Why European automobile?

[TSE]

This thread is mostly for Americans, but Europeans can chime in too.

Are there any advantages to purchasing and owning a European automobile over an American one if you live in the USA?

I've always appreciated cars, and as a freshman in college I like looking at what each company has to offer.

I compare all the American brands to the European brands, and the European brands are usually 10-20k more expensive for comparable models, and I have heard stories of how expensive European repairs can become in the USA.

So, for people who have owned european automobiles, or have heard stories, etc... what makes them worth it?

 

[garybUK]

This may be the same from your point of view across that side of the pond but in reverse..... but the American car's here are usually terrible in design, reliability and economic sense. They are usually big, lumbering and not very fast with poor materials. The trouble is, each manufacturer is different in each country as they usually have 'localised' versions. e.g. VW manufacture in TN and Mexico... Ford, here, manufacture in Belgium, Spain & Germany.

It's probably no surprise that, of the big three (in america) GM & Ford has their profitable arms in European subsiduaries (Ford Europe, Opel/Vauxhall).

The japanese and korean brands, are basically rip off designs with very very poor materials (I have owned Lexus and they are shockingly bad compared to even a VW Golf). They are not that much more reliable and they can not make a decent Diesel engine (Lexus IS220D 2.2 Diesel got 24mpg whereas my 3.0 litre petrol BMW 3 series get's 40mpg!!)

 

[JBazz]

Well this is just my humble perspective on why I switched.

I saw a car I fell in love with aesthetically. It just happened to have a three pointed star on the grill. I still think it is the best looking thing around.

After having owned it a while, I love how solidly built it is. I test drove several American and Japanese cars when I needed a new car, and they just felt less substantial body wise. Just closing the door after I get in was a huge difference.

But they are expensive to repair and maintain, I pay over $100 for an oil change and my catalytic converter was $2k. But my insurance gives me a discount for safety.

When I did buy another car, I went with a jaguar. This time I went in knowing it is probably going to cost me an arm and a leg and will hopefully last 10 years before I need another car. Last time I thought I had a 20 year car and fully intended to drive as long as it could pass a safety inspection.

I think 10 is about average for US and European, before they start needing a lot of maintenance. Japanese probably do better on average. But that is just my uneducated guess, I acknowledge I could bewrong.

One of the things that bothered me about my Mercedes c class was the perceptions others have of you. They either think it was expensive or think I bought it to pose as I couldn't afford a bigger/more expensive one. Neither was true. I bought it because I loved it, Mercedes never appealed to me before this car.

 

[acidfast7]

European cars are much higher quality. Have you ever driven a C6 Corvette? Have you ever driven an Audi A6/S6/RS6 Avant? Maybe the C6 is faster, but the A6 is much better to drive.

 

[Dr McKay]

Ford over here in the UK have gotten much better, although there used to be a running joke that Ford stood for "Fix Or Replace Daily".

Nowadays, fuel economy-wise American cars made and sold in Europe tend to be on par with other European brands, if they tried to sell them over here with the same Miles-per-Gallon rating as they did in the USA, noone would buy them.

 

[neiltc13]

I compare all the American brands to the European brands, and the European brands are usually 10-20k more expensive for comparable models, and I have heard stories of how expensive European repairs can become in the USA.

So, for people who have owned european automobiles, or have heard stories, etc... what makes them worth it?

The reality is that the only European models that ever really make it to the USA are those from the premium manufacturers (BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz etc). Americans don't really seem to have time for cheap European cars, so Fiat, Rover, Seat, Skoda etc will not make it over there.

 

[UlsterApple]

The reality is that the only European models that ever really make it to the USA are those from the premium manufacturers (BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz etc)

and of course cars which are NOT German, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Range Rover, Jaguar, Bugatti etc sometimes slip across too.

 

[renewed]

and of course cars which are NOT German, such as Range Rover, Jaguar,etc sometimes slip across too.

German ftw. BMW to be precise.

