Why do most new Japanese Cars Lack Personality?

[TopHat]

I've been wondering this for a while: Why do newer Japanese cars lack any sort of personality? They have none at all! They just don't stir the emotions. The only cars that have even less are the Koreans, but that's another thread all together.

 

[Sage]

 

[Tornado]

I have to agree with Sage. In fact, three Japanese companies have a lot more personality now than they did when everyone else did (by which I assume you mean the 90s). The only example purely to the contrary is Toyota.
That being said, a lot of Honda's mainstream models have taken a huge step back (and I'm sure one could argue Subaru as well), but otherwise, yeah. Agree with Sage.

 

[Pupik]

That's because they make them out of rice paper and dead fish...I've seen the part numbers.

How can you expect a logical answer for something that is so entirely opinion-based?

 

[Rue]

Funny, as (discounting Corollas, Primeras and the like) I've always thought Japanese cars traditionally have more personality than others. I think contemporary German cars are more lacking in the character department.

 

[JCE]

Sage was right on the money minus two of those pics.

Eclispe = rubbish
RX-8 = rubbish (maybe ugly personality?)

And don't forget the Mazda5, that has personality!

 

[Zrow]

Air rep, Sage!

 

[Tornado]

Eclispe = rubbish

That's not fair. Other than the fact that it so obviously has 50 more horsepower than it can use, its not that bad of a car. Its just not a 1/2 gen Eclipse.

 

[Philly]

Mainstream cars will always have less personality. And it will seem that all cars are getting more boring because those cars are the ones that sell. And that is true across all manufacturers. Sports cars will tend to have more soul. And the Japanese will put more effort into that with their peppy, high revving engines and turbochargers. That's my brief analysis.

 

[High-Test]

I have to agree with Sage. In fact, three Japanese companies have a lot more personality now than they did when everyone else did (by which I assume you mean the 90s). The only example purely to the contrary is Toyota.
That being said, a lot of Honda's mainstream models have taken a huge step back (and I'm sure one could argue Subaru as well), but otherwise, yeah. Agree with Sage.

TopHat,

I find your post absurd. I'll agree with Sage and Toronado on this one. Toyota is not the sum of the Japanese automotive industry. While Subaru may be "going Toyota", the majority of the Japanese imports are fantastic vehicles. Mazda has enough personality to carry Toyota's entire line on its back. And Honda is still making amazing vehicles.

But this is an illogical topic.

On the German reference.. Yeah. They're German. What did you expect? Nonsense?

When an Italian makes a sportscar:
It has 500 horsepower
It has two doors
It goes 190 miles per hour
It seats Two (comfortably)
It holds.. a couple t shirts and a few sandwiches
It does an eight minute lap of the nurburgring

When a German makes a sportscar:
It has 500 Horsepower
It has four doors
It seats five, in relative comfort
It has a fullsize trunk
It goes 190 miles per hour
It does an eight minute lap of the Nurburgring

 

[JCE]

When an Italian makes a sportscar:
It has 500 horsepower
It has two doors
It goes 190 miles per hour
It seats Two (comfortably)
It holds.. a couple t shirts and a few sandwiches
It does an eight minute lap of the nurburgring

When a German makes a sportscar:
It has 500 Horsepower
It has four doors
It seats five, in relative comfort
It has a fullsize trunk
It goes 190 miles per hour
It does an eight minute lap of the Nurburgring

+1 "air rep". That's brilliant.

 

[High-Test]

+1 "air rep". That's brilliant.

Teutonic Engineering. 99% nonsense free. Would you like an extra order of fast with that?

 

[Wolfe]

@Sage: My own opinions on whether those cars have personality...

Hell no.
Yes, but as JCE said, it's rubbish.
No. The absolute least-soulful Civic ever.
Uh, no.
Other than the IS-F (which barely makes the cut anyhow), the last Lexus to have any soul was the first-gen IS.
Yes, definitely.
No.
Yeah, kinda.
Yes, but not nearly as much as its predecessors.
Er, no.
Yes.
Hell yes.
No.
Yes.
Oh yes.
I'm divided on this one.
Less than it had before. Also really ugly.
Soulful in looks, maybe. Driving-wise, as JCE said, it's rubbish.

