Why are the best American cars European?

[Hokiefyd]

The best cars today (of most all brands) tend to be based on European or world models. Cars like the Cruze, cars like the Malibu, cars like Volvo-based or Ford of Europe-based Fords, cars like the ATS/CTS with Holden-rooted chassis, etc.

Are Americans beginning to prefer European-like cars (with better handling and stiffer chassis), and the most cost-effective way for most manufacturers to deliver that is by basing new cars on European models? The "before/after" is usually quite striking. The very global Chevy Cruze blows away the old American Cobalt. The very global Fusion blows away the old American mid-sized Taurus. The very global new Focus blows away the Americanized old Focus. The Mercedes-based Chrysler 300 blows away...well...pretty much ANYTHING Chrysler had before that.

It's a trend that I've noticed and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. Even the truck market is seeing an influx of European design, with the Ram Sprinter and Ford's new Transit Connect (and eventually the larger Transit).

What about traditional American cars didn't work, and why are the European-based models that much more appealing? I have my own ideas, but I'm curious what others think.

 

[JHZR2]

For me it is that often MT is more available. That has driven our selection before. Also size to capability, and designs that arently overly huge.

They really have just been more of what we desired in a car from an outfitting and design standpoint than what the Americans and Japanese could offer.

 

[kb01]

I think it really comes down to what kind of driving you do. If you spend a lot of time on the interstate, the generic American sedan, with a lot of HP, leg room, and a spongy ride is still very appealing when the cruise control is set to 70.

If you live in a city, size and maneuverability, become enormous issues and is something the Europeans are very good at.

 

[Oldwolf]

The cars you mentioned are, I believe, designed by their respective manufacturers in Europe. My feeling is that rather than reinvent the wheel each time, manufacturers are designing globally, as you alluded to, and marketing their products with the same mindset.

The old American car mentality is big and heavy and not fuel efficient. I think that is disappearing over time because of many factors (thankfully).

 

[sciphi]

I think that Europe has always had cars with better road manners while giving up very little if anything in functionality or comfort to traditional American barges. What with the continued economic slowdown across the Atlantic, the automakers realized that they had sunk a bunch of money into European designs that were going to be massive money-losers unless they made them a true global car. And, the Detroit 3 just happened to have a need for truly competitive small and midsize cars when all this was going on. Combine the need to leverage their otherwise money-losing European operations with the need for new products here in the States, and us Americans are seeing more European/global cars.

I'm not complaining. We have some excellent smaller cars out there now, like the Fiat 500 Abarth that's better here than in Europe, Ford finally giving us the Focus ST, and Chevy finally having a smaller car that's competitive, if not pick of the litter.

 

[javacontour]

I think you are seeing a polarization in automobile tastes. On one hand you have folks who enjoy driving trucks. On the other, folks who like smaller cars. They may have grown up driving mom and dad's import and shop similar cars. Now Ford and GM (and maybe soon Chrysler) are looking to their European divisions or partners for cars that will satisfy those buyers.

For those who choose the Panther chassis, small cars are probably not going to appeal. While those who choose small cars have largely rejected offerings such as the Cobalt or Cavalier, save for those brand loyal folks who simply love their favorite automaker.

 

[crw]

This is a very interesting topic and I was meaning to start a thread on it. It must come down to chassis. And yet for the average guy, myself included, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes one chassis better than another when traveling down the road.

When I'm driving my BMWs down the freeway, I feel like I'm piloting a plane. When I drive my daughter's Pontiac Gran Prix down the same stretch of road, I feel like I'm sitting in a bucket. Exactly why that is, I don't really know.

 

[eljefino]

The ford taurus when it came out in 1986 was revolutionary. Not just its handling which was awesome for the day but its jelly bean styling had only before been seen on the audi 5000.

Even crackerboxes like the Dodge Omni were based off an older Euro Simca hatchback.

What gets me is how the Japanese brands broke away from their local car sizes in the early 90s for American specific bloated mobiles.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I wonder if that is going to catch up with them ... or has it already?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
What gets me is how the Japanese brands broke away from their local car sizes in the early 90s for American specific bloated mobiles.

Maybe that's what the market wanted. While a small portion of us prefer smaller, better handling cars, many others still prefer couches on wheels. There is enough demand in both these markets for car mfgs to make money, IMO.

