American Reacts to Differences in Car Quality/Ownership Between Europe & The USA

[@simonekeijzer7468]

In Europe we have obrigatory checks and they can take the car off the road if it doesn´t pass.

[@verttikoo2052]

They will take the car off the road if it doesn’t pass. You have to fix it to get it pack to the road.

[@E38Bimmer35]

@@verttikoo2052 Not true. They wont take it off the road immediately, you can still drive home, fix that stuff and let them review it again at another appointment

[@jur4x]

@@E38Bimmer35 unless you get "danger" or "3" or whatever your local equivalent of that mark is. Than you can only leave testing centre on tow truck.

[@XLV750RD01]

Not true. If the car is not roadworthy and not fixable in reasonable time it will be confiscated. ​@@E38Bimmer35

[@stevemcgowen]

@@E38Bimmer35 Here in Prague if your vehicle fails a safety inspection is gets towed.

[@Scenario8]

I have been working in the automotive industry, in quality management, for almost 25 years, not for OEMs, but for tier 1, tier 2 suppliers. My experience is that when our customer is a Japanese or European OEM, we have to meet much stricter expectations than when we deliver to the USA. A VW group (for example) has much higher expectations regarding the quality of components and assembly than an American car manufacturer. This says a lot about the difference in quality and not in favor of American cars.

[@karstenbursak8083]

Let me guess: the US car makers also demanded a larger discount than the europeans and japanese

[@formatique_arschloch]

Just look at Volvo heavy trucks...the quality criteria in Europe is waaaayyy higher than U.S. made Volvo trucks. It's from a different world how different they are.

[@MarkusMöttus-x7j]

Agreed, the required quality and quality control on US made vehicles is insanely atrocious compared to Europe😂

[@ristusnotta1653]

"rusting is not a brand specific thing" Mercedes-Benz: "allow me to introduce my 1995-2003 collection"

[@MarkusMöttus-x7j]

This 😂😂😂

[@DavidMateos56]

An European car brand or rent-a-car giant should sponsor this man and his family to an insane road-trip through Europe driving different cars from different eras on different countries tasting different soda flavors, beers and wines. Someone make it happen.

[@nenadmkd]

The 1.9tdi is definitely bulletproof. That engine runs and runs and run and runs...

[@danielcarvalho-hx4vj]

@@nenadmkd so are B and K series engines

[@brrebrresen1367]

engine runs but the turbo though have a bat habit of going "bleh" around 250k km and cost a good amount even for 3'rd party options. but then, the turbo blew on my 98 Golf IV 1.9TDI around 230k, and engine was still running ok (albeit seriously lacking in power) when some lady crashed into it 3 years later and it had 345k km. never mentioned the turbo to the insurance so got the same as a fully working Golf IV with 300k was worth then.... so around 2000€, or the price of a loose turbo for the car.

[@GiuseppeLeopizzi]

Vehicle reliability is a different concept in the US and (mostly) Europe: you basically drive cars until they a) kill you, b) kill a pedestrian, c) fall apart and it costs too much to repair them. . And not exactly in that order. Your Crown Victoria would not pass MOT in Europe. Know this.

[@MrRaymania]

can confirm. most people drive their car to shit then export it after 10-15 years

[@afrog2666]

Or D: is a Cybertruck 😂

[@GiuseppeLeopizzi]

@@afrog2666 it clearly falls into case b: it is designed to kill pedestrians.

[@kukipett]

@@afrog2666 Cybertrucks are not imported, for example the car body cannot have a sharp angle in many countries, so the Cybertruck design doesnt match the regulations.

[@hadiamrane]

@@kukipett Thankfully, we have the EU with their regulations! Not all of their regulations make sense, but this one sure does. Just imagine if you head gets hit on to that angle...oof. 😅

[@MrLarsgren]

you should check out what the vehicle inspections involve and allow in europe. some see it as annoying while most people like the idea since the inspections every 1 or 2 years guarantee road safe vehicles. its always cheaper to prevent a problem than to drive it into the ground and then have to repair alot.

[@Hipas_Account]

I'm from Finland and i mostly drive older vehicles 20+ years, and none of my cars ever get through inspections with the 1st try, or atleast not without some advisories. When i recently owned a 2015 Peugeot 208 and took it to the inspections, i was actually bummed out i got nothing wrong on the car, because i feel as though that just because the inspector doesn't find anything wrong, doesn't mean theres nothing wrong in the car, and so i still kept just as vigilant about how the car performed even if it were old just because now i didn't know if there was anything wrong. Mostly just a me thing, but when you're used to wear items needing taken care of, you kind of expect that to be on any car. Luckily i'm back into a 20+ yearold car that i know has troubles, so i can have my mind at ease :DDD

[@hadiamrane]

@@Hipas_Account Peugeot makes great diesel engines. Petrol too, but just avoid the 1.2 Puretech (which also other stellantis brand use), otherwise, good cars, very reliable, just your normal maintenance.

[@Hipas_Account]

@@hadiamrane Oh yeah, Peugeot has made great diesels since like the 60's and 70's, nowadays that BMW derived engine they have is one of the worst from what i've heard.

[@MisterChrisInTheUK]

I did over 300,000 miles in a SAAB 9-5 I had. Before that I did 240,000 in a 900. So sad that SAAB was basically killed by GM's bean counters.

[@dcar]

They were told to use the GM parts bins to save money as they were haemorrhaging money but still went ahead and made their own parts / tooling etc so the plug was pulled. If they had been making money it wouldn't have been an issue.

[@23GreyFox]

@@dcar GM wanted to save money in forcing SAAB to use worthless parts.

[@rahansk8200]

20 years with a Mercedes W211 diesel station wagon in Europe, not a spot of rust on the chassis, or elsewhere., she slept on the street in town, and I am not in a dry region, there is snow and I went to the mountains with it, 180,000 miles..... I got rid of it because my city banned old diesels. the average age of purchasing a new car in France is 55 years old, and 52% of new car buyers are businesses..22,000 euros is the average budget in France.1 car in 6 purchased is new, so 5 out of 6 are used on the market

[@ristusnotta1653]

you are lucky its not W210... it would rust from a droplet of water

[@CM-ey7nq]

My first car was a FIAT Mirafiori. Loved that thing, but it was a very bad idea long term in Norway. If I just parked it several kilometers from the North Sea the side facing the North Sea would almost rust overnight. My second car was a Volvo. Sometimes I just love our Swedish neigbours and their ingenuity. Yes, they can be - I dunno - very Swedish at times, but they sure know how to build things that last. Insert random IKEA joke here is you must ->

[@dsludge8217]

If I remember correctly, Geijer A/S had plans of importing Volvos as CKD kits for assembly in Norway, with some norwegian-sourced parts, including their own radiator grille and badges saying Geijer instead of Volvo. Kind of like SEAT in Spain did with FIAT cars. "Norske Geijer - for norske veier!"

