MY EXPERIENCE AND LOOK AT CHINESE CARS. IS IT WORTH?

I usually pay attention to any one car. Sharing your impressions. And this week was not to be an exception. The plans were to share my opinion and experience about the flagship of the Swedish concern Volvo XC90, which I drove for a particularly long time. However, a number of comments on previous articles led me to think about changing my plans a little, devoting this article to my opinion about Chinese brand cars. It is symbolic that Volvo has long had close ties with China, exchanging technologies with some concerns from China, and is only nominally considered Swedish. So, we will consider this publication as a kind of forerunner of the Swedish SUV series.

Let me start with what prompted me to write this post. The very phrase “Chinese car” today causes reflection among many motorists and near motorists. And not only “tram experts”, but also quite “recognized and knowledgeable”. A couple of years ago, I literally got into a fight with one of these “car journalists”, who (as it seemed to me) completely unfairly ran into one brand and, using his example, “anathematized” everyone in general. As usual, using a simple and primitive argument: “yes because”!

By tradition, about my personal experience. It is not as rich and diverse as the Chinese auto market itself, but there is something on the track record. Namely: Haval H9 with petrol and diesel engines, Chery Tiggo 5 and 7, Haval H8 (not for sale anymore?) F7 and F7x of the same brand. In addition, a couple of years ago I covered the largest yachting regatta in the world, the Volvo Ocean Race, in which the team of the Chinese Dongfeng participated and won (for those who are interested, it is translated into Russian as “East Wind”). As part of that project, I made a report about the crew of the yacht (not only the yachtsmen themselves, but also the coastal service), as well as an interview with Mr. Wang Peng, the director of the current representative office. (this is just a protocol appeal, nothing more J). Although Dongfeng never sat behind the wheel of the car itself. And with regard to this brand, I can only talk about the philosophy of the brand, and not the actual qualities of the machine. Something like that.

Stamps and stereotypes.
All of us, to one degree or another, are influenced by various clichés and stereotypes. From which you can get rid of only by coming into contact with the object yourself. And the attitude towards cars is one of the most striking examples of this manifestation. And it's not just about the “Chinese”. But also in general. However, the very comments that prompted me to take up this material clearly demonstrated how strong the power of stereotypes is regarding the Chinese auto industry.
Let's make a deal on the beach. Even if I am talking about a particular model in superlatives, noting its positive qualities and characteristics, all this does not mean at all that you must like this particular car. Just like the car brand in general. In general, I don't consider someone in the automobile clearing to be objectively the best. And of the dozens of cars that I had a chance to exploit, there is not a single ideal one. Although there are those that did not like at all and those that liked very much. Tellingly, there are no “Chinese” among the first, but among the second… yes, there are.

The biggest mistake is to generalize. In any case, in relation to Chinese cars. We can say: German car. And this collective image, which includes a number of attributes and ideas about quality, will apply to any of the representatives of the most developed country in Europe. Worse, this scheme works in Korea. Where, however, I perceive only two and they are similar. It is even more difficult in Japan, where the difference in quality and approach becomes noticeable even to an inexperienced eye.
Chinese cars in this sense are somewhat aloof. If you look at them from the outside, then there is something in common: the desire to be like a “modern and correct” car. Among them (I mean those that are being produced now) by and large there are no outright freaks from among the “half an hour of shame and you are at work”. However, the differences become noticeable if you are behind the wheel. So, the first mistake: there is no “Chinese car industry”. There are specific brands from China and each specific one should be evaluated separately. Differences in quality and feel can be very significant even among different models of the same brand.

Second error.
One of the most common complaints that doesn't stand up to scrutiny is that they copy everything. In fairness, the entire automotive market consists entirely of “compilations”. Especially among the “paired” brands. Or groups like VAG, where sometimes it’s not just how one differs from another, except for the nameplate and price… In a word, some kind of borrowing is quite a common thing in general. Is this good or bad. And, of course, the “Chinese” use this technique too. Especially at first.
Large and rich concerns, such as Haval, invite prominent world experts. And, for example, the entire model range of this brand was drawn by the guy who once came up with the modern BMW X6. There are such examples among “traditional” brands. When the designer's vision wanders from one concern to another. As for technology and technology, everything is also ambiguous here. Many own developments, many of those that are ordered from outside. Personally, I am convinced that it does not matter if it is a copy, licensed equipment or proprietary technology. The question is how reliable and durable it is in a particular car.

