Quote:
Originally Posted by shadoquad
Maybe a Subaru WRX? 
No, only homos with maglites buy those 
But largely I agree. Even the RX-8 has been hanging on despite crummy sales. Japanese cars in general are not selling as well anymore, and I think the reason why is Hyundai/Kia. |
I think it's more than just that. I think for the last 5 years or so the Japanese have been resting on their laurels.
At one point they were so far ahead of the American and Korean makes in terms of quality and value in the "cars for normal people" space.
But in that time you've had Ford come out of no where and offer incredible value and quality in all of its cars, beating most of the Japanese makes in all of the media comparisons. Hyundai has been doing the same and they are standing behind their product offering impressive warranties and cars that people really want to drive. Kia is peeking it's head into the game as well offering some pretty nice product.
Meanwhile, you've got Honda and Toyota still offering the same boring Civic/Accord/Corolla/Camry that they have for years. At one point they were the best but not any more. You get way more value and equal or better quality with a Ford/Hyundai or even some GM cars these days.
Great for the consumer.
The only Japanese standout for me is Nissan. They're far more exciting than Honda/Toyota and have done a much better job of improving with the times, IMO. But even they are not impervious to this market, and you can tell from their talk out of corporate that they are trying to push for a more "eco friendly" oriented line. A car like the Z doesn't make sense for them anymore, unless it's reborn as a weak "every man's electric sports car."