[@myssadonno2759]

As far as i know, here in Europe the following is normal, small service every 20.000km, checking everything and oil changes. And then alternate with the ''big service'' oil changes and all filters and full check of the car.

[@MickeyStartraveller]

25:00 "Prost BOSS" is right! 😁 He was an absolute genius, the only one who could race and beat Senna in the 80's. All time favorite!

[@patricktrakzel9657]

He is the professor.

[@digidol52]

From the UK - most reliable car I've had was a Skoda Fabia, had it eight years from new. It cost me an annual oil and filter change, one set of tires and one fuse (£1.50).

[@adpop750]

4:00 "I feel like rust is not really brand specific" you are objectively incorrect on that because different brands use different quality steel to make their cars. French, Italian and Japanese brands use lower quality where as German and Swedish brands use higher quality steel. And let's not forget Audi who started galvanizing the car-bodies in the mid 90s, THEY DON'T RUST. I like cars but I'm also a motorcycle guy and there is also something like this going on. If you compare the big Japanese motorcycle brands Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki, the same kind of bike with same specs, the Honda is always €1000-€2000 more expensive. You can't see anything different quality-wise when they are brand-new, but when you look at second hand bikes 10+ years old, all the nuts and bolts on a Honda, there is no rust, on the other brands there rust and you see how they are worn down by riding in bad weather conditions. That's is where the €1000 - €2000 extra goes, in the quality of the steel used.

[@verttikoo2052]

And then there is the Tesla Cyperrust 🎉

[@dirkspatz3692]

And sometimes even german Brands used cheap east european steel for cost cutting - like VW in the late 80s early 90s (when a spanisch born US Manager from GM first ruined Opel and then tried it with VW). VW needed a huge Quality campaign (using "expensive" AUDI - Rust Protection methods (fully galvanized) on their VW Cars to get rid from their "rust from factory" image they got from the José Ignacio López de Arriortúa - time).

[@lynnm6413]

@@dirkspatz3692 makes sense…because my Golf IV (VW Rabbit) 1998 rusted like crazy even though it had been sitting in a garage for years, and even me getting it in 2009, for half of the time I also had a garage….the sunroof leaked like crazy, too. I had had a Golf II before which was fine, being white and never saw the inside of a garage….drove like a tank, too…best ‚Straßenhaftung‘ / road grip in a curve I‘ve ever had…saved my life, too!

[@foxy126pl6]

French cars actually dont rust that much from my expirience

[@dutchman7623]

In the past it was, but nowadays differences are much less. Alfa Romeo was famous for crumbling away on the parking lot.

[@NenadTrajkovic]

In my country of Serbia 🇷🇸 most old cars are in did VW group TDi and Mercedes diesels,then Renault, Peugeot and Fiat Group petrol cars.Oldest Japanese cars are 90s Toyota Corollas, Mitsubishi Lancers and Honda Civics. Occasionally you can find but rarely Rovers from early BMW fase. If want new car you have both options, but mostly you have to order and wait because they always have most optioned cars only in car lots My favorite car brands are Alfa Romeo and Lancia but I very much like Franch brands too

[@foxy126pl6]

In Poland korean cars are also popular

[@joannebeastall3145]

UK here, I drive a Kia which is South Korean, never had a problem with it as get it serviced, I'm lucky though my husband is a mechanic so he does it and we have yearly MOT's on our cars

[@piotrbis8867]

Japanese cars are popular in some countries in Europe. This year Toyota sold more than 100 000 new cars in Poland, more than any other brand.

[@foxy126pl6]

True, they have an agressive advertising campaign im Poland. Other japanese brands though are not doing as well. My beloved honda is doing bad, same as subaru and nissan. Mazda is doing alright, and so does suzuki, but thats mostly becouse they sell quite a lot of swifts as fleet cars, and vitaras are relatively popular among older people, retirees etc...

[@Ikkeligeglad]

That is because you don't produce your own cars in Poland like us in Denmark where Toyota also is a popular brand, btw I drive a Toyota Avensis stw. 2.0 diesel. In countries where they make their own cars they prefer them as that means they keep jobs inside the country

[@ivankuzin8388]

@@Ikkeligeglad They make a lot of cars in Poland, definitely there are Toyota, Fiat and Opel factories, possibly more, as I'm not Polish and don't know this well :) I am in turn surprised that you make cars in Denmark :)

[@Ikkeligeglad]

@@ivankuzin8388 We don't (exept Zenvo) The cars made in Poland is not Polish

[@ivankuzin8388]

@@Ikkeligeglad Yes, there are no Polish brands, but I am sure it isn't just assembly, probably a lot of suppliers are local to Poland, too. Hard to say, where we draw a line to call a car as belonging to some country. For example, is Volvo Swedish or Chinese now? Is Skoda Czech or German? If we are very strict and only considering main brand country, then there are few countries in a world with own cars - US, Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, Korea, India

[@hanes2]

The pricing is so different. I mean, in america. Like I just checked Tesla's website; The long range model 3 rwd be $29,990... while here in europe, it's 47 169 eur.

[@furacker]

I think that much of this is also that they don't disclose the total taxes and things like that, but anyway I expect that the European price will be higher

[@afrog2666]

Import from the US is always expensive, it goes for pretty much anything, not only cars, and we also of course have a lot of additional costs as far as storage and sales facilities goes, so that`s just how it is.. Buy Swedish next time lol, or get a Polestar or an i3 lol. We have options, but if they`re not domestic (so basically cars are out the window), it`s GOING to be more expensive. Being a smaller market also contributes to the higher prices since importers and dealers can`t get the same discounts as those who sell 10x what we do.

[@hanes2]

@ yes hence Americans thinks polestar is so much more expensive

[@Franco.Zanchi]

I have over 300 000 km on 20 years old 1.3 Toyota Yaris, and it still drives nice. Still holds 150 km/h on the highway for a couple of hours easily and it's good for city drives.

[@sonkerieckmann7183]

We own a 20 years old Nissan Primastar (9 seats van). I Just Had to weld some new parts to the chassis as they were rusted away 😂. Now ist good for another two years.

[@Kent.]

In Sweden you order the car you want. We also have to do mandatory controls of the car every year so that's why the cars is in good condition, if you don't keep the car in a good condition and they find something wrong you have to fix it or it's not allowed on the streets. When i service my 10 year old car they do the whole service from the service program and the car is still like new.

[@gutz1981]

Hey man, have you heard about the new Documentary being done on the Australian classic car chase movie Running on Empty?

