When I had my Buick LeSabre, we purposely took the Fit on a 1700 mile round trip since it was easier to park it once we got to our metropolitan destination. It was nice having a small car in an urban environment. It did fine skittering along the interstates at 65-70 mph with its 117 hp. We never wanted for more power, and the fuel economy on that trip was 38-40 mpg.
My Aunt from Poland has a Chevy.
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We have rich people with average cars as well, what’s that have to do with anything? Some people just don't care about status symbol and drive what suits their needs, and vise versa. This behavior is not associated with NA only, every country is guilty of that, just ask Greece.
If all of the sudden Europe had our gas prices and no extra taxes and costs associated to engine size, I can guarantee you that a lot of people would buy bigger cars. This is the human nature.
I have family in Europe and there is quite a large market for American SUVs and large sedans. They are usually converted to propane just to have a break at the gas pump. People don't go over this kind of hassle because they need a large vehicle, they do it because it comes with a status symbol and they want it.
I can tell you that the rest of the world secretly envies American SUVs and if they could, they would buy them by a boat load. In fact they do, look at some of the Muslim countries and China. Anybody that is somebody over there drives either an SUV or a German Luxury car.
Difference is that over there they don't have the middle class, only elite can drive such cars. In Europe the system is rigged that even middle class cannot afford these cars and again, only the elite can drive such cars. Do you see a pattern here?
US and Canada are pretty much the only countries where a middle class family can afford these vehicles, at least for now...
If all of the sudden Europe had our gas prices and no extra taxes and costs associated to engine size, I can guarantee you that a lot of people would buy bigger cars. This is the human nature.
I have family in Europe and there is quite a large market for American SUVs and large sedans. They are usually converted to propane just to have a break at the gas pump. People don't go over this kind of hassle because they need a large vehicle, they do it because it comes with a status symbol and they want it.
I can tell you that the rest of the world secretly envies American SUVs and if they could, they would buy them by a boat load. In fact they do, look at some of the Muslim countries and China. Anybody that is somebody over there drives either an SUV or a German Luxury car.
Difference is that over there they don't have the middle class, only elite can drive such cars. In Europe the system is rigged that even middle class cannot afford these cars and again, only the elite can drive such cars. Do you see a pattern here?
US and Canada are pretty much the only countries where a middle class family can afford these vehicles, at least for now...
I had Matiz when I lived in Russia, and it was actually not that bad. It had enough power for in-town driving, and the legal speed limit in Russia is 90 km/h. Matiz did just fine at 100 - 110 km/h, a little bouncy, but overall not too bad
Too many people worry about what the other guy drives.
Originally Posted By: expat
Small does not always mean miserable!
Many of the 'worlds' small cars sold in NA are stripped down versions, because here, Big Is Better, and Small Is Cheap!
This is a fact. Overseas, you could get a 9th gen Corolla with factory HIDs, factory navigation, etc. The same is likely true for the current generation. The American market makes you upsize vehicles to get higher-end features.
The CR-V overseas allows you to get factory HID projectors and 18" wheels. North America gets halogen H4s. But interestingly, the 2.4L engine that we have standard here is optional overseas as the "large" engine. The standard gasser is a 2.0L, with an optional 2.0L or 2.2L diesel as well.
Small does not always mean miserable!
Many of the 'worlds' small cars sold in NA are stripped down versions, because here, Big Is Better, and Small Is Cheap!
This is a fact. Overseas, you could get a 9th gen Corolla with factory HIDs, factory navigation, etc. The same is likely true for the current generation. The American market makes you upsize vehicles to get higher-end features.
The CR-V overseas allows you to get factory HID projectors and 18" wheels. North America gets halogen H4s. But interestingly, the 2.4L engine that we have standard here is optional overseas as the "large" engine. The standard gasser is a 2.0L, with an optional 2.0L or 2.2L diesel as well.
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
This is a fact. Overseas, you could get a 9th gen Corolla with factory HIDs, factory navigation, etc. The same is likely true for the current generation. The American market makes you upsize vehicles to get higher-end features.
The problem is that if you were to load up all these extra fancy options on a Corolla (if that was in fact an option in the US), it'd cost as much as a Camry, so most customers would just buy the Camry instead.
Small cars aren't cheaper because they're small. Small cars are cheaper because they have fewer options/equipment.
This is a fact. Overseas, you could get a 9th gen Corolla with factory HIDs, factory navigation, etc. The same is likely true for the current generation. The American market makes you upsize vehicles to get higher-end features.
The problem is that if you were to load up all these extra fancy options on a Corolla (if that was in fact an option in the US), it'd cost as much as a Camry, so most customers would just buy the Camry instead.
Small cars aren't cheaper because they're small. Small cars are cheaper because they have fewer options/equipment.
Many people want a car that is very fun to drive, and they don't get any pleasure from driving a simple car.
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Many people want a car that is very fun to drive, and they don't get any pleasure from driving a simple car.
In my opinion, most people just want a reliable appliance that goes from A to B. Driving is a chore for most. Not a lot of people out there actually care about the "fun to drive" factor so much that they're willing to pay premium for it and/or are willing to accept lower reliability/higher cost of repairs.
That is why we see so many Corollas, Civics, Camrys and Accords on the roads. Nothing wrong with that approach. That's what the market wants. And that's what the market gets.
Many people want a car that is very fun to drive, and they don't get any pleasure from driving a simple car.
In my opinion, most people just want a reliable appliance that goes from A to B. Driving is a chore for most. Not a lot of people out there actually care about the "fun to drive" factor so much that they're willing to pay premium for it and/or are willing to accept lower reliability/higher cost of repairs.
That is why we see so many Corollas, Civics, Camrys and Accords on the roads. Nothing wrong with that approach. That's what the market wants. And that's what the market gets.
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