MacSid

+1!!! We do pay a lot more taxes, but it comes back to us through a range of routes.

kearflex

the us is a cool country as long as your healthy and rich else i wouldnt change it over europe.[/quote]


Actually, that statement is not valid...

Unfortunately, you benefit much more if you are poor and a minority...

I really want to stray away from a political discussion on a BMW board... It could turn ugly quick

pennetta

The other guy was a reluctant participant. I can't control his actions; I did try for you guys.
I guess your a Democrat; anyway its tough to have 20 year goals when your in office for four years. The system rewards short term benefits.

pennetta

BMW has hedging well into the future, the ten years was from 2004 but I'm sure they have extended it.
I guess you don't buy into the fact that we let immigrants into our country freely, so that we can pay them less and again compete better on price internationally...

pennetta

The late 80's had some significant changes to the tax codes which killed the commercial real estate market in the 90's, also interest rates were almost double what they are now.

bernd22

Here are the facts and not the american urban legends:

EUROPEAN sales in 2007 end of August accumulated 544277 cars
US sales in 2007 until October accumulated 275000 cars

Calculating an average of 50.000 cars per month in Europe that is 644000 against 275000 in US
As the population is comparable taking the "old" EU countries that is double sales or densitiy compared to US.

pennetta

This can't get any more heated than the SMG vs. 6 speed or the 535 vs. 550 debates.

Of the modern industrialized countries, the US has more homeless than anywhere else- The US rewards work, effort, ingenuity and success but has little place nor compassion for those not willing to participate at all.

The next level up is the working poor, which generally are only in this category for a number of years until they gain to the next level up. This is why so many immigrants want to come here, there is a path to success for ANYBODY and EVERYBODY if you are willing to apply yourself.

Unlike many parts of the rest of the indusrialized world, including Europe, the US does not have a fixed class system. Here you get the full fruits of what you sow not a label of tainted success that never measures up to old money.
Infact here, old money has less standing because your great grandfather was the one that actually "made it" not you, and here there is more prestige to the guy that made it.

ipp

Maybe if you compare it to Africa or parts of South East Asia. Try compare it to Northern Europe and you'll be very very wrong.

swajames

Using sales to date up to October 2007 as the base you're looking at around 330,000 for the US on an annualized basis (you didn't annualize the US numbers).

The population of the legacy 15 EU countries is considerably higher than the US population at close to 400 million.

Your European sales number probably includes all of Europe, not just the legacy 15. If that's right, it also moves the appropriate population number for comparison purposes to over 700 million (more than double that of the US) and essentially cancels out the difference in sales density (it's actually lower than the US on this basis)

Keep in mind that two EU countries account for the lion's share of EU sales, the UK and Germany, which was essentially point of some earlier posts - as a single market, the US is the largest and probably one of the most competitive. EU pricing is certainly higher, but prices posted here typically include tax (VAT, plus other motor taxes) and US prices typically exclude tax. Not to say that this accounts for the difference in price, there's no question the US is lower, but posts here rarely enable an apples to apples comparison.

pukka

And just how much of those profits from cheaper exports are going back into the U.S.?