Why are European cars better than America?
12-22-2006 | 12:05 AM
#51
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Originally Posted by UUronL' post='369684' date='Dec 21 2006, 07:19 AM
Here is my take on this issue - and it's one I have spent time pondering as well.
I'm 34 years old, and grew up riding in a myriad of Chrysler, Mercury, Lincoln, Dodge, Chevrolet, etc... automobiles. Most of my young life was spent in large floaty New Yorkers, etc... You get the idea.
As a teenager, my friends were borrowing their dads' old muscle cars and some even had 80s detroit V8 offerings like Mustang GTs and IROC Zs.
The reason I give this background, is because I'm describing -American cars-. The muscle car and the big boat comprise the most identifiable of American driving experiences. They are ours, and if you grew up during a certain time you can appreciate them.
The modern day Corvette probably scared the OP's wife because well... it's wickedly fast. There isn't much in the way of contemporary german offerings that can touch it (aside from the very fastest Porsche automobiles). Those would likely scare her too.
I travel quite a bit for work, and so I get subjected to a lot of rental cars. Even with memberships in #1 Club Gold and Emerald Isle, you get stuck with some real garbage. One bright spot though in my experience has been the Chevy Impala. I find that it is a really competent American car that reminds me of some of the American cars from my youth. I actually like driving it. It made me wonder if other Americans enjoyed driving an -American- car too, rather than an American car trying to mimick a Japanese car or a German car. I think the answer is that our SUVs drive very similarly to the old American passenger car archetype, and is probably one of the reasons they're so darned popular here. They're V8s, and they share some of the same dynamics as the old boats I grew up riding in.
Say what you will about our automotive industry, but we actually do a few things really well. Trucks and SUVs, and performance cars. The GT40, Viper, and Corvette are very capable cars. The $70K Escalade and the lower end Yukon Denali are simply wonderful vehicles to ride in.
I'm 34 years old, and grew up riding in a myriad of Chrysler, Mercury, Lincoln, Dodge, Chevrolet, etc... automobiles. Most of my young life was spent in large floaty New Yorkers, etc... You get the idea.
As a teenager, my friends were borrowing their dads' old muscle cars and some even had 80s detroit V8 offerings like Mustang GTs and IROC Zs.
The reason I give this background, is because I'm describing -American cars-. The muscle car and the big boat comprise the most identifiable of American driving experiences. They are ours, and if you grew up during a certain time you can appreciate them.
The modern day Corvette probably scared the OP's wife because well... it's wickedly fast. There isn't much in the way of contemporary german offerings that can touch it (aside from the very fastest Porsche automobiles). Those would likely scare her too.
I travel quite a bit for work, and so I get subjected to a lot of rental cars. Even with memberships in #1 Club Gold and Emerald Isle, you get stuck with some real garbage. One bright spot though in my experience has been the Chevy Impala. I find that it is a really competent American car that reminds me of some of the American cars from my youth. I actually like driving it. It made me wonder if other Americans enjoyed driving an -American- car too, rather than an American car trying to mimick a Japanese car or a German car. I think the answer is that our SUVs drive very similarly to the old American passenger car archetype, and is probably one of the reasons they're so darned popular here. They're V8s, and they share some of the same dynamics as the old boats I grew up riding in.
Say what you will about our automotive industry, but we actually do a few things really well. Trucks and SUVs, and performance cars. The GT40, Viper, and Corvette are very capable cars. The $70K Escalade and the lower end Yukon Denali are simply wonderful vehicles to ride in.
12-22-2006 | 08:47 AM
#52
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Originally Posted by Flowerfred' post='370157' date='Dec 21 2006, 11:01 PM
Lovely, another Europe v US thread!
BTW, I love that quote about being the most sophisticated and getting spit on. Cause and effect I'd say..
BTW, I love that quote about being the most sophisticated and getting spit on. Cause and effect I'd say..
...interesting where this thread went, i was only being facetious and responding to the earlier poster on us americans and our lack of sophistication....what i find extremely funny and confusing at the same time is, i dont know what someone means by 'americans'.... nearly everyone here in the US of A is from somewhere else, we are from western europe, eastern europe, asia, australia, north africa, mid east and beyond, so when someone says 'americans' dont know much about anything, that to me is a silly statement....the funny thing is that when people are here in america, we dont even call ourselves americans...my family has been here a few generations, but we'll say we're italian, though we are really americans of italian decent....same thing for anyone else i know...they're irish, or german, or english, or greek or chinese or indian, or so on, and many many people are only here for a short time, so when those outside in the world think about what it means to say 'americans are stupid' or whathave you, that you are really saying the world as a whole is stupid, since americans are everyone from everywhere...last year, someone may have been german, but they moved to the US and are now americans, are they all of a sudden less sophisticated??
just something to ponder in our global community....
12-22-2006 | 10:14 AM
#53
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Originally Posted by m630' post='370304' date='Dec 22 2006, 05:47 PM
...interesting where this thread went, i was only being facetious and responding to the earlier poster on us americans and our lack of sophistication....what i find extremely funny and confusing at the same time is, i dont know what someone means by 'americans'.... nearly everyone here in the US of A is from somewhere else, we are from western europe, eastern europe, asia, australia, north africa, mid east and beyond, so when someone says 'americans' dont know much about anything, that to me is a silly statement....the funny thing is that when people are here in america, we dont even call ourselves americans...my family has been here a few generations, but we'll say we're italian, though we are really americans of italian decent....same thing for anyone else i know...they're irish, or german, or english, or greek or chinese or indian, or so on, and many many people are only here for a short time, so when those outside in the world think about what it means to say 'americans are stupid' or whathave you, that you are really saying the world as a whole is stupid, since americans are everyone from everywhere...last year, someone may have been german, but they moved to the US and are now americans, are they all of a sudden less sophisticated??
just something to ponder in our global community....
just something to ponder in our global community....
