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We're looking to update my car later this year and like the look of the VW Polo or Golf. When I mentioned this to the guy at the company where we have our Suzuki serviced, he looked dubious and strongly recommended buying Japanese, saying that Euro cars these days are not built with the same level of componentry, substituting cheaper plastic for the better quality materials that were previously used. All okay for the early years of the car's life but could become brittle and crack after a period of time and need replacing. And also resale value was not as good which, bearing in mind the greater expense of buying European, I find a little hard to believe. I'd love to know if what he says is fair comment - your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Hi there,
European vehicles seem to most trouble free till around 10 years, after which they are most likely to require repairs and maintenance beyond this point to keep them going. The purchase price of a new Golf and Polo is actually very reasonable when you consider what you get. European vehicles are safe, fuel efficient, and can offer better performance and handling than I have found with a lot of Japanese cars. Japanese cars do have reliability on their side and in NZ we try and keep them going a lot longer than most cars useful life span. (our average fleet age is 16.5 years old). There are pros and cons to both and it really comes to personal preference.

Thanks very much Cade, you've put our minds at rest.