2006 Toyota Camry vs. 2006 BMW 3 Series

[blink21me]

You mean, at the start, they were superior in every way. Nowadays, even the Germans are starting to play catch up in terms of reliability, or perceived reliability. They still have the edge in sports cars and super-luxury cars, but there are noteworthy Japanese entries in those classes. (I think C&D may soon fall under the thrall of the Infiniti M and G cars, although, by their admission, they don't quite have more than 8/10ths of what Bimmer sports sedans do...)

People can't accept a Lexus or an Acura as a luxury alternative to a BMW or a Merc, true... they're more of a luxury alternative to cheaper Japanese cars...

But in the same way, people can't conceive as BMWs or Mercs of late as being as reliable as Toyotas and Hondas. People think that ANYTHING made by the two will last forever (but you and I know this just ain't true).

Nowadays, BMW is starting to claim back some of that reliability (I think, I'm not sure how well MB is doing...), but Lexus and Acura have made themselves a force to be reckoned with in the minds of the non-enthusiast consumers... those who value "reliability" over "fun" when buying cars.

Yes, people are always going to look at BMWs or MBs as status symbols, and something above the average Japanese car, but sometimes, more pragmatic (read: dull) reasons govern the purchase of a "luxury" vehicle.

I DID mean since the start... I do know that people think that Honda's and Toyota's are super reliable cars, but I don't think they are seen as superior in reliability compared to European's. European cars don't come far away from Japanese cars when it comes to reliability. Maybe Filipino's in the Philippines think that but I haven't seen or heard it as a scenario to Americans. For example, I've seen numerous E36 M3's go for more than 270,000 miles on the clock without major mechanical issue, maintenance ~yeah that's normal. European cars might need more attention when it comes to suspension materials, but that's because they choose those materials in order to give the better feel to the driver. IMHO German/European Engineers know they could use the materials Honda/Toyota uses which have prolonged life, but then that takes away the "feel" that they consider more of a priority than the materials themselves being reliable.

However, Nissan's reliability is an issue here in America, Mazda's are worst and sometimes seen as less reliable than domestic's...

In addition, I also hang around in ClubRSX.com and there are several G35 owners out there. They have MAD issues on squeaking interior panels, which I never thought would come up on an Infiniti...

[GlennSter]

isang pang hirit guys.this thread is going down.and some of you will be banned.

i enjoy debates, but not stupid ones. and the last 3 pages are just plain.....arrgg.wwoosah.

again, please.

[n2knee]

ok guys. what i meant about the "thud" sound is....yung parang coffin ang tunog pag isinasara mo yung pintuan. it whispers good build quality . very soft na "thud" ang tunog (Benz and BMW). i've had japanese cars and american cars as well, but the sound they make when closing the doors are loud. it's like slamming the doors on purpose.

[alwayz_yummy]

wala parang nag-ala "sr20det diesel pick-up vs SIR"... may sumingit,e...

mag BMW-3 lang ako kung 330d or m3 na may smg-2!

pero honestly, eto nakahawak ako ng brochuer ng BMW-3 series, grabe kapal, mamimili ka sa line-up nila, interior, options, body-styles, etc.. un ang isa sa mga binabayaran mo sa BMW, pwede mo i-tailor-fit sa needs and likes mo sa isang car, unlike sa camry na, kung anu ang nilabas ng toyota, un na!

bmw-3 filipino buyers mostly dont know this at bibihira sila maglabas ng brochuer na yun... sa 3 series palang un, pano pa kaya sa 5, x3,x5 at lalo na sa 7!

ot guyz:

is it still ok na bumili ng late 90's imported na 5-series or 7-series then papacheck ko sa bmw, or di nila tatangapin?

local 99-03 3-series pwede na din...wag lang 316i..320i is still acceptable,e...

[Kikkomann]

is it still ok na bumili ng late 90's imported na 5-series or 7-series then papacheck ko sa bmw, or di nila tatangapin?

Tatanggapin pa rin nila (na icheck-up).



^^^ Siya ba pinagaawayan ninyo?

[ian_rex]

been warned thrice. some of the people here seems to neglect that there is still a moderators out there. chill it some more. but continue to swap ideas but argue no more. ok?

:police:

[alwayz_yummy]

pero i-service??? for example, ung mga late 80's-early 90's na 5- and 7-series na nakikita mo sa suking auctions natin sa subic(ngii, 2 lang un-->SBMC at AIA!)

tindi arrive ni chickeness dito, siya lang nagpagulo sa inyong usapan,a!

for me kasi, kung BMW kukunin ko, di ako kukuha ng low-end..posers nalang ako, i want something of more function at the least cost, kaya kahit converted RHD pwede na sa akin, basta it will serve my purpose: takes me from a-b in comfort-->subjective ang comfort, iba nga dyan masaya na sa kia pride/ charade/daewoo.

kaya ako, 96 ody nalang w/ h22 upgrade! or a spacewagon-evo..or just a atenza will do fine.

