Two simple words to TS's question: Engineering and
branding.
All the engineering put into manufacturing a continental car and a
Japanese car is different. I would say every single cent paid for a
more expensive continental car is worthed it if you can afford it.
Everything is of a higher quality and of sounder engineering than
Japanese saloons. The leather used to wrap the seats, for example,
is factory-fitted for continental cars and locally fitted for most
Japanese cars. This simply translates to good quality leather that
lasts longer (factory-fitted) and lousier leather that feels
PVC-ish and doesn't lasts as long (locally-fitted). And of course,
the level of fit and finish in the interior is better for a
continental car compared to a Japanese car. And quality of the
plastics used in the interior is also better for a continental
car.
Almost everything in most of continental cars are more
well-engineered than Japanese/Korean/Malaysian/China cars. Engines
are more well-engineered, suspension system more sophisticated,
chassis more sophisticated as well and ergonomically, it's also
better.
BUT of course, at the end of the day, it's the brand name that
matters MOST.
Which will 'WOW!' more people? A Toyota/Honda/Kia/Hyundai, or a
BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Jaguar? Obviously it's the latter.
But anyways, I also always see a Jaguar XJ8 parked at a HDB
open-space carpark opposite my school, unused. Note that it's an
XJ8, not XJ6; so this guy is actually quite rich. But why doesn't
he drive it, it's a mystery. It's quite a badly maintained car.
Scratches everywhere and the leaping Jaguar on his bonnet is gone!
