Correction to the Video: The Ford KUGA is the European Counterpart to the Ford Escape (not the EcoSport as noted in the video). Although fun fact! The Ford EcoSport is not even available for purchase in the United States. In Europe, the EcoSport is the small SUV option to the larger KUGA, where as the Escape is the smallest SUV offered to US consumers in the Ford line-up.
The United States' Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) is recognized by only two other countries, Canada and Mexico who also assemble vehicles for sale in the U.S. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Vehicle Regulations are recognized by all other countries on the planet including Canada and Mexico but not the U.S.! While most foreign manufacturers have been willing to assemble vehicles compliant with U.S. regulations, American manufactures haven't reciprocated. Instead, American manufactures have preferred to buy and own foreign brands. But, even that has changed. All three U.S. manufacturers have pulled out of Australia. GM sold off its European Opel and Vauxhall brands in order to concentrate on the China market. Japan (which drives on the left side of the road) was more than willing to build left-hand drive vehicles for the U.S. market but U.S. manufactures were unwilling to reciprocate with right-hand drive vehicles for the Japanese market. On the other hand, the Japanese manufacturers built plants in the U.S. to assemble vehicles specifically designed for the U.S. market. BMW assembles all its SUVs in South Carolina and ships them around the world ... even to Germany! Chrysler was taken over by Fiat which was in turn conjoined into the Stellantis Group. GM seems to be in the process of becoming a China-only company. Ford, meanwhile, is struggling everywhere. Also, the fact that the U.S. tax code favors short-term gain over long-term investment doesn't help.
Originally the EcoSport, which is produced in romania should only be offered in some regions of Eastern Europe as there was already the Ford Puma available. The Ford Kuga was very different in the first generation (which was Ford C-Max based). This car was built in Germany (Saarlouis plant only) With the second generation the already existing it was changed to a new "world car" (based on the actual Ford Focus) moving the European Production to Valencia in Spain (which lead to the upcoming closing of the Saarlouis plant). Production will be stopped in 2023 for EcoSport and Puma (Puma will get an electric successor). Ford Kuga production will end in 2025 or 2026 when Ford will only build an electric successor based on the MEB (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten) by Volkswagen. You can find most of those information quite easily on Wikipedia. It might be a good idea to check this before publishing a video
I think the cars in Germany are not very different from the rest of Europe. I am from Amsterdam and I think the Netherlands look like Germany. I think the general point is that drivers in Europe value quality over quantity. It is not good to generalise in general but my idea is that Americans want everything bigger than everyone else in the world.
I've been very surprised to hear people from the USA praise the quality of our European cars. And I do not mean the engineering or luxury cars, but the quality of the interior of every day models. I've often heard how 'nothing is rattling', 'quite, 'steady'' etc.
Yes but I appreciate it anytime someone doesn’t directly go to „this is what European X is/looks like, how Y is all over Europe“ bc for a great many things it can be wildly different, the EU after all is comprised of many very culturally different countries. Also the Netherlands is not just a neighbor but similar in many aspects, or Germany is to the Netherlands. Estonia, Bulgaria or Portugal e.g. might be more different tho
@@ja_u Agreed. I think there is a balance to be struck. In the future, we would like to make content that appeals to a wider European audience. But we have to be VERY careful not to group all of the EU together when making generalizations. Plus it takes quite a bit more research to make sure that there aren't individual laws and regulations that affect EU trends/phenomena in individual countries.
Yes, Fiat, Citroen, Renault, Peugeot, Dacia, Lada, Moskvich, Zastava, Polski Fiat, Skoda (before VW), Trabant, Yugo are the paramount of quality built European car brands. They are on the cusp of automotive engineering!
It is actually a pretty common concern in german news by now, that especially newer models of high class brands such as bmw reduce window size and visibility for the driver in favor of a heavier exterior and more safety for the people inside the car, relying on cameras and sensors for pedestrian safety. So we start to emulate that trend from the US... :( Personally I feel like the front of that newest ford pick-up looks like a snow plow for children. Pretty scary.
I live in a very car centric small town, and the rise of new US-style trucks everywhere is a huge safety issue here. These trucks and SUVs are so high that children in front of it are straight up invisible to drivers. And in our road, which has lots of outdoor seating from restaurants, store displays and all that, it's really dangerous to have all these cars that are so high up and have these super long and straight hoods... Just a few days ago, one of these trucks just ran over a planter, and I'm honestly just waiting for someone to get hurt. And that's a small road, with an extremely low speed limit (20km/h) that everyone KNOWS is full of pedestrian traffic...
You forgot one of the main reasons: thin metal sheets weight less than thick glass sheets. This means less total mass, and thus less fuel consumption, and thus less CO2 emission. The reduction of glass is one of the many tricks to build bigger cars and yet stay within regulations and laws.
next to ocean water, fuel is the most prevalent liquid. CO² is a life gas, and communistic politicians and bureaucrats shouldn't make collective decisions for us. We, the market, will decide. If anything should have tought us, it's the 20th Century.... pfff.
I can add some more points - divers license: a European class B driver's license is limited to 3500kg while to my understanding in the US a car driver's license allows a lot more - considering towing the license things get a bit more complicated, but in general it is preferable to have a car below 2t as this will allow a 1,5t trailer within a class B license. If the combination stays below 4.25t it can be driven with a B96 license - Utility trailers are probably also one reason why smaller cars are not really a disadvantage. It is so much more comfortable to have a normal-sized station wagon in everyday life and use a trailer for trips to the hardware store than driving around a huge truck all the time. A trailer is cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, has low taxes and will last for decades. It is also easy to buy one for 2 years when it is really needed and sell it afterward (this is what I do for my current landscaping need) - infrastructure is not just roads. A full-size pickup truck will have little fun in a parking garage. The prevalence of oversized surface parking in the US makes parking a huge vehicle much easier
I am from the USA and live in Germany currently. My old full-size Chevy Silverado long bed with an extended cab would be almost useless in Germany and impossible to park.............but it served me very well when picking up dirt, gravel, mulch and landscaping stones. It also came in very handy for helping friends move, picking up furniture, etc. It had a big V8 engine, automatic transmission and was mated to a 3.73:1 rear axle. It was brutally powerful and had tons of torque.......but it got 13 miles per gallon in the city and maybe 17 or 18 on the highway. When I sold it in 2017, gasoline was around $2.25 per gallon. I also had a four-cylinder Nissan Altima sedan that I used as my 'daily driver' since I had a long commute. One thing sad about the US is that you cannot find a good "compact" pickup truck anymore (Mazda B2300, the pre-2011 Ford Ranger, Nissan hardbody, small pre-1995 Toyota, etc.). They were pretty cozy on the inside and boxy on the outside - but they had four-cylinder engines, manual transmissions and were excellent of fuel economy + they'd last almost forever. A good Toyota or Nissan pickup with proper maintenance would rust out long before the engine would give up the ghost. I think the smallest truck you can get in the US now is the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger or Chevrolet Colorado - which are more "midsized" and are almost 3/4 the size of the Tundra, F-150 and Silverado. I once owned a 1985 Ford Ranger long bed. 4-cylinder, rear-drive, five-speed manual and no options at all except for air conditioning (which barely worked after 12 years). Such a cheap, cool little truck - until a drunk smashed into it when it was parked. A total loss. I think that if Toyota and Nissan offered their compact pickups again in the States that they'd sell like hotcakes. They still are made in other parts of the world, but you cannot import one into the USA until it is 25 years old.
