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Try to find a small, diesel pickup-truck in the USA. Before cars like the Fiat 500 hit our shores, I doubt we had any very small-engined (<1.5L), while Europe h
by bcook 11y ago
Try to find a small, diesel pickup-truck in the USA. Before cars like the Fiat 500 hit our shores, I doubt we had any very small-engined (<1.5L), while Europe had many, some of them even being diesel.
I was a car enthusiast for a fews years, and you quickly notice that Europe has a MUCH better selection of very fuel-efficient vehicles. In the US, well... we popularized the muscle-car and the Escalade.
- rplnt 11y agoWeren't there even tax cuts provided to those who bought big SUVs?
- jacobolus 11y agoYes, if I understand correctly, cars can qualify as a business expense, but the tax credit limit is $25,000 for heavier vehicles like SUVs, compared to ~$11,000 for cars. (I’m not an expert on this subject; those are numbers from a quick web search.) Personally I find it pretty distasteful that tax deductions intended for business vehicles can so easily be used on people’s personal commuter cars. Everyone else is pretty much giving a handout to the auto industry at that point, while also encouraging the purchase of more dangerous and more environmentally destructive vehicles.
- tn13 11y agoI find European small cars to be total trash. Would never buy one. How am I supposed to tow my boat to carry my dirt bike in car? Where do I keep the boar I hunt? America has an amazing auto industry with great selection of cars. Last thing we need is some Musk like moneybag trying to screw the auto industry to promote a bad car like Tesla. I will be very happy to see him succeed by offering a better car than auto industry but not by using government to bring some phony emission regulations.
- r00fus 11y agoYour entire diatribe would be justified if the existing auto industry didn't also rely heavily on subsidies and government loans (look into the meme: GM=Government Motors - there's some basis of truth there).
- steve19 11y agoDo you honestly think people are suggesting small cars should be marketed to hunting and dirt bike enthusiasts? European Hunters have as much choice as we have.
- onion2k 11y agoI find European small cars to be total trash. Would never buy one. How am I supposed to tow my boat to carry my dirt bike in car? Where do I keep the boar I hunt? You've failed to understand what a "use case" is.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- andor 11y agoThe correct answer to all your questions is "Lada Niva" ;-) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Niva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Niva Very popular among hunters.
- makomk 11y agoDoesn't the US have stricter emissions requirements that make it harder to offer diesel vehicles there than in Europe?
- bcook 11y agoYeah. Diesel can be made to burn clean though, and diesel-engined cars are more efficient (~20-40%). We Americans have the need for speed and diesel engines are slow-accelerating, which keeps sales low.