American Cars Vs Everyone Else's Cars

[Tsukiyumi]

Tyyr: i guess it just doesnt make sense to me. I just cant connect desire with need and cost. I cant quite compute it in my head.

It's part of American culture. Fast cars and big engines. Most people don't want to drive a dinky four cylinder or even less. They want to put the pedal down and have the engine rev and the car take off. There's no real need to it*, just want. As gas prices rise I'm sure people will care about efficiency but even with where they are now they're still about a third to a half of what ya'll pay for gas. If prices keep rising I'm sure people will get over it but not for a while. And while we may buy a pissant 4 cylinder or a hybrid they'll still want a big V8.

*There are exceptions. If you buy a truck to do any towing or hauling with anything less than a V6, more realistically a V8, then you're fairly well an idiot.

Like I said, I don't know where you live, but driving a little econo-car here is bound to get you dead. If your 0-60 takes double-digits to achieve, you're screwed.

Besides, like I also said, making a 66 mile trip in three hours isn't a very good option.

[Kevsha]

here is the thing, in europe cars are more expencive per pound than here. over there you are more used to paying good money for a nice small car, over here if we are paying that same kind of money, we want a big car.

here in america we are used to buying bigger cars. our roads and highway systems cater to them. a big car here is as much if not cheaper as a small car there. that may be slowly changing but thats the way it is. its the main reason why chrysler is bankrupt they were catering to the big low cost cars.. as the market in america changed they were not ready for it...... also thier cars blow... ford has the fusion, focus, escape, hybrid escape, hybrid fusion and the soon to be reseased in aberica fiesta

[Reliant121]

We can do a 60 mile trip in my dads, another 1.4, in about 1 hour ish. Another point is insurance. When I get my first car, which will probably be something like the Fiat Grande Punto with a 1.2 L engine, it will cost me around £2500 to insure it. $4000 to the americans.

What I WILL have to grant is the Interior design of American cars. They tend to be a fair bit better than most European cars.

[Tsukiyumi]

...Another point is insurance. When I get my first car, which will probably be something like the Fiat Grande Punto with a 1.2 L engine, it will cost me around £2500 to insure it. $4000 to the americans...

That's insane. I wouldn't be able to drive at all. Of course, you guys actually have mass transit, IIRC.

Here in Sugar Land, you can call a taxi. Period.

[Reliant121]

The problem arises when I want to go to university. Portsmouth university isnt exactly great, i'd stride to get into Winchester if I can. There are virtually no transport links for me to get there from where I live if I dont own a car. The thing we might be able to do is get multiple car insurance to insure the whole family which my parents pay, and I pay for the car only.

[Tsukiyumi]

The problem arises when I want to go to university. Portsmouth university isnt exactly great, i'd stride to get into Winchester if I can. There are virtually no transport links for me to get there from where I live if I dont own a car. The thing we might be able to do is get multiple car insurance to insure the whole family which my parents pay, and I pay for the car only.

Did you mean $4,000 a year, or just a one-time-ever fee?

If it's the former, I wouldn't even be able to drive to work.

[Captain Seafort]

What I WILL have to grant is the Interior design of American cars. They tend to be a fair bit better than most European cars.

Of course they are - just like the GCS is nicer inside.

As for the various demands for massive acceleration thanks to vast numbers of idiots, methinks you're looking at the problem from the wrong end. By and large, if the ship's sinking then plugging the hole is a better solution than bigger and bigger bailing buckets.

[Reliant121]

The problem arises when I want to go to university. Portsmouth university isnt exactly great, i'd stride to get into Winchester if I can. There are virtually no transport links for me to get there from where I live if I dont own a car. The thing we might be able to do is get multiple car insurance to insure the whole family which my parents pay, and I pay for the car only.

Did you mean $4,000 a year, or just a one-time-ever fee?

If it's the former, I wouldn't even be able to drive to work.

Thats a yearly quote. It would stay that kinda price range until i was at least 21, probably more like 25.

[Tsukiyumi]

As for the various demands for massive acceleration thanks to vast numbers of idiots, methinks you're looking at the problem from the wrong end. By and large, if the ship's sinking then plugging the hole is a better solution than bigger and bigger bailing buckets.