3.5 tons is the limit, including trailers. With the small lorry license that gets you up to 7 tons combined. But more than that means no weekend driving.
I am a retired trucker from the USA and - in most states - a standard driver's license is valid for vehicles up to 26,000 pounds! You don't need a special license for a trailer unless it is rated at 10,000 pounds or more. ( In some states, you don't even need a CDL for air brakes if the vehicle is under 13 tons gross weight! ) For a heavy straight truck that weighs over 26,000 pounds GVWR OR has more than two axles, you need a Class B CDL. Combination vehicles (tractor-trailer) require a Class A CDL. Then there are separate endorsements for HAZMAT, tanker and double/triple trailers. Passenger and school buses also require a different endorsement. Even old folks who buy a $500,000 RV don't need a CDL because their vehicle is not used for commercial purposes.
@@1VaDude I guess you have no weekend and holiday truck driving ban. And you are allowed to drive as long as you do not make an accident. Our truckers - in every EU country - have very stringent work and play times. And play times means no work, not even refueling or cleaning the windscreens is allowed. Having sex with anyone or watching RUclips is ok. The trucks are under permanent oversight and must pay road toll in every country. Besides that they must undergo extremely nitpicking yearly emissions and drive train checks. We got enough horror stories where a romanian truck or a polish bus without brakes killed a whole school class. INSIDE the school! On the other hand, when you have a hauling company its not easy to take advantage of your personell. Not impossible, but not easy.
@wolfgangpreier9160 -- Trucks in the USA run 24/7 and 365 days a year. Drivers do have hours of service limits and we had satellite monitoring, GPS tracking, cameras facing the driver & out the front windshield, etc. We also had electronic logging devices (ELDs). Trucks are inspected periodically, but some companies were a little slack on things. With CSA ratings, though, it hurts companies to have a high (bad) score. Driver & equipment violations can cost them bigly I was fortunate to be short-haul. I worked Sunday night through Thursday night and slept in my own bed every day. My situation was not typical, though.
Expat American Living in Wiesbaden here. When I was a young Military Police Officer working in Kitzingen, my Polizei counterpart (who had spent time in the US) summed it up like this, "Americans like to cruise, Germans like to drive."
Never been so happy to get back home to Germany a couple days ago and onto the train and then back to my little Fiat Punto after going crazy waiting endlessly at traffic lights in the States for three week in my rental mid-sized SUV. Being forced to drive there is hell (and I'm from Detroit, the most car centric place on earth!).
I am from the USA and live in Germany right now. I will be going to the States for two weeks this fall. I am looking forward to some wide-open roads, as I'll be doing about 2,000 miles in a rented Camry during that time. However, I am really going to have to watch my right foot because I'll be driving through PA, OH, MI, WV and VA. The roads are big, but they're NOT the Autobahn. I'll have to slow down a bit AND put up with the dolts who hog the passing lane.
@@1VaDude put your pot-hole detectors on. the north is murder on cars. i occasionally go to NJ, PA, MA. Roads here in the South are better, except metro atlanta, where potholes have become a thing as well.
@@uliwehner -- Almost every state in the North has crappy roads - except for Maryland. They have excellent roads and highways. New York (outside of NYC) highways are not too shabby. Pennsylvania's roads have always been bad.
@@1VaDudeif you will need to slow down it means you had to drive a lot of autobahn inside Germany, for work I suppose. I don't envy you. (I'm a 9-10k a year tour guide and don't own a car. I loathe driving in our capital Zagreb, but I do enjoy driving sometimes. Small car, borrowed from my brother, 0-60 in 17-20 sec i guess, i suppose that is the sole metric used by Americans.
@@florkgagga -- I have never been to Zagreb, but my wife and I were in Croatia back in April. We stayed in Dubrovnik for five or six days. We also got to see part of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Surprisingly, both of them accepted Euros despite not being in the European Union. ( We were in Copenhagen a few weeks ago and Denmark is in the EU but they do not accept Euros. ) I do like the Autobahn, that's for sure............but you have to pay attention because there is no advance warning when the speed limit drops. Driving in cities can sometimes be a bit more of a challenge, though.
Yup, my American in spe-father in law was always confidentially making fun of my little Audi S3 (haha, your little box fits on the back of my Pick-up...) until I made him drive it on the Autobahn here in Germany on his first visit. He has been very quiet, when it comes to cars and highways ever since...bless him😂😂🏎🏎❤
mine tried to humiliate me in the USA, gave me the key to his pickup truck, who got manual gearbox... i will never forget his face he made, while i took off, waving to him!
@@Arltratlo To be fair to yours, 98% of car thieves in the US that are stealing pickups probably couldn't make it go but inch by inch and disturbingly noisy...so, in that regard: smart thinking!😂😂👍🍻
@@Arltratlo Yes, i got it on your first comment. Stick-driving Americans think that we can't handle it...even though it's standard over here. That's what my stupid joke was based on...Oh man, now you ruined it😔😂😂😘🍻
In the Netherlands I see plenty of big SUVs and even some big pick up trucks on the road. However, when I go grocery shopping I very rarely see them on the parking lot. When I do it's often pretty hilarious seeing the driver try to park it, our parking lots weren't designed for such behemoths.
How it started: driving lessons (Netherlands, 1972) in a VW Beetle. How it went on: 3-month road trip (US, 1976) in a Toyota Corolla station car, considered extremely small by about everybody there, but quite comfortable for 2 people. How it is now: Ford C-max which has a higher seat, hence comfortable for getting in/out; removed one of the backseats, for easy transport of my rollator. Point is: treat your car like any household item - don’t buy a complete Kitchen Aid, if you bake about 4 cakes per year, just bc it looks impressive (and takes 1.5 square feet on your countertop). Thanks, Ashton, your comparisons are always very informative!
you do not have to buy ONE car to meet all your needs. My in-laws are in there mid-70s, they have Ford F250 Diesel for the camper, a Dodge Durango 7-seater for longer trips and rides to the airport with luggage, and a Hyundai Kona, as their runabout car. yes, 2 people and 3 cars. the truck is a 99, the durango a 2003, the Hyundai is like 5-6 years old or so. Those cars will likely last until they die. on their retirement income it would be impossible to replace the F250 and the Durango.
