OK, maybe not actually British cars, but cars that are available in the UK versus cars we have here in the US.
Diesel: No contest here, UK wins this one without debate
Straight line performance: USA wins, but who cares?
ECONOMY: UK wins, again there is no contest
VARIETY: UK wins this one, again no contest
Now to be fair, the American car market is really hobbled by our government regulations for safety and for emissions. The rest of the world uses other measurements and/or tax schemes to measure and encourage emission efficiency. The cars in the UK are simply better in many ways than the cars in the US, but it appears that very few are actually make or designed in the UK. Still I wish we could have their cars here.
I'm curious to hear what Vin thinks of the cars in OZ versus the cars in the US. I believe the Aussie roads are more similar to our American roads so some of the disadvantages associated with American cars may be moot and irrelevant to him? Then again, I may be dead wrong on that point!
Diesel: No contest here, UK wins this one without debate
From my observations, diesel was running about $1 more per gallon over the price of gasoline, as I was leaving prices were dropping but diesel was about $12 and gasoline about $11 per gallon. That said diesel cars were plentiful, seeming to be at least 40% of the newer vehicle, perhaps much more than 40% and they also seemed to get (based on the British car rags I picked up) at least 20% better fuel economy. For what its worth, I can only find 1 diesel car for sale today in the US, it is the Mercedes.
Straight line performance: USA wins, but who cares?
Yup, want to go fast in a straight line, the USA wins easily. We have dozens of cars that go fast and a long history of the same. Given that there isn't a straight stretch of road in all of the UK it is easy to say that our fast cars are pretty worthless on their roads. In fact given how narrow some roads are, some of our best cars won't even fit on their roads.
ECONOMY: UK wins, again there is no contest
There are several major reasons why cars in the USA get such lousy fuel economy. 1- Our environmental regulations measure emissions differently than other nations do so we cannot get a diesel engine to pass our emissions tests. 2- Even in gas engines we hobble the engines with catalytic converter units that rob economy. 3- Weight due to mandated safety features (5mph bumpers are very heavy). Simply put our cars weigh more and consequently get less fuel economy. 4- Safety features have a second effect, they prevent many of the small cars from ever getting to our shores because the tiny, and even some not so tiny, cars in the UK (and the rest of the world) can't pass our crash safety standards.
It all boils down to the fact that the same car in the UK versus its American equivalent will get at least 10% better fuel economy in the UK than it will get here.
It all boils down to the fact that the same car in the UK versus its American equivalent will get at least 10% better fuel economy in the UK than it will get here.
VARIETY: UK wins this one, again no contest
Basically the UK has most every car we have here in the states, and then a dozen other brands too. Further for each brand they have, most have many models that are not imported into the USA. By this I do not mean they have more variants of each model, I mean they have models.
However just looking at variants, the little Volvo C30 is available in the US in 3 trim levels with only 1 engine. In the UK that car is available with at least 4 or perhaps 5 different engines and each in multiple trim levels.
However just looking at variants, the little Volvo C30 is available in the US in 3 trim levels with only 1 engine. In the UK that car is available with at least 4 or perhaps 5 different engines and each in multiple trim levels.
Now to be fair, the American car market is really hobbled by our government regulations for safety and for emissions. The rest of the world uses other measurements and/or tax schemes to measure and encourage emission efficiency. The cars in the UK are simply better in many ways than the cars in the US, but it appears that very few are actually make or designed in the UK. Still I wish we could have their cars here.
I'm curious to hear what Vin thinks of the cars in OZ versus the cars in the US. I believe the Aussie roads are more similar to our American roads so some of the disadvantages associated with American cars may be moot and irrelevant to him? Then again, I may be dead wrong on that point!