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Comments
Ken
Cheers Pat.
Very few posts in any of the topics any other day is a struggle to keep up.
Most of the regular posters must work compressed work weeks.
Cheers Pat.
Bob
http://just-auto.com/news_detail.asp?art=37471&dm=yes
Apparently Acura sells (or sold) this model in Canada exclusively. It is NOT an Integra, but was listed only as "1.6 EL."
Curiosity got the best of me, so I looked it up on the web, and sure enough, there it is. It clearly is a Civic, that was given the "Acura treatment." Here's a link on it:
http://www.fsa.ulaval.ca/personnel/paradisj/acura1.6el/
Bob
By the way, MA and RI dealers have been advertising BASE Outbacks for $20,700 lately.
I would appreciate any information you may have.
If this isn't too OT, I wonder how you feel about the issue that keeps popping up on Edmunds boards about where cars are built. A lot of guys figure a car built in Japan is going to be better than one built anywhere else. To my mind, it seems that geography isn't the issue; intelligent plant design and proper management are the issue. I'd have full confidence in a plant in Indiana or anywhere else if it were run properly.
What are your thoughts?
head into a subaru dealer and closely examine the body panel gaps on an Impreza or Forester. check several if you'd like.
now do the same to a Legacy or Outback.
let me know the results.
-Colin
Honda and Nissan were next with 14 faults per one hundred.
Cheers Pat.
The biggest engine in the Civic line is I believe 106 HP.
THere are also 3 trim lines.standard, sport, and premium, the latter getting power roof and leather as well as some other goodies.
Incidently our Civic SI two door coupe is known as the EX in the states.
Cheers Pat.
-Frank P.
Stephen
Your Civic EX coupe is known in Canada as the SI. coupe, beats me why they have different names for the States and Canada makes it confusing.
They used to do the same thing with the Accord but I think the badging is now the same for both sides of the border.
Cheers Pat.
http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosinsider/0203/13/b03-439093.htm
-mike
No matter how well they are managed, VW/Audi will never produce their best cars from Mexico. Subaru's Indiana plant no doubt turns out a better assembled car than GM, but it isn't as good as ones built in Gunma.
-Colin
For the XT6 we swapped over the suspension from the AT to the MT, and put on my WRX rims and tires. Also Paul Eklund sent my clutch on sat so hopefully the 6-puck, w/upgraded pressure plate will be in soon.
Pics at:
http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/installfest3-02/index.htm
-mike
-Colin
Good point Chuck.
-Frank P.
-mike
"Ford Motor Co., which had its first annual financial loss in nine years in 2001, and its Japanese affiliate Mazda Motor Co. were the lowest-ranked automakers in Consumer Reports magazine's annual subscriber survey.'
-Frank P.
P.S. mike- wipe that "I told you so" smile off your face. :-)
Truth be told
-mike
Ironically, my wife's 95 Rodeo had less problems than either of our current cars. Only a loose hatch latch and a dead battery in 4 years.
-Dennis
-mike
-Colin
-Frank P.
-Frank P.
-Dennis
-mike
Gunma-made Subies have scored slightly higher in reliability, per CR. Same with the Japan-built ES300, which scored better than its Camry clone built in the US. And again with the Japanese Trooper, vs. the SIA Rodeo. And these are all the same company, different sites.
This may have to do with how close headquarters is, geographically, to the plant where they are produced. Perhaps they are more closely supervised?
Pat: they canned compressed work week here at work, major bummer!
Another buddy picked up a Subie! My best man lives in Atlanta, and we coached him in his purchase. He ended up with an LL Bean, a left over 2001. We think he paid under $26k, so it seems like a great deal.
Finally saw that ranking which put Subaru on top, not bad. So new Hondas have 2 more problems per car, buy one at your own risk! LOL
-juice
I don't these differences have anything to do with the quality of the workers but rather the way they are trained and managed. My theory is that all management practices have a cultural spin to them -- after all, we're talking about interpersonal dynamics. A management style that's been optimized in Japan isn't always going to perfectly fit the culture of other countries. The same applies for an American management style applied overseas. There needs to be localization. However, through localization you change enough nuances in the mamangement process that does affect the outcome -- in this case car build quality.
I'll bet that the SIA plant has adopted most of, but not all of the processes followed in the Gunma plant. However, I'll bet that as long as the US market demands the same level of quality as the JDM, we'll see any differences in end product disappear in the long run.
Ken
The "import" plants in the US use different suppliers than the plants in Japan, suppliers that may have been making parts for lower quality manufacturers, and now make parts for Subaru (or whoever).
It's up to Subaru, then, to make sure the parts meet their quality standard, because they are different.
Specifically, Subaru will no doubt buy more and more GM parts, or parts from their former subsidiaries, anyway. Will they be able to make those suppliers meet their higher quality standards? We'll see.
Subaru is in a funny position, because they have much higher quality/reliability numbers than their parent company. Will GM dumb them down, to cut costs? That would be a travesty, but it's possible.
-juice
We Americans very much want to be treated as individuals and contributors. And while that is laudable in many tasks, it can be a detractor in manufacturing. To better appreciate the Asian worker, think military. Manufacturing is all about 100% uniformity and compliance. Machine-like precision, every minute.
Japanese schools teach hierarchical living and obedience. A popular saying is 'the nail that sticks up is pounded down'. By comparison, we teach kids to question and offer opinions. My Japanese students always marvel about their US classroom experience - the teacher actually wants to hear what they think!!!
It is not that Asian products will be inherently better or worse. That depends very much on the integrity of the design, ease of assembly, quality of incoming materials, proficiency of machinery workers use, work schedules, etc.
It is indeed a very complex issue.....
Steve
I owned a Corolla built in Japan and a Nova from NUMMI. The Corolla was infinitly better put together, but it is an unfair comparison as they were different year/generation vehicles.
I have to admit, while very uniformly assembled, the seam gaps are huge on my '02 OB. I noticed that when I first saw it on the dealers lot. But they are all that way, so I blame the stamping and assembly jigs, and not the workers.
Steve
My point exactly. You take a manufacturing process that has been optimized for Japan, you're bound to get some "fit" issues if you try and apply it directly in the US.
Again, it's not the workers but the way they are managed. This example is makes a great case study in international business.
Ken
-mike
Georgtown KY is the Camry plant.
Princeton IN is the Toyota truck plant.
Tennessee has the Nissan plant.
Illinois has the Diamnond star motors plant.
SIA is Laffeyette IN.
I know my Midwest Japanese factories!
TWRX
Actually it is the workers. You cannot take away the sum of their lives up to the point they begin employment in the auto factory, and ultimately the way that life has been led will have an impact on how effective a given management philosophy is.
Deming was laughed out of the US after inventing kaizan because US business didn't need it (at the time) and US management didn't understand it. Now they see the value in it, but the employees trying to adopt it don't understand either. They can learn, but for a culture that's been emphasizing the team/family/company over the individual since birth things won't be the same.
And this is just the Japanese. The Germans have their own culture that affects their workmanship, professional vocational training that starts at the high school age, etc. But nevermind that, I've just bought into the Japanese myth and am stereotyping. ;-)
-Colin
Cheers Pat.
-mike
Cheers Pat.
Ross
Bob