Chery J11 -feedback please

I would like to hear from members who actually own and drive a Chery J11. I have read all the pros and cons on previous threads, so just want to hear how owners are getting on. Does it drive well! Have you had any problems with it so far!

I don't think anyone who owns one is going to confess to it on this board.

There's a guy here called "mapman" he wants to marry chinese prostit- "cars" and have their babies he loves everything about Chinese cars and reckon's they're the best in the world - nothing better he'd say.

I'm sure he'll be along to tell you how awesome the J11 is, before driving off into the sunset in his Holden.

Yep,have read all his stuff.

Yip as above, I would be very very surprised if there is an owner of one on here. I would be even more surprised if there is an astute owner on here, as in someone who has some mechanical understanding that has bought one.

I am all for championing cars that are not considered mainstream or accepted in NZ, there are plenty that are shunned unnecessarily, so long as they are half decent and good value. unfortunately Chery cars don't fall in to this category.

Before considering actual owners findings (which is an excellent thing to do BTW) you would want the car to at least look good/comparable on paper. The Chery looks terrible on paper with an atrocious crash test for starters.

You can buy a LOT more vehicle for the same money. Sure that vehicle won't be brand new, but you have to ask yourself what advantage "brand new" is!

In the case of the Chery "brand new" does not bring more safety, features, reliability etc so its pretty pointless.

One thing is for sure it is no good asking nut, he knows nothing about them as he showed you in his reply and when he does give advice it would pay to double check. He is far from correct 100% of the time but credit where credit is due, he does try.
Look ann7, I wont pretend, there is not a lot I can tell you about this particular model. I??

Like a Alfa aye!

Sure!
But not really a viable contender for this posters budget/needs etc.

ann7,

Why not list what you are actually wanting in a vehicle i.e economy, reliability, high seating, safety etc

Plus what it is that you are going to use it for i.e school run, offroad, skiing etc

Then we could give you a list of viable contenders that you could test drive and compare, both on paper and in person.

Ann7, from the feedback I have heard and read, I would not recommend one for my Mother, but would buy one for my mother in law.

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/ganews!readform&make=Chery&model=J11&start=2 http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/another-chinese-car-safety-recall-20110928-1kw38.html

I would rather buy a used Japanese or Korean car for the same money to be honest.

Two good posts there Phil. A lot of car for the money with a lot of recalls means not the best time to buy this model yet. Chery will be the most trusted Chinese brand in time, but give it a few more years ann.

But would anyone admit on here to owning 1

Sounds good. We want a vehicle about 1.8-2L, automatic, 5 seater with hatchback or liftback. High seating important, not a low car, spacious rear area when back seats are down for transporting goods. Mostly around town driving (Auckland) but some longer distance at times. No off road,no 4wd necessary. Under $20,000 for second hand, low mileage, good fuel economy. Not European.

Thanks mapman. I did some research today into user reviews overseas. Although the engine gave no problems, there were numerous reports of problems with the body and some of the other components. I am sure these will be ironed out, as will the safety problems, butnot quite there yet.

Not poking fun here but you would consider Chinese yet not European!!

That's a real shame because something like a VW Touran would likely be an ideal vehicle for you. That's actually going to give you what you want in terms of proper economy, safety, reliability, infrequent and affordable servicing, highish seating position and absolutely massive rear space for the size of the car (its a 7 seater and the last row fold right into the floor giving you a 5 seater with huge space in the back.)

Also, be careful with trying to buy based on CC rating. Its a very out of date an inaccurate measure of performance for a modern car. For example VW offer a little 1.2 litre engine in their commodore sized Passat, and it goes very well.

Sorry not meaning to sound harsh BTW. Someone will come along and recommend something Japanese for you but really for what you want the VW would be far superior to most of the stuff that springs to mind.

If you want a very straight up opinion (and I hope this dosn't cause offence) I think you are letting your pre-concieved ideas sway you away from the vehicle's that will actually best fill your needs. Worse than that I think there is a danger you will actually wind up with the problems you are trying to avoid. Sometimes its best to ask much broader questions and not draw conclusions based on generalisations.

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

Hey thanks for all that info. I will check outthe VW, Just always had British then Japanese cars, friends with European cars seemed to spend quite a lot of money on repairs. times have probably changed.

Re the comment about buying Chinese! They make just about everything else we own and do it rather well (electronics for example). I remember when the first Japanese cars came out (Toyota Crown I think it was) and the reactions were pretty similar then.