Good morning tbff, As a scientist in a completely different field, I adore your Wissenschaftskommunikation! You are already one of the few channels where I don't filter/skip the ads, and I am now finding myself for the first time considering supporting someone via patreon. Not because of the extra benefits (I am completely happy with the vids, please don't put pressure on yourselves with the benefits!), but just as a Thank You for your awesome content. I hope many others will consider (and actually do it) as well. Good luck with it and cheers from a few hundred km ti the north!
@@SirHeinzbond Hi there! Discord is optional. The majority of the content we upload on Patreon will be directly on patreon (early acess to videos, polls, feedback etc.) However, we have not 100% landed on the platform JUST yet, but if you decide to join the tier that allows for video chats with me, we may end up using Discord to help organize the call.
I truly appreciate your balanced views on almost all subjects you explore, but in this specific case I am in the NOT JUST BIKES camp. The ongoing trend of expanding cars is alarming at best and downright criminal in true fact. Protecting yourself better is all very well, but in this case it goes at the expense of all other street users, who become more and more vulnerable.
I agree…and I’m an American who likes trucks, but does not own one. The attitude of the culture portrayed on Not Just Bikes is very appealing. It shows a respect for the lifestyle of the whole community and environment. It’s simple, cheaper, and makes sense when you look at the true needs in your life. If you “need” a truck…then get it if it’s the right tool for the job. Most don’t and they just take up more space everywhere. My humble 2 cents!
I'm new to this channel but I got the impression she supports the same view as Not Just Bikes. - shows screenshot of Not Just Bikes video titled: THESE STUPID TRUCKS ARE LITERALLY KILLING US
The worst thing is that even with internet and near instant exchange of information, many politicians frequently have refused to learn from Europeans while the generally more sane (Democrats) have spoken about virtues. War starts in the heart and many Americans simply like war even with allies 😢
Great video! Thank you! But, you stopped just short of revealing the real reason our vehicles, here in the US, are so utterly stupid. CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, for which the category "light trucks" do not have to be included. Just as quick as that regulation was adopted, car-makers here, began to manipulate consumers through advertising, to buy a lot of trucks! They transformed the vast majority of car buyers to truck buyers through deceptive and manipulative advertising so they wouldn't have to include the majority of their sales in their Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers and, in fact, the majority of their sales became excempt from those standards. If pickups were actually included in those standards, you would see US manufacturers change their business model immediately!
yes, GVV and wheelbase exemptions. That is why you hardly see 2-door mid-size trucks anymore. the 2-doors would have to meet car standards for emissions and fuel economy. Think Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma. by the time you spec a 4-door all wheel drive tacoma, you are in a Ford f150....
Don't forget the Chicken Tax. That was where it all really started, 1964. And Pickup Trucks and large SUV's are also exempt from Safety Standards. Check out their ANCAP Ratings. They're actually more dangerous when they run into each other, and completely terrible when pedestrians are involved. But they don't look or feel like it.
And CAFE standards have become even worse since the 2011 changes which made fuel efficiency requirements based on wheelbase and track width. This is why things like compact pickups and a number of subcompact cars are no longer sold in the US. It's also why other models still sold have increased in size. If the technology isn't there to meet increasing efficiency requirements, they have to make the car bigger to stay compliant.
@@chrisharshman5838 the technology is totally there, just not the will to implement. a small pickup could easily get 30mpg or so, it just can't also have 400hp and 35inch wheels.
We lived in Würzburg for about four years when I was in the military. We brought our Chrysler Town and Country with us and it felt huge. I agree that having a truck in the US does seem more like a status symbol than anything else. Now that we don't have to seat 5 kids, our car is a four door hatchback. Interesting analysis.
Europeans would stash those 5 kids, the neighbours' kids and their friends in that hatchback if necessary. The labrador dog gets the front passenger seat.
@@e.458 I think that's true, although there are not many familys with more than 2 kids anymore. So this type is on a quite steep decline since it's peak (probably around 200X). On the other hand mobile homes are on a steep upward curve since Corona.
As an actual "gearhead", who has probably owned close to 100 different cars over my lifetime, I agree with your perspective on the difference between the US and Germany (actually all of Europe). I have owned everything from a land yacht (69 Chrysler New Yorker) to a small compact/economy car (VW Beetle), including 3 pickup trucks. Currently I drive an Opel Corsa because it fits my life and needs currently. All served a need in their time and they were generally what was being sold in the place/time. For cars, I always drifted more to the smaller end of the spectrum because I found them more practical. They were more economical on fuel, easier and cheaper to repair, simpler to operate and easier to maneuver. Prior to the 1973 oil embargo, American cars were huge and had massive engines. Afterward the trend shifted to smaller cars with smaller engines and has never returned to the pre-1970s size (except for trucks that remained about the same size). Yes, vehicles have grown, but it seems in a strange way. Existing models grow larger, but many times new, smaller models continue to be introduced. Toyota is an example. The Corolla was their smallest model for many years and continued to grow in size. Soon it was as large as the Camry once had been, so they introduced the Yaris that was about the same size as the original Corolla. VW did the same thing when the Golf grew larger they introduced the Lupo that was the size of the original Golf. I find the more interesting factor in the future is how European infrastructure will cope with the changes. Many streets are too narrow for two American sized cars to pass and the width and length make it hard to park them in the streets (1 F-150=2 Golfs). Parking lots are also interesting. The average spot is sized for European cars. If you can manage to get a Ford F-150 into a spot it will stick out halfway into the traffic lane and you will not be able to open your doors because the other cars (properly parked) will be too close.
You don't need to go to an F-150 to feel the limits of parking space. Try any family MPV (Seat Alhambra, Crysler Voyager, VW Sharan etc.). I am driving a Fiat Scudo Panorama because of family size and it is a nightmare to get the thing parked at a mall or similar ...
Isn't the solution just bigger taxes for using two spots regularly? Somehow make them pay extra in urban areas. Small cars were kind of becoming "in" in the late 80s and then nothing came of it, wars, oil, wars, oil, and oh why not sub, not any, just larger. Larger than what? Just larger. I wonder how the old (like me, but the rich ones) feel about pissing on the ideals of our youth.