And Range Rover is a model made by Land Rover, a UK company. Jaguar was actually bought by Tata Motors which is Indian.

 

[noisycats]

I drive a VW Golf GTI by choice. There is no American car comparable although spirited versions of the Ford (Focus?) are getting 'warmer'.

There is a level of refinement, fit and finish, handling, fuel economy, output, and size that, until recently, the US hasn't even bothered to compete against.

The big three were not (and are largely still not) interested in me as a customer, so I took my business to a company (and country) that was.

 

[quagmire]

European cars are much higher quality. Have you ever driven a C6 Corvette? Have you ever driven an Audi A6/S6/RS6 Avant? Maybe the C6 is faster, but the A6 is much better to drive.

Luxury sports sedan vs a sports car.... Not exactly a fair comparison there.

More like CTS/-V vs A6/S6/RS6 and now ATS vs 3 series vs A4 vs C-Class, etc.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I think that many Europeans take a very snobbish view of their cars versus American and Asian cars. Some of the worst cars ever foisted upon an innocent public have rolled out of the great auto manufacturers of Europe - with England, especially in the latter half of the 20th century, being a particularly greivous offender at times. So don't let Euro-snobbery fool you.

With that being said, some of the best cars in the world come out of Europe, and many of my favorites are made there.

The short answer, in my opinion, is that no region of the world can be said to make the "best" cars, since "best" is totally subjective. Europe, Asia and the US are all capable of making great cars, and all currently make a number of terrible ones as well. I would argue that the US's best days in this industry are currently in the past, but a few great cars are still made here.

 

[wordoflife]

I would say that European cars are a bit higher quality. And you can also get some decent resale value. American resale values are generally not that good.

We love our Volvo. Design, comfort, safety, performance.

I personally do not like American cars. I know they're good/reliable/whatever but I just don't like their style/how they feel.

 

[yg17]

I drive a VW Golf GTI by choice. There is no American car comparable although spirited versions of the Ford (Focus?) are getting 'warmer'.

There is a level of refinement, fit and finish, handling, fuel economy, output, and size that, until recently, the US hasn't even bothered to compete against.

The big three were not (and are largely still not) interested in me as a customer, so I took my business to a company (and country) that was.

Same here. I love my GTI. Nothing else in the price range comes close. I love the fact that I can have a bit of fun driving it while hauling all sorts of crap in the back and still get more than 30 MPG.

I had a 2008 GTI that had an unfortunate early death in a bad accident (and I walked away from it without a scratch, so I found out the hard way they're safe cars too). I think the fact that I bought a new 2009 GTI to replace it without even bothering to look at other cars speaks volumes.

 

[acidfast7]

Luxury sports sedan vs a sports car.... Not exactly a fair comparison there.

More like CTS/-V vs A6/S6/RS6 and now ATS vs 3 series vs A4 vs C-Class, etc.

CTV-S

lol

have you even seen the center console, radio buttons on that thing?

 

[steviem]

I'm European and whilst I never really thought American cars (Ford in the UK always were referred to as Dagenham Dustbins, so I didn't really consider them American either) were either great or suitable for the UK. Since moving to the States and driving cars more like what I am used to (Nissan Versa, Ford Focus), a Mustang GT, a Challenger R/T, and a Charger SXT, I can tell you now that when it comes to buying a car here, it will be one of those 3 (well a Charger R/T).

If my wife gets something practical when she gets her driver's license, then I'll be free to get the Mustang or Challenger. Otherwise, I'll have to compromise with the Charger...

 

[quagmire]

CTV-S

lol

have you even seen the center console, radio buttons on that thing?

It's outclassed now( not when it came out in 2008), but if the ATS and XTS shows what the next CTS interior looks like, it will be impressive. But, the current CTS-V drives amazingly and still gives the F10 M5 a runs for its money and beating the E60 M5.

XTS:

ATS:

 

[acidfast7]

It's outclassed now( not when it came out in 2008), but if the ATS and XTS shows what the next CTS interior looks like, it will be impressive.

