American Car hate club

Glaucus · 9 Dec 2009 at 15:22

Jez said:
Average US motorist mileage is 12,000 per year. Roughly equal to ours.

Average and what percent live in the huge citys. People in the citys are buying Europe type cars as that suits their needs as it's similar to us. Other places in America they are still buying big lazy cars as that is what is needed. Which is one reason the american car market is struggling as they haven't catered for this ever growing market as more and more people move into the citys. All about using the right tool for the job. You aren't going to used a highly strung hot hatch, to drive in extreme highs and lows over long distances.

rypt · 9 Dec 2009 at 16:04

I dislike most American cars, they have made 1 GREAT engine series (GM's LS) and a total of 0 great cars, the Corvette is close to being great but has plenty of influences from the Aussies as far as the platform goes.

In fact, I'd say the GM LS series V8 is the best V8 in the world.

Berger · 9 Dec 2009 at 16:13

All these people saying they need big lazy cars blah blah.

Surely a 3.0 Tdi or 3.0 Petrol at most from a Euro market car is much better than a larger n/a petrol engined yank mobile.

Superior all round and better fuel economy and thus range. The speed limit isnt any higher than ours, so you dont need excessive power/speed.

Even if your driving 1500 miles a week, you wont need the car serviced very often, and then its what, a couple of hours work and you get a car given to you for the duration anyway if you require it. Poor excuse!

Lashout_UK · 9 Dec 2009 at 16:21

....but a lot of American cars are 2.5/2.8/3.0/3.5/3.8 litre V6s, so it's kind of a non-existent point

Diesel cars aren't so liked in America because petrol is always cheaper, both in terms of buying the car and running it. Emissions regulations are also much more stringent and many cars can't meet them, hence them being thin on the ground over there.

.....stricter U.S. emission regulations. The 50-state light-duty vehicle limit for emissions of nitrogen oxides is 0.07 grams per mile. In Western Europe, the limit is 0.29. Reducing NOx to nitrogen and oxygen is much harder with a diesel engine because the exhaust is typically cooler and contains less oxygen compared to a gas engine. To meet U.S. regulations, diesel engines are required to use complicated—and expensive—high-pressure fuel injection and after-treatment systems that in some cases inject an aqueous urea solution to handle the NOx. The added expense of course means an even longer payback period for the consumer.

merlin · 9 Dec 2009 at 16:26

Credit crunch fallout had Amercians buying Hybrid's like hot cakes 12 months ago, lack of household spending power just might change the US car market forever.

Prophet · 9 Dec 2009 at 16:27

IME Americans don't rush around like the British do so a lumbering V8 Auto is ideal. It's all start/stop driving in the cities and their speed limits/cops don't give as much 'scope' as they do over here.

sigma · 9 Dec 2009 at 17:04

Glaucus · 9 Dec 2009 at 17:32

Berger said:
Surely a 3.0 Tdi or 3.0 Petrol at most from a Euro market car is much better than a larger n/a petrol engined yank mobile.

Diesel is not liked in America it is a massive polluter and as such is taxed more than petrol.

How is euro/asian cars better.
Little choice of auto boxes, stiffer suspension, generally more expensive.

I don't understand English obsession with manual, stiffer suspension and better handling. When most people hate driving. If I did not enjoy driving I would get an auto luxo barge. Driving out of necessity does not need track handling or speed. It needs to be as comfy and as easy as possible. That's a low reving torquey engine with an auto box and big armchairs.

I get around · 9 Dec 2009 at 17:45

bledd. said:
What are you on about.

If they played American football without padding, there would be multiple deaths in each game

Maybe if it was a bunch of skinny indie kids playing against a bunch of men.
I've watched american football, doesn't look that dangerous to me, I reckon you could go without the padding easily, might get a few broken bones but oh well, that'll happen in any contact sport.

