Which country builds best cars, Germany or Japan (Mercedes vs Lexus) Assignment

Which country builds best cars, Germany or Japan (Mercedes vs Lexus) - Assignment Example On the other hand Japanese made Lexus has comparatively lesser models in the market (Dawson, 2011). For a better comparison we can select the two top selling Luxury models of both cars, S class Mercedes versus LS class Lexus. The choice of best build cars can be done by setting specific criteria. Customer who wants to make a decision before buying any of these two cars will consider all of the below mentioned aspects. 1. Reliability: In earlier models, Mercedes had some issues in electrical wiring, suspension and brakes but after their out-sourcing, these issues have been resolved. Speaking of today, Mercedes is no doubt a reliable car. Japanese Lexus on the other hand is not equally known for its reliability. 2. Safety: German cars are no doubt much safer then Japanese as proved by crash tests carried out on these cars. 3. Quality: Mercedes and Lexus both are comparable in terms of quality but still Mercedes has an edge over Lexus. 4. Prestige: Mercedes has its origin back in year 1 885 and is the oldest automotive brand still in demand. Over the years, Mercedes has set a bench mark for other companies and a lot of customers are willing to pay extra bucks for its prestige and brand name, while Lexus firstly introduced in 1989 is also making its way to set a better standard for their company. 5. Style: Mercedes Benz has always been famous for its stylish design. Lexus however is not very famous for this, they have few exceptional models but there are many cars which are not very famous because of their outer look. 6. Paint quality: Mercedes and Lexus fall in same category in terms of good paint quality. 7. Performance: Mercedes gives a better performance; it has a upper hand in dealing high speed controls while Lexus falls a little behind at high speed. 8. Technology: Germans pay too much focus on technology, they launch a car with special features one year and the next year same features happen to hit the market by Japanese in their new edition. That is how Jap anese keep their prices cheaper; they don’t have to spend extra on research and development. German cars are very well engineered. 9. Fuel economy: In Japan Gas prices are high, that is why they focus on fuel economy while making a car and Lexus is more fuel efficient then a Mercedes Benz. Mercedes S class proves to be heavy on fuel efficiency. 10. Interior design: Although Lexus offers a very nice interior but since it is affiliated with Toyota, much of it resembles like a Toyota. Mercedes however has a very genuine appealing Interior. It depends on personal taste but Mercedes ranks higher in interior. 11. Spare parts: If a Mercedes car breaks down then one has to pay a lot to get it fixed again in terms of expensive spare parts and labor cost but a Lexus offers much cheaper spare parts and maintenance. 12. Price: Lexus LS is way cheaper then S class Mercedes. If a customers wants features like leathered seats, universal remote transmitter, heated seats then he has to pay ex tra for a Mercedes Benz but these features come as standard in a Lexus series. In view of above mentioned criteria Mercedes leads in most of the aspects while Lexus proves to be more economical. According to Galanes and Adams â€Å"question of policy†, recommendations that can be given to Lexus for improving its market value include i) more focus on innovation and genuine designs ii) focus on safety features iii) focus on technology . Which country builds best cars, Germany or Japan? In this era of global market competitions, it becomes very difficult to make a decision about choosing a brand best suitable for you. Automobile industry over the past few years has grown tremendously but there are still some leading companies who have managed to establish their repute. Mercedes is one of those