Too expensive!
Another rather ridiculous claim: why is it so expensive? We generally have so many financial specialists in the country, judging by the comments. Every third is ready to give an accurate analysis of pricing and calculate profitability. True only until the moment when specifics are required. Here… “it can not cost so much!” exclaim the haters. In my opinion, this is generally empty talk. You have the right to choose what you want. This is not a payment for housing and communal services, where it does not matter how fair you think it is, you will have to pay exactly as much as you have accrued. The same goes for the price of gasoline. And here is the car. If you think that the price of this car is unreasonably high – take another one. What questions?
Drawing an analogy with different models, I have long been convinced of two things. First. The price of a car generally rarely reflects its real quality and superiority. Regardless of the brand and country of origin. Everyone has a lot of subjectivity. Second. If we compare the quality, comfort and set of options, then in general the price of Chinese cars is more than fair. And certainly not overpriced. But that's my personal opinion.

They are not reliable!
Foil, crumble, made of shit and sticks… every second hater showers with such epithets if you try to object to him. Here I can say the following. Firstly, there is a worldwide trend towards a decrease in motor resource and durability. Nobody is interested in you driving a new car for 10-20 years. Otherwise, who will need updates released every year? I think a fair motor resource today is 5 years. What will happen to the car next is the question. And this applies to almost everyone. The problem with the Chinese auto industry is that in its current form they are still too young. There is no proper feedback, some things are not worked out. They are trying their best to make up for this with a more responsible approach to production. Realizing that they are standing on thin ice and any serious “fuckup” promises such problems, from which you can not wash off. And if some Japanese or German grandee can calmly recall a conditional million copies of defective cars, with the words: well, it happens, what! Sorry! That is an unacceptable luxury for a Chinese car. Not in terms of finances, but of image!
In any case, in order to objectively talk about reliability and durability, time must pass. I drove several cars, traveled a lot and on different roads. I didn't have any technical problems. No car has ever let me down. However, these were “fresh” cars. And the runs for each amounted to only 5-10 thousand km. Which is too little to talk about reliability in terms of ownership for several years.

The problems are real.
The article might seem unnecessarily sugary-lawyer, so I can't help but talk about objective problems. Which, of course, there are. They concern not so much the cars themselves as the infrastructure. High-quality service, well-established supply of spare parts, qualification of servicemen, etc. In the end, and the development of the dealer network. Monobrand stores in a particular region. After all, this and only this inspires confidence in the buyer that tomorrow he will not be left alone with his car. However, the presence of such DCs does not give a 100% guarantee. The lack of a proper background is the main problem and fertile ground for growing doubts. And then everything else.
Are there any real negative owner reviews? Certainly there is. There are also problem nodes. But there is nothing unique about this. It is worth plunging into the study of any brand or specific model, as there are a lot of negative reviews. About some folk jokes walk, so what?

Is it worth it?
When I got behind the wheel of a Chinese car for the first time, I was filled with skepticism. When I set off in a car made in China on my first big trip, I felt anxiety and doubt. But every time I felt a pleasant surprise.
In my opinion, the main stumbling block is the attitude towards the basis: “Chinese cars”. The party will not understand! If this is a real problem for you and the image component of the brand matters, then everything else does not make sense. PR people still have a long way to go to create a positive image of a particular brand so that it is independent and not associated with the country of origin.

We can definitely say that for a “unit of money” you get a significantly larger set of options. Many of which have a great effect on comfort and driving sensations. The machines are modern and technologically advanced. They are filled with all modern pilot-assist systems, many of which you will not find on other classmates from “proven brands”.
I will not impose and offer everyone to transfer to Chinese-made cars. But, if your budget is limited to 1.5-2.5 million conventional units, then I would recommend not to turn up your nose, like those haters who have an “answer and solution” for everything, although they ride mainly on trams and minibuses. And try to discard all the stereotypical rubbish and just compare the feeling of the car. It is likely that after that you will say: yes, no… this “Korean”, “Japanese”, “German” or “Czech” is better. And then your choice will be objective and conscious. But there is a high probability that you will experience a feeling of surprise, and the thought will arise in your head: hell, he’s not bad at all!

But I will still give one effective advice. Recently, a couple of Chinese brands have left the market, some have come. Keeping track of this leapfrog is not always easy. If you decide to seriously consider buying a Chinese-made car, look at how the brand is worth in the country. How developed is its dealer network, what activities does it conduct. Evaluate the global experience of the brand and its positioning. And then you can understand how “seriously and for a long time” he is.

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