I think they will be soon forced to stop this trend to supersize cars, in EU at least. Slowly but surely more and more city administrations and governments are realizing that catering to cars is not actually economically sustainable(let alone environmentally). So for example in the city centres car parking spots are getting reduced, not implemented, and get more and more expensive every year. Not to forget, to create many of those huge parking lots in the Us cities, they bulldozed the low-income neighborhoods flat. I dare you to find an area in a city centre where you can move a stone without getting eaten alive by regulations and citizens´ cultural associations devoted to protect the cultural heritage. Just look up what happened for one single house, built around 1850, that was illegally tore down (well, not completely) in Munich´s neighborhood Giesing. It´s called Uhrmacherhäusl. The owner, who had asked permission for renovations only, has been punished even if he claimed to have not wanted the construction company(which is now bankrupt) to tore it down, and has been ordered to reconstruct it exactly as it was. You don´t mess around with the Denkmalschutz here ;) .
Yes. You are bang on, here. I’ve been in the automotive industry for many years. Here in America I routinely tell folks to get their lumber and mulch delivered. I was sitting in city traffic one day, looking around and thought myself… we have it all wrong. If everyone drove a smaller car, instead of an SUV or truck, our traffic would be dramatically reduced because the available space on our highways would be increased by about 30%.
The "Dienstwagenprivileg" aka "Firmenwagen" has been a gamechanger for the German automotive industry. The vast majority of luxury cars, SUVs and Crossovers in Germany are company owned - a privately owned and operated VW Polo is more expensive than a company owned but privately operated Audi Q8. This injustice is insane.......
So corporate big wigs get to drive luxury cars and its chalked up as a business expense, I bet they take them home too, and take their families out on vacation throughout Europe, all on a business expense, instead of paying the corporate big wigs a salary so they can own their own luxury vehicles. So if they get fired, the cars stay with the company. I really don't like CEOs getting corporate perks, but maybe that's because they pay high taxes in the upper tax brackets, so if they earn enough to afford those cars, they pay high taxes, so they keep their salaries down and get corporate perks instead as a business expense!
@@thomaskalbfus2005 I am definitely not a corporate big wig, I am an IT consultant driving a 80 000 EUR car which I would not lease or buy privately. In my company everybody can get a company car, even a secretary. The advantage is the private use with corporate car fleet conditions. And the company can deduct costs from tax. For the employee a company car is like additional salary and I need to pay taxes for it.
Glad that I stumbled on your RUclips channel like 2 years ago. It has evolved to become one of the best on the whole RUclips. Well researched and presented in a way that everyone can understand it. Fantastic job, can't wait for the next one. Alles gute aus Island 😊
hi Ashton, the quality of your videos is really exceptional. Congratulations. I think your videos could very well be a good learning tool in German classrooms. I hope many teachers find them on RUclips and can incorporate them into their lessons. On today’s video: I think one important reasons for growing car size is that people just feel safer in a large vehicle. It can be quite scary if you are surrounded by large pick up trucks while sitting in a small European compact vehicle. So it’s like an uncontrolled arms race, where everyone just tries to keep up or surpass the others, not realizing that it makes life so much unsafer for everyone.
You got that right. I am a retired trucker from the USA now living in Germany. I remember driving my big rig down the wide-open Interstate and passing a little Smart Car trying to merge onto the highway. The wind from my truck (which was about 68 feet in total length with the trailer) would almost blow it off the road. Sure, it did make me chuckle a bit - but it must be scary as heck to be in one of those tin boxes with bigger vehicles all around you. We have a Mazda CX-30 (small SUV in the States, but almost mid-sized here) and I feel a lot safer on the Autobahn at 90 mph than I did at 65 or 70 on an American Interstate highway. For the most part, Germans are MUCH BETTER drivers than Americans - by far. Lots of people in the US will buy a Ford Expedition or a Chevy Tahoe and act as if they are in an Abrams tank. 😞
the mentioned video by Not Just Bikes also shows that arms race. You need a bigger car because everyone else has a bigger car. And the entire focus is the safety of the people in the car, not the ones outside. Modern US pickups are indeed the size of a tank.
@@HappyBeezerStudios -- And so many car makers practically advertise the "bigger is better" approach. Still, the folks making this video were not even born when cars in the United States were TRULY huge land yachts. I once had a 1964 Cadillac Sedan deVille and - a few years later - a 1978 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight coupe. There is a man in Wiesbaden who has a pristine 1967 or 1968 Cadillac deVille. I can only imagine the pain at the pump when he has to put almost 100 liters of Super +98 in that big boat.
@@1VaDude Jonathan inherited a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 from his father when he passed. On the one hand, we would like to bring it to Germany because it is just sitting there, rusting away in storage in the US. It has a lot of memories that would be nice to pass on to our boys.... but on the other hand it is a BOAT (just like you mention about your neighbor's deVille. Filling it up would be SO expensive and driving it on many of the tight roads would be nerve racking. We often have discussions on the cost vs. benefit of whether or not to bring it here.
@TheBlackForestFamily -- Sell it to someone in the USA or have it - carefully - shipped over to you. Letting it rust is sacrilegious (I am a major gearhead). The 4-4-2 is based upon the mid-sized Cutlass platform; not really a land yacht. More like a small cabin cruiser. Haha!! A Cadillac deVille, Fleetwood or El Dorado of that era is like a battleship. Same for an Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight or a Buick Electra 225. Yes, a 1969 Oldsmobile with a V8 engine (400 or 455 cubic inches) will be thirsty, but you won't be driving it every day. Many of those cars were very quick in the 1/4 mile, but don't make for good Autobahn driving because of the short gearing and no overdrive. Get a good home for it or bring it here to Germany. Just don't let it rust away!
Another excellent well researched video. 65 year old Canadian here but I have always liked smaller, European cars. Owned/drove 3 Fiats( boy did I learn auto repair with those) but the driving experience was enjoyable. Graduated to Japanese/Korean but still prefer the smallest car that fits my needs. Can't wait to rent my car in Germany for 18 days in August and rowing through the manual gearbox again on those wonderful Bavarian roads.Will see what car I will get, will be a mini/economy car.
@@martinohnenamen6147 I guess I will take what they give me but since I'm at the lowest price point for a vehicle as of now they would have to bump me up 2 classes and 200 more for my rental. Now the upside would be on the Autobahn, I would not have to pedal so hard to exceed 150km/hr:)
@@martinohnenamen6147 Ended up with a great Hyundai I20 from Europcar. Had a 6 speed turbocharged motor which was a joy on the autobahn's and back roads. Hit 180 briefly and it really liked to cruise at 160-170 so I was very much enjoying the driving on those smooth roads.
