[doesnt_know]

I didn't know this was controversial in any way, they've been in the Oceania market for some time.

My wife and I own a Chery J3, purchased it new. It came with a 3 year mechanical warranty plus other benefits for like half the price of a Japanese car.

I mean, it's pretty obviously catering for the "budget" market, it is literally the cheapest new car you can buy in the country. But it has suited our needs and we're actually a bit attached to the stupid thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chery

[2RTZZSro]

The Chery J3 costs just as much as the Japanese car if not more. The catch is when you crash you pay with your life. The J3 has very poor body integrity in an accident. It should be pulled from all markets immediately. If you value life you should immediately get rid of this car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naUWH8Scc80

[doesnt_know]

Are you sure you're describing the same car as I am? It's called a J3 in my country, but appears to be labelled differently internationally. It's also a 2016 model.

Chery A3, M11, Cielo etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chery_A3

> The Chery J3 costs just as much as the Japanese car if not more.

You're really not correct on this. Some of the budget Japanese models come close, they are between 5-7k more in local currency. The popular "standard" Japanese models really are twice the price. The South Korean "Kia" is probably the close in terms of pricing/competition.

Have a look through the AA new car price list:

https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/buying-a-car/car-buying-guide/new-...

We're talking 16k NZD for the Cherry compared to anywhere between 22k - 32k for Japanese models. Maybe you could find some random model that comes close, but we couldn't "out in the wild" when we were shopping.

[2RTZZSro]

Those few thousand dollars saved are not worth the higher risk (and the risk is high)

[ummonk]

Huh. The low rating confuses me from watching that video. To my not that experienced eye, the main issue seems to be the airbag not expanding sufficiently. The car seems to have done a good job of crumpling to absorb the impact without deforming too much inside the cabin itself.

Edit: okay the main issue is described here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RWnocukG8 The steering wheel gets pushed into the driver's chest.

[hvidgaard]

The ratings is mostly based on sensor readings in the dummys, so while it looked reasonable, the dummys tell a different story. And that is reflected in the ratings.

[tschwimmer]

Can you talk a bit more about your experience with the car? How much did it cost, how reliable has it been, what are your most and least favorite things about it?

[seanmcdirmid]

I think Chinese cars have been in markets like Australia for awhile now, as well awards developing markets. I don’t think they’ve been present anywhere else however. There was a scandal in Australia a few years ago with I think BYD or Chery lowering their standards after crash test approval.

[2RTZZSro]

The crash tests are already abysmal I cannot imagine how dangerous this car is if they actually lowered their safety standards after the test.