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German car industry warns of job collapse unless ‘bold decisions’ made to address Chinese threat
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2026
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German cars have become the same plastic crap with the same spying software, but still at double the price.
I would happily buy a 2010 level German car if they would still make it.
I drive a 1999 Skoda Octavia, VAG, with the 1.9 TDI, with the mechanical pump. The thing, with proper maintenance, is ultra reliable. Doesn't leak or burn oil. It hasn't had a major repair in 27 years/400.000 km, just consumables, like a clutch, belts, a starter motor, stuff like that.
Two people I know that have bought VAG cars the last 5 years are constantly bitching about their cars.
Engineering is not the problem here, it's management making engineering decisions.
The Chinese make generational planning. Western make quarterly decisions to appeal to speculators, not investors.
Western car makers, and Japanese/Koreans, definitely have the know how to make good value EVs, and some do (see Renault and Hyundai). If western and free market oriented Asian makers made long term investment and decisions they would compete just fine.
It started to become visible mid 00s. My Audi A4 was a great car mechanically - but it had to go for 'repairs' at least two times a year. Not because something was really broke - but because yet another sensor was malfunctioning. Massive costs, not for real repairs, but for mechanics hours figuring out which sensor was the culprit this time. Not one time there was a real mechanical problem.
It doesn't even mean anything to drive an Audi or BMW anymore. A Hyundai or Chinese brand can give you the same functionality at an equal or cheaper cost. Their cars don't even stand out anymore due to their SUV focus. It's hard for a luxury brand to recover its image once it loses its lustre.