‘They want their cars to last a lot longer’ Mechanics share why they say Japanese cars are more reliable than European ones
Think of the last car you drove with an odometer reading above 200,000. Assuming you have one in mind, what brand was it? Well, according to these Texas mechanics, it was almost certainly a Toyota, Honda, or another Japanese staple. They have specific explanations for why they believe Japanese cars are more reliable than European alternatives.
It’s debatable, but these mechanics believe the Japanese engineer their cars to last longer
A TikTok user at Genuine Automotive ATX asked the techs at the Austin-based shop an inflammatory question. “Why are Japanese cars more reliable than European cars?” he queried.
“The quality of build,” the first mechanic responded. “They want their cars to last a lot longer.” Then he moved on to the next guy.
“They don’t use planned obsolescence as much,” the second mechanic replied, referring to the concept of products being designed to last a limited amount of time to encourage shoppers to update sooner. “They’re designed with the customer in mind.”
He then raised an example that suggests that Japanese marques design their cars with minimal maintenance in mind. “They aren’t going to think 7,000 miles or 5,000 miles to change to oil,” he added. “They say, ‘What happens if this guy goes 15,000 miles?’”
Viewers suggested that German and other European cars are ‘overengineered’
“Simple, European cars are overengineered,” one TikTok user responded. It’s the idea that an overengineered product is unnecessarily complicated or complex. As a result, it’s prone to premature wear and breaking.
“I feel German cars are just too overspecced. You don’t need a 350-HP supercharger for your wife and two kids.” I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Another viewer was quick to generalize about Japanese automakers’ focuses. “Japanese [brands] prioritize functionality over style and appearance. I have a Toyota Land Cruiser, indestructible but extremely boring to drive.”
An iSeeCars study supports that Japanese cars are likelier to last longer
There’s no shortage of room for debate on the topic. Car enthusiasts and experienced wrenches could go round and round with specific examples of deceptively reliable old Mercedes-Benz and Honda models. But the data puts Japanese brands on top.
According to an iSeeCars study detailing the vehicles and brands most likely to reach or exceed 250,000 miles, Toyota dominates the standings with the top five models most likely to hit a quarter of a million miles.
The standings reported that the Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, Tacoma, and Highlander Hybrid all had at least a 25% chance of reaching the milestone. Toyota and Honda were No. 1 and No. 2 among the brands most likely to hit 250,000+ miles, respectively.
MotorBiscuit reached out to @genuineautomotiveatx for comment via TikTok.