As an expat in the UK for a decade, I have often had this conversation. One key point of realization for US vs UK is the massive difference of a middle class life between the two. In America, you often see a lot of "toys" being hauled around in trucks and SUVs. Boats, Quad bikes, jet skis, etc etc. That is basically completely unheard of in the UK with exception of very wealthy families with estates. In the states, esp weekends, you are going to see this multiple times a day. In the UK, you'd count on one hand per month.. if that.
I think one major contributing factor to the rise of the SUV worldwide (or the pickup in the US) is marketing. Let's stay with the SUV: If you compare a minivan and a SUV with the same length and width, the minivan will provide more space for passengers and cargo, better line of sight and is more economical due to its' overall design. But the car industry successfully implemented the thougth, that you NEED an SUV. You NEED wide fenders for your BIS ASS wheels. You NEED an agressive and tall hood to instill FEAR of being crushed in the people in front of you, so they move over and let you pass. You NEED massive ground clearance in case you have to go offroad, although your car probably won't see a Feldweg in its' whole lifetime and the biggest mountain you'll ever climb is the Mt. Bordstein. You NEED to sit as high as possible, to have a better view in the distance. It doesn't matter that you're blocking the view for other drivers, it doesn't matter your bloated carriage is blocking your own line of sight in close proximity, so you can't see smaller obstacles like the aforementioned Bordstein or kids. You NEED the massive Stadtpanzer for YOUR safety. It doesn't matter the poor single mom and her kids in her rusty subcompact she can barely afford, will be crushed to death, because YOU are to incompetent to pilot your humongous pile of metal. There is a true story of a woman, who killed a kid on a school run. She was unable to see the kid in front of her bloated Mercedes ML, because her line of sight was obstructed. In court she said, she NEEDS that kind of car for school runs. Just observe a parking lot at a shopping center for a while. Tiny persons, barely able to see over their steering wheel, struggling to manoeuvre their massive SUV into a parking spot, because they're unable to comprehend the size of their car. YES, there is a tiny fraction of owners, who really need vehicles with offroad and loading capabilites. Hunters, forest workers, farmers, rescue services, etc. but surprisingly, those often use comparably small cars like the Lada Niva, the Suzuki Jimny, the Skoda Yeti (when it was still on the market), Subaru crossovers or the Mercedes G-Wagon (in it's original non-luxury, boxy version without massive fenders) or coming to pickups the Nissan Navarra or Mitsubishi L200. But as i said, those are only a TINY fraction of buyers. The pickup and the SUV, are (by a wide margin) the most antisocial vehicles for private daily use, but F*** YOU environment, F*** YOU fellow road users.
THIS EXACTLY. SUVs are not practical by any means. Recently I was in the market for a car, and I was searching for a hatchback with a flat load floor, level with the boot lip, because I need to be able to open my dog's transport crate. I searched the entire market and I could find a grand total of TWO hatchbacks fitting that description. Skoda Scala (with an option) and Kia Ceed. Other than that, only estates would offer that, and massive SUVs. Small SUVs don't even have that !
Totally true. SUV's, crossovers and other big fragile lumps of metal are a huge waste of everything. And they're pushing us to buy these🤐,?! My current car, a 22 year old Mercedes station wagon doesn't use loads of fuel, does some light off-roading because it's on the top of a gravel road and tows easily almost 2000 kilos. And when I'll no longer need it I'll switch to something smaller and more utilitarian.
I don't want a monster of a car. But I'll probably buy an SUV next simply because sedans and hatchbacks have gotten so low to the ground. They are not deisgned for my roads anymore. They also have very cramped head room and just in general don't have a comfortable driving position. I'm not going off roading but I would like my car to not scrap the poor quality pavement. Older sedans were much higher up. Reliability is also a concern and that pretty much leaved only Toyota. My current Honda Fit is a terrible car. The Corolla and Camry are both too low with terrible head room and impractical sedan trunks. A SUV is my only option.
Great video 👍🏻👍🏻 I don't know if I'm speaking out of turn here but I get the impression that a lot of Americans drive trucks like that because they like to dream about being a wild frontiersman who does outdoorsy things like chop down trees with their teeth, as a denial of their humdrum suburban corporate existence. They might never do anything more adventurous than mowing the lawn on a Sunday, they might never do anything more hunter-gatherer than going to Wal-Mart, but if they've got a truck that _could_ be used to haul a couple of dead deer then they can pretend to themselves that they have it in them to be that person. Also, because arms race. It's understandable that when the roof of your Golf is below the window-line of most other vehicles on the road, you're going to feel like a really vulnerable sitting target and want something that gives you a bit more protection against those behemoths - especially in an atomised non-society where the standard of driving is pretty appalling.
I'm from Southern Africa - not everyone needs a "truck" (and ours are relatively smaller Japanese style ones) but it's always very useful to know somebody who has one. It makes that person slightly more socially important.
Another great video, Ashton. I really admire the thorough research you put into every topic you discuss in your videos and your dedication to be as objective as you can without dismissing your roots and/or personal experiences - even when diving into such an emotional topic for us Germans and, I guess, Americans as well. But you deliver it with an absolutly charming twinkle in your eyes so no egos would get hurt. Well done, young Lady🙇♂👏💛💛
It is insane how the auto industrie created this demand for totally huge and dangerous trucks that often have less caring volume than a standard kastenwagen or any real transporter (like a multivan). I recommend you watch "How The Auto Industry Carjacked The American Dream" from climate town and "These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us" from Not Just Bikes to understand better how the car industry influenced the US and also Germany.
You're talking like a city boy. A minivan can't carry the weight that a truck can. This is just a fact. The car industry didn't do make trucks popular. Consumers did this. Pickup trucks are great for farmers. It great for hauling heavy things. There's a Ford pickup that can haul 22,680 kg. A normal transporter can only haul 1,292 kg. Pickups can haul horses, cows, etc. When i was a kid (Im 39) you didnt see pickup trucks on the road as much as now. If you saw a pickup it was hauling something farm related and it was heavy (usually tractors). Consumers decided it was better to drive all the time. The car industry followed what people asked for.
Food for thought. Some trailers.can haul 4 horses. 4 horses weigh between 2721 kg-3992 kg. That's more weight that a normal transporter can haul. A tractor weighs upto 2,388 kg. Again this weight is more than what a transporter can safely pull. It's not much more, but still it's more.