In fact, three Japanese companies have a lot more personality now than they did when everyone else did (by which I assume you mean the 90s).

That's odd, I consider the '90s to be a low point for all manufacturers, in both quality and in personality/soul. That isn't to say that there weren't soulful cars, but they weren't common.

In my opinion, generally speaking...

• European cars from all countries (including Germany) were loaded with personality until the '90s, when they just about lost it all, and have been climbing back up since about 2000.
  
• American cars were also doing well in personality through most of the 20th century until they lost it in the mid-'70s and especially the '80s. They've also been climbing back up since 2000 or so.
  
• The Japanese did well in building cars with soul from the beginning through the '80s, but have been steadily declining since 1990 and overall have yet to begin making a comeback.
  
• The Koreans didn't even really build anything soulful until the '00s and have been steadily improving.

I agree with TopHat. The average modern Japanese car is soulless, and I don't just mean "A to B" cars. A perfect example is the new GT-R -- it's by far the fastest one yet, and is one of the fastest cars ever built...but I think it's also one of the most clinical and sterile sportscars ever built. I'd take any of its technically-inferior competitors in a heartbeat.

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm split on the issue as well. On the one hand, Toyota has done a marvelous job of destroying all of the spunky awesomeness they had in the '80s and early '90s, and now build some of the most-soulless, boring, ugly and miss-represented vehicles on the planet. Even their "exciting" Scions are as bread-and-butter as their big sister, the Toyota Camry.

That being said, Mazda without a doubt is one of the most-spunky car companies out there. They just seem like they don't give a damn, do what they want to do, and don't care if you don't want to buy it. They're fun to drive, fun to look at, and best of all are easy on the wallet and return those happy feelings you love.

Honda has fallen by the wayside, unfortunately. Same with Nissan (the former rebel) to some extent. Mitsubishi, well, they're Mitsubishi. Subaru has disappointed as well...

The Japanese can do a marvelous job of giving on car a soul, and the next being nothing but a refrigerator on wheels. Every area can do it, so it really depends. The notion of "identity" in our cars is growing more popular, and I'm thankful for it, but most companies have a long way to go before they match Mazda and Volkswagen with it comes to the overall attitude and feel of the car.

 

[///M-Spec]

Bah. The RX-8 is a much better car than many people give it credit for. Drive one sometime. And don't just putter around in traffic and complain about no torque.. I mean really drive one. It's terrific.

Sure, it could use about 100 ft-lbs. more torque and 80 more hp. But it rides well, has a nice interior, is priced reasonably and the handling is just fantastic. It oozes personality.


M

 

[superberkut]

Yes. The Japanese cars only lack personality because practical people build them. Of course, 'practical' is used in the sense that function comes before form. However, these newer offerings, regardless of whether their personality is charming or downright ugly, cannot be called 'bland', in any sense of the word (Interior design? Still no).

 

[Venari]

When an Italian makes a sportscar:
It has 500 horsepower
It has two doors
It goes 190 miles per hour
It seats Two (comfortably)
It holds.. a couple t shirts and a few sandwiches
It does an eight minute lap of the nurburgring

It invariably looks like a three-dimensional representation of an orgasm.
It is painted in a colour that sears your retinas.
It makes you drool like a pre-pubescent schoolboy.

When a German makes a sportscar:
It has 500 Horsepower
It has four doors
It seats five, in relative comfort
It has a fullsize trunk
It goes 190 miles per hour
It does an eight minute lap of the Nurburgring

It inevitably looks like a taxicab.
It is silver. Or dark gray. Or silvery gray. Or dark grey-ey silver.
It makes you yawn.

