Isn’t that more or less anything electronic that’s made in China these days?
When I was a kid, the Corgi Unimog truck was the stud among my toys
It was a pickup truck, a dump truck, a snow plow, a safari vehicle … it wasn’t pretty, but it could do it all
I rented a Jimny a few times in Costa Rica. Perfect car for there.
I’ve started browsing and reading up on jeep TJ as a possible 2nd vehicle.
Used to work for VW Group in Germany for a few years back in the 2000’s and got to drive a good selection of their high-end cars… autobahn etc. Am kind of over the car phase a bit now so probably go for the Audi TT RS or Golf R 333 the German only editions if had to pick something. Good tunes and a nice car is one of life’s simple pleasures still…
I had a TJ for 15 years. They were made 1997-2006 although the 97 is a bit weird it used some parts from the YJ. The hard tops changed pre and post 2003 I think? The 98-2006 have changed very little other than the top fit. They all have the iconic flat 6. Its the Jeep to own IMO the newer are just not the same.
I want a Jimny but after going EV not going back to petrol. Not an option unless the rumors are true and Jimny EV is in the works. Jimny are very popular here, as are Chinese EVs someone mentioned. BYD seem to be of the highest build quality. GWM and Haval are kind of jank.
1 Like
Where’s here?
New Zealand
1 Like
Seen a few out there. It’s smaller than I expected…. And priced higher than expected.
Seen a VW Buzz in Bergen and got excited, pictures were taken. Then saw another and another and another and heaps more of them in Oslo.
I have some nice flashlights from China :-). After I posted, I realized that my iPhone and Mac Mini are probably made in China (my Vizio smart TV was made in Thailand). But iOS and macOS are probably the most secure consumer-level software available.
Most will admit that China has been waging an asymmetric campaign against Western hegemony for awhile now. When they invade Taiwan, I can’t imagine the PLA would hesitate to brick any Chinese EV in Oz if it would serve their purposes.
As for vehicles, I’m with trout - I’d buy a manual Hilux before a Tacoma in a heartbeat.
You’re comparing apples to orangutans still.
BYD’s ties to the CCP are far more intertwined and interdependent than anything in North America, even Tesla at the height of the short lived musk/trump bromance.
BYD is essentially an arm of the CCP, and the more they can undercut world wide competition, the greater reliance the world has on China and Chinese goods. It’s not even comparable to anything going on in NA despite the various subsidies you mentioned.
Hope you like the cheap EVs though!
1 Like
You’re exaggerating somewhat. BYD is a public company, listed on both Shenzhen and HK exchanges. Its shareholders are a matter of public record. The Chinese National Security Fund holds just over 2%, far less than US investors like Berkshire Hathaway, Blackrock and Vanguard.
The Chinese government has steered just under $1B in direct benefits their way (a tiny fraction of the US government handouts to US automakers). There are many other forms of government support, but actually not out of line with the types offered in western economies.
They are quite different apples, but apple to apple comparison is entirely possible.
When I was in business school way back in the early 90s the world was still in awe of the Japanese economic miracle (before their “lost” 20 years.). My class included 2 students from Detroit automakers, and 2 Japanese students who worked for Toyota and a major supplier to Toyota. Their debates about the dynamics of the global car market were really instructive. The Japanese would talk about TPS (Toyota Production System), JIT (just in time), Kanban inventory, the obsession with quality, the obsession with reducing waste etc.
The Americans, who really should have known better, would mostly talk about how the Japanese were “cheating” via government policies. They would not admit (literally rejected out of hand) the proposition that Japanese manufacturers were doing a better job of making vehicles that the world wanted.
The same evening as one of these debates I was reading Economist magazine and there was a small piece about how GM (I think) was considering limited manufacturing of cars with right hand drive. Up until that point they hadn’t been willing to even make a vehicle for the countries (like Japan, like us) that drive on the LHS, but were still bleating to their congress-critters about how they were “unfairly” unable to access those markets. The hubris was breathtaking.
We’re seeing a similar pattern now wrt China. Particularly with a president who has never, ever lost at anything (ever!!), but if he does its because the other guy cheated, we are seeing China thrashing the US at strategic economics, and a ramping up of the rhetoric about how it is because of their “cheating” government. The current US administration are the greatest trade cheats since WW2. They just aren’t very good at it.
We do like cheap EVs though!
How am I exaggerating? BYD’s objectives are in perfect alignment with the CCP’s strategic goals of dominating the worldwide EV and battery market, using their tech for data hoovering/espionage and creating dependance on China. It receives direct subsidies that make the company able to achieve those objectives, not industry subsidies lobbied for by an industry collective to protect their profits. The direction of influence between industry and government is reversed.
Do you think BYD or it’s CEO has the ability to step out of line with the CCP’s agenda or criticize it, regardless of who it’s shareholders are? How is Jack Ma doing these days? Do you think the CEO of Ford, or GM, would be disappeared for 5 years for lobbing mild criticism at the US system, even with someone as crazy as DT as president?
Don’t get me wrong, I have no love for our domestic autos. Aside from my first car, all of my vehicles, and those of my wife, have been Toyotas, Mazdas, or Nissans. And I have no doubt about the technological superiority of BYD EVs. But to suggest BYD is just another auto company operating independently from the Chinese government is being pretty dishonest.
We do get three similar ones in the U.S. - the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Genesis GV60. All of these companies are under the Hyundai banner. I got the Genesis last December. Not sure why they don’t sell the EV5 here or what the main difference is.
It’s funny, the european ID Buzz is even smaller than the north american version.
We like to upsize things here in the US. 
Wonder how the current ones compare to the original bus?
Compared to the old originals: They’re about the same height, newer one wider, and a touch longer.
An older one on the roads must look tiny these days.
I think the manual should be the only option. I had a 96 Tacoma with a 5 speed and loved it. Regret selling it for sure. I go to MX for work and always eye the Hilux trucks there and wish.