Good morning to the Black Forest😊. Wow, even the topic about European and American cars isn't on the top of my priority list, the video took me from the first second. Again a masterpiece of well researched content and entertaining presentation. It's my pleasure to be your "Patron" and to support your high quality work. Have a pleasant Sunday and enjoy it with your loved ones.😊
Don´t know if someone already mentioned it, but there is another reason Pickups are less practical in europe : In europe you are not allowed to just put everything unsecured in the loading area of a open pickup. So if using the loading area of a pickup you eigther have to secure it with bands/rope or you have to have a closed loading area. Reason for it are on the one hand exidents and on the other, that we drive faster. In both cases loads should not be able to get lost and hit others. Imagine you put your groceries in the back of a pickup (unsecured) and drive with 200 km/h (convert yourself) on the Autobahn… Pickups are not aerodynamicly designed… there is a good chance grocery bag get caught by the driving wind and kicked out of the pickup… no good on the Autobahn. On the other hand… if you have to secure every single item it is very time consuming… or the other variant: a pickup with a top cover on the loading area is not only stupid looking, it has the worst outcome of practicality in puting things in it… Because you eigther have to lift the cover every time, or you have to push everything to the front to use the whole space. … so even farmers and forrest worker preffer to use a full siced Jeep over a Pickup. Personal note : I had a friend (in germany) with a Dodge Ram with a hardtop loading area… worst car ever. Not ony was it hard to find a parking space in any city… but buying groceries was a pain in the ass. To unload it usually one had to climb into the low top laoding area because something „rolled“ to the front of it.
Good explanation for the reasons why Europeans prefer Vans or Jeeps. Still, I don't find a reason on why Americans prefer pick-ups. Even without those restrictipns, a Van or a covered Jeep offers better protection of the cargo against the elements of nature.
As always, I can only compliment you on how calmly and analytic you take on topics like a highly emotional one like cars are for many. Amoungst all the hype-screamers on the net, you and your husbend are truly bliss. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for the effort you‘ve put into this one 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Looking forward to whats coming next. Regards from the NiederRhein area close to the dutch border.
Really interesting video. About car sizes, it's also something car companies try to steer. Obviously their profit is a lot bigger on luxury SUVs than on small affordable cars. Especially in the EV sector this is a big problem. Many people would love to get an affordable small EV but the choices there are very limited while every car brand and their mother produces EV SUVs. Which is ridiculous, since you'd think it would be obvious that most people want an EV that is as cost and energy efficient as possible but obviously car brands don't care about that too much.
My biggest aversion to the whole EV promotion. For me, even buying a EV would create more damage for the environment than riding my 20 year old car for the rest of my life (however long that may be).
I am also waiting for a small affordable electric car. All I could get are ridiculously large SUVs that I don't need. There just isn't any modern energy efficient electric vehicle for about 20k€.
@@juliaclaire42Why should a new EV cost €20.000, while new ICE cars typically cost 30.000+? All cars are expensive. I often hear people complain about EVs and their prices, but ICE cars are just as expensive and apparently that not an issue at all.
I think you have it the wrong way around: we're producing EVs for people who are status conscious because they are prepared to pay over the odds for status. All the huge costs of bringing a new technology are being kindly subsidised by such people and I thank them. No jokes.
Gday BFF, hope you and your viewers all had a fabulous week. I never thought I could be interested in a topic about cars but as always you raise my level of interest through your outstanding presentation skills. I really enjoy your content on a level I never expected. Thank you for always going the extra mile ( no pun intended) to give your viewers a well researched and professionally crafted video. I can’t praise you enough ❤
I can say with my German background, I acquired a VW New Beetle! I loved that car and I still miss it. I’m not your typical American given that I like things simple, practical and fun! Then there too, Is my affection for the Bauhaus. A good write up of the difference between the German and the American car culture. People who value freedom don’t express it in the same way and I would hate their being a mirror image if each other. Our personalities, lifestyle choices and the time we spend on the road says a great deal about who we are.
I have recently visited Canada: First in Southern Ontario, then Winnipeg (Manitoba) and finally Vancouver Island. Especially in Ontario I was surprised by the ginormous pick-ups with engines in the 6 to 7 liter range (mostly Dodge RAM), and more often than not the occupant was a sole lady barely topping 160cm in height and barely tipping the scale at 60kg soaking wet! The thought that came to mind was: "Somebody is trying to [over]compensate here." Even though it was a mostly rural area, most of these pick-ups where NOT working trucks since they featured a super glossy waxed and polished finish. The "working" trucks very obvious in being covered in dust and scratches. In southern Manitoba, though also a very rural area, the trucks had engines more in the 2 to 3 liter range and the bigger trucks were clearly working trucks. On the west coast (Vancouver Island) the trucks again got bigger, though on average not as big as in Ontario. With the very mountainous terrain both on the island as well as the mainland somewhat bigger engines are understandable and justified. And a higher proportion of the really big pick-ups (aka trucks) were obviously working trucks.
The BFF videos are always great. The research and the editing must be so long! I still surprise that you have around 50k subscribers! Continue the good work!
10:00 actually the Ford Kuga is the European version of the Escape, the ecosport was originally meant for South American markets but Ford brought it slightly updated here because they missed the boat on the small SUV demand here. They will stop selling it here now that the Puma is the successor.
As an American, I own the top two German vehicles, a Golf and a Tiguan. The need for me to use anything beyond what my Tiguan can handle with a trailer is extremely rare. IF I ever do, it’s something where paid delivery or a truck rental is available. To me an F-150 seems very excessive to have as a daily driver. You are so on point with being better off daily driving a Cayman and renting a truck as needed.
@@TheRockkickass I don’t believe I mentioned caring what other people drive. I was pointing out my choices and how they work for me, and agreeing with the video about daily driving a fun car and renting a truck as needed.
The European version of the Ford Escape is not the Ford EcoSport but the Ford Kuga and it looks basically the same as the US version. So, no better visibility for the driver.
Hello Ashton, happy Sunday! In my opinion Americans tend to supersize everything, cars, roads, shopping centers, portions of food and also the people. The safety regualations are also big part of the differences. It seems that pedestrians are unknown to US-carmakers. best regards Ralf
I made my first trips to US round about 20 years ago. In that time the Volkswagen Passat was the smallest car (as I remember). Car#s like Fiat Panda didn't exist, neither other little cars. When I was there last year, it has changed: The Fiat 500 is available and there were less huge cars than two Decades ago. And: There are Bike-lanes. Anyhow: Only a few people really need a SUV or a Pickup - whereever.
to be fair this supersizing trend is also here in Germany to find... the first VW Golf has been a cheap Metal Box on 4 Wheels, the last generation is some high tech wonder with i assume more computer power than Apollo 11 in it... i guess this trend will also go on, but with the microcars getting a foot in the market i assume at least in europe we can stop the trend to make the cars bigger, heavier only for the price to pay in sell and operation and maintenance...