 

[HerrStig]

The beauty is the same thing is true of motorcycles, although the Japanese can build you just about anything.
Some of us started driving the family "second car" which was often a VW bug. While that beauty has some serious shortcomings it was well made, had good brakes and direct steering. The dealer network also seemed to have fewer bullbleep artists. Since "Detroit" had convinced themselves that "the foreign fad wouldn't last" they had nothing of real quality to offer young people who wanted a VW like car for their own. They just gave up on the market segment, not realizing that the VW owner of the 60's might be a BMW 5 series owner later on.
I once, in fairness, while a young person, went to look at the then new Chevy Vega, which looked interesting on paper at least. After hearing nothing about the car from the plaid pants salesman but a bunch of "are you buying a car TODAY" and what does your monthly payment have to be" an attempt was made to direct me to the used Impala selection. In light of the many Vega problems, maybe that was, inadvertently, a good thing, but it was the LAST thing I wanted. Walked out, never went back. Don't try to sell me a Chevy by telling me I don't want the Chevy I am interested in. Every car I bought thereafter was Swedish or German until Toyota
introduced the Gen 3 Camry (92-96) That Gen 3 V6 is still in the family.

 

[95busa]

I think folks are missing the point here. Demand drives the market. Lets not forget what has made the Chrysler 300 family so much better than everything else in its catagory and price range for so long is the American designed Hemi. No other American full size car has been close until very recently- (Taurus Ecoboost). Its not Euro or whatever you want to call it, its demand. Look at those fabulous 80s-2000s Jaguars (excluding the X type, although it sucks too).

 

[crw]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
"are you buying a car TODAY" and what does your monthly payment have to be" an attempt was made to direct me to the used Impala selection...


I'm drifting off topic, but this is classic. Millions of sales (some from me) have been lost this way.

Back to the topic of chassis, does anyone have input on what makes a great chassis? It is simply a combination of good noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics and tight steering characteristics? Rear-drive where appropriate. (Mini Cooper an exception to this...)

 

[crw]

Or in other words, what made the previous gen Focus (relatively) boring, while the new euro chassis much better (in the opinion of nearly everyone who writes on this stuff)?

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Art cant be summed up in one sentence. Or twenty. I would say iunless the platforms has seroius design flaws you can tune a chassis to perform excetionally well. The unitbody torsional resonance has to be a high frequency, a quality steering rack must be be affixed to the subframe with high durometer bushings, no common McPh struts not to be seen anywhere, shock, spring rates and satbiliser bars tuned by feedback from professional driver(s), light unsprung weight at the for corners, good seats with excellent outward vbisibility, good firm brakes and easy to modulate brake boosting with high capacity discs, good tyre on each of the 4 corners, proper and precise shift linkages, high speed stability and areodyn ....
list gos on - butt the tuning of all these subsystems is key.

 

[SteveSRT8]

...and tuning of these various sub systems is a black art, with lots of different engineers and test drivers collaborating at all levels of design and execution.

 

[MinusPrevious]

Work in the U.S automotive field for 24 years & counting

Europe has led & is leading most technological advances including design (i.e. ABS & stability systems)

U.S follows the lead

My opinion only

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Art cant be summed up in one sentence. Or twenty. I would say iunless the platforms has seroius design flaws you can tune a chassis to perform excetionally well. The unitbody torsional resonance has to be a high frequency, a quality steering rack must be be affixed to the subframe with high durometer bushings, no common McPh struts not to be seen anywhere, shock, spring rates and satbiliser bars tuned by feedback from professional driver(s), light unsprung weight at the for corners, good seats with excellent outward vbisibility, good firm brakes and easy to modulate brake boosting with high capacity discs, good tyre on each of the 4 corners, proper and precise shift linkages, high speed stability and areodyn ....
list gos on - butt the tuning of all these subsystems is key.


The funny part is that that those "McPh struts not to be seen anywhere" feature prominently in what are oft regarded as some of the best driving cars in the world, like those produced by BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.

So what is the basis for this criticism other than the fact that you just don't like them?

 

[Oldwolf]

I also believe we 'Mericans think European cars are for the most part sporty and sexy so when they buy a car here in the US that is also popular in Europe, they feel like they are part of an elite group of sporty and sexy people.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Art cant be summed up in one sentence. Or twenty. I would say iunless the platforms has seroius design flaws you can tune a chassis to perform excetionally well. The unitbody torsional resonance has to be a high frequency, a quality steering rack must be be affixed to the subframe with high durometer bushings, no common McPh struts not to be seen anywhere, shock, spring rates and satbiliser bars tuned by feedback from professional driver(s), light unsprung weight at the for corners, good seats with excellent outward vbisibility, good firm brakes and easy to modulate brake boosting with high capacity discs, good tyre on each of the 4 corners, proper and precise shift linkages, high speed stability and areodyn ....
list gos on - butt the tuning of all these subsystems is key.


The funny part is that that those "McPh struts not to be seen anywhere" feature prominently in what are oft regarded as some of the best driving cars in the world, like those produced by BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.

So what is the basis for this criticism other than the fact that you just don't like them?
Every time I look at a spring compresser my fingers hurt. When I look at the cost of a strut vs a shock my wallet hurts. In terms of front suspension geometery, sturts are a compromise vis double wishbones. Mercedes... they used SINGLE joint half shafts for years, just like the early Corvair. (AKA swing axles) Cost no object????