Bear · 9 Dec 2009 at 18:03

DreXeL said:
Must admit I used to hate them, but over the last few years my mind has completely changed. I've been finding myself increasingly attracted to Yank Muscle of late

I cant really stand the look of american cars but I really do want to do this to my car. I need a supercharged LS2 in my life

gurusan · 9 Dec 2009 at 18:05

I get around said:
Maybe if it was a bunch of skinny indie kids playing against a bunch of men.
I've watched american football, doesn't look that dangerous to me, I reckon you could go without the padding easily, might get a few broken bones but oh well, that'll happen in any contact sport.

You're an No insults!

bledd · 9 Dec 2009 at 18:25

I get around said:
Maybe if it was a bunch of skinny indie kids playing against a bunch of men.
I've watched american football, doesn't look that dangerous to me, I reckon you could go without the padding easily, might get a few broken bones but oh well, that'll happen in any contact sport.

Stop trolling.

Jez · 9 Dec 2009 at 18:55

AcidHell2 said:
I don't understand English obsession with manual, stiffer suspension and better handling. When most people hate driving. If I did not enjoy driving I would get an auto luxo barge. Driving out of necessity does not need track handling or speed. It needs to be as comfy and as easy as possible. That's a low reving torquey engine with an auto box and big armchairs.

Thats how it seems to be going to be fair, my tube was ****ing me about earlier so i took a different route, walked a fair distance as a result, down residential streets with cars parked. I noticed that VERY few of them were manuals (yes i am sad enough to "check out" virtually every car i walk past), most were fairly decent size comfy cars.

The "obsession" with manual lower end cars i think is possibly a reference to poorer areas where the reason for these cars is purely cost - they are cheap! Its certainly not the case in the centre of london, and certainly not the case with many people i come across on a daily basis.

They (the yanks) are shifting to smaller stuff, we are shifting to bigger stuff with auto's become par for the course, its all meeting in the middle.

Glaucus · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:05

Jez said:
They (the yanks) are shifting to smaller stuff, we are shifting to bigger stuff with auto's become par for the course, its all meeting in the middle.

Certainly agree with that.

people seem to forget "Best" depends on criteria. One persons criteria is not the same as someone elses.

As for auto boxes America have been producing cheap auto boxes for over half a century (probably longer?). I think a lot of it, certainly in the last few decades is image and the English attitude auto means you can't drive and that it's not a proper car.

rypt · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:18

Lashout_UK said:
Emissions regulations are also much more stringent and many cars can't meet them, hence them being thin on the ground over there.

VW diesels are 50 state legal though, so if VW can do it so can the other autos.

rypt · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:21

gurusan said:
You're an No insults!

The force someone hits someone else with is no different between rugby or american football, the only difference is that in american football you can tackle above shoulder height unlike rugby

Glaucus · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:25

rypt said:
VW diesels are 50 state legal though, so if VW can do it so can the other autos.

it's still not liked and it's still more expensive than petrol for a good reason. It causes far more pollution than petrol.

the other thing I think in America which again is changing. Is there was a far bigger culture of service and repair yourself. With cars being run long after a UK car would have to go to a scrap heap. meaning things like turbos, advanced electronics are not what you want, easy access, cheap easy changeable parts. Again something Europe is turning to, due to recycling and insurance costs. is cheap interchangeable parts. Makes cars being stripped down at the end of their life much easier.

Fr0dders · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:25

AcidHell2 said:
Certainly agree with that.

people seem to forget "Best" depends on criteria. One persons criteria is not he same as someone elses.

As for auto boxes America have been producing cheap auto boxes for over half a century (probably longer?). I think a lot of it certainly in the last few decades is image and the English attitude auto means you can't drive and that it's not a proper car.

the americans were completely amazed when i said id never driven an auto when it came to talking about hire cars etc..

Those that werent surprised, couldnt understand why england is so obsessed with the manual box.

EvilDreams · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:27

bledd. said:
What are you on about.

If they played American football without padding, there would be multiple deaths in each game

Just sounds like good TV if anything.

gurusan · 9 Dec 2009 at 19:40

rypt said:
The force someone hits someone else with is no different between rugby or american football, the only difference is that in american football you can tackle above shoulder height unlike rugby

Average rugby player is around 95-100kg....average NFL player is around 110kg with some as heavy as 160kg

I sure wouldn't want to be tackled by a 160kg guy running 18-20mph