XTS:

ATS:

I have to say that those interiors look hideous, especially the angles.

Have you seen the seats in the RS3? And, it's much less expensive that the cars posted above.

 

[steviem]

I have to say that those interiors look hideous, especially the angles.

Have you seen the seats in the RS3? And, it's much less expensive that the cars posted above.

Cadillac shouldn't even get on the bus

 

[acidfast7]

Cadillac shouldn't even get on the bus

if you're 60 and like radio controls with green lights from 1970s calculators, than it's cool, I guess.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Have you seen the seats in the RS3? And, it's much less expensive that the cars posted above.

Nice, but those sporty seats are not for everyone. And 49,000 Euros is not less expensive than the ATS, which should debut at around $35,000ish, at least in the States, if reports are to be believed. Current Audis are ugly as sin on the outside BTW, with their huge, gaping grilles. I love the 1990s Audi look, but the current styling direction is a bit more vulgar than restrained.

With that being said, I'm not a fan of Cadillac's styling either.

 

[quagmire]

I have to say that those interiors look hideous, especially the angles.

Have you seen the seats in the RS3? And, it's much less expensive that the cars posted above.

We don't even know the price of the ATS and XTS yet and you're judging a cars interior over who has the better seats?

And again with the unfair comparisons considering the RS3 is the size of the 1 series...... We don't even know what the seats will look like in the ATS-V.....

Seriously, I don't care that you have different taste in cars than I do, but it seems like you are just trying to dismiss American cars simply because they are American and not European and bringing up the seats in a performance model of the A3 saying it is better than the regular ATS and XTS's interior is just proof of that. You keep on bringing up apples vs oranges comparisons in trying to say, " See!!!! Europeans cars are better than American cars!".

You first compare the A6/RS6/S6 to a Corvette saying it will drive better. Ignoring the fact they are two totally different cars and say the CTS-V would be a better comparison when it comes to driving. You bring up the interior then to prove superiority. I admit that it is outclassed now after being 5 years+ old, but show what the future brings. You come back with, " Well the RS3 has better seats!!!!".

 

[steviem]

We don't even know the price of the ATS and XTS yet and you're judging a cars interior over who has the better seats?

And again with the unfair comparisons considering the RS3 is the size of the 1 series...... We don't even know what the seats will look like in the ATS-V.....

Seriously, I don't care that you have different taste in cars than I do, but it seems like you are just trying to dismiss American cars simply because they are American and not European and bringing up the seats in a performance model of the A3 saying it is better than the regular ATS and XTS's interior is just proof of that. You keep on bringing up apples vs oranges comparisons.

No, it's just because your view differs to his. No other reason.

 

[acidfast7]

You keep on bringing up apples vs oranges comparisons.

that's because the Americans have nothing that competes, thus mitigating an apples to apples comparison

 

[Lord Blackadder]

that's because the Americans have nothing that competes, thus mitigating an apples to apples comparison

Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that American car enthusiasts are much more likely to have an informed opinion in this debate. You see, whereas we get to drive most of the popular European cars (particularly on the sport/luxury end), most Europeans have never driven an American car, and have only seen them in movies apart from the odd crappy Neon or other rare American import to Europe.

As I said before, I'll concede the American car industry is not what it once was in terms of leading the way in design and manufacturing of automobiles, but I don't think your opinion is founded on fact so much as "conventional wisdom" or stereotypes. If you spent time in the US and had a chance to drive cars here you might not be so adamantly dismissive of our auto industry.

 

[quagmire]

No, it's just because your view differs to his. No other reason.

I admit we have different views, but you can't say A6/RS6/S6 vs a Corvette is a fair comparison when it comes to how it drives or how seats in a performance variant of the A3 makes its interior better than the regular trims of the ATS and XTS.

He is making unfair comparisons and that is why I stated what I did.

that's because the Americans have nothing that competes, thus mitigating an apples to apples comparison

The only thing the Americans don't compete in with the vehicles you brought up is the RS3 as they don't have a 1 series/A3 sized vehicle.