I do understand your logic and am quite happy to buy Chinese when it comes to other things. However when it comes to vehicles the Chinese face some challenges that are difficult to overcome in a nutshell these challenges are:

1. There is a Monumental difference between the Chinese building something under license for a known brand and them building for themselves. Lots of car parts, outboard motors, motorcycles etc are already made in China under license and these products are very good. However go and take a look at a Chinese no-name motor scooter or outboard motor after a few years and be prepared for a shock.

2. Cars require a monumental amount of R & D to produce, this makes it very difficult for any newcomer to produce something to a competitive standard. It dosn't matter if you have been building a sub standard domestic product for years, once you want to compete you have to spend the dollars. The Chinese generally try to get around this by buying out of date technology from other manufacturers or they just steal it.

3. Unlike the Japanese who have their whole culture based around honor, pride in their work and continuous improvement. The Chinese unless manufacturing under the strict supervision of a known brand (as in under license) will base their entire ethos around cutting as many corners and saving money anywhere they can.

With regard to European cars, unfortunately in NZ because the entire secondhand vehicle market has relied pretty much exclusively on used Japanese imports for decades, the car dealer myths and legends used to sell those have taken root in the NZ Psyche.

So, you have to wade your way though the nonsense and find out what is actually correct and what is wrong when doing your research.

A good rule of thumb is if you are talking to someone and they start to refer to "European Cars" as opposed to Fiat, VW, Citroen etc then they are more than likely spewing generalised nonsense.

"Europe" comprises many countries and many manufacturers. You need to research individual models not entire continents as like all manufacturers some are good and some are not so good.

VW, are the second largest manufacturer in the world, in the past decade they have spent eye watering amounts of money developing their vehicles and as a result they are about the best show in town for vehicles produced in that time. VW's require very little servicing and parts are cheap and easy to get.

With the likes of the Touran they have a big service every 5 years and then just a couple of really basic oil/air filter type services in between times. Be aware that many of the Tourans in your price range will be due for the big service. Allow for that to be done properly in your purchase price and then you are set for really cheap motoring for 5 years.

If it were me I would be spending around 14-15K on a really nice example and then allow another 2K for the full service including transmission service etc.

That might sound a lot but on a "per year" basis the overall servicing works out much the same as any other basic car like a Toyota Corolla etc.

When you take into account the significant fuel savings the technology in the VW gives you your overall costs of running the vehicle are usually significantly lower. Also. if you are lucky enough to find a 2.0 Diesel one in your price range they are even cheaper to run again, and that includes actual running costs incl RUC and extra vehicle licensing and maintenance.

On top of all that, the VW is a properly nice, well equipped and safe vehicle. They are a pleasure to drive, everything is well thought out and they have plenty of power while still giving amazing economy.

The special 2.0 FSI and 6 speed DSG transmission give you 2.0 power with fuel consumption that many automatic 1.3 litre cars of the age struggle to achieve. The Diesels as mentioned are even better again and unlike traditional Diesels require very little maintenance and have lots zip.

The best thing you can do is go and take a Touran for a decent run, up hills, open road and through town. Then do the same with the Chery and the likes of Mazda and Toyota's similar offerings. Even when you just go on driving experience alone and ignore the extra economy and safety you should notice a difference.

Best of luck with it all!

We all laughed at the Koreans at first with crap like thedeawoo pontiac le mans .but look at them now .

Sure, there is an element of that. But the Chinese are very different to the Koreans and even more different to the Japanese. They have a whole culture of cutting corners when working unsupervised to get over.

The Japanese culture was quite the opposite and come post WW2 the kaisen constant incremental improvements ethos was seriously applied to industry.

The Chinese can do it (and already do for those they manufacturer under license for) but they have to want to do it.

Hell, I'm with Jazz on this one, I would buy a Euro over a Chinese one. Didn't GM get back to #1 and toyota 2nd, VW 3rd recently!

They still have a long way to go, they only look good as they have an ex Audi designer

When I was at school in the 1960s, Japanese cars were just beginning to arrive in NZ, and I still clearly remember people saying ???no way am I buying that Jap cr**??

I agree, they are popular (about the third most popular automaker at the moment) but the product is really over hyped. Their position just reflects the perceived cheap price and clever marketing.

Their Diesels are still well behind the game and their vans in particular are not even close to being as good or competitive as what else is available. But people buy them none the less because they fail to do their own math and just go on marketing and perception.

The KGB rang jazz, and they are bringing round your Lada to punish you for not buying a Samara in June 1988.