@@frankbernotimm3031What kind of car someone 'needs' is entirely their decision, not yours and certainly not that of politicians. Normative paternalism and 'knowing better' does not belong in an open society.
Pedestrians are known by US carmakers as an object to hit and drive over. Is there a country beside the US that has a law made(sponsored) by carmakers that made it ILLEGAL to cross a street while being a pedestrian.
@Ashton, here is an interesting aspect to pick-up truck vs car regulations. larger pickups, by wheelbase do not have to meet the same emissions and fuel consumption requirements as cars, or even smaller (as in 2-door) trucks. 4 door trucks have a longer wheelbase than 2 door trucks. fewer requirements for emissions and fuel consumption. Also Pick-up trucks by and large (pun intended) are exempt from emissions testing. This does vary by state, or even county!) vehicles over 8800 pounds are exempt. and, yes, large pickups weigh 4 tons..... technical note for Jonathan: a typical trailer in germany may have a tongue weight of 50-100kg, well within the limit of a "car". while a camping trailer in the US may have a tongue weight of 400-800 pounds, well out of spec for a "car".
And once again a high quality video. Whenever I see a new video by the Black Forest Family turn up in my notifications I immediately click, because I know it’s going to be good.
Hi Ashton. Ich hab sie vermisst… diese fundierten ausgewogenen und informativen Betrachtungen. Well Done. Vielen lieben Dank und liebe Grüße aus dem Sauerland 🌲⛰️🌲. Hoffe es geht der jungen Familie gut.
The "my car shows how much money I have" part is going down in Germany - has been going down for quite a while. It is simply not as much seen as representative any more as it once was. As usual: Very well done in depth video!
Yes, I agree that it generally goes down - but there are still lots of "car crazy" people in Germany as well. And as it was said in the last part of the video, especially the number of SUVs has increased a lot in the last 10 years. In contrast, it seems to me the number of smaller cars such as VW Polo, Opel Corsa has shrunk. All in all, that's something I don't understand in Germany: Gas is expensive, the parking lots on the street are reduced in particular in new developments, taxes are high, but a huge parts of Germans still prefer SUVs.
@@Bema1001 Jep, that is still a trend. But many of those are company cars, which have some tax evasion loopholes to make the cheaper and the drivers don't have to pay for the fuel (directly). But the "1%" rule might change (i.e. 1% of the company cars value is deducted from your pay, I think before tax). So a way oversized car for its purpose will get 1.5% tax rule. Many towns push actively against those oversized nonsense, so there is a development on the way.
I learned from Albert Hammond that it never rains in Southern California, so I'd understand why they'd use pickup trucks there :) But honestly, why would I want a truck with an open loading area, so that my cargo gets wet whenever it rains? Another point about car size worth mentioning is, that there's old parking garages (especially in Vienna), where an SUV won't fit into any spot. They still try though.
Thank you Ashton. Although I'm not interested in cars (just a tool), the impact cars have on our lives is important to me. I think there is one point you could add to this subject. With the higher weight of electric vehicles, and the even higher weight with the growing size of our cars, the maintenance and construction costs of our infrastructure will increase as well, while the load of the average vehicle doesn't. This does not really fit with the German efficiency stereotype.
Sadly all Europeans are buying larger cars... I have just visited my family and I'm from lake Como, where roads are very narrow. The amount of tourists from all over Europe driving large SUVs, but not actually able to drive them or park them, was infuriating... They slow down traffic and drive in the middle of the road 🤦♀️
Dear Dr. Ashton, as usual, a very good article about that subject and very nice performed, thank you. Let me just ad a possible reason, why those pickup-trucks are so popular inside USA: In the end of the 70s, there was a "oil-crisis" with rationing gasoline and so on, after that, the US-government decided, that the cars (the overwhelming majority that tine were normal cars, sedans and station wagons) shoud less consume gasoline in the future, every year from that startpoint onwards, the average consommation of all the cars, a factory was making, shoud be less and less, up to very few, too few for the big V-8s, what were build in the most cars that time, so, the size of the engines became less and less, no mor V 8, V 6 was state of the art, after that even a 4-cylinder engine had to be installed, in order to meet the strict regulations. That was the reason, Mercedes-Benz introduced the "Baby-Benz" that time. But ..... those consommation-regulations were not valid for trucks, also for those mini-trucks, you call them pick-up-trucks, because those cars were seen as cars for working only , for business-purposes. Thats why those cars were the only new cars inside USA, where the costumer could order one of those famous American V 8 engines, if he/she wanted, and the people wanted them oilcrisis hin oder her.
I don't know if this is still true, but if I remember correctly, Germans are more likely to drive manual transmission than people in the US. Most of the people around me wouldn't want an automatic for different reasons while in the US automatic is and has been pretty much the standard for decades unless you are looking for a sports car. I think this is another aspect of the different way Germans and US people use their vehicles. As a Nürnberger: Thanks for the short Nürnberg clip at 0:22 😊 I'm impressed by the work you put into your videos - not only the amount of research but also your editing, looks very professional! 👍
It was a matter of price. Manual transmission were cheaper. And it was easier to reach the emissions standards. Not so easy with torque converters. That changes in the next years to DSG drives until there are no more fossil cars - And no need for gear shifting anymore.
Y'all talk about the past. Nowadays ICE cars with automatic transmission are at least as fuel efficient, though a bit heavier and more expensive. BEVs have a fixed ratio transmission. - Another difference is the slower adaption of BEVs in the US. US lags both EU and China by about 3 years.
I think the main reason why cars are getting bigger in Germany is on the one hand the safety aspect that many see in SUVs but even more important is the convenience of getting in :-). Imagine an eighty year old getting into a Mini, Polo or Golf :-). That's why box spring beds sold like hot cakes years ago. A country with motorically limited inhabitants needs corresponding cars - that's how it is.
my mum broke her leg earlier this year, complex break, should be able to walk unassisted by xmas... they have an Audi a8.... she can half fall half be lifted into the car and getting out is a lot of work on both her and my dad's part. they were expats in the US for 4 years, my mum had a VW Touareg then, which would have made everything WAY easier now (they live back in germany now and mum sold her mini a year ago so that wouldnt have helped either)
They could do what they always did, from the modest Fiat Panda to the gorgeous Volvo wagons: offering elevated versions of "normal" cars. Just an example: the Dacia Sandero stepway is as elevated as any SUV of a similar size. The problem with the SUV plague is that those who neither need nor want (or like) those hideous SUVs have less and less choice. Car companies extinguished small Station Wagons, small MPVs, small sedans and now even small hatchbacks like the Ford Fiesta are beginning to disappear. Europeans are getting older, but we're not all in the 80s, god sake.