 

[Keef]

I agree with Sage. All of the cars he posted look exciting, mean, and fast. Some look light and agile and ready to be tossed through some corners. Some look like they're going to rip your face off and do a big burnout on top of it.

 

[superberkut]

It inevitably looks like a taxicab.
It is silver. Or dark gray. Or silvery gray. Or dark grey-ey silver.
It makes you yawn.

Porsche = taxicab company? I thought silver/grey was the German national racing colours. It means business. It's not supposed to be exciting. The BMW is also 'interesting' to look at.

Mercedes-Benz do make sobering cars, though. I'll agree with you on that one.

 

[MagpieRacer]

You missed the GT-R Sage..

 

[High-Test]

It invariably looks like a three-dimensional representation of an orgasm.
It is painted in a colour that sears your retinas.
It makes you drool like a pre-pubescent schoolboy.


It inevitably looks like a taxicab.
It is silver. Or dark gray. Or silvery gray. Or dark grey-ey silver.
It makes you yawn.

I forgot that point..



I think that unrefined cars have more personality than others, honestly. That's why older cars are more fun, I think. A car without TCS or STM will offer absolutely no assistance in driving it. It's a person and a car, both figuring out each other's limits. Sadly, the government and stupid people have mandated that cars should do some of the work for us now.

There's a reason he missed the GTR...

 

[forza2.0]

Quotes every single image

You missed the new mazda 2. Great little car.

Lexus and toyota ring true though to the thread starters opinion imo.

 

[stumpydino]

most modern cars dont have "personality", especially when all the fun has been taken out of it with all fancy computer controlled gadgets that make the driver in even less control and your right High-Test older cars are more fun, yea there might be some that have a few problems, although lasting longer than the disposable generations made. plus you can always get ya hands dirty fixing it yourself without the need of locating a "specialist"

 

[MustangSVT]

You're telling me my car lacks personality?

Compared to what exactly?

 

[buickgnx88]

In my eyes the new Impreza looks fairly bland and sort of ugly compared to the previous generations.

 

[Tornado]

That's odd, I consider the '90s to be a low point for all manufacturers, in both quality and in personality/soul.

I'm talking when half the cars sold by Japanese companies had 4 wheel steering and/or a turbo engine of some sort.
Not necessarily soul so much as gizmos that represent soul.

That being said, I have sat down and thought more about what TopHat is thinking. While I still think he is wrong overall, I think his point was actually how Japanese mainstream cars (Accord, Civic, Impreza, the entire Lexus range) have lost what made them unique in the recent years, and that makes more sense. Which I'm sure one could make a decent argument out of if you ignored Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan and just focused on Honda, Subaru and Toyota.

 

[TopHat]

It looks good.

Very yes.

If only the Si. It's just a good looking economy car.

No. Just no.

Only the IS-F, but even that seems cold.

Aww yeah. That's nice.

I don't know... Yeah I guess it does.

I really don't think so, it looks good.

Meh. It just doesn't really do much for me personally.

No.

Ok, I can attest to this. A great car.

Only the Five Door really, the Sedan is a jelly bean. (Sorry to you, Kylehnat, and others)

Eww? The thing is fugly. And it's kinda chintzy looking.

You're right on there.

STI only. Even then it isn't as good as the old one.

Ralliart/Evo only.

Hasn't had it since it lost the Turbo-4 option.

EDIT: S2K - Never really did it for me.

 

[G.T]

I'd have to agree with Sage. Japanese stylists have been much more creative over the last 5-10 years that they can easily have a personality matching, or even surpassing, anything on sale today. IMO the Americans should be questioned here.

 

[forza2.0]

So its not just me that thinks that really this thread should be about american cars...

 

[TopHat]

So its not just me that thinks that really this thread should be about american cars...

I think I made this thread in haste. Oh well. I seem to lose judgement when I make threads later at night, or when I've had a lack of sleep.


To be honest, most manufacturers have a similar ratio with normal : gut wrenchingly exciting cars.

I guess it was just my bias peeking through. I still think there's more American cars with more personality.