How odd. If people living in the USA look back through the generations to describe thier nationality, this suggests a lack of satisfaction with thier current culture.
If we did the same in Europe we would have great fun, we have been invading each other for thousands of years. here in the UK we have a few Celt desendants, plenty from the Romans, Vikings, Gauls, Normans, and that's before the recent historical addition of peoples from the Asian sub-continent. ( The majority of whom actually consider themselves to be British, and they often only have to look back 2 generations to thier arrival.).
I view it as a little sad that somebody who's family has lived in the USA for a hundred years, would not consider themselves 'American'.
To me, an American is somebody who has been brought up and schooled in the American culture and way of life.
Sophistication is a subjective matter, but it is surely judged on current culture not genetic roots.
If asked to describe a nation that is 'sopisticated' - "Complex, refined and Subtle" I would immediately think of Italy, possibly the French and increasingly some parts of Spain. Certainly not the English or the Americans.
But as I say, it is a subjective judgement.
12-22-2006 | 11:17 AM
#54
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12-22-2006 | 11:54 AM
#55
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Originally Posted by m630' post='370304' date='Dec 22 2006, 11:47 AM
...interesting where this thread went, i was only being facetious and responding to the earlier poster on us americans and our lack of sophistication....what i find extremely funny and confusing at the same time is, i dont know what someone means by 'americans'.... nearly everyone here in the US of A is from somewhere else, we are from western europe, eastern europe, asia, australia, north africa, mid east and beyond, so when someone says 'americans' dont know much about anything, that to me is a silly statement....the funny thing is that when people are here in america, we dont even call ourselves americans...my family has been here a few generations, but we'll say we're italian, though we are really americans of italian decent....same thing for anyone else i know...they're irish, or german, or english, or greek or chinese or indian, or so on, and many many people are only here for a short time, so when those outside in the world think about what it means to say 'americans are stupid' or whathave you, that you are really saying the world as a whole is stupid, since americans are everyone from everywhere...last year, someone may have been german, but they moved to the US and are now americans, are they all of a sudden less sophisticated??
just something to ponder in our global community....
just something to ponder in our global community....
12-22-2006 | 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by KAF' post='370319' date='Dec 22 2006, 02:14 PM
I view it as a little sad that somebody who's family has lived in the USA for a hundred years, would not consider themselves 'American'.
To me, an American is somebody who has been brought up and schooled in the American culture and way of life.
Sophistication is a subjective matter, but it is surely judged on current culture not genetic roots.
If asked to describe a nation that is 'sopisticated' - "Complex, refined and Subtle" I would immediately think of Italy, possibly the French and increasingly some parts of Spain. Certainly not the English or the Americans.
But as I say, it is a subjective judgement.
To me, an American is somebody who has been brought up and schooled in the American culture and way of life.
Sophistication is a subjective matter, but it is surely judged on current culture not genetic roots.
If asked to describe a nation that is 'sopisticated' - "Complex, refined and Subtle" I would immediately think of Italy, possibly the French and increasingly some parts of Spain. Certainly not the English or the Americans.
But as I say, it is a subjective judgement.
12-22-2006 | 03:02 PM
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When it comes to cars I really do not like American machines. Even the refined Caddy's are too contemporary and a three year old Caddy looks like a three year old Caddy. The point I would like to make is that when I spend time in Europe and look at the average person there, I see a lot of crap cars. I see Fiat, VW, Skoda, Peugot, Opel (Euro GM), and Euro Fords. All very small very fuel efficient cars. All cars that would cost less than $20K here in the US.
Although the average American car is still crap in my mind. If I had to choose between the Skoda or a Chrysler. I would choose the Chrysler.
Although the average American car is still crap in my mind. If I had to choose between the Skoda or a Chrysler. I would choose the Chrysler.
12-22-2006 | 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted by nickolas_g' post='370387' date='Dec 23 2006, 12:02 AM
Although the average American car is still crap in my mind. If I had to choose between the Skoda or a Chrysler. I would choose the
If I had to choose I would, without hesitation, take a Skoda over an American car in the same price range (like Chrysler).
You mightn't think it but many of those el-cheapo European cars you mentioned handle very well compared to the el-cheapo (and even the el-expensivo) American equivalents. They mightn't look anything special but try driving a few next time you are in Europe and you might be pleasantly surprised. They have to handle well at brisk speed as our driving style is so much more precise due to our infrastructure.
12-23-2006 | 02:32 AM
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Originally Posted by nickolas_g' post='370387' date='Dec 23 2006, 12:02 AM
[snip]All cars that would cost less than $20K here in the US.
Although the average American car is still crap in my mind. If I had to choose between the Skoda or a Chrysler. I would choose the Chrysler.
Although the average American car is still crap in my mind. If I had to choose between the Skoda or a Chrysler. I would choose the Chrysler.
2. Have you ever driven both back to back on a twisty road? You may be surprised...
12-23-2006 | 02:48 AM
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Originally Posted by 300TTto545' post='370350' date='Dec 22 2006, 08:54 PM
Most Americans consider themselves American first
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