Without watching I would assume the main reasons are: - Road width - road quality - parking space sizes - driving distances - fuel prices - American DIY culture
I just love how in-depth your analysis is! Honestly, initially, the name of the channel stopped me from subscribing because I expected expat-family content which is not my thing, but WOW! I get amazing economic lectures instead! Definitely subscribing now after watching 3 deep-dive videos in a row: the tax comparison, the reaction to an article proclaiming Americans are getting richer while Europeans are getting poorer, and now this one. As a Marketing Specialist I thought you are interested in what gets your audience to convert to subs)))
I sincerely appreciate this comment and would love to hear more from you. We are currently considering a rebrand but don't know where to pivot. Our channels started two years ago with more vlog-style content and the name made more sense. We wanted to share with our family back home what our lives were like.... But such a discussion on the differences of life lead us to do more "deep dives". So IF we do a rebrand... We don't want to alienate our original subscribers. We still want to approach topics from our lens as an American Family in the Black Forest.... With personal experiences. But at the same time we don't want new audiences to think we are a family vlog.
@@TypeAshton honestly, I think essays on various comparison topics, just like you do it with tax comparison, is the thing that RUclips wants: long videos means more time spent on the platform, and you are conducting them perfectly! But I can only imagine how much work goes into them. Anyway, I'm from the cohort of users who watch Not just Bikes, Adam Something, CityNerd, ClimateTown and all the urbanist/leftist essay-commentators, if that helps with target audience indicators😏 what's fun, is that I'm Ukrainian who moved to Köln last year because of the war, but I sure watch too many videos about how car-centric US is ahahahha. Maybe it's because I don't drive
Once again I am fascinated by the way you research the facts for your videos. So thank you very much for this. The German car market or I should rather say the cars German buy and use are different now. For example:what happened to the estate cars, they were all over the place only 10 years ago and now you see less of them as the buyers obviously are now going for the SUV type. I had various estates over the years and switched to the SUV variant some 4 years ago. It doesn't really make sense as they are bigger, guzzle more petrol etc. but it's easier to get in or out, you sit higher up, better visibility is a point. But believe it or not my estates could easily take more luggage. Writing this I cannot really explain why the SUV is now my preferred type of vehicle.
It is perhaps worth noting that there is a kind of fundamental difference in the background: The European way is to have (perhaps way too) detailed regulation up front, while the US way is to sort liability through obscenely expensive court cases.
Love your Videos. ❤ Just one small comment regarding the car comparison: the Ford Escape is called Ford Kuga in Europe. And they are basically the same car (at least from design point of view)... but you are right, cars are adapted regionally for regulatory requirements.
Ah shoot thanks for that. You are totally right on the Kuga. Interestingly.... In the USA The Ford EcoSport does not exist in that market. The Ford escape IS their "smallest" crossover-SUV available (outside of the Bronco, but that is marketed more as a true "off road" vehicle).
What about a follow up video about campers (mobile homes) which are also popular in Germany, EU and in the USA? Such a comparison about larger family holiday friendly vehicles with a kitchen and the usability would be interesting for all sides.
Moin Moin. Der Vergleich warum Deutsche kein Truck fahren hinkt gewaltig , hat eher andere Gründe ! Der Truck hat eine zu kleine Ladefläche da hat ein Transporter von Mercedes oder VW mehr . Laden ist schwierig weil die Ladefläche so hoch ist beim Amerikaner , auch weniger Multifunktionell als wie der Europäer . Der Truck schluckt mehr Sprit da verbrauchen die Transporter aus Deutschland wesentlich weniger ! Die Transporter in Europa generell können mehr laden auch bei kleinen Motor . Und vieles mehr was eigentlich eher für einen Transporter (Van) spricht als für einen Truck . Gruß aus dem Nordwesten Deutschlands in den Südwesten Deutschlands .....
Du meinst aber Transit und Sprinter, oder schließt du da Pritchenwagen mit Doppelkabine ein? Letztere darf man mit einem gewöhlichen Klasse B Führerschein noch fahren.
Like the type of videos you make! Just a few very late comments, not sure if anyone already posted them: The Ford Escape is called Kuga in Europe, not Ecosport, that’s a different car. Opel isn’t really a German brand anymore, at least if you look at ownership of the brand, but that’s a bit nitpicking. Greetings from The Netherlands.
Because we in Germany and in Europe as a whole have shorter ways to go shopping, even if we live in the country, the next town where you can get everything is usually not that far. We also build and repair much less often, not to say almost never, on our houses when we then have our own house. We also have a lot more "sidewalks", i.e. footpaths for pedestrians! Even in the countryside, the small villages are usually not only connected by a road for cars, but there is usually a footpath separate from the road!
@@MaticTheProto I spoke mostly of construction supplies and much larger amounts of shopping and that pedestrians in the United States lead more dangerous lives for many other reasons. could it be that you misunderstand everything
Hi Ashton, I know that you do good research for your videos and the source you have for the german commute is pretty solid, but I still think it seems to put the german commute at a very low distance! The figures I get for Europe are at about 30 km. Half as much as in the USA, so your argument about fuel efficiency still holds, but not such an extreme difference as you claim in the video!
As always, I really love your content, it's so much more than just reiterating either side of the debate. It is really refreshing to actually hear about the facts and how those factor into such differences of opinion and (economic) behaviour. Just one minor point of criticism. At the start you are talking about campers while you're referring to caravans. There's a huge difference between the two, most notably that campers are much bigger, can be driven on their own without needing to be towed and are essentially tiny self-contained houses.
I really enjoy your deep dives, and here's another great one. However, I think there's still a lot of psychology to unwrap, especially when it comes to the SUV trend in the EU and Germany. I feel like it is really a sign of the times and our society, I will always stand firm on my belief/observation that the first SUVs became a trend in Germany in about the same time talk about climate change and in particular Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" became bigger at the end of the 90s, and modern SUV and Pickup design (just look at the front) is really a very loud "F YOU, I won't do what you tell me", with the "F you Greta" and "Fridays for Hubraum" stickers soon becoming a factory standard. Maybe I'm too simple in my thinking, but modern car design really brings me back to the old stereotypes of egoism, member size and those other most basic instincts in humans, because I can find no other logical explanation for why most people choose these cars with this design than either showing off brutality or being so scared that they need a tank around them to feel safe with no regards to anyone else.
As an American living 50/50 in Europe and the U.S., to me it comes down to one thing: torque. Americans have been taught that the only fuel for road cars is gasoline. In Europe, we have highly sophisticated TDI engines (Turbodiesel Direct Injection). Something