[@teamlegendary4827]

In Hungary the average age of cars is almost at 16, and most people still buy used cars imported from the west (Austria, Germany, etc.). There needs to be a localisation process (license plate, vehicle registration certificate, vehicle inspection certificate etc.) done and most people buy via local used car dealerships, since, I'm pretty sure, there is only one place in the entire country where you can localise your car, and even that is done via good old paper, and is yet to be digitalized. Experienced car dealerships already have the neccesary connections to handle this paperwork, so it is easier and cheaper for them. In the used category the most popular cars are the Opel Astra (~29000), followed by the Suzuki Swift (~19000) even though both have factories in the country producing NEW cars. You have to go through a tedious registration process, manditory vehicle insurance, origin check (to check if the car is stolen) and so on to be able to actually use the car in traffic, so you can't just pop-in and buy the car and drive it home, even if you buy a new car.

[@Niegezien]

I would say most new cars are company lease these days. There usually arnt too many new cars on the lot here in the Netherlands, its mostly demo vehicles and second hand models. Most new cars are made to order.

[@afrog2666]

Here in Oslo, and Norway in general, we`re close to the ocean, so there`s a lot of salt, roads are also salted although they try to avoid it, so things like corrosion prevention and regular checks are pretty important if you want things to last, not just cars, but buildings and stuff too. The materials used near the coast in Oslo are different from ones they`d use further inland, at least that was the case WAY back when I was in renovation (: Edited because I wrote sorted instead of salted lol :p

[@afrog2666]

Btw, Subaru is a good choice in ANY country, never met a Subaru owner who complained about alot of issues with their car, it`s like Toyota -1 or 2 points hehe

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

As Dane we use salt on our roads with problems, if the cars aren't properly protected with special oil inside. And European and Japanese cars are intended to be protected. Years ago Chrysler, as part of the old car styling, VW, Mini, and Citroen, made an old-timer-looking model, like a fifties Model. And coming to Europe it was nearly impossible to protect against rust, as the Americans hadn't thought this was a possibility!!

[@Phiyedough]

No mention of mandatory inspections but that is what forces Europeans to look after the tyres, brakes, suspension, steering etc. Legislation can also influence what car you drive. Ultra low emission zones have led to a lot of perfectly sound cars being scrapped because they don't qualify for a certain low pollution category. Effectively you get fined every time you drive the car in certain parts of the country.

[@razvansas4443]

I had a 1.6 TDI VW Golf 7 for 5 years and drove it over 100 000 km, had no problem with it and I liked it so much that I now have a 2.0 Golf 7 GTI. Speaking from experience they are very reliable.

[@Nostromo1966]

That rare Porsche is the 550 Spyder, the one that actor James Dean died in and by the way it appears in the first Top Gun movie.

[@Mega_Trond]

Wrong😂. 356 speedster in top gun, not 550.

[@Nostromo1966]

@@Mega_Trond That's right, I was wrong, do you have to laugh?

[@augure2589]

These days in Europe most people, at least the cars people, know and say japanese are the more reliable. Back in the 70's, 80's, early 90's, the top of reliability was basic Peugeot and Mercedes. Tons of old Peugeot 504, 505, 405 or Mercedes 190, 200 had a second life in Africa where they easely reach far more over a million Kms (or Miles same thing at this point!).

[@kobbetop]

I have ordered one new VW in Finland and it took 6 months to arrive back in 2011. Other cars have been in the showroom and that way it’s possible to get a better deals I think but then you have to accept the spec it has. Our car market is small and taxes are high so the dealers tend to order very Spartan base model cars to get the price as low as possible. Cloth seats and smallest rims. And in colours white or black. 😂We have a long history of extremely high car taxes even though the living standards have been high a long time. Supercars and such are almost non-existent since the taxes are calculated by CO2 emissions.

[@dianabialaskahansen2972]

Here in Denmark we have several checks, to keep the cars safe for yourself and others. First off there is a check every time you pass a certain amount of distance, depending of the car. My own car needs a check every 30k kilometers (around 20000 miles). Here they check tires and do a check of engine and such. They give recommendations if anything should be fixed or if something is close to needing fixing, just to make you aware. Every 4 years we also have an obligatory check. It checks a lot more and they give you a pass or fail. If you fail, you need to get that fixed and then need another check to get a pass. After like 30 days after failing and not getting another check, your car will be declared not road-worthy and you will be forbidden to drive it, until you fix things and successfully go through the check.

[@MrReese]

I have to disagree with some of the statements shown in the video. For example, yes, depending on the country (!) Diesel was and still is cheaper than Gasoline. However, it's nowhere *near* 50% less, it's more like 10% less! Also, the reason people buy Diesel cars is simple: they need less fuel, period. Gas/Diesel prices in Europe have been a LOT higher than in the US for as long as I can remember so saving on fuel costs is very relevant here and Diesel engines just use less fuel, sometimes significantly less. So Diesel cars make sense *especially* for commuters who need a lot of fuel to drive around a lot. Regarding reliability, Japanese cars are seen as reliable here, there is no question about that. But that is true for mostly older Japanese cars, same as it is true for mostly older German cars. If you get an old Mercedes that's about as reliable as you can get, except for the rust topic, which is a problem for most cars here because they use pebbles and salt on the roads in winter and that just destroys cars if you don't look after them properly. Regarding maintenance, that is a very interesting topic. For example, here in Austria you need to have your car inspected every year once it reaches a certain age (I believe it's 7 years of age or so). And the inspection is thorough and costs money. They look for problematic rust spots, they look at how well your engine is running, they look at your chassis and suspension parts, they look at the tires, they look at exhaust fumes (to see whether your catalytic converter is working properly, etc.), they look at all your fluids, they check the boiling point of the coolant, they look at all the lights and the condition and alignment of the headlights, and so on. All of this is done in order to make sure your car is fit to drive and not a potential safety hazard on the road. If you fail the inspection you need to have your car fixed because otherwise it loses its road legality. Also, when you want to mod your car (i.e. not OEM rims, not OEM suspension, even different tire sizes, and so on) you gotta have it checked by a technical engineer who specializes in stuff like that to make sure your car is fit to drive with these mods. That costs 200+ EUR to do. You then have these mods registered to that specific car and you gotta keep that registered paper thingy and have it with you in the car, to show the police if they stop you because of these mods, for example. So yeah, car ownership here is not a walk in the park 😅, but all of these things combined with the fact that getting your driver's license costs 4 figures and includes a thorough theoretical training program and many practical lessons with instructors means that driving around here is quite safe compared to some other countries and regions.

[@patricktrakzel9657]

In the Netherlands the road tax for diesel cars is much higher. So you need to drive 40 or 50 k a year to compensate for that. In Spain it is a different situation. I see a lot of diesels here. In every country in Europe the situation is different. It is not uniform.

[@MrReese]

@@patricktrakzel9657 I suppose you read that I particularly mentioned "depending on the country (!)"? ;) But what's not depending on the country is that Diesel cars use less fuel and that's why people who drive a lot buy them.

[@bogoljubdjordjevic7528]

In my country diesel is long time more expensive then gasoline at least 10 years and that why can buy many good cars 2000cc and over diesel bcs we pay much for cc and we register car's every year what is bs before was on 5-10 years now if you have Audi A4 2000cc diesel you will pay 500-600e and that's why they are cheap nobody wish to throw money before diesel was much cheaper and all have logic only we don't like bcs winter and problems with start engine!

[@dirkspatz3692]

Audi Base models: I searched in Germany for the "cheapest" Audi A4 on their Web page (No idea how much the US- Base model costs) or better I tried but they supply no information on the web page (or hide it so good that nobody will ever find). Therefore I used the Page of The ADAC (the German AAA) with the latest A4 Model they have in their list: Audi A4 35 TFSI (08/20 - 11/23) the newest I found at the page of the ADAC (German AAA) Base price 38,150€ WLTP consumption (don't trust this numbers) 6.0/100km -> 39.2 US MPG / 47.08 UK MPG Power 110kW (150PS or 147.94 HP) Engine: 1984ccm (2 liter) inline 4 Gasoline/Petrol with 270Nm and manual 6 Gear Gearbox. Direct injection turbo charged. Max Power at 4000rpm, max torque at 1300rpm. MOST important number for the US!!!!! 0-60 in 8.6s And the theoretical numbers US people don't need to know (you know Speed limit, cheap gas etc) Max Speed 210km/ - 130mph Tank Volume 54l -14.2US-Gallons (So enough fuel to do 900km/560miles - in reality more like 750-800Kilometer/ 450 - 500 Miles) Securety Airbag front (driver and Passenger) - included Side Airbags front - included Side Airbags back (f*ck the children) - NOT IN BASE MODELL Seat-Belts (Front and Back) - Yes ABS - Yes Brake assistant - NO (only included in the extra Safety Package - Expensive) City - Emergency brake System - Yes Collision Warning - Yes ABS/ESP - Yes (maybe because mandatory in EU) Fog lights / dynamic breaking lights - Yes Not included (only when buying additional packages) Cruise Control, HUD, Lane assist, ...

[@stevemcgowen]

A1 Sportback starts at 22.9k euro in Germany. A1 is the cheapest Audi in Germany.

[@hazeman4755]

Here in Finland the car statistics are a bit different than in most of Europe, mainly because of the high car tax and a fairly large but sparsely populated country. Actual reliability is important for many people and Toyota Corolla has been one of the most sold cars for decades because it's mechanically very reliable and is a suitable size. As was mentioned in an earlier video, a Dacia model has been the most sold car in Europe this year and in Finland they barely sell any cars. Also, small cars that are popular in southern Europe have never been very popular here. Medium sized (category C) cars like Corolla and Škoda Octavia have always been the most popular, especially as station wagons. Because of our tax policies regarding diesel fuel and cars, diesel cars have also never been nearly as popular as in central and southern Europe, except for people who drive much more than the average. Because of our cold and wet climate and salt usage in the winter, you can absolutely see a difference in rusting between different car brands and models. Nowadays the difference is not as big, but for example in the 80s some Japanese cars were rusting a lot (also some European cars). My father had a Toyota Hilux diesel and mechanically it was running perfectly, but it was rusting so badly that he had to get rid of it. We also have a yearly car inspection for older cars like all of Europe and back when US cars Chevrolet and Chrysler were still sold in some numbers, their models were always among the cars with the highest fail rates, which might have been one reason why they never were very popular. Regarding VW, I own my third Škoda Octavia Combi 1.5 petrol and manual, which is technically a Volkswagen, and haven't had a single technical issue in 12 years. Having said that, I drive much less than the average, so can't speak of high km cars.

[@Hipas_Account]

I think it's still good to mention that American cars here in Finland and Nordic countries in specific do tend to be WAY more common than elsewhere in Europe, be it the most classic stuff or the more modern stuff, also some rather humdrum cars like the Chrysler Voyagers and Neons, or Dodge Avengers and Calibers. I mostly focus on French cars since my budget is very low and nobody cares about French cars, so if you know what you're getting into, you can get some absolute deals. But also having my father be an American car nut, i also have a love for American cars, owning a 1991 Chevrolet Caprice, while he has a 92 Grand Cherokee and 91 Bronco II, he has had over 35 US cars in his life... so far.

[@MichelR67]

When buying a new car I first configure the car online at the brand website and then go to car dealer and order the car there trying to get a good deal. So car is specific to my wishes. The Netherlands here.

[@Crackalacking_Z]

I bought all my cars off the lot, because I want to see and test-drive what I buy. The density of dealers in Europe is so high with their network of available models, that you can easily find the right combo of features and engine without much effort.

[@Kent.]

The Porsche 550 Spyder that you have on that picture sold For $5.5 Million in Marsh this year. So yeah... they are expensive!!

[@MrLarsgren]

Ian remember the chicken tax also include import of european vehicles to US. that alone raise the price 25%. the US got petty and implemented it after europe banned US meat. the shipping itself is not what raise the price difference. less than a month ago i checked prices at a car shipping company. the price was $ 1200 even for a large SUV shipped from florida to germany. the vehicle need to be able to move on its own "roll on roll off" so im sure a car company can get even lower prices when shipping cars in bulk. so yeah you dont have to drop the dream of a nice volvo or skoda or whatever brand you want imported as a manual.

[@jpdibongue6813]

Europeans buy European brands more easily because there is also more choice of brands than in the United States which range from what I know to be 4 or 5 American brands that in Europe we must have triple which favors the choice in a European brand before turning to other continents, we still find Japanese cars in Europe but it is really rare to find American cars on the other hand

[@Alias_Anybody]

I mean, in Austria, you see basically 5 types of cars on the road: The BMW number series (2s, 3s and so on), the BMW SUV, the Volkswagen Golf, a random compact Skoda, or a Dacia station wagon.

[@danielcarvalho-hx4vj]

In southern Europe we don't have the rust problem like in the Balkan and the Japanese are seen as reliable.

[@kmartyCZ]

Idk, I quite vividly remember the "Alfa rusts already on brochure" 🙂

[@assarstromblad3280]

To answer your question at 19:10 or so, here in Sweden my experience is that if people buy a new car they usually spec it either on the manufacturers website and order it, or they go to a dealer, look at show cars and choose and spec their car there. In my family we have almost always had leased cars through work for 3 years, but even then we got to spec them ourselves (with some budget and options restraints of course). I don't know if cheaper cars are often bought at the dealer directly, but we have never done that that I know of. We always have volvos basically, because you know, swedish :)

[@qualitytraders5333]

Living in Mexico in the winter and The Netherlands in the summer, I have a 2007 VW Passat V6 3.6l 4 Motion made in their Moselle plant in Germany. It's clasified as a 5 seat Sport Sedan. I bought it when I retired to make a 4 month road trip to the US, as I have worked for American companies since I was in my 20s and driven company cars and wanted to get to know the real US, avoiding the big cities. After that I did the same in Mexico. Most of the electric system for the accessories doesn't work anymore as all parts are Made in China, but mechanically the car is sound and we use it only in a 20 mile radius. For road trips we use my wife's van, a Honda Odyssey Touring as we need the space for our 3 dogs and luggage.

[@Brauiz90]

The best thing about owning older cars? When you need a new door for your 14 year old VW Polo - go to the junkyard and get it there. They have many of them in storage, in different colors. I've been to a junkyard with a friend a few years ago and he got "new" tires WITH rims for his 22 year old Audi A4 for 60€ each . One of his rims was dented and that's why the tire couldn't hold the air in. A new rim set (only can switch both on the axle at the same time) would've been 120-150€ each - only the rims!

[@rickbrick6689]

I live in Slovakia. I have ordered brand new car (Skoda Octavia) from dealership 7.sep.2024. I selected trim level - then some additional packages,addons, color etc. It was made month later 16.oct.24. And after car is made they have like 2 weeks to deliver it to dealership. I had my car 30.10. brand new. You are able to purchase also some brand new cars directly from stock - but its not perfectly to your preferences. If trim level, addons, colors, etc fits you then perfect. But from most cases and people I know - most ordered car and waited for car to be made instead of buying specific trim level from stock. Other brand could have different waiting times. I asked in Skoda dealership - during corona - the longest wait time to order new car was over 1 year and 7 months - now its around 1,5 -2months waiting quee

[@meverkko]

I think a big reason for not taking care of the maintenance is people buying cars even if they can't afford it. In the US you don't really have an option. In Europe if you can't afford car maintenance you can use public transport.

[@twinmama42]

I agree with the sentiment about the fabrication site. We had a 1988 Daihatsu Hijet (mini.mini bus) from Japan. It was a really reliable car. In almost 30 years we needed 2 new exhaust and a new gearbox (because of short trip usage). Our town administration used the same type of Daihatsus and were very happy. But then they replaced them with new Daihatsus of the same type that were built in Italy by Piaggio (the guys who build Vespas). And they already started to rust before delivered. Very expensive with maintenance because of failing cars.

[@BoredSquirell]

In the past couple of years Suzuki made huge inroads into the East European market. They opened a factory in Hungary. Sometimes it seems every newer car on Hungarian roads is a Suzuki these days. 19:00 Usually you choose the spec, color, etc, sign the papers and then the car is delivered some days later (or 1-3 months later if you want a custom color for example). Taking it straight from the lot is only done with used cars.

[@Flutterbi]

I love Japanese cars, I had a Nissan Micra for over 10 years and it always passed it's MOT (the UK's yearly test to make sure it is safe to use)

[@lynnm6413]

I have a 19 year old Toyota Corolla, in Germany…my mother got that one new. Before, we used to drive exclusively Volkswagen Passat‘s and they lasted to 14-16 years old, until they were sold to Poland because they don‘t/didn‘t have TÜV regulations- Those were all gasoline motors. Unfortunately I am bad with numbers, but I know the 1981 green Passat was over 380K km on the first motor when I was 15, so a year older than the car.

[@espekelu3460]

When I bought a new car here in Norway, they had the car in stock, it was probably also because they had a campaign for that type of car then. When my father was going to buy a new Mercedes, he had to wait 7 months for the car before he got it. Today, it can take almost a year to get a new Skoda, as these have become very popular here in Norway. Audi and BMW as well as Mercedes are cars that are first ordered when you have decided on the model and equipment. But still, the car can arrive within a couple of months. Germany is not that far away. American new cars are sold here, but it depends on what you have in stock or in the shop. They are popular with some, but due to consumption, not many new ones are sold, and those that are sold are mostly small trucks/pick-ups. But you can see that there are only more and more of the old American cars, very popular, and then there are many brands, I think no one sells more than one. The cars are from the early fifties to the late seventies. My brother has had several, from Thunderbird to Gto, and Callanger to Mustang and Trans Am. And also had a Chew 1500 stepside from 1956, and an Internasional Scoot from 1972. The stepside went with a 327cm, had just over 400hp. The international had a streak of sixes, which he was supposed to change, but received an offer he could not refuse.

[@E33Tpro]

When it comes to differences in maintenance etc. between the US and Europe you can just look at construction machinery such as excavators as an example, here in Europe a machine with 8500h on it is barely broken in and looks almost brand new while in the US they're often completely thrashed and ready for a junkyard, the difference is huge. One reason is that we have annual inspections of pretty much all vehicles and heavy machinery here and we also take pride in our work and tools even if we don't own them ourselves because who doesn't like to have a nice and clean place to work at.

[@sbjchef]

I run a 2002 Passat 1.9tdi estate no problems in 4 years 50mpg easily if you don't spank it. The UK MOT forces maintenance so the annual service is normal.

[@damcoentertainment3956]

My grandpa from the Netherlands always used to buy his cars of the lot/showroom. He is a Ford loyalist btw. Personally, I like to configure my car if I wanted to buy a new one.

[@Twikiy]

you have more options here (spain): - the order new car: you order it and weit, usualy 3 to 6 months - the new car: new cars that the dealership have in stock (without a plate, unregistered) - the new registered car: new cars already registered (with a plate) usualy because the dealership have to registered x cars a year - "km 0": cars with less than 100 km, it can be a no plate, or a plate car, usualy those are the test cars the dealership have - manager car: only some official brands have this (not multi brand), a full spec car the manager of the dealership had for 1 or 2 years, for 40% to 60% less. this is more than a 2nd hand car, but usualy have less than 50.000 km. they dont announce it, you have to go in person and ask.

[@rolaroli]

I am from Skovenia. Most of the new cars that my family bought throughout the years were built to order. I would say that is also somewhat the norm here. Maybe less with budget cars, but if you get into the mid or high range that is certainly the case. In 2017 I bought a Lexus IS (it was a showroom model, fully specced). I loved it. The Japanese cars are regarded as very reliable here, but they are more expensive to maintain (when comparing similar cars) and are in general a bit less refined. Mostly in the tech department and the “feel” (plastics for example). Mostly talking about high end brands here. A Lexus will be reliable and last a long time. But you will pay for maintaining it and you won’t get as refined a car. They are also known to rust - a lot more than European cars. Keep in mind that Audi/Mercedes/BMW are still considered high end luxury cars here. It’s just that they do offer them with more base trim levels and you can get smaller ones that usually cost less.

[@MelodyMan69]

Americans have no ability to understand Service & Maintainance. They drive until the wheels fall off then wonder what went wrong. You are right "used to the bone" and then the repairs are very detailed and expensive because so many items are worn out or failed completely.

[@eirik_halvorsen]

I’ve never bought a new car myself. But I have indeed heard a lot of someone waiting for their new car to come! 🇳🇴 One thing is “the culture” but as important is space! By the looks through KZbin we can’t compare with US dealers!

[@BiggusD77]

Here in Norway, all cars are imports, so the same taxation system is used on all cars (based on weight and power), with electric cars being excempt for everything but the end-user tax. This makes American cars uncompetitive, because trucks are heavy and have big engines. German cars (+Skoda, Seat) are popular, of course, but Japanese and Korean cars are competing with them in the low-medium price range. If you want a BMW, it must be because you enjoy the sophisticated suspension and firm, precise ride and steering. That part of them is really good, but only when everything is in working order. If any of the 8-16 bushings on each wheel is worn, the others will soon also be worn and you have to replace all of them on all wheels in order to have the intended precision. This is obviously expensive. If you let them all wear out, you might as well buy a 80s Buick Wagon instead. This is why I won't buy German. Due to reliability issues I will also not buy English, French, "Swedish" and Italian. Due to build quality (and feel of quality) issues I will not buy American and Korean. Mitsubishi and Nissans are ugly. Mazda I have personal history issues with so no. I have a Toyota now but it was never a car I really wanted (long story), don't really like them. Hondas are also ugly, but I like Honda. So an older Honda it is, then.

[@ColonelHarry]

The pleasure to drive an italian or french car > reliability. Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Citroën... are cool. And to answer your question, yes, in Europe we usually have to order a new car and wait a few weeks (an german brands have a LOT of individual options, colours...). In my country (Belgium) when I was young there were a lot of small Golf, Opel, Renault, Fiat, Peugeot... but now it's all about grey/black Audi, Mercedes, BMW and even Porsche, usually bought in leasing by companies.

[@user-ul4ij2no1y]

I still have a Sierra Sapphire Cosworth from 93. just treated her like a goddess .

[@Hipas_Account]

Being from Finland i'd say it gives me a rather unique point of view, since we have tonns of variety compared to other European countries, and the average car age is also rather old. We in the Nordic countries also tend to have a rather large US car following, be it more modern or the older stuff, for example I own a 1991 Chevrolet Caprice, and my father has a 92 Grand Cherokee and a 91 Bronco II (baby bronco) and he has had over 35 American cars in his life so far. But also our traffic is more filled than pretty much anywhere else outside the Nordic countries, where we have LOTS of Volvos and Saabs. Only stuff we seem have less than for example Poland when i visited, is Italian stuff like Alfa Romeos and Fiats, we still have those but in way lesser numbers. Also visiting Poland i noticed way less Japanese cars than here in Finland. Here in Finland we have a bit of both worlds when it comes to European and American, where theres plenty of empty space and long distances, but also rather tightly packed cities. Toyota and Skoda funnily enough are always the top sellers with the Corolla and the Octavia. I am an avid enjoyer of French cars which don't tend to get as much appreciation as for example in the UK or Spain, but i also have inherited from my dad a love of American cars. American cars tend to offer larger engines all across the board with their cars often making them less efficient on fuel. Also you can get into a German "premium" brand much cheaper on the second hand market, and since prices aren't earth shatteringly high neither on parts nor labor, they tend to be the obvious choice, since having a cheap Mercedes still carries a bit more weight in a discussion at the bar/pub/water cooler, than a Toyota. Hopefully i didn't ramble on too hard and some of this made sense, it's just i find this topic tremendously interesting especially from the perspective of a French car enthusiast and their perception among people all over the world.

[@morbvsclz]

I always buy cars with reasonably low mileage (20- 40.000 km) and no older than 2 years. They are pretty much always returned company car leases (company cars have loads of tax benefits in Germany, so it's common for your employer to provide one as part of your compensation package). They are usually almost good as new and always totally OEM, since people can't mod their company car and servicing them to manufacturar standards and keeping them clean is mandatory. And most importantly -> The brutal depreciation of the first 1-2 years is behind them. So you'd get a mint condition, feeling (still smelling) new car for essentially 50% off. I just bought my 2022 Audi A6 55 TFSI e (PHEV) with 32k km on it for 43k €, when original sticker 2 years ago was 83k €. I'll put another 3k € in it though to retrofit some options that are missing for my taste... They went for optional red brake callipers, but not for a reversing camera? Wtf? While having very expensive options like panoramic roof selected. Plus I want a professionally installed Dashcam + the full color ambient lighting.

[@dallasfrost1996]

The mindset around the reliability aspect here in N.Z is very similar to the U.S. Older Japanese cars/trucks are still very common to see here. European cars are still relatively uncommon in comparison to other types.

[@Pankocik]

As for the photos, the first Alfa Romeo was called Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato - after the extravagant Italian design office. These were prototype cars released in small series, there were 1036 copies in total. Murcielago, despite its age, it is difficult to call it a classic compared to Diablo or Diablo SV F1 cars from the 80s and 90s were real rockets, the rules were not as restrictive as today. I had the opportunity to see the Porsche 550 in a rally version during a meeting of classic cars. At the same meeting I also saw the previously mentioned Zagato. The 550 is a beautiful car, equipped even with an old-school stopwatch on the dashboard to measure lap times. It's a pity that there is no possibility to insert photos together with a comment.

[@Just-some-other-guy]

5:00 yeah, i own a C7 Audi A6 here in DE, this kind of car is very common and not really anything special, parts are easy to find, people know how to work on them, so it's not so bad. But of course it's still an Audi, it can get pricey if something big goes compared to some smaller less "premium" cars. Most I've ever spent on it was 900 euro for replacing* both front upper-rear control arms with bushings and a pretty big coolant leak in the V between the banks.. it is almost 13 years old to be fair lol

[@Tonyblack261]

I'm in the UK and for most of my driving life (40+years) I have driven various used Fords. But, by far the best car s I've had were two Honda Jazzs.

[@vikingdragon2764]

Since oil changes in Netherlands wasn't as often, I wasn't used to get oil changes. My first car in North Carolina was a Honda CRX. I remember going to garage of a friend's dad to see if I could get an oil change... he asked what oil😮it was about gone. So after that I did it more frequently. But back in the Netherlands, I follow the advice of manufacturer of the Renault for maintenance and once a year the annual inspection. But oil changes not needed as frequently as in the US

[@miguelagramos]

My Golf is a 1.9TDI. Very good. not many problems. 25years and 300.000kms

[@paulozavala3232]

Most sold cars in Sweden 2024 Tesla Model Y - 16,587 Volvo XC40 - 13,641 Volvo XC60 - 11,697 Volkswagen ID.4 - 11,014 Škoda Enyaq - 6,335 Kia Niro - 5,127 Toyota RAV4 - 4,604 Volvo S60/V60 - 4,171 Kia Ceed - 4,108 Kia Sportage - 3,876 Top ten brands i Sweden Volvo - 1 381 023 Volkswagen - 999 841 Toyota - 460 927 Ford - 391 343 Mercedes-Benz - 364 464 BMW - 329 604 Audi - 302 761 Renault - 278 921 Kia - 275 193 Peugeot - 251 131 Topp 10 models in Sweden Volvo V70 - 283 128 Volkswagen Golf - 271 512 Volkswagen Passat - 183 646 Volvo V60 - 151 317 Volvo XC60 - 138 150 Volkswagen Caddy - 117 484 BMW 3-serie - 108 801 Kia Ceed 2007 - 98 458 Volkswagen Transporter - 96 434 BMW 5-serie - 88 696

[@sikkepossu]

A Finn here. I've been driving cars over 30 years and I always owned a Japanese car: Mazda, Suzuki, Nissan, Honda. Well, I had Korean car for a few months and a German car for a one day.

[@Rob1972Gem]

One thing you haven’t mentioned here in Europe and the UK, we have some of the highest quality compulsory vehicle yearly checks in the world this is a check you have to have done every year to make sure your car complies with all legal standards in the country you live which means you have to maintain the car because if you do not it will not pass its inspection test

[@DJarr216]

Before looking at maintenance, you got to take in mind what's considered road legal. From my perspective as a european, it seems that any shitbox with 4 wheels and a working engine is considered road legal in the US. If the bare minimum is required for a vehicle to be road legal, then it's easy to understand why only the bare minimum of maintenance is done. And it also makes sense for car manufacturers to build cars to run like that. Every €, $, £, ... saved in production cost = more profit for the manufacturer. Similarly, when doing R&D for a new car model, manufacturers would focus on what's required for their domestic market 1st. Doing R&D twice for the same car but different markets is just wasting money. As the standard for european road legality is higher, a higher level of maintenance is the natural consequence. Exporting to markets with lower road legality standards and lower maintenance, it makes sense for car manufacturers to label themselves as luxury brands in those markets. People with more cash to spend can afford the higher maintenance. Japan's domestic market is smaller compared to the EU, so it makes more sense for japanese manufacturers to focus on export from the start. And when export is the focus you want to target the largets amount of people (which is lower to middle class). So tending to the specific requirements for that customer base (the lower maintenance costs) makes sense.

[@module79l28]

Speaking from a portuguese perspective: we always had Toyotas, Hondas, Mitsubishis or Nissans but back in the 80's, 90's and 00's they were less sought after because they were more expensive than their european counterparts due to being imported from Japan. Back in those days, even BMWs were more common here than japanese cars. Now, add to the import fees the fact that in those decades many eastern european countries were under soviet rule or were still submerged in the post-soviet era independence turmoil and there's the probable cause for the lack of japanese cars in those countries.

[@maciejgajoch1774]

Fun fact.In Poland new Honda Civic 2.0 with terrible cvt transmision cost is 167000zł Basic brand new 2024 Audi A4 limousine 1.5 tsi with manual gearbox price is 165000zł. New 2025 Audi A5 with Automatic transmision price is 185000zł.So choice is simply. 1$=4zł

[@ettelewen]

European here, living in one of the wettest regions, under the Alps. Have 5yo Toyota Corolla, before thai had a 20yo Nissan and we also have a Mazda. Somehow missed a memo of japanese car rust lol. But sticking with japanese cars, no issues, good performance, comfy and looking good.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

In 22 yrs living in the UK, I owned two cars: a Mercedes 560 SEL, and then a Volvo V70 estate. Put together, engine problems resulted in these cars being off the road a total of three days in those 22 yrs. Living in the US for a total of 11 yrs, in two sojourns, I owned a Pontiac Bonneville SE, and later a Ford UNV. 31 days off the road in 11 yrs - or a rate 21 times higher than my cars in Europe. 🤔

[@Gazer75]

New on the lot cars have been rare here in Norway. Not enough sales to make it viable and I suspect the way taxes work it is expensive for the dealer. I've bought used mostly. Three of them from a local dealer and one private. Also specced out a new car at the dealer once. Been a VW driver for most of my life but started with a Ford Fiesta hand me down (grandpa->mom->me). Had 3 Golfs, 95/96 1.6L 74hp petrol, 2012 2.0L TDI 150hp and currently drive a 2020 e-Golf. All bought used. Also had an 89 model Corrado G60 for a while in the early 2000s. Took over my moms 96 VW Polo 1.4L and sold that to buy my only new car; a 2010 Polo 1.6L TDI 105hp. Had to swap to the 2012 Golf due to shoulder issues in 2015. Manual shifting was quite painful and the 2012 Golf was automatic.

[@biljancanin]

Tbh, here in the Nordic countries, at least here in Finland, the care manufacturer you see the most are Volvo, Honda, Toyota, and lately more Benz and BMW, but the holy trinity are Volvo, Honda and Toyota...

[@Stephanthesearcher]

vw in the us and vw in europe are different cars, diffrent engines, different gearboxes. also vw in the us are MAKABLE cheaper than in germany.

[@zeroone5097]

From what i have experienced here in the UK with buying a new car people tend to go look around at the choices then do the specs and the pre ordering , this seems to be the norm with my relatives that have done this , my brother recently bought a new Suzuki and wanted a particular colour and also 2 tone i.e a black roof and Gun metal body scheme , and had to pre order it which took about 1 month , i think the black roof cost an extra £ 500.00 , great vid Ian many thanks .

[@monksuu]

Here's the top 10 of most registered new cars in 2022 in Finland (make model amount percentage): Toyota Corolla 4668 5,8% Toyota Yaris 3144 3,9% Toyota RAV4 2248 2,8% Volvo XC60 2002 2,5% Škoda Octavia 2001 2,5% Kia Ceed 1892 2,4% Toyota Yaris Cross 1787 2,2% Nissan Qashqai 1720 2,1% Volvo XC40 1709 2,1% Toyota C-HR 1673 2,1% Lots of Japanese makes. But, here's the same for registered used cars in 2022: Volkswagen Golf, 21138 BMW 3, 15976 Mercedes-Benz C, 15602 Škoda Octavia, 15030 Toyota Corolla, 14497 Volkswagen Passat, 13735 Ford Focus, 13121 BMW 5, 12780 Mercedes-Benz E, 12672 Volvo V70, 10929

[@franciscoaraujo3770]

I have a Mercedes-Benz sportcoupe with 400.000k and run like new😊, and i have one Audi a3 1.9 tdi with 26 years and 950.000k , and run again like new💪💪

[@arctury.c]

That BM double U kills me every time haha, that's how language is.

[@Bot.number.69420]

I own few Hondas in Finland. Two USA ones, two japanese and one english honda at the moment. USA ones are pretty low quality except engine, then english ones have bad electrics due to outsourcing from europe and japanese are high quality, but they rust away. I bought two new Hondas and they took 8 months to be delivered and were specced to my requests. In my youth I owned Opels and Alfas and engines had issues in them. I got a used VW in a swap deal to Opel and it broke immediately. Vag are really good for maintenance industry as they break down mechanically but rust is less of issue. Few USA brand cars I know are big diesel pickups, vans or muscle cars for summer use. High cost of gasoline makes USA cars not a great option for dailys. Though some Dodge and small Chrysler models got official imports but not so popular. USA Honda models are not even imported here and both of mine are brought by people moving back from USA and taxes made them cost a lot more used than they were sold new in USA.

[@StergiosMekras]

Speaking from personal/family experience only... it's order with all the features you want 99% of the time.

[@yordan7879]

You should make an video about BMW's M57 engine. Its an inline 6 turbocharged diesel engine that's known to easily last 500000km without major issues. It's very easily tunable and very fuel efficient. We drive them a lot in eastern Europe. Sounds very mean especially the prefacelift BMW e60 535d with a straight pipe. And e46 330d of course. Literally the cheapest easy to maintain sport car here.

[@michaelcliffe562]

Compulsary road worthiness testing of vehicles in the EU has a positiv effect on the longevity I would say... You don't see cars driving around with bumpers falling off, smashed lights, rusted out door sills and bald tires for example as you might in the US. Basically you're obligated by law to maintain your vehicle in the EU..

[@vonsauerkraut]

I have a Mercedes Kompressor 180C with 320.0000 km on IT going well 👍

[@thomaspagh8988]

Whith the prices we have here in Denmark you can trible the price than in the usa

[@krakonstefano]

In Italy most of the cars sold are used. From my experience is better to buy a used car (not more than 15000km on) or a 0 kilometer car than a new one. When you buy a new car, the istant you order it, it lose value (the Vat, in Italy is the 22%) so when you buy a 50k new car, the next second the value drops to 40k. I bought an Alfa Romeo Giulietta with 12k kilometers on and less than a year of life for 16k €. A new one with the same features would have cost me 33k €

[@_o.O__]

In EU people cant just fix a pile of scrap metal put a plate on it and you are good.. : / Or just drive with fluids so old that they are becoming something else xD or worn brakes that could stop working at any time lol

[@quatra1000]

In Europe we consider US cars as technically inferior (fuel, suspension, performance and usable interior size) and that would make them difficult to drive here e.g. cornering on narrow uphill roads at speed. Also parking would be a problem.

[@stevemcgowen]

The cobblestone streets and tram tracks here in Prague would destroy US American suspensions.

[@superskrobb]

strange,, I live in western norway ,a lot of single line roads ,narrow corners steep hills etc, has had no problem with my us car ,has only had us cars the last 26 years............ or mybe i'm a better driver.......😉

[@uncle_matula]

The reason you don't see many Japanese cars in the former socialist countries is because there weren't any until 90-91, you could only buy a socialist car officially. In the 80's the then "West German" cars started to come in second hand because they were already famous for their quality, for example the W123 Merci was very popular, the Golf I, Passat, Opel etc. the W123 diesel was very popular, we just called it the vegetable Merci :D the fruit and vegetable shopkeepers loved the kombi especially, it was very easy to pack, it could carry everything, it was fuel efficient, it was simply unbeatable

[@lynnm6413]

Used to have a saying in Germany: Come to Poland, your car is already there…so many cars went ‚missing‘ and found themselves on a trip over the border!

[@badnewsbadger6660]

I don't know if it is a common line of thinking, but for me a new car is fresh of the factory after 6 months of waiting. A car picked at the lot might be of newer date but often you'd be at the very least the 2nd owner. There are showrooms around with fresh of the factory cars but I am like if I am planning on spending the money on a 1st owner car I want it to be me who chose the "trim" and not some standard containing most of the things I want.

[@dan_kay]

When you buy a new car in Germany, you go through all the options, you pick what you want, and they build your car. You will have to wait several months. I was never able to get a new car the same day. The cars in the dealership are show and test cars.

[@JohnRoberts-pt8cu]

Of course, you can buy straight off the showroom floor. If you don't want to wait three or more months for the car of your dreams, if you have deep pockets, you don't care if you have to wait. You just drive one of your other cars until their dream car is delivered, but people like yourself and me have to take what's there on the forecourt. Now talking about service, of course, that's the most important thing when buying a car, if you want to drive it over many years, just doing the basics, saves you thousands in the end, one or more oil changes per year, depending on the mileage covered per year, diesel needs definitely one oil change per year, the modern diesel two, it's always better too early than too late to change oil and fluids, keeping the car running and safe, now there's only one way to drive a F1 car, and that's fast and faster, you have to bring the tyres up to temperature to go around corners, without that, you will fly off the track, again a great reaction, hope for more, I have just been looking at the Honda N box and Suzuki K cars from Japan, absolutely fantastic little cars, with room for four 6ft people with ease to travel and still enough room for a small travel case per person, and if you get the car with adjustable rear seats, allowing for more space for luggage, but still allowing for enough leg room, these K cars are like Dr Who's Tardis, small outside, massive inside, enjoy your journey

[@anotherrealm4989]

In regards to the milage... I've my car now for over 10 years and haven't driven 75,000 miles with it yet. So yeah, that could very well be a factor in the different perspectives.

[@vast001]

At least in the Netherlands car dealers don't have that many cars in their shop/showroom. Brand dealers have mostly 1 car in their showroom for each model of that brand but that also depends on how much showroom floorspace they have. And I think that applies for most other European countries. You seldom see a car dealer with for example 50 new cars on their lot. Unless it is a second hand dealer. So that is why it is common in the Netherlands and other European countries we order to buy. You can order a car with the specs you want online on the website of the car dealer or of the brand of the car. I've driven the German car brand Opel my whole life (now 2024 Corsa but before that an Astra Stationwagon). My parents also drove Opel and my brother too drives an Opel car (Grandland but before that also an Opel Astra Stationwagon).

[@Diecastclassicist]

The RX-500 looks even cooler from the back.