of test lol,, like bmw diesels are fast powerful,so are audi and vw and volvos, 2.5 onwards that is

Gary ITR

On what grounds would you give Toyota the diesel engine? Refinement? MPG? Reliability?

IMO I'd place other diesels ahead of them overall.

Bluefoam

Vw interiors?

mickdw

Id agree on safety.
Interiors I would give to bmw on older models but possibly audi in todays models although alot of the quality is gone from audi too.
I couldnt comment on diesel engines.
Comfort - citroen
Exterior styling - bmw possibly

EPM

BMW and Honda - Engines

Style - Alfa Romeo (and Fiat to a lesser extent at the moment)

Value - Subaru (for the 2.0d Impreza - crazy cheap for what it is)

alias no.9

Onkle wrote: »

On what grounds would you give Toyota the diesel engine? Refinement? MPG? Reliability?

IMO I'd place other diesels ahead of them overall.

Indeed, I'm not sure what Toyota have ever done with a diesel engine that wasn't entirely derivative. 10 years ago they were installing obsolete PSA IDI lumps in Corollas, after PSA had gone common rail, and all they've done since is copy the crowd and move to common rail.
Credit where credit is due, they've blazed a trail for hybrid, but it's a bit of a stretch to call Diesel their strong point.

Biro

alias no.9 wrote: »

Indeed, I'm not sure what Toyota have ever done with a diesel engine that wasn't entirely derivative. 10 years ago they were installing obsolete PSA IDI lumps in Corollas, after PSA had gone common rail, and all they've done since is copy the crowd and move to common rail.
Credit where credit is due, they've blazed a trail for hybrid, but it's a bit of a stretch to call Diesel their strong point.

True, Toyota don't deserve the diesel honours. However they really do have bland down to a tee... getting rid of the Celica and MR2 completed the move to 100% bland throughout the range.

Saab Ed

Fiat for Diesels. Everytime someone else builds a common rail engine they pay Fiat a royalty for the technology. Merc, Bummer , Toyota...all of them.

Bluefoam

mickdw wrote: »

Id agree on safety.
Interiors I would give to bmw on older models but possibly audi in todays eh, no
Comfort - citroen okay
Exterior styling - bmw possibly no, no, no

.

alias no.9

Saab Ed wrote: »

Fiat for Diesels. Everytime someone else builds a common rail engine they pay Fiat a royalty for the technology. Merc, Bummer , Toyota...all of them.

VAG too, god knows they persisted with Pumpe Deuse for long enough to avoid paying, but succumbed in the end.

Stevie Dakota

No way VW for interiors, they look and feel nice until the rattles set in and the plastic coating starts peeling away.

Juantorena

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

No way VW for interiors, they look and feel nice until the rattles set in and the plastic coating starts peeling away.

Yes. VW for perceived interior quality...give them a few years and hear the 'quality' rattle away.

Honda - engines

Toyota - as said above - 'white-goods' on wheels

BMW - exterior styling (too many Bangle elements being copied not to seriously consider BMW's impact)

Audi - interior design

Bluefoam

Alfa Romeo - exterior styling
Alfa Romeo - interior styling
Fiat/Alfa Romeo - deisel engines
BMW - badge marketing
VW - badges for people who can't afford BMW's

Voodoomelon

Saab for not following the crowd. They do their own thing, mostly in regards styling and are a very individual looking car.

Saab Ed

Aston Martin for making just about the most beautiful cars of all time , everytime .

Stevie Dakota

Cough! - Lagonda - Cough!

Saab Ed

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Cough! - Lagonda - Cough!

Ah no. I think they're lovely. Not in the typical Aston Martin way but lovely all the same. Stand beside one today and you're just taken aback.