Chinese vehicles look like a Maserati had a baby with a Ferrari, a Porsche, and a Tesla. You see the photos. Sleek. Beautiful. The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association sent twelve dealers to China last year. They came back saying we’re gonna get our asses handed to us. Not because of price. Because of quality. You’re paying $850 a month right now. Your car hasn’t moved in three months. Can’t get parts. Recalls mounting. Tech going foggy. The average car price jumped sixty percent since 2019 and stayed there. You’re getting crappier vehicles for more money.

The Seagull sells for $9,000 equivalent in China. Headlines scream cheap EVs coming. But Sommerfeld says that’s not the threat. The threat is quality at any price point. Hyundai Pony used to rust out in driveways. Now Hyundai competes with everyone. China reset. In 2023, Tesla brought in 44,000 Chinese-made Teslas before the 100% tariff hit in 2024. Volvo’s been made in China for years. BMW has Chinese parts. You already drive Chinese manufacturing without knowing it.

Quality opens the front faster than price. You’ll pay if it doesn’t fall apart. Rich people lease Mercedes and BMWs for three years, then hand someone else their expensive maintenance problems. You can’t afford that game. The Chinese tech could bridge that gap entirely.

Topics: Chinese vehicles, electric car manufacturing, automotive quality standards, vehicle tariffs, car reliability crisis

GUEST: Lorraine Sommerfeld | http://driving.ca

Originally aired on2026-02-02