Buying a Car: Japanese vs. European

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, on the whole, Japanese automakers have the edge over their European counterparts. The author points out that the primary reasons are that Japanese cars are typically considered to be safer and much more reliable than European cars, which are paramount criteria when purchasing a car. The paper relates that Japanese cars can be quite affordable in terms of start-up fees and insurance costs. The author stresses that the Japanese cars, depending on the brand, also score high in performance and environmental friendliness. The paper concludes that Japanese subcompact cars are typically cheap, reliable, comfortable, environmentally friendly and highly fuel efficient.

Table of Contents:
General Framework
Environmental Friendliness
European Cars
Japanese Cars
Performance
European Cars
Japanese Cars
Reliability and Safety
European Cars
Japanese Cars
Costs
European Cars
Japanese cars
A Specific Focus

From the Paper:

"Japanese car makers also agreed to the same CO2 emission decrease as specified by the European Union-Kyoto Protocol arrangement and, like the European cars, are not in-line to reach their target. Japanese brands performed poorly across the board under the T&E investigation. Three of the worst performing cars out of tested popular brands were Japanese: the Nissan, Suzuki and the Mazda (only 20%, 22% and 27% of the CO2 emission reduction target achieved, respectively). Arguably, the biggest Japanese brand name, Toyota, poorly scored seventh on the survey, reaching 76% of the target. However, other research shows that Japanese cars may be "greener" than the T&E research indicates."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Consumer Reports: European Cars Excel in Performance, Fall Short on Reliability. The Auto Channel. 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2007 from http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/02/28/038606.html.
• How Clean is Your Car Brand? European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). October 2006 Report. Retrieved March 9, 2007 from http://www.transportenvironment.org/docs/Publications/2006/2006-10_how_clean_is_your_car_brand.pdf.
• Jones, Roland. For Car Reliability, Looking East is Still Best. MSNBC. March 1, 2007. Retrieved March 9, 2007 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17385761.
• Motoring Guide: The Most Reliable Car Makes and Models. Computer Quote Insurance. November 27, 2006. Retrieved March 9, 2007 from http://www.computerquoteinsurance.com/new-cars/the-most-reliable-car-makes-and-models-nav5-24.
• Smaller is Better: Subcompact Cars Enjoying Boom. Web Japan. August 13, 2002. Retrieved March 10, 2007 from http://web-japan.org/trends01/article/020813bus_r.html.

More papers on Buying a Car: Japanese vs. European:

• Business Plan # 145598 : "Enterprise Rent-A-Car: A Training and Development Plan"
• Term Paper # 95942 : "Enterprise Rent-a-Car"
• Analytical Essay # 132324 : "Japanese Versus European Cars"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: