American Reacts to Car Culture & Maintenance in Europe..

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[@randomnik70]

Lane discipline is mandatory in Europe. Not following it gets you fined. Apply that to the US and it will work as well.

[@Koen030NL]

Yes i just checked what the fine is for sticking in the left lane for no reason here in the netherlands. Its 270 euro, thats 300 US dollar. And this is regurlarly enforced as i have seen on many videos.

[@joseppedaia3673]

I have never seen (or heard of) it beeing enforced in germany though. Everybody is complaining about not following it, thats for sure!

[@dnocturn84]

@@joseppedaia3673 It is a thing in Germany too. 80€ fine plus 1 point in the register in Flensburg. But in order to fine you, it is required that a police video car is capturing proof of your violation. Those are somewhat rare to encounter and usually got better things to do, or more important violations to hunt for, than hunting you for lane discipline. Also the right most lane has to be entirely empty during your filmed violation, in order to legally and sucessfully fine you. That's why it's pretty rare to get fined for this in Germany. You must be really unlucky to ever get caught and you propably met some really bored highway policemen in the process, who actually cared for your violation.

[@automation7295]

@@dnocturn84 Lane discipline is mandatory everywhere in Europe, you ALWAYS overtake on the left, unless there's slow-moving traffic or if there's an exit on the left.

[@geraudamarger9884]

Here in France, we still have a lot of bad drivers who always stay in the middle lane on 3x3 motorways even if the rightmost lane is empty.

[@MaoZhu-j6q]

The difference in cars in Europe is the same as the difference in many things. Quality over quantity. Cars in Europe have to go through an annual roadworthiness test, so quality cars that will last and last so that do not cost too much to put right year after year is what we want. You mention the Golf, it is a highly popular car because it is a quality car, a safe car, an economical car, and a comfortable car, and usually a low maintenance car. The other huge difference between Europe and the USA is environmental awareness, we look for cars that do not guzzle gallons of fuel, fuel is expensive and above all else polluting.

[@fabr5747]

What you're saying is not true. First, Europe is not a country, every country has different rules. Switzerland, no road worthiness test in the first 5 years, and then every 2 years. ¨ Then, we are importers of fuel, and not producing fuel, so we have a different approach to cars. And despite all we are bragging about, SUV are now the most sold cars !

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

​@@fabr5747And, important, fuel is not more expensive than in the US but our taxation on it is a lot much higher. Taxless Diesel will cost you something about 50ct per L, what is round about 2€ the gallon.

[@ingegerdandersson6963]

@@fabr5747The US is the second biggest oil importer after China. And we have european countries that export oil (Norway, UK, Russia)

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

The Golf is the baddest example you could choose. Nothing on an actual Golf is what you discripted it. Maybe the older Golfs did so but not the actual model.

[@thomasalbrecht5914]

@@fabr5747there is European legislation concerning roadworthyness tests, applied in all EU countries. The frequency may vary, but in principle what the OP writes applies.

[@britonabrompton9912]

Many cars, especially BMW and VW group, have adaptive service intervals, where the car tells you when a service is needed, based on use.

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

In the case of BMW, since the E30 models came out in the early 80's...

[@colonelvgp]

This is programmable by the car service shop. When they change the oil they put both a date and km for the next oil service (whichever comes first).

[@dnocturn84]

@@colonelvgp Some modern diesel vehicles also come with oil quality sensors, that check for soot and especially fuel contamination of the oil. They might also tell you to service your car, independent of your driving distance or time that has passed since your last oil change.

[@rkan2]

Also this is common in commercial vehicles both globally. Oil change intervals are adaptive, mainly based on fuel consumption and some other factors like temperature.

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

Adaptive being 18,000 on the nail. (Discussions with maintenance staff about when to plan / book a service, because my life isn't governed by the car.)

[@101steel4]

The problem with lane discipline, among other things, in the US, is that there's no real driving lessons with qualified instructors. Sitting in a car with your mum for a while 😂 doesn't teach you anything. The actual driving test is way below par too.

[@flitsertheo]

Trust me, learning to drive with your mom teaches you to become stress-resistant.

[@Real_MisterSir]

Also there's no rule against it. You're encouraged to pull over, but traffic rules state you can occupy any lane you wish (unless it's a priority lane) -which incentivizes lasiness and a sense of entitlement to the space you occupy. Also why there's so much road rage in the US cus people are taught through law, that they're entitled to whatever space they wish to occupy in any lane they desire -so they will act like they own that space and that lane, while others must conform if they wish to pass.

[@fabr5747]

@@Real_MisterSir There is no rule for lanes in the US? In most European countries, the right lane is the driving lane, and the lanes 2, 3 and 4 are for overtaking. If you don' t overtake, you switch lane.

[@flitsertheo]

@@fabr5747 Some states do have rules and some states even enforce these rules, pulling over drivers who drive to slow in the passing lane.

[@Real_MisterSir]

@@fabr5747 Yep correct, US generally has no rules on lane utilization -which is why you see cars just scattered about everywhere on the road and traffic doesn't seem to have a flow with room for varying speeds. Some specific highways are different where they have priority lanes and designated high-speed lanes, but those are by far exceptions to the norm. I have family there and everytime I visit and have to drive on the roads it's always such a mental shift haha.

[@christopheb.6121]

I spent 6 months in Boston US for work (I'm French), I had a rental Ram pickup, I felt like I was driving a tank 😂 that I could crush anything in front of me. It was very funny.

[@NavaSDMB]

Getting assigned a Cadillac in Nashville of all places cracked me up so badly I spent several minutes recovering my breath before actually getting in. The driver's seat was so big I could have shared it with either of my brothers, and I'm not a small woman.

[@OlafOpossum]

Even here in Europe a VW Golf is a small car. Don`t know where this Golf Owner was...

[@sherlockrobin597]

The really crazy difference is when you combine the annual distance travelled with the distance required for an oil change, you find that Europeans change their oil every 3 years, and Americans every 4 months.

[@PUTDEVICE]

nahhhh. I don't think they change, I think they just add new oil

[@rkan2]

2 years is usually the max long life interval though.

[@dmosfet]

I disagree. Manufacturers requires at least a annual oil change. Technically, they require "small car maintenance" and "bigger car maintenance" that always include oil change. They control brakes, AC, filters, fluid,... I got my Kia checked every 20.000km. Like tires, even if you don't drive a lot, you have to change them regularly. You have to respect the maintenance booklet supplied with you vehicules especially with german vehicules. Japan cars are more reliable because they take into account that you'll probably forget to maintain your vehicule at the right time.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

3 years? And then wonder why cars don't last. Most manufacturers will warn you that after a year the oil starts to get acidic

[@Kent.]

My service interval is 30000km or every 12 month, what comes first. 3 years i have never heard off!!

[@primoz1231]

I have no idea what the first guys idea was when He wrote that. Maybe He wanted trash talk how little everything is in Europe or maybe He was never really in Europe or He parked His Golf next to Papamobil in Vatican. but no Golf of any generation in any European country is considered big or that it dwarves other cars in a parking lot. There are massive cars that are way bigger than the rest, but Golf isnt one of them.

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

Irony is the BMW Mini and some versions of the FIAT 500 are far from small cars

[@victim2077]

Maybe it was Golf Variant (or Plus) surrounded by VW Up's, Toyota Aygos and other A-segment cars, with a few Ligier microcars.

[@aphextwin5712]

It depends a bit on when and where that observation was made. In France and Italy for example, you’ll find more cars smaller than the Golf compared to Germany. And before SUVs became popular or even before minivans became popular, a Golf was a medium sized car, for quite some time VW’s lineup was the Polo, Golf and Passat (plus derivations like the Scirocco or the vans).

[@MJ-uk6lu]

@@victim2077 That's pretty unlikely. Even something like Nissan Micra is now as big as Golf. Also C class Benzes are poverty spec mobiles. S classes exist here and in some places they are common.

[@joseppedaia3673]

Of course there are bigger cars. there are always bigger cars, but a Golf, or mini cooper, fiat 500, even renault twingo arent particularry small nowadays. If that Golf is a Golf Variant, than it IS a big car. Yes, with newer cars around, especially compact SUVs (whatever that abomination is), it is on par regarding size, but its by no means small.

[@f.d.robben159]

The fact that a car which can sever your fingers if you use the frunk carelessly, which can injure you on sharp-edged doors when getting in or out, and which pedestrians and cyclists (as with any full-size truck) are doomed to die if they come into direct contact, is allowed, but Kinder Surprise eggs are banned for safety reasons, really says it all.

[@matyaskalab3176]

The TDI, or any diesel, community in Europe is huge. It was because of the diesel boom in the late 80s and early 90s. TDI was also helped by VAG acquiring Škoda really early in the 90s (April 16th 1991). Škoda already had dealerships open in the eastern Europe and other post-communistic countries so if you bought any Audi, Škoda, Seat or VW, you could bring it to any Škoda dealreship and they would have almost every part ready. Only things you would have to wait for were body parts and interior trim, but everything on the engine and gearbox, all the buttons and most of the suspension components were shared.

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

Balkans - notable for the over representation of Opel Astra 1.6 / 1.8 TDi estate cars compared with other rural areas in Europe. Mostly more than 15 years old.

[@esaedvik]

Won't be for long as diesels will be banned from city centers.

[@mweskamppp]

There is one reason to have short oil change intervals. You live in a hot desert area with lots of fine dust in the air that might pass the air filters and piston rings and end up in the oil. You also use oil with higher viscosity there. In moderate or polar conditions lighter oil will supply lubrication much faster and reduce wear on the metals better. My car has an indication for oil change and with long distance driving i am close to 30000km until indication, with short distance driving only i get close to 15000km. Low viscosity synthetic oil. Moderate climate. The car is now at 260000 km. Old engines from 1960s about need higher viscosity because of more tolerances in the production of the engines. New engines with Alu-Sil surface in the cylinders need short time oil change because the surfaces are sensitive. With robust engines from cast steel like the Mercedes Sprinter, companies often exceed the recommended oil change interval by 10000 km or even more. The vehicles get sold with 300000 km or even 400000 km on the clock. I have seen one with 700000 km used by a company for planning and accompanying heavy transports.

[@piffpuffpeng]

I'm German. When I went to the US for a year in the mid 90s (military assignment), I bought a 81 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Sedan for 1500 bucks. There is no sense in buying something more expensive if you know you will leave in a year. That car was an automatic, V8, had electric windows, ac, cruise control, electric seats, etc. All things practically unheard of in German cars in the early 80s.

[@martinsv9183]

Except MB S-class :)

[@jKtiiy]

Oil changes as a dedicated service are nearly unheard of here in Europe. You're required to have a safety inspection done to your car about once a year and the mechanic/dealership usually does regular maintenance such as oil changes while they're at it.

[@IWrocker]

That’s actually cool, it makes sense. Where I live, there’s no inspections, maintenance is all up to you. I see some really rough cars on the road because of it 😅

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

@@IWrocker Not to mention the vehicles with six inches of food and other debris in the footwells. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWfHhXyXpNehqaM . BTW it appears mandatory in the USA to have a cracked windscreen? Statutory annual test failure here pal.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

What?! Almost every single small shop will do that, although they won't go into heavy maintenance. Like, they might not rebuild your engine but they will change your oil. There are a lot of small shops in Europe for small, simple services like oil and filter changes.

[@jKtiiy]

@@TheAllMightyGodofCod I was mostly referring to how in the US there are places that do oil changes *exclusively*

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

@@jKtiiy exclusively? Like literally? Not doing ANYTHING else besides just that?

[@HAYDNBBH]

The golf is vw 3rd smallest car in the UK... Below the golf is the polo and below this is the up!

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

I love those brain dead comments in that oil change redit post in which people said they'll stick with 5k oil change because they don't want to risk blown motor... as if motors blew left aft and right all the time in Europe lol. If you maintain your (Euro)car and you put in quality oil, it will really last 30 000 Km. We are changing it here in Europe on yearly basis though because oil degrades as it goes through seasons (hot in the summer, below freezing in winter). If I lived in California which has basically just 1 and a half seasons I would do it on bi-yearly basis or after like 20 000 Km. Most people here change oil either in spring when they have their winter tires changed for summer tires or if they go by a car on vacation in Croatia/Italy in early summer when they have their car checked to make sure it will survive without issues the round trip there and back.

[@RonaldSchneiderGiebenach]

You always need to see the things thge manufacturers suggest to be in relation with the manufacturer Guarantee. For example: We guarantee the car runs 5 years and 100'000 kilometers. And then The Oil in the automatic gearbox is a live long filling. You never need to change it. What happens is that you visit your garage with 200'000 kilometers and they explain to you that it is normal that the gearbox blows up because you didn't change the oil. The result: The manufacturer is listed with the car that needs no gear oil and thus is cheap to maintain, while he can sell new cars to all the people that have 6 or 10 year old cars.

[@joseppedaia3673]

also 5k miles in the US... so every 2 months?

[@GoldenCroc]

They dont know anything else, that why. Old myths die hard.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@joseppedaia3673 The "oil warriors" like to say the change every 5k miles. Perhaps they really do, and not just say they do. But for the ones who do, there are likely even more people that never change it, especially in the US.

[@joseppedaia3673]

@@GoldenCroc well, at least... kind of :D

[@stigandrmyrardalur5208]

I'm a truckdriver, and back in the days we had oil change every 25.000 miles, while we today drive 93.750 miles before we're in for oil change... The engines are better today, and the oil quality ain't even compareable

[@enlightendbel]

Part of the reason to do it sooner is environmental. The older and used oil is the more toxic and less easy to process/reuse the waste it gets. Making it a habit to do it sooner just is better for the vehicle, better for the environment and in the long term, better for your wallet too.

[@KRtekTM]

Factory says that I have to change the oil each 15 000 km OR once a year in my Skoda Fabia....

[@knighthood91]

@@enlightendbel The processing of used engine oil requires a lot of energy and the more used oil there is to process, the more capacity the facilities need. I highly doubt that needlessly using more of it is better for the environment. Just go with the higher end of the specifications of your vehicle and you will be fine.

[@annanadel]

we will see in a couple of years, idk, but i still like to drive my engines in and do ann early oilchange, maybe im just old

[@Be-Es---___]

​@@enlightendbel Does nothing for the environment. Both are treated as chemical waist.

[@DomingoDeSantaClara]

US pedestrians are built different to their European equivalent, hence the cybertruck being legal in the US. A US pedestrian is the equivalent to an airbag in the EU.😂

[@Real_MisterSir]

US pedestrians basically don't exist thats why they don't bother with their safety xD The only place you find a fair degree of pedestrians is in major city centers where speeds are lower already and traffic ensures most risks are avoided by default. In the US people don't walk anywhere so there's not much risk associated with the safety of nonexistent pedestrians.

[@DomingoDeSantaClara]

@@Real_MisterSir if you look at the published figures, US pedestrian deaths are approximately 50% higher than comparable countries in Europe. Imagine how much worse it would be if they had a similar walking culture.

[@Real_MisterSir]

@@DomingoDeSantaClara Yep cus any time it actually does happen, the likelihood that an accident leads to fatality is that much higher. Its pretty crazy, but hey what should we expect from the nation that charges 100 USD for a small bottle of pain killers lol

[@YearRoundHibernater]

@@DomingoDeSantaClara more then 50% the rat per 100 000 population for most of Europe is between 2 and 5 for the US it's about 13 deaths per 100 000 that a 150% to 500% increase over comparable countries. It's a pretty drastic difference

[@IWrocker]

Haha that was great 🤣 except there’s no such thing as a pedestrian in the USA 😂😂😂 who the hell walks here (jk jk) 😅🎉

[@marflitts]

I started as an apprentice as a mechanic for a construction company in the UK in 1998. The older vans on the fleet from the 80's were on 5,000 mile service intervals. Overtime on the new vehicles the intervals increased up to 25,000 mile intervals by the time I left in 2011. Many of them were sold off with over 300,000 miles on the clock. I was quite shocked when the internet got larger and reading stuff from other countries was easy to discover the US still seem to have such low intervals. Made me wonder what kind of ditch water they are using for oil over there. lol

[@IWrocker]

Great information 🎉 I think we are using great synthetic oil like everyone else here in the USA, but for some odd reason acting like it’s 1960 with the same frequent intervals. It’s weird…

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

My uncle worked above the arctic circle for a while in the 1960's, they had two landrovers which went indoors overnight, hooked up to fuel supplies and ran 24 hours a day for months. One was smooth and good to drive, the other a bit ropey. Guess which one was running 24/7 with no engine oil.

[@christianbottger493]

​@@IWrockerone Reisen is simple: US cars have much less oil for comparable engine size, so there are shorter oil change intervalls, but the amount of oil per change is much smaller as well. An oil change on a 5.4l Ford Triton V8 engine is around half of that on a 4.3l Mercedes V8 ... ask me how I know ;)

[@kullatnunu2087]

13:29 _"...ugly monstrosity..."_ is a suitable description.

[@florjanbrudar692]

If not, I don't know what is.

[@espekelu3460]

Here in Norway, it was common in the 70s, 80s and 90s to change the oil at 6200 miles. But in 2000 there was a change with many new engines, which used much less petrol, and the same happened on diesel cars as well. And then it became more common to change the oil either every year or after 18,600 miles. So the car I have now, an Audi A6 V6 station wagon, I change the oil every year, even though I don't drive more than 9300 miles. But as many people know, we often have rather harsh winters, and that puts extra strain on the engine.

[@4455thor]

Some cars are not being used because in northern parts of Europe, the weather is very wet and very cold, so the roads are being salted (because of ice on the roads). The bottom of the car is being exposed to very harsh conditions. So Italian and French cars aren't built for that. Some American cars the same.

[@rosen9425]

It's undercoating too. Mazda being notorious for absolutely not giving a flying F about that. New Volvo S/V90 also just skipped that entirely when it came out

[@XXXkazeXXX]

A car engineer family friend once said a brand new Renault’s good in Finland, but after two years get rid of it ASAP

[@pault4955]

I live in Ireland, French cars are very popular here. They don't rust same with the Italian stuff and I can guarantee that the place is wet and cold for 9 months of the year.

[@lyaneris]

Honestly depends. We drive French cars and don't have any problems with it. You just want to make sure that you can prevent rust

[@esaedvik]

It's not super expensive to get a third party undercoating against salt and rust. or wash your car.

[@Bulanesti]

On the oil change topic: in europe we generally change it one time per year if you drive mostly in the city and under 15000 Km if you drive mostly highway then every 30000 Km regardless of how much time if you drive in taxy/uber style then every 10000 Km if you have a car that is high performance, high turbo boost then every 9000-10000 Km if it's a regular ol' car but you drive it like a sports car then every 9000Km the "30000" Km oil change is mostly only happening in Germany and France where they spend a lot of time on the highways otherwise most divers in Europe don't pass 15000Km/year/car regardless of how many Km you did in the past year, the oil change HAS to be done yearly so there is no "I only did 3000Km it's fine for 2 more years" that shit doesn't fly

[@GoldenCroc]

Per the service manual in some cars it might need yearly. but I am yet to see any data it makes a real world difference.

[@rkan2]

long life interval is generally up to 2 years and even 50000km.

[@just_passing_through]

Synthetic oils drastically changed the oil change requirements everywhere in the world except the USA. I’ve literally no idea why the US didn’t change the intervals required when we moved to synthetics, other than the fact that so many US manufacturers were involved and wanted the income from regular servicing.

[@beldin2987]

Capitalism (predatory, unrestricted) is the answer for everything in the US. Its all about making as much money as possible no matter if the environment suffers or even if people die for it.

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

​@@beldin2987Nonsens...

[@altblechasyl_cs2093]

Oil change intervalls are set today by the car itself. The car will calculate it from tempersture, km, revolutions, amount of cold starts etc. There are no fix intervalls anymore. My one tells me 22.000km for oli service, in winter it tells me 18.000km... but the oil is not very good condition after that period and so car guys ignore that and cahnge in fix intervalls at maxbe 10.000km. Others who do not, change their engines at 200.000km due to oil carbonisation inside the engine. What is the better way, spend a hand full € more in service and have a expensive engine running 500.000km or got some € less in service but needing a new engine after 200.000 for x1000€ ?

[@just_passing_through]

@@altblechasyl_cs2093 Not every manufacturer, and not every model. May, many, still have scheduled maintenance intervals.

[@pekkajarvinen69]

​@@altblechasyl_cs2093cars also have a sensor in oilpan to determine how worn out oil is.

[@JamesField]

I'm stunned by the oil change interval thing. My first car was a 1986 Austin Metro (which Americans will likely think is a train service in Texas, but I promise it's a car). It was meant to replace the Austin Mini, although the Mini outlived it, and the engine was a lightly updated version of the 1275cc A-series made famous by the Mini Cooper. An engine designed in the 1940s, when trafficators were still a thing. The pre-1980 A-series had an oil change interval of 6,000 miles. Post 1980, and in my '86, the interval was 12,000 miles. Yes, materials, manufacturing techniques and oil quality have all come on leaps & bounds, but this was 40 years ago. Why are American intervals still not up to that level?

[@pault4955]

+1 on this. My grandmother had a Morris minor with the BMC 1098cc engine. I think the oil service was either 3000 or 5000 miles. That was a car from 1960's

[@marccadec6978]

I know it more as the Idea behind the 6R4

[@JamesField]

@@marccadec6978 yes, that's right. The 6R4 was a spaceframed Metro body with a Buick V8 derived turbo charged V6 in the back and 4 wheel drive. Mine wasn't that, sadly.

[@The_Slavstralian]

Its funny how Americans have massive cars. Especially given car size is often associated with overcompensating for a lack in size elsewhere.....

[@Aotearas]

Having been over to the US eastcoast with a gaggle of friends to visit another and driving there I can say I perfectly understand the preference for bigger cars because I'd also want as much car between me and the average driver over there. I already had low expectations but I was still shocked at how ubiquitous bad driving and poor road conditions are in the US (also, who on earth greenlights T-crossings straight into a highway!?!?).

[@mystisith3984]

Well, a certain Carlin sketch about the size of American people comes to mind. It's complicated to shove a 220 kg person in the seat of a compact car... And yes, one thing I understand is their love for big tires and generous suspension since the roads are of awful quality & they do often live in their car more than in their home.

[@MaoZhu-j6q]

I had a VW passant, sold with over 200,000 miles on the clock. Oil changes every 15,000 miles at best. Everything on the car was original except spark plugs.

[@thelaurens1996]

And timing belt I imagine

[@uwetheiss970]

@@thelaurens1996 Hopefully he also changed the brake pads and disks and the lightbulbs all around.

[@MaoZhu-j6q]

@@thelaurens1996 ok forgot that one

[@CookieTube]

@@uwetheiss970 Those are considered consumables, so yes, of course they would have been changed on the appropriate time (just like the other consumables like screen wiper fluids, break fluid, ac filter unit, etc). His point was that all non-consumables were still original after 200,000 miles.... Which is actually not that rare if you take good care of the car, you can always park in a garage (no or very little weather influences), and you don't drive like a mad man.

[@uwetheiss970]

@@CookieTube But he mentioned spark plugs. That is also a consumable. I only wondered why he mentioned it.

[@seijika46]

You get a lot more Japanese cars in the UK, if only because both countries drive on the left so its easy to prepare them for market straight from Japan. (Hence also why you had a lot of Japanese cars made in the UK - used to make the Honda Civic, still do make the Toyota Corolla.) I miss pop-up headlights - an iconic style.

[@antonycharnock2993]

Don't forget Nissan who make one of the most common Japanese cars the Qashqai beloved of school run mums. Shame about Honda but hey....brexit...

[@JamesField]

If only they still put the indicator stalk on the correct side of the steering wheel like they did in the 80s, I might still have a Japanese car today!

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

@@antonycharnock2993 Toyota still hanging on in Derby.

[@pik33100]

I have a Skoda Fabia that has oil change intervals computed on the fly by its computer, depending on your driving style and environment. It simply tells you, "change the oil". The average is about 24000 km.

[@DM-it2ch]

There's a very good reason why American cars don't sell in Europe- and they really don't. We see the very occaisional Jeep, and the Chrysler 300 sold a few hundred in the UK a few years ago, but it's much less than 1% of cars in Europe are American made. And the reason for that is that US made cars are generally apalling quality and utilise ancient technology.

[@Real_MisterSir]

and they don't really offer anything we don't already get with Euro or Korean/Japanese cars, except their size and bloat tends to be 1.5x

[@antonycharnock2993]

In the UK you do see quite a few Dodge Rams in rural areas. I followed a Dodge Nitro home the other day. I think the Nitro is one of their smallest SUVs as its comparable in size to European SUVs. Ford Mustangs/Shelbys and the F150 are pretty common too.

[@fabr5747]

One of the main reason is the law. American vehicles do not match the safety requirements in Europe ! So the only vehicle exported are the small ones, and those are aimed at the cheap American market with an even worse quality. BUT the reality is that we have a lot of vehicles made in the US in Europe. Just European brands manufacturing there. BMW produces a lot in the US !

[@misterandersson5645]

Not too many Euro cars had power windows, power seats with memory, electrically adjustable and heated mirrors, dual climate control, airbag, ABS brakes, auto-dimming rear view mirror, air suspension that automatically levels the car when you load it down, self closing trunks, etc, etc in the early 90's. Yeah, ancient technology... No thank you, I'll keep my American ones for a while.

[@modarkthemauler]

Seen quite a lot of jeeps here in Europe, most are diesels.

[@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv]

In the early 90s i drove an Volvo 440 turbo ,tuned to 165 hp. It had an oil temp meter. I drove 50k with the same oil,before the temp came up to high.

[@Bulanesti]

that's soo bad for the engine when the oil temp is warning you it's already done a bunch of damage to the engine

[@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv]

@@Bulanesti Noop,138c is to hot for oil. I did change oil at 110c. That engine did 200k before i did sell it.

[@GoldenCroc]

What do you mean? You only changed the oil when it had changed chemical properties enough to physically give different temperature readings? wow, thats a novel way of doing it....

[@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv]

@@GoldenCroc o/ I did cance oil after 50k in the Volvo/Renault Turbo engine. I did buy it with 60k,so i did 3 times an oil change. After that i did buy an new Volvo V40 T4,that could not do that long with an oil change. So yes,it depends on the engine. Also newer engines with vanos can,t do that long for an oil change.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@RedbadvanRijn-ft3vv I sadly think our languages are too far apart to be able commicate effectively, since thats not what I asked. A pity.

[@McGhinch]

11:00 He said he came from Norway to the US. His perspective and your perspective are on different worlds.

[@youtube-handle-are-a-joke]

As a french almost 30 years ago I was driving as a daily a 1973 Chevy crew cab pick-up and I was living 15mn from Paris, it requiered 4 parking spaces at the mall, when I moved to the US I drove a 1992 Honda Accord wagon, after I moved back to France I went for a Prius. I'm all over the place concerning cars, but my true love are classic cars that I restore/modify professionaly and as a hobby.

[@Slazlo-Brovnik]

I was always wondering why US car owners change oil so often. It seems to be almost religious somehow. There are many KZbin channels like "Just rolled in" where they show destroyed engines and then state "The oil was changed 15.000 miles ago!!!" And I always think: "So what, that's not that bad, especially if you have no Autobahn where you drive at 6000rpm for 3 hours - that cant be the reason." So that let's me think that there may be something more than the ordinary explanation (which is of course: Oil industry is TELLING you with clever marketing that you need to change oil often, so that they can fleece you - and all garages and repair shops and dealers are in it, because they also get money out of the oil changes) … can it be that US motor oil is actually of much lower quality and that therefore you indeed need to change it more often?

[@rosen9425]

another factor is price. I struggle to find the correct oil below €10/liter ordering online. Oil is actually expensive. Walmart Mobil 1 0W-20 4.73 litre: €25 Where I live: €81 !!! A 1L bottle is $17.87 😲

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

Well, it doesn't magiaclly turn into better oil with refinement. This is actually point in their favor, they do the legwork and use that low quality oil at their expense. It's not getting getting a weapons manufacturing job, and then crying "so much money is wasted in lethal aid" when that "waste" is printing grocery money to death merchants. They don't LOSE that GDP, they award it to themselves. Something like trash quality cars is a tragedy because US auto workers are simply just exploited. Changing oil often is being frugal and making do. And if the cars were not made like an LG fridge in Korea, maybe any kind of oil would also work better.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I am from the Netherlands. My father was a car mechanic and he taught me to read the instruction manual of the car to find what oil to use and the oil change intervals. So I did. Mitsubishi Mirage 1.2 CVT owner's manual states that in good driving circumstances (mild winters, not too hot summers and longer distances driving) interval can be 15.000 km or once a year. In all other cases, half of it (7.500 km) is recommended. I fall under the "good driving conditions" so I do it once a year (I drive approx. 15.000 km per year). Prescribed is 10W30 full synthetic, so I use that. Had it from new, now 140.000 km and zero, real zero oil consumption. Not a drop, never. Always on max. My father said it was impossible, btw, but it really isn't. CVT oil change is every 80.000 km. It might not be a "car guy's" car, but it brings me from A to B, in relative comfort, very economical and in the past 10 years without a single defect. None, not even a light bulb broke.

[@micade2518]

I'm not a driver but it seems to me that small cars for city use are a sensible option: narrow streets, scarce parking space, no need for long-distance comfort, ... It's just plain good sense (good sense not being the Americans' forte...) And, Ian, did I ever recommend this video to you: "These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us" - Not Just Bikes (on YT)?

[@saya-mi]

I also recommend "How American Fire Departments are Getting People Killed" by the same YT channel

[@MJ-uk6lu]

Not really. Compact have next to none luggage space and they are poo on highways. Also "narrow streets" only exist like 2% of entire EU and don't really represent EU well.

[@CookieTube]

@@MJ-uk6lu The point is: what the US calls narrow streets are wide streets in EU. Even our highways are MUCH smaller than US counterparts. So, yes, _"narrow streets"_ is correct in that context. Either way, that 2%... I can hardly believe that. Dunno where you got that figure from, but that seems VERY low. Of course EU has a lot of highways, because A LOT of countries are what is called "transit countries" for freight, so that might explain that very low figure, and as such is VERY skewed in the context we're talking about.

[@micade2518]

@@MJ-uk6lu Which is why I specified "for CITY"! Pay attention! ;o)

[@MJ-uk6lu]

@@CookieTube I'm well traveled in Eu and our roads are wide usually. It's mostly Southern EU thing to have those tiny roads, but even then there are thousands of mildly suicidal bus drivers speeding on them every day. And well, quite a lot of EU streets are as wide as US ones. A city I live in had tons of very wide roads. And average car here certainly isn't some smurf sized Italian shitbox, but boat like Audi A6, VW Passat or BMW 5 series. They are Camry sized cars and in zero way are tiny.

[@MrBlackfalconuk]

Having served in the UK Forces, being trained by them as a Driver (Advanced and Staff Car Driver) Basic Maintenance was part of the training, so DFS (Daily First Schedule) checks are done daily or on use of vehicle, so I still do them, Tires/Oil/Water/Washers etc and once a month deflate and inflate the tires with a full wash. Service is every year with MOT, regardless of hitting the mileage or not and I bought the car second hand and I have had it for 9 years, as for tax its 30 pounds a year or 40 dollars, its a Renault Megane grandtour III Estate 1.5 DCI

[@Remie1529]

It is crazy for me that the USA has drive in quick oil change. This is not a thing in the Netherlands

[@uwetheiss970]

To be fair, they have a lot of things as "drive in". As a german I was only used to drive in fast food. But then I discovered drive in bottle shops in australia. I think in countries with larger distances between people, driving is just more important then here.

[@CookieTube]

Same in Belgium..... Though, I can imagine, if you're lucky and you can find a garage/mechanic who has the time, it would be no problem for them to do a quick oil change. But normally they are always busy and you need to make an appointment. But specific "drive-in/drive-thru quick oil change", not a thing. We do have "drive-in/drive-thru wheel change" places though. (eg: switching from winter set to summer tire set, etc) And also "drive-in/drive-thru window replacement" places (those, you can even call them when you're on the side of the road).

[@GoldenCroc]

I think its pretty much a US exclusive thing.

[@IWrocker]

They’ve taken it further recently even compared to when I was young, now they have guaranteed “5 minute oil change” and they have you stay IN your car. 😂 quite strange I thought, but they are everywhere. I’ve never tried them out of course

[@CookieTube]

@@IWrocker Wow, that's quick. I assume that's without changing the oil filter then? At least, in my car, that isn't a 5 minute job. It can be done quick if you know what you're doing and don't fully follow the instructions, but still.... 5 minutes??! Wow.

[@Ghalvari]

I drive a Volvo XC70 D5. Intervals on oil change on that engine is 15K km. This is the two turbo engine. Had that wagon for 8 years now, and its the most reliable car I have ever had. Has 250K km in the clock now. Still runs like a charm. Rather special sound of that 5cyl diesel to. 😊

[@Kent.]

I have a Volvo S80 2,5T 2010 with 270K on the clock and it's the best car i ever have owned, i bought it 2013 and still going strong.

[@johnrhodez6829]

Let my beloved Volvo go after 323000 miled, it was then run for another five years, the was running drivers around on an airfield where cars were stored, no idea how many mils it had by then, but I always changed the oil at 5000 miles the engine was never talked apart during my ownership but it had two clutches!

[@DanielWalsh-l4z]

I have a 2009 top of the range vw pasat 2liter diesel tdi with 300000 km change oil every 15000 km only thing have to change is tires still runs like new it's tested every year

[@SiqueScarface]

I had a 1999 Renault Grand Espace with a 25,000 km oil change interval, and drove it for 190,000 kilometers. When I sold it, the engine was still going strong. So yes, the long intervals were common in the last millenium already.

[@SiqueScarface]

Honda and Toyota in the U.S. grew strongly in the 1970ies and 1980ies due to the fuel efficiency compared with the U.S. cars of the Malaise era. Europe had their own fleet of small, efficient, compact cars, and thus Japanese cars had to compete against all the FIATs, Renaults, Peugeots, Opels and Volkswagens - a competition they did not have in the U.S.. Hence their foothold in Europe is smaller. On the other hand, Japanese cars played the car features game very well, which allowed them to throw out most of the European imports in the U.S.. The feature game did not work as well in Europe, where many no-frills cars are successful.

[@GoldenCroc]

Exactly right.

[@MrNoncredo]

IIN ITALY THERE ARE MANY TOYOTA YARIS, AYGO AND RAV4 AND ALSO NISSAN A LITTLE LESS THE HONDA

[@IWrocker]

Great explanation thank you 🎉

[@andreasstrauss5194]

They also were aided alot by the government and our companies here in germany for example lots of companies dont allow import cars most of the time. For example at my old work the only cars that were allowed to be owned were VAG BMW Mercedes. The only non german brands we got were Opel and Ford because they made huge Discounts something most japanese companies didnt do

[@SiqueScarface]

@@andreasstrauss5194 But that's what every government does: Having some conditions within their purchase contracts to source locally to support the own economy.

[@LogiForce86]

In Europe due to the small parking spots and parking garages people prefer to have a 4 door car compared to a 2 or 3 door coupe or hatchback, because the 2 en 3 door models have longer doors and thus need more swing room before you have a similar opening to get out of compared to 4 door models. In other words it is easier to get out of the cars with shorter doors.

[@gar6446]

Oil change intervala depend very much on engine use, enviromental conditions and oil spec. You may have noticed the cost of oil these days. Some diesels suffer with oil dilution, plus the wrong grade of oil can play havoc with the emissions systems. Stick rigidly to manufacturers recomendations, and changing a bit early cant hurt.

[@CookieTube]

THIS! All those comments which claim after X amount of miles, forget that it EXTRMELY HIGHLY depends on MULTIPLE factors. The correct answer is simple: it depends....

[@ΤάσοςΚαυσοκαλυβίτης]

There are Toyota cars in the Balkans, but they are comparably expensive to local affordable brands like Dacia or Skoda. Honda cars are even less in number, because Suzuki cars are cheaper and more reliable and easier/cheaper to repair. Suzuki cars are everywhere in Greece. Toyota and Honda are considered more expensive brands.

[@JMS-2111]

The difference in Europe is also that our roads are way narrower than in the US. In Slovenia we could fit one of our average two-lane roads on one lane of an average US road.

[@Real_MisterSir]

and parking space especially. Even if you could drive a 5 ton hunking metal cage on wheels on your commute roads, you'd still be so hard pressed to find suitable parking spaces anywhere. In the US parking space makes up over 50% of all utilized urban area. More space than what's allocated to housing and roads combined.

[@dejanstanojevic6484]

​@@Real_MisterSir If a Mercedes Sprinter or Iveco Daly van can fit in a parking space in Slovenia, so can a Dodge Ram or one of the Ford F series.

[@Real_MisterSir]

@@dejanstanojevic6484 Sprinter drivers are built different tho

[@georgobergfell]

​@@Real_MisterSirthe sprinter also has an almost Infinite steering angle 😂

[@JamesField]

Slovenia is achingly beautiful. I passed through on my way home to the UK from Croatia a few years ago and I want to visit again soon for more than a quick stop. Where are some good places to visit? I stayed one night in Bled and could easily spend a few days there alone!

[@Grumpy_old_Boot]

The biggest killer of oil, is heat. High Heat and heat cycles, is what does it in. Big engines and Turbo Charged engines, generally produce more heat. Smaller, lighter and more efficient engines/cars, damage the oil a bit less.

[@viquiben4919]

Not sure but I think Honda has not factories in Europe anymore. The one in Swindon UK was closed in 2021.

[@victim2077]

Well, Honda has a factory in Atessa, Italy, but they make just bikes there.

[@nieksalomons]

I currently in the Netherlands drive a Mitsubishi Colt 1.3, small hatchback. If money (and my length 6foot9) was not an issue, I would drive a '71 Citroen SM with a Maserati V6 engine. When moving to the US I would like to have 2 cars, Americans may think I'm crazy but I very much like the AMC Pacer, and Eleanor (from the movie Gone in 60 seconds), a '67 Ford Mustang GT500. But that is dreaming big.

[@katjatelgen5841]

the Tesla cypertruck looks like the 2024 version of KITT from knight rider.

[@doctorphibes601]

Think it's gonna be as cool as the Delorean in the future...maybe 😅

[@verttikoo2052]

It looks like rusty garbage can

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

Nah... It looks like a 6 year old, made a copy of Kidd, from Legos...

[@Hakuso512]

In Baltic countries we change oil like this - regular traffic: semi synthetic - 10000km (6200mil), fully synthetic - 15000km (9300mil) or 1 year. Something sporty/finicky - half regular traffic range or 1 year.

[@brian5154]

Europe developed over thousands of years, thereforevinfrastructure has grown from footpaths......you see Jeeps in Europe, but there is virtually no market for American cars. Tesla of course have a market, but hybrids are taking over for electrics.......

[@jfrancobelge]

..and the price of fuel in Europe...

[@Mx-Alba]

European here... My current car doesn't need oil changes at all (electric). My previous one was a Volvo V40 D3, a 2.0 turbo diesel. Oil changes every 40,000 km (25,000 miles), with just a quick check at the intermediate 20,000 km mark (just a general mechanical health check to catch stuff like bad brakes before it becomes dangerous).

[@MrLarsgren]

wow thats alot of bots you have here Ian. personally i go with 10000 km or once a year whatever comes first. oil changes is the cheapest preventive maintenance you can do.

[@luk4s56]

same i do mine at 10000 km or 6k miles. though recommended is 30k km or 18k miles

[@AllanFolm]

Last year, I sold a car with 445k km on it. It had two timing belt changes, oil and filter change at 30k km. Only other maintenance was expected wear items, a wheel bearing, 2 times generator, one time aircon compressor, the button for the rear hatch, and the flywheel. Cars are built for use, and they're basically built better for Europe. It was 7 years old, and I got the equivalent of 8.000 USD for it at the dealer, when I bought a new car. And come visit Germany. Where you run at 200 kph and feel you're a pro race driver, and then get passed by soccermoms hauling their kids home from school in the family container.

[@richardhltrp1791]

the only weird thing on European roads are Americans 😂😂🤣🤣 ( just a joke guy's ) i have to say that your voice is really easy to listen to ! i have a hearing problem and i can clearly hear every word you say without turning my ear to the screen 😏

[@IWrocker]

I appreciate that! 🎉😎

[@Luckyamor]

VW T-Roc manufactured in Portugal is a small SUV that is below the VW Tiguan. I am Portuguese and I live in Portugal, my father had a VW Golf with only one problem, which was a constant oil leak. When I found out about this problem with the VW Golf, I bought the new Honda HRV hybrid and I am satisfied.

[@fed4511]

About the Cybertruck, it is not sold in Europe but can be imported privately. No 25 year rule in Europe

[@Dqtube]

And a few of them are already imported.

[@Mike-zx1kx]

You can import a cybertruck to Denmark but wont be allowed to drive it on public roads. The lack of protection for soft traffic, pedestrians, cyclists etc means it wont be approved. I am sure there are other European nations that have same type of regulations. BUT you will be able to find clips of a cybertruck driving on public roads in Denmark since they applied for, and got, permission to film it for commercial reasons in relation to a campaign called cybertruck odyssey. According to the union of Danish motorowners, they have judged they doubt it will ever be certified on Danish roads, unless major modifications are made.

[@Alakablam]

You can buy anything you want, but it's not allowed on any EU roads. It doesn't adhere to any common traffic safety laws regarding pedestrians or cyclists, and even if it did no insurance company would take it, or just for a huge premium because any repairs etc. after an accident would cost an arm and a leg in europe (cause of no spare parts) not even talking about the insurance payout to the injured because of the lack of a crumple zone. Even EU made higher value cars are becoming uninsurable, a youtuber in the UK even started his own insurance company just to get his fleet of cars insured after his previous insurance refused the renewal.

[@walkir2662]

No one wants to be anywhere near that thing. America probably allowed it udner the Second Amendment.

[@Real_MisterSir]

@@Alakablam you can apply for special permits, but these always come with immense restrictions for how much you can drive, where you can drive, and for which purpose you drive, etc. Same as a "Show and display" license to drive under unique conditions like a museum piece that maybe is driven 3-4 weeks a year.

[@DJag57]

The rule I follow regarding oil changes: Because I live in a place where the temperature changes between summer and winter are quite intense (up to -15/20°C (-4/5°F) in winter and +30/35°C (86/95°F) in summer), I do 2 changes per year because of the deleterious effects on the viscosity of the oil caused by these temperature differences which cause poor engine lubrication. Whatever the mileage I do in the year: - In mid/late spring, I do a complete replacement of all filters + oil etc with an oil slightly less fluid than recommended by the manufacturer. - In mid/late fall, I do a simple oil change with an oil slightly more fluid than recommended. I've been doing this since my first car in 2002 and every time I go for general maintenance at the dealership, they're pretty disappointed when they can't find anything to change other than what's recommended in the maintenance manual 😅

[@MrBigbonzai]

Teslas are not cars. They are computers on wheels. With a fart app.

[@WyndStryke]

I have an old Audi (2002), the service interval is variable. Its up to 287k miles now. If you do a lot of motorway miles and not many short journeys, then it can be up to 32k miles / 2 years. You need the right fully synthetic oil. Alternatively, if you mostly drive short distances in town, then it'd drop to 10k. I used to do it annually (about 18k miles), never been comfortable with going longer than that.

[@tigersharkzh]

In Europe.... Typical American way of looking at it. Europe is a continent, not a country. The difference in culture varies way more between European countries than between American States.

[@andreasprucha1451]

@tigersharkzh well, I think it's both. When we talk about America we also often mean the US. Now Europe also often means the EU (which is technically not a country, but already has some properies like a country as it's a political entity). And I am sldo not so sure that the differences between EU member states are so much Bagger that between US states. But yes, there is one major difference we have in EU compared to US: different native languages.

[@matsv201]

Im always amazed that a lot of americans dont know that suburbia exist in europe as well. Its not a thing unique to north america.

[@stevekenilworth]

someone in the vid on one the comments did not say country just the eu i think they from Europe

[@Real_MisterSir]

Yep driving and purchase habits between Italy and Norway for example, or Germany and Croatia -hooooh boy basically no metric compares except the fact that we all agreed that outer lanes are for passing only. At least that one sticks. Most of the time...

[@fabr5747]

@@andreasprucha1451 No, European say "the US"... Americans are the ones calling it "America".

[@Dutchbelg3]

My car ( BMW 320D 2021) has electronic notification for oil change. In average once a year or every 12.500 miles. Runs smooth and steady without any problem at all.

[@CobraChicken101]

2012 Audi A6 Tdi, every 15K km in europe, yet in Canada audi themselves recommend 8K km🤔🤔 Compared to previous Audi's i've owned: 1988 Audi 100 2.0diesel, every 5K km 1997 Audi A6 Tdi, every 10K km So yeah a lot longer, maybe due to synthetic oil? No idea, but i dont mind it. 😂

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

Audi doesn't now if you live in Toronto or Yellowknife. Their manuals are universal for whole Canada so they are playing it safe. Oil is very different condition after winter with average temp between 0 and -10˚C with occasional dip to maybe -20˚C vs average winter temp. -25˚C with dips below -40˚C. That is my guess.

[@CobraChicken101]

​@@lamebubblesflysohighthat would make sense 😊, thanks for the insight

[@Warrior6350]

From my experience often German cars reliability is worse than they state. For example with VWs new cars sometimes you don’t even get an oil change every year. It’s called a flex system. They do the yearly inspection and if every thing is good then they don’t do an oil change. I am not sure how exactly they determine it. The thing is that some VW engines are famous for drinking oil. Three months after the inspection, where they determined that an oil change is not needed, I got a low oil level warning while driving high speed on the autobahn. The other thing is that oil changes here are why more expensive here and you cannot really do them in your driveway because of regulations. People also do not really wanna go to a workshop 4 times a year. So the manufacturer tries to make everything work with just one yearly inspection. The problem is that’s how the diesel scandal started. Diesel exhaust fluid was needed with the new not emission diesel engines, but nobody wanted to annoy the customer with it. So the idea was to just refill it during the yearly inspection. They even put the access hole hidden in the trunk, so nobody would notice the existence. Then the problem is that the consumption was to high for only a yearly fill up. So they searched for a way to reduce the consumption and the diesel scandal was born.

[@Adi-kf6bq]

The norm for car maintenence in germany is an alternating schedule of a big and a small service every 20k km - 30k km or after 1 year. Most people will hit the year mark befor the distance due to everything being closer. I have a pretty "long" distance to drive to and from work with 30km each direction wich leads me through 5 villages. Even combined with multiple cross country vacations (450km each direction) i never reached 20k km. Another thing i saw in the comments of that post was the concern of leaking gaskets and piston rings if you go this far without an oil change. However if you use the manufacturer recommended oil and let the engine heat up slowly while driving (keeping lower rpm and not accelerating heavily) these risks are minimized. We also have mandatory car safety inspections every 2 years with an exhaust gas test to see if the emissions are still within regulations. These inspections also include a check for oily parts, light check, rust check (there are some parts on the car where almost no rust is allowed wich includes the car frame) and also a break force test for both hand break and working break. They also check the tire size and the profile depth and also look at indications for allingnment problems (uneven wear pattern of the tires). If your car fails this inspection you get one month to fix all the issuse that are classified as safety hazards (like oily engine/transmission, bad breaks, faild exhaust test or any defect in any part regarding the light system) and do a smaller check up where they only look at the previously bad components (wich is way cheaper then the full inspection). If you take longer then the 1 month you'll have to do the full inspection again. These inspections give you an early warning that parts might be worn out.

[@petebeatminister]

A oil change every 5,000 or 8,000 mls is really crazy. When I worked as a driver we had Opel leasing cars, and the rule (from the leasing company) was 16,000 mls or yearly. But I have heard about special oil filter setups that can make it last for 60,000 mls. All that is a significant cost factor, since modern synthetic oil is really not cheap. I think in daily life the real importance is, to always make sure there is ENOUGH oil in the engine, because running with to little is what kills the engine, not the age of it.

[@tzumisi]

on my Nissan primera 2014 1.6L petrol (benzine) i do the oil change at around 50k km as suggested by the manufacturer , even though sometimes i ran around 80k km with the same oil and was still good when changed , of course i topped it up a couple of times (btw i forgot to change it , it wasnt that i didnt want to) and the car just runs smooth as butter , gotta love those Japanese engineers having thought about people not maintaining the cars properly so they did a margin for it :D

[@kwlkid85]

I have never taken a car just for an oil change. Most people just get a yearly service, often at the same time as their MOT, which covers more than just oil. I had an old Vauxhall Corsa that broke it's gearbox, could still drive but couldn't engage 5th gear, was going to be more than it was worth to fix so I decided to drive it till it died. I did another 30,000miles without any maintenance and I only scraped it because the roof started leaking.

[@101steel4]

America doesn't have an MOT. When my cousin lived in Florida, he was telling me about the state of the cars. Complete wrecks many of them, and bits of car and tyres all over the roads. Death traps he called them.

[@linaspocius1475]

Hi. Oil changes needs a different mesuarment. For ten years I drive WAG group cars ( now owning a Skoda superb estate). So when you go to change oil mechanic changes it, and puts on ant interval of engine rotations. So you change the oil when the oil emergency light pops up. It counts engines rotations. As example - I drive my Skoda half time in city, haff time on highway. And the oil change light comes up at around 20k-25k kilometeres. But my work bus ( WV Transporter) that I mainly drive in city ( high rotations, shorts trips and etc.) the oil light comes up in 8-12k.

[@dnocturn84]

Well, one of the more important reasons for big cars in the US vs. Europe also is US legislation when it comes to towing trailers. In the US you're not allowed to tow trailers with small cars like Golfs. You need a truck really be able to move anything. In Europe you can move trailers with much smaller cars, like a Golf (or of course even smaller). You'll only need larger and more powerful vehicles for heavy freight trailers in Europe.

[@sinisatrlin840]

Everything gets moved in Europe withouth F-250, We have Sprinters and G wagens, My Japanese truck is 3,5t GW and it can tow 3,5t trailer. Sprinter 516 can tow higher load than F-250.

[@RomanVilgut]

To understand European Car Culture, you have to be aware of some major differences. 1st: Cars have an inspection for road-worthiness every year, and the car get´s some kind of stamp, to show it is road worthy. If the car fails, the licence-plate is removed. Even, if you go to a workshop and they say, the car is not safe, they are legally obliged to take the licence-plates, otherwise they could be sued in case of an accident. The Result: Highly reliable Cars are Top-Sellers. 2nd: Fuel-Costs are much, much, much higher. We are talking between 6,5 - 8,5 Dollar a Gallon. The result: high Effiency, low fuel consumption is very important. 3rd: Streets are much narrower and especially in Cities, this means that parking-lots are very small. The Result: a tendency to cars, that are not too long 4th: Efficient Car-Builders. If you look at the different models, that are popular in Europe, you have to understand, that the Top-7 Cars are all from only 3 Companies: VW, Renault-Nissan and Stellantis. And that many models are basically the same car with a different look. Like the T-Roc is just a Golf with higher ground clearence, the same Platform is used for the Skoda Octavia, the Audi A3 or the Seat Leon. At Stellantis the Peugeot 208 is the same Platform as the citroen C3, the Opel Corsa or the fiat 600. At Renault The Dacia Sandero is the same Platform as the Renault Clio. So There are basically 3 Popular Platforms in Europe, all are Compact-Cars.

[@IntyMichael]

The Mercedes R class is a gigantic car over here in Europe (it was designed for the US market). When I traveled with a friend some years ago to New York he mentioned that the R class is nowhere to see. I replied, Iook around they are everywhere. The R class was so small compared to cars like the Lincoln Towncar that they didn’t caught his eye.

[@kilfenora87]

if i had to move to the us, i definetely would look for an audi dealer to get an a4. i´m driving audi´s since 1985 in germany. they cost i little more but they are very reliable. my actual a4 is 19 years old. the only repair was an new exhaust system.

[@riker1701D]

My Opel Astra K only needs an inspection in the workshop every 30,000 kilometres and only then does the oil need to be changed.

[@gerbentvandeveen]

Ik heb nu een Mazda 1.8. En het 1e jaar doe ik een kleine beurt, en het 2e jaar een grote beurt. Met de vloeistoffen vervangen. Ik rij ongeveer 13 tot 15000 km per jaar. Ik heb deze Mazda gekocht voor €1000,- En rij er al 7 jaar mee. Bouwjaar van de Mazda is 2004. Gewoon elk jaar weer keuring en onderhoud. Net als mijn Opel Vectra 2.5 v6 B caravan automatic. Bijna 9 jaar mee gereden, Bouwjaar 1996. Deze heb ik gekocht voor €550,- ! Had ik deze maar nooit weg gedaan. Was nog 100% in orde, maar 378000 km. Op de teller. Greetings from Bunschoten-Spakenburg the Netherlands.

[@kimmikke_]

I have a Volvo XC60 SUV and in the maintenance program is oil change either every 15 000 km (9 320 miles) or every year (once a year) which ever comes first. I have had Volkswagen group cars and they have double km's so 30 000 km.. It also depends if you use the cheapest mineral oil or the top of the scale synthetic oils (more expensive), the better oil the better and longer mileage it works well..

[@bflamable]

The Netherlands here. What I would wanna drive in the US ? A 1970's Mustang or a elegant but tough looking Dodge Charger. Liked the Ford Explorer we rented in Canada too, bit high for me and to big for most quaint villages/streets in West or Southern Europe. Once we almost got stuck with an Audi A4 in the narrow streets of a Spanish village! With my Peugot 107, best city & short distances car imo, I have a small maintenance/service (incl. oil) on my car, once a year with MOT appointment combined.

[@eelco1982]

I have an Opel Insignia....it's quite a big family car here, it can tow a fairly big trailers with two horses, boats, caravans, no issue...in the US the equal Buick Regal is a small to medium size saloon, usually a car for mum to run errands, and for towing....it's a duelly truck or go home😂

[@scottmerts4036]

Actually the maximum allowed width of a vehicle is 259 cm (102 inches) in the U.S. and 255 cm (100 inches) in Europe. The trucks (lorries) and busses/coaches, usually have the same width in Europe and the US. And they do actually fit on our roads, even tough your roads are bigger. What they will do in Europe, is put the lines on the road in such a way that the lanes might appear smaller than they actually are. This way people tend to pay a bit more attention while driving and drive a bit slower.

[@marccadec6978]

Service intervals are based on usage,my van which tows a wood chipper a lot,I change the oil about every three months. Heavy goods vehicles change oil more frequently than a small car.

[@bruno112008]

normally you have 2 maintenance intervals for some types of cars in europe.The one is called "long live" its used for comercial drivers with high milage/year (30.000 km) like sales agents, where the engine never get´s cold, and primary highway use. Then you have a oilchange every 30.000 km or once a year,depend on what comes first (special oil required, like shell helix 5W30 ll3). On the standard "family " car you have an intervall of 15.000 km or once a year, also there are sensors checking the load of the oil with coal, looking for the temperature while usage ant the oillevel constantly and calculates the remaining livetime for the oil. Settings for longlive and variabel or fix intervall are done in the MCU by the seller in the garage. When you select a profile it can be changed, if you choose the wrong profile for your usage it can damage your engine in the long turn (longlive service, and your average turn is 5 miles to work and back).

[@anakelecic1195]

I was driving to work (combination open road and city drive), 12 years, Daewoo Matiz, 300 000 km, about 90 km per day with only mandatory annual service. And my father conntinued to drive two more years. That was good investment. At the service couldn't believe, only eco test wasn't the best. Greetings from female driver from Croatia 🙂

[@9wombats]

Ian something that’s totally different in Australia is assessing drunk drivers. Breathalysers are the go here. We have the .05 Booze Bus that snaffles all drivers out of the traffic at random. They can pop up on any road at any time. The subject of cars reminded me

[@robertastk]

If I were in US I'd buy 3rd or 4th gen Ford E-series van, 3rd gen Lincoln Town Car in best possible shape and newest Suburban LWB and C5 Z06. It would complete my garage and my needs and wants from cars. In my mind these cars are very cool looking and built well for its purpose. About oil changes - manufacturers are pushing "long life" oil intervals, because it's easier to sell cars, since you (as a buyer) can calculate how much you will spend for new cars maintenance. But all these engine chain problems are usually directly caused by oil changes at 20-30k. There have been many studies, but usually depending on climate and driving cycles (cold/hot/cold) oil usually deteriorates in 12-15k km. So safe oil change interval for most drivers (unless you do only highway) is 10k km.

[@r.m.97]

I once read in a car magazine that in the eighties the American v8 engines contain the same amount of oil as the small European 4 cilinder engines (3.5 to 4.5 liters), then off course the oil and oil filter in the bigger v8 needs to be replaced sooner.

[@CatsLilaSalem]

The VW Golf is super popular with young people The Cybertruck is also horrible build, and has lots of things that often go wrong, break

[@Krenisphia]

The typical recommended standard in Australia is every 15,000km/12 months for regular cars, or 10,000km/6 months for turbocharged cars.

[@clivewilliams3661]

Oil change intervals have lengthened as the oil gets better and the tolerances less e.g. less blow by. In Europe oil change intervals can be 24,000mls or 24 months for say, a VAG petrol/diesel that could be considered excessive. In US where petroleum products are cheap and many rural communities drive on dusty roads, a shorter oil change interval is mandated, notwithstanding the manufacturers want to maintain customer confidence and limit warranty claims. I change the oil annually, but always just before winter or twice a year if I am likely to exceed 10,000mls on the change.

[@borsukbadger]

30k km oil change interval in Europe is basically just dealership and authorised service stations thing for brand new cars. Pretty much everyone who owns a car with expired guarantee (no free service no more) change oil every 8-12k km or every year

[@UnknownUser-rb9pd]

My Mazda6 tends to fill most supermarket parking spaces quite nicely. It's 4.85m long so I suspect most parking spaces are 5m long which suits everything except a few large pickups and the odd luxury car. Honda Civics were built in the UK up to recently and most were exported to Europe so Switzerland is not typical.

[@MrKardukas]

Oil change every year and it is usually somewhere between 10 and 15k km. Have been doing it like this all my life. Driven a new car for around 10 years and over 120k km and did not have any issues. I would get an old pickup truck and V8 muscle car.

[@cydery]

On the subject of oil changes, I follow my old mans philosophy of changing the oil filters every 5 ,000 mls and changing the oil every 20.000 mls, keeping the oil clean was more important than replacing it.

[@Gamer55100]

I have a 1969 Mercury and a Crown Vic in Germany and I can tell you, that those are massive. Finding a parkingspot ist somewhat difficult, but I never had to much trouble. Compared to a 2017 BMW 540i the Crown Vic is still 40cm longer

[@edwardcarberry1095]

In this part of Canada , they drive in the left lane until they get to the their then jump lanes into the right lane into the off ramp , then put their turn signal on .

[@VictorQues]

I am owning a BMW 330i for 18years. It has made about 200.000Km and I follow what de car computer when it comes to maintenance. I never had major issue. Oil change is about once a year.

[@darkknight8139]

I have a Hyundai Ioniq 5, it is a huge car for European standards. The parking spaces on the street in front of the house are only 10 cm (!) longer than the car. And if I park the car about 5 cm from the curb, the other side will be 5 cm outside of the parking space. Parking spaces are just not big here, a Citroen C1 or Kia Picanto would fit nicely.

[@MrOpacor]

about parking spaces: Parking spaces in Germany can be a little tight sometimes. If your car is smaller than like 4.8m (or about 16ft) long and about 1.85m (6ft) wide without doors that open too wide you can usually park. Just don't expect to open all of the doors, much less fully so. about car choice: I drive a Mercedes GLC in Germany. I would buy one, if I moved to the US, too. I do recognize that while it is a big car in Germany but a rather small car in the US. But that is fine with me, because I do not buy a car for anyone but me. How people perceive me for the car I drive is on them, not on me.

[@SilverionX]

If I absolutely had to get a car, I'd get a Volvo electric car. My dad bought one and my sister was so impressed she switched her lease to get one too. Personally I have never owned a car even though I'm past 40, despite having a drivers license. I just never needed one as the public transport works just fine to get me anywhere I need to go. I can work, browse the web or do whatever I want on the tram so the time is not wasted, and it's SO much cheaper. Unlimited public transport anywhere, anytime in my entire city (and surrounding suburbs) for a month, and the cost is about 80 dollars.

[@maverickf1426]

Fun fact. Pop ups are allowed here in the Germany and probably all over the EU even to create a new car with Pop ups. There are no pedestrian registrictions to that. Its just that the companies dont do it anymore, due to complexity and pricetag.

[@automation7295]

If pop ups are allowed here in the Germany, then why was Corvette C1 and Lotus Espite (both ended production in 2004) the last cars with pop ups?

[@tonys1636]

Modern synthetic oils have dramatically increased the service interval mileage on newer vehicles except for turbos, the oil runs hotter so deteriorates faster. Oil coolers have to be fitted along with an oil temperature gauge so the driver can monitor it, often done electronically now and the driver gets a stop warning.

[@partymanau]

Also sumps got bigger. My Benz ML320 v6 diesel takes 10 liters , hence extended change intervals.