Looks like a lot of discussion here is about housing, but the CR report suggests that most of the issues are with the infotainment systems in cars. And that includes Tesla. I assume that the ecosystem is big enough to create a 3rd player that’s better than android auto or iOS and better suited for cars specifically.
I'm a luddite when it comes to vehicles, but I've already made up my mind that I'm not interested in ever purchasing a vehicle with a touchscreen interface. Big, tactile knobs and buttons are far more reliable, and you can operate them by feel, without having to take your eyes off the road.
Some of the newer vehicles I've had the misfortune of driving require three of four clicks to turn on the air conditioning.
Japanese manufacturers have found a good balance between simplicity and modern tech (see Mazda, Suzuki). German cars tend to be over-engineered; lots of modern tech in the vehicle + manufacturing, whereas American cars tend to be quite the opposite.
And historically when the Japanese _have_ gone overboard on tech, back in the bubble era, they also tend to back it up with overengineering. Think of the fourth-gen Toyota Supra or any version of the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Or the Toyota Soarer/Lexus SC, which was basically a detuned Supra packed with luxury equipment and unique styling. They were technological marvels whose engines were overengineered beasts that could…
At one point when my father was restoring a Mk 3 Supra, I got a look at the traction control boards since he had pulled one out to fix it. I was surprised at the lack of surface mount components, only to have my father point out the board had been made in 1989...
The Supra was a fundamentally ahead of its time design. Not without flaws but definitely pushing into new territory.
Some years ago, I heard it told that the American car companies had done the market research and found that the typical car-buyer in the US bought a car and kept it for 3 years, on average. And so, armed with this info, the cars were designed to last 3 years on average. This is also why the 3-year lease is a thing. Now, I don't know how true this is, or what definition of "average" was being used in those statements…
>If most new cars aren't kept longer than that, why should you care how long the car lasts after the first owner has sold it? Because those that buy second-hand hear how much trouble a given OEMs vehicles will likely be to own. If they become money-sinks, then after-market value will plummet. If they become worthless on the second-hand market, either consumers will hang onto them longer (encountering the problems the…
This is exactly why you can snag a relatively low mileage 4-5 year old S Class for around $30k, a car whose msrp was nearly triple that. Vehicles in that segment of the market typically cost a fortune to keep running. Check out the youtube channel Hoovie's garage for a hyperbolic version of this. His schtick is buying the cheapest used car of a given model that he can find and usually ends up dumping a ton of money into it, only for it to still be in terrible condition. The cars are usually beaten into the ground to begin with, but it does give you a sense of the little things that add up over time, especially on high end luxury vehicles and sports cars. His E60 M5 and Maserati Quattroporte were absolute nightmares.
Its not a direct comparison, but having owned cars from Japan, the US, and Germany, watching the videos of cars being made by the major manufacturers makes the difference somewhat obvious. I've linked them below, but just looking at the factory processes, the workers, and the methods used it seems the German process is just designed to build cars with tighter tolerances. The cars don't move down assembly lines with h…
Of note - I think the Porsche factory built on Japanese (Toyota) innovations on manufacturing. I recall reading something about in the '90's, Porsche and VW were in a bit of a crisis in terms of manufacturing, cost of manufacturing, tolerances of manufacturing, etc. Turns out a lot of steps relied on a person hand fitting something or reaching into a bin of parts, etc. They hired Toyota to consult and rejigger everyt…
Took a lot of concepts we take for granted today, put them together to build "lean" manufacturing; also loosely inspiring modern agile/kanban software development.
I hate it when a vendor replies, as appeared in this article, that the problem was "a supplier-related issue". I purchased the product from you, not the supplier. You're responsible for what you shipped me. By contrast: there are many reasons to criticize pharma companies but they don't take suppliers' word for any materials. Dell doesn't blame Delta when they ship bad power supplies, they take responsibility. But so…
> there are many reasons to criticize pharma companies but they don't take suppliers' word for any materials There's reason to doubt that (from 3 days ago): https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/a-tiny-pharmacy-is-id...
This seems like a different issue. "Pharma companies" are the producers, and in this case they're just denying the issue.
Pharmacies, on the other hand, can only do so much. Much like a car dealer can't properly ensure the reliability of the cars they sell.
Its not a direct comparison, but having owned cars from Japan, the US, and Germany, watching the videos of cars being made by the major manufacturers makes the difference somewhat obvious. I've linked them below, but just looking at the factory processes, the workers, and the methods used it seems the German process is just designed to build cars with tighter tolerances. The cars don't move down assembly lines with h…
If anybody thinks the difference between major brands is due a difference in factory processes they would be very wrong. The reality is every large manufacturer now has a culture built around Six Sigma/Lean/6S/Continuous Improvement/etc. Vehicles aren't manufactured in underground hideouts of secret societies. If a process if found to work well in one corner of the industry it absolutely permeates to other parts. Her…
I agree that those methodologies have permeated the automotive industry. But does that mean that all automakers are utilizing them to the same degree of effectiveness? Anyone who's worked in a dysfunctional "agile" environment has experienced the danger of cargo-culting in methodologies that have proven effective elsewhere.
Its not a direct comparison, but having owned cars from Japan, the US, and Germany, watching the videos of cars being made by the major manufacturers makes the difference somewhat obvious. I've linked them below, but just looking at the factory processes, the workers, and the methods used it seems the German process is just designed to build cars with tighter tolerances. The cars don't move down assembly lines with h…
it's worth pointing out that a porsche 911 base MSRP is ~$110,000, while a corvette base starts around $60k.
The Porsche Boxter is finished to a high standard too.
I don't think anyone is arguing that they're the absolute worst carmaker. A comparison to Toyota or Honda would have been a better choice. I don't want a power plant that is advertised as "more earthquake resistant than Fukushima" in my backyard.
Can you compare Tesla to a manufacturer who innovates very little (Toyota or Honda) and simply churns out the same internal combustion engine 10 million times a year? I don't think so. All depends on what you're optimizing for. I can't get an EV from Toyota or Honda (at least not one that competes with our S and X), so I deal with some fit and finish and reliability issues. Powertrain has been rock solid. Charging ne…
Tesla can’t be that innovative: they still don’t support CarPlay.
Can you compare Tesla to a manufacturer who innovates very little (Toyota or Honda) and simply churns out the same internal combustion engine 10 million times a year? I don't think so. All depends on what you're optimizing for. I can't get an EV from Toyota or Honda (at least not one that competes with our S and X), so I deal with some fit and finish and reliability issues. Powertrain has been rock solid. Charging ne…
Tesla can’t be that innovative: they still don’t support CarPlay.
I'm an American and I will probably never buy another American made car again until we switch to EV. Time for anecdotes! I'm in the process of changing our families vehicles: I've sold our Toyota Tundra and purchased a Toyota Sequoia, and I'm currently selling our Honda CR-V and will be downsizing to a Toyota Matrix or Honda Fit. The Tundra has been one of the most amazing vehicles I've ever owned. I bought it used w…
I'll call you anecdote with one of my own.
I've put the same 40,000 miles in the same 5 years on my '01 GMC Sierra and have had no issues besides a power steering pump when I bought it and regular maintenance.
I'll probably sell it after New year's and I'm not sure if it's a quirk in my area, the going rate is the same as what I paid 5 years ago.
A regular maintenance schedule does wonders for the reliability of a vehicle.