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1) Because we can. Gas is cheap, lanes are wide, the USA is much younger and is 3/4 the size of all of Europe so we're thus more spread out, and bigger cars = more comfortable and you can carry more stuff in it (e.g. try fitting a new dresser you just bought into a VW Golf ... go on, I'll wait while I put mine into my pickup). I HATE having to squeeze into the back seat of a friend's A3, and even that's HUGE by some other car standards.
2) Smaller cars are less safe than bigger cars. I don't care how you roll it up, you cannot tell me that a small Smart car can take a T-collision with a pickup and have the inhabitants survive in a meaningful state.
3) Smaller cars go less distance between refillings. In some places - like Wyoming, you will be stranded if you drive a little Smart car. Plain and simple. I also don't want to refuel every 200 miles because that would mean more time taken out of my busy life. Will you give me back that time?
Seriously, Europeans are so ignorant about Americans not driving small cars. They obviously forget that Europe is many centuries older and many of their cities have tiny streets designed for foot traffic or horses, there is less distance between major population centers, and deliverymen must make a pittance of what American deliverymen make. They obviously also forget that Americans like to ride in comfort and reliability over all else, so we must have larger cars to stretch out as we cruise through the prairies and mountains we have here. I like having legroom in the back on long road trips. Europeans must obviously not care about ergonomics.
Not necessarily. The infrastructure in Europe, especially in Soutern Europe, is not suited for big cars. Just try to park a big SUV in a parking house in France.
Yes, you need a large French manor for the parking spaces.
1) Because we can. Gas is cheap, lanes are wide, the USA is much younger and is 3/4 the size of all of Europe so we're thus more spread out, and bigger cars = more comfortable and you can carry more stuff in it (e.g. try fitting a new dresser you just bought into a VW Golf ... go on, I'll wait while I put mine into my pickup). I HATE having to squeeze into the back seat of a friend's A3, and even that's HUGE by some other car standards.
2) Smaller cars are less safe than bigger cars. I don't care how you roll it up, you cannot tell me that a small Smart car can take a T-collision with a pickup and have the inhabitants survive in a meaningful state.
3) Smaller cars go less distance between refillings. In some places - like Wyoming, you will be stranded if you drive a little Smart car. Plain and simple. I also don't want to refuel every 200 miles because that would mean more time taken out of my busy life. Will you give me back that time?
Seriously, Europeans are so ignorant about Americans not driving small cars. They obviously forget that Europe is many centuries older and many of their cities have tiny streets designed for foot traffic or horses, there is less distance between major population centers, and deliverymen must make a pittance of what American deliverymen make. They obviously also forget that Americans like to ride in comfort and reliability over all else, so we must have larger cars to stretch out as we cruise through the prairies and mountains we have here. I like having legroom in the back on long road trips. Europeans must obviously not care about ergonomics.
I agree with everything you said except for the comment I highlighted above. Shouldn't that be the other way around? I know my Escort gets over 400 miles to a tank, and it only hold a little over 11 gallons. I also looked up the Smart car, and it gets 41 mpg with a 8.7 gallon tank. This gives it a range of 357 miles, not 200 as you quoted. Also, the bigger cars I have had have gotten only 250 to 300 miles to a tank.
I just put five large adults in my 92 buick roadmaster wagon for a 220 mile each way round trip. Everybody had fun and was not sore when we got back. The buick got 14 mpg on the mostly expressway trip and got on the high side of 90 mph at one point.
That is why I LOVE old buick Wagons
Thats terrible MPG, you need to get that thing in tune!
I agree with everything you said except for the comment I highlighted above. Shouldn't that be the other way around? I know my Escort gets over 400 miles to a tank, and it only hold a little over 11 gallons. I also looked up the Smart car, and it gets 41 mpg with a 8.7 gallon tank. This gives it a range of 357 miles, not 200 as you quoted. Also, the bigger cars I have had have gotten only 250 to 300 miles to a tank.
My '95 Lincoln Town Car, with a 20- gal fuel tank an which averages 20-21 mpg, has a maximum cruising range of 400-410 miles.
Most people from other countries do not understand your prerogative on driving these big pick up trucks and huge SUV's. I ponder why small women go inside and drive these big vehicles, when obviously it does not fit there needs. Are most Americans that ignorant, because I just can not think of any reason why other then to fulfill there insecure ego.
Big cars are one of the benefits of living in a successful, modern, and powerful economy like the U.S.
You're resentful and jealous. I get that. However, become as innovative and hard-working as the average American and maybe one day you too can afford a big luxury item.
Most people from other countries do not understand your prerogative on driving these big pick up trucks and huge SUV's. I ponder why small women go inside and drive these big vehicles, when obviously it does not fit there needs. Are most Americans that ignorant, because I just can not think of any reason why other then to fulfill there insecure ego.
I will answer your derogatory remarks towards Americans but first I can sse your negativism towards us by the way you asked the question.
Now to your answer. For different reasons. I will ask you a question, how do you know what are the needs of an individual? Obvious it does not fit their needs? How do you know what are their needs? Do you judge by body size? How do you know if a lady does volunteer work as many I see do and have big size vehicles to carry children and things to let us say a party at a youth center or for a soccer game?
Do you judge intellect on the size of the care someone has? Wow! I will not fall for the same thing you are doing. I will leave it at that.
Insecure ego? You need to do more psychology research because if you cannot think of any other reason than ego, you need to learn and read a lot. Again, I am not going to judge your intellect, mental, emotional, and maturity based on your comments.
However, I will, again, give you an asnwer to your questions: For different reasons. Sure some may not make sense and some may.
Also, we Americans do not understand why people from other countries do things the way they do. Guess what? People from other countries do not care what we think of why they do thinks their way and pretty much we do not care about them. We are happy, they are happy.
I have been in about 25 countries and in about 30 states. There is variety in this world in culture and how societies developed and came up with their unique ways of looking at life and living it. If you read more about history, sociology, human behavior, psychology, etc. you may get a clearer answer to your question.
Big cars are one of the benefits of living in a successful, modern, and powerful economy like the U.S.
You're resentful and jealous. I get that. However, become as innovative and hard-working as the average American and maybe one day you too can afford a big luxury item.
I agree. However, a better example of a big car would be this one (not mine; a friend's) which is about 3 feet longer than an Escalade...
this is a troll thread. you all know it. how many times have we seen this exact same thread? yet, once again, this thread is 4 pages and still going, because you all get emotionally involved, giving the troll OP exactly what he/she wants. at this point, the only response to this tired thread should be
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