SWMBO has been moaning regularly about the perceived quality of our 2011 X3 once she realised it is built in the USA. It failed its MOT today with a steering rack end issue...
Our old model X3 (2006) was assembled in Austria. She reckons that non-German built premium cars are rubbish, yet Mercedes also assemble many of their 4WDs in the USA, and Audi assemble in China...
Are we all fools for continuing to pay a premium for the so-called premium brands when the manufacturer has out-sourced to low-cost countries?
Same scenario for clothes, shoes, and so many other consumer goods these days, all made in China for a dollar and sold to us under a premium brand label.
Also begs the question which supposedly "premium" 4WD cars do continue to assemble in Europe? Only one I can see is the VW Touareg (Bratislava plant), and most Tiguans (Wolfsburg)...
Kia Sportage looking more and more appealing at the mo...
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