[chickeness]

I was travelling along EDSA early this morning and in my rear view mirror I saw what appears to be a new German car with its wide girth and low stance coming up fast but when it passed me, lo and behold it was the new Camry.

and by the way this is from kimchi boy errr i mean chickeness friendster sitehttp://www.friendster.com/chickeness, this is what appears to be his baby (his words)...

Lol, someone took some action and ur very curious about what my car is/.
yeah, thats my car.
fully modified.
n2knee: u "think" im idoit? really?
i know what cam gear is, lol, who is the here.
yeah, i now ur entertained, cuz ur enuf to fall for that.

this is my last argument here.

im out with this topic!

[niky]

I DID mean since the start... I do know that people think that Honda's and Toyota's are super reliable cars, but I don't think they are seen as superior in reliability compared to European's. European cars don't come far away from Japanese cars when it comes to reliability. Maybe Filipino's in the Philippines think that but I haven't seen or heard it as a scenario to Americans. For example, I've seen numerous E36 M3's go for more than 270,000 miles on the clock without major mechanical issue, maintenance ~yeah that's normal. European cars might need more attention when it comes to suspension materials, but that's because they choose those materials in order to give the better feel to the driver. IMHO German/European Engineers know they could use the materials Honda/Toyota uses which have prolonged life, but then that takes away the "feel" that they consider more of a priority than the materials themselves being reliable.

However, Nissan's reliability is an issue here in America, Mazda's are worst and sometimes seen as less reliable than domestic's...

In addition, I also hang around in ClubRSX.com and there are several G35 owners out there. They have MAD issues on squeaking interior panels, which I never thought would come up on an Infiniti...

Haha... no fair bringing up Nissan and Mazda! I've owned both! :hihihi: And reliability is certainly not the reason you'd buy either! Hint: You buy them for the excitement... ...well, at least, some of them. And Nissan and Mazda of America often march to the beat of a different drummer, and can almost be considered domestics! Well, at least Nissan can... they sell things there that no one else gets.

I agree, that the reliability halo isn't one that really should be extended to all Japanese cars, that's why I mentioned perceived reliability with the rejoinder, "we both know it just ain't true...", as I've seen less-than-decade-old Toyotas sitting in a cloud of steam on the side of the road, and I've seen Honda ATs give up the ghost at the 100k+ mark.

Germanic reliability, likewise, shouldn't have a halo effect on all Europeans... Europe makes Opels, remember? :hysterical: ...and the reliability of some European premium cars can't be extended to all... there are noteworthy trouble spots, like the VAG 1.8T (one of the saddest sights I've ever seen was a smoking Audi TT (new one, at that!) being pushed up a freeway on-ramp), and modern BMW/Merc electronics...

But then, like with the Toyota diesel woes in the other thread, these problems are not 100%. Not everyone who owns these cars has a headache (but you can find a couple on tsikot who'll curse to high heavens about theirs...), but they still create a negative impression on other people who hear about these problems.

Thus, perceived reliability is still a problem, especially with consumerist-alarmist groups like ConsumerReports giving black marks to nearly all the Europeans, and JDPowers not giving them much more respect (though they've improved recently). A recent poll by Car&Driver, a decidedly enthusiast magazine, on the BMW-built Mini Cooper, revealed tons of headaches reported by the owners...

But, of course, they all reported that they still loved their cars, and would buy another one, if they had the chance.

I guess this is because premium cars make us feel good in ways beyond mechanical (or electronic, in the case of some) reliability. There's that "joie de vivre" thing, that thing that puts a smile on your face as you drive down the street (why do you think I drive a Mazda? Sure, it's cheap, but I get the same thing... ). You get the excellent driving dynamics of the BMW, or the rock-solid feel of the Merc, or the unmatchable interior quality of the Audi, or the safety of the Volvo (I love the new Volvos... locomotive fast... but they're just not exciting in other ways...)

People buy Japanese cars for other reasons. For ease of mind brought about by low payments and perceived trouble-free motoring. For that feeling that you've spent your money wisely.

But then, I'm not that kind of person, and most of us here would rather (in our fantasies) go down burning in a Ferrari instead of spending the next fifty years behind the wheel of an owner-type... or a Corolla.

But then again, that Corolla isn't the Corolla we grew up with, either... and the Camry isn't the same old boring appliance it's been since time immemorial. The question, really, is... is it good enough?

[AG4]

kung tutuusin, dapat camry vs bmw 5...same level.

They are not in the same class or segment.
That is why Toyota has the much more expensive Lexus GS luxury sports sedan.


BMW 5-series


Comparing a Toyota Camry V6 to a BMW 530i is like comparing a Toyota Camry V6 to Toyota's own Lexus GS300.

A 3.0 liter 2006 Lexus GS300 is priced at $43,150
A 3.5 liter USDM Toyota Camry XLE(closest to the RP market 3.5Q) is priced at $27,820