It isn't just from idiots. Semi trucks (lorries to you Brits) have to get things across the entire country, often in a day or less. There are millions of them, and they have to be traveling at 80-90 mph (128-144 kph) to make those deadlines. That's a pretty big issue, and an obvious argument for larger engines and acceleration. Here's what I'm talking about, so you don't visualize a little Euro-truck:



Picture that hauling a 60 foot trailer at 90 mph, and I think you'll get the gist.

Also, like I already said, we have major distances to travel on a daily basis, and putting along with a golf cart engine isn't feasible for a lot of us.

Reliant - yep. I wouldn't be able to drive at all. And, with no public transportation, I'd be completely unable to get anywhere. That price is pretty unfair, IMO.

[Mikey]

The problem is, I think, that many Europeans - especially Britons - can understand the scope of distances in America, but don't really get it. My wife drives over 100 miles a day round trip to work and back - and that's not terribly uncommon. The fam drove to Cleveland, Ohio a couple years ago - 8 hours on the road plus bathroom and meal stops. If I had to do that with a Euro-style 1.3L engine, a few things would happen.

#1 - my travel time would be multiplied by 1.5.
#2 - the difference in economy from my 4.2L straight-6 to the little I-4 would be minimized.
#3 - that 1.3L would suffer three times the wear-and-tear that my big American engine did, because of the constant running at significantly higher RPM.

As to the body of the vehicle - I couldn't take either my kid (only had one at the time) or my luggage on the trip if I had one of these typical Anglo-Fords, Peugots, Vauxhauls, or whatever.

Kevsha - kudos for giving props to the GNX. A car so stupidly fast and torque-y that they had to stop selling them because they literally ripped themselves apart.

[Tsukiyumi]

The problem is, I think, that many Europeans - especially Britons - can understand the scope of distances in America, but don't really get it. My wife drives over 100 miles a day round trip to work and back - and that's not terribly uncommon. The fam drove to Cleveland, Ohio a couple years ago - 8 hours on the road plus bathroom and meal stops. If I had to do that with a Euro-style 1.3L engine, a few things would happen.

#1 - my travel time would be multiplied by 1.5.
#2 - the difference in economy from my 4.2L straight-6 to the little I-4 would be minimized.
#3 - that 1.3L would suffer three times the wear-and-tear that my big American engine did, because of the constant running at significantly higher RPM.

As to the body of the vehicle - I couldn't take either my kid (only had one at the time) or my luggage on the trip if I had one of these typical Anglo-Fords, Peugots, Vauxhauls, or whatever.

Exactly. From here to El Paso (on the other side of Texas) is 750 miles or so. That's a ten-hour drive at 75 mph. I wouldn't want to try that drive in a dinky econo-car, let alone the next 750 to LA.

[Mikey]

Yeah, I think the Cleveland run was about 800 miles or something. The point isn't even the average speed; the point is that such a trip with anything significantly smaller than 2 liters displacement would ruin that engine.

[Kevsha]

my counter argument would be my mothers car that got from around 20 to 70 with about 100 yards left of slipway left.


Her car is a 4 metre 1.4 litre SIGMA series petrol.
.

let me put it this way, my F-150 with the 5.4L will go 0-60 in aprox. 8.7 seconds, the fiesta will take alittle less than 10 0-60. my truck is faster and there are times i almost get run over in the highways here... that car may due over there. over here its a liability in some cases

[Tsukiyumi]

Yeah, I think the Cleveland run was about 800 miles or something. The point isn't even the average speed; the point is that such a trip with anything significantly smaller than 2 liters displacement would ruin that engine.

The speed is a point for me; I'd like to get there before next month.

The I-10 from Houston to LA is 1,500 miles of mostly nothing but desert and rocks; god help you if you break down in the middle of New Mexico or west Texas.

You're right, of course. That sort of drive would likely be too much strain on a lawnmower engine.

[Reliant121]

I guess it just doesnt make sense since I dont live there. Nor do I intend to live there.