What do you know about these Chinese car brands?
When you get a vehicle, you want it to be reliable, safe, fuel-efficient, equipped with safety features, highly performant, durable, comfortable, environmentally friendly, and so many other things. The brand isn’t that important for some people, as long as the vehicle meets all the criteria above and even more.
China’s automotive industry, for instance, has grown a lot over the last few years, with impressive automobile exports worldwide. While some Chinese carmakers are always looking for ways to develop, improve their models, raise their standards, and become the best, others still struggle with issues like safety standards, build quality, and customer service.
While we don’t blame someone for not creating reliable cars, we still want to drive safe and good vehicles, which is why we decided to take a few Chinese car brands under the magnifying glass and talk about them. Experts say they’re not a smart choice, but we want to know the facts and share everything with you. If you want to know more about this topic, keep reading along with us until the end of this article, because it’s time to spill the tea on these Chinese car brands. Let’s begin:
1. Chery
Chery is one of the most popular Chinese car brands, known for its wide range of automobiles and budget-friendly models, including electric cars, beautiful SUVs, and small sedans. Even though it’s getting more and more present in the global market, not every buyer is happy with their products. Many customers complained about low quality and lack of safety with these vehicles, which means that manufacturers have to change a few things here and there.
According to experts, many Chery models didn’t meet international safety standards and others failed to perform as expected in crash tests. Besides these scary things, buyers usually criticize them for their reliability, the negatives being engine problems, quick wear-and-tear of interior materials, and electrical issues.
Even though you might not pay a fortune to get a lovely Chery, it can be rather costly in the long run, considering the repairing frequency and lower resale value. The good news is that the company made a lot of progress in terms of imaging and safety, but experts say they still have a long way to go to compete with other popular brands on the market.
…What are your thoughts on this Chinese car brand? Do you think is worth it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
2. BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co.)
Another Chinese car brand that didn’t meet buyers’ needs is BAIC. Known for being one of the largest car manufacturers in the country, BAIC produces a plethora of vehicle styles, from economy cars to gorgeous luxury SUVs.
Even though these vehicles seemed like a good investment at first, the company received many complaints regarding the reliability and quality of its automobiles, especially when compared to international brands. Over the years, customers have been disappointed in their cars’ performance, inconsistent build quality, and even outdated technology in some models.
For instance, while this Chinese car brand offers rather affordable economy models, many people say they don’t hold up well over time. They added that frequent repairs, poor fuel efficiency, and malfunctioning electronics are some of the things that could be improved. Since safety and reliability are two of the most important factors when getting a vehicle, this Chinese car brand had quite a few issues gaining popularity and credibility in more demanding international markets.
3. Great Wall Motors
Did you know that Great Wall Motors is one of the biggest automotive exporters in China? They’re well-known for building budget-friendly trucks and SUVs, but not all their vehicles are worth the hype, according to customers.
While Great Wall Motors received a lot of love in China, the situation was rather different in international markets, especially due to build quality and safety measures. According to professionals, many models created by this Chinese car brand received low safety ratings in independent crash tests. This was a problem for them, especially in more safety-conscious markets, such as America and Europe.
But that’s not all: besides these safety problems, this Chinese car brand received criticism for its reliability and poor performance, with buyers complaining about malfunctioning electronics, transmission issues, and expensive repairs. Even though these vehicles look good at first and seem like an affordable investment, it’s quite difficult to find parts or qualified service centers for repairs.
4. Zotye
Another Chinese car brand that isn’t worth the hype, as customers say, is Zotye. They gained a lot of popularity over the years thanks to their electric vehicles and beautiful SUVs, but not many people were happy with how the company handles things.
According to different sources, Zotye earned its reputation for producing knock-off versions of “trendy” cars from popular brands. Besides that, their automobiles are often criticized for not being manufactured well enough. Buyers say their models are known for having unreliable engines, poor performances, and low durability in the long run.
Even though their affordable prices make the cars seem like a good investment, another thing customers complained about is the automobiles’ safety. According to experts, a plethora of their models failed to meet international safety standards, which is a huge problem. If you want a safe car you can always count on, this Chinese car brand might not be it!
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5. FAW (First Automobile Works)
First Automobile Works, also known as FAW, is one of the biggest and oldest automotive manufacturers in China, producing a plethora of vehicles, from economy models to gorgeous luxury cars. Even though they’re popular and have a long history, not every model manufactured by this Chinese car brand is worth the hype. According to old customers, some of their models have been highly criticized for their lack of reliability and build quality.
Some of them complained that the vehicles they bought had outdated technology, inferior materials, and mechanical problems that led to frequent and rather expensive repairs. We also have bad news for people who don’t want to invest in vehicles for a lifetime: as lovely as the FAW models look, they tend to depreciate pretty quickly, which means that you won’t get as much money on them as with other brands.
What are your thoughts on these Chinese car brands? We would love to know what you think about them, especially if you drove any of these, so let us know in the comments below.
Before we end this article, we have to admit that not every model manufactured by these companies was bad or didn’t meet customers’ expectations. Our article was based on customers’ review and their experiences with the automobiles they bought. Of course, there are also incredible models manufactured by these Chinese car brands, so if you’d like to read more about this, leave a comment below and we’ll take care of it ASAP.
With that being said, if you enjoyed reading this article and would like to check out something else from Urban Cars Blog, here’s another useful post for you: 9 Unmistakable Signs Your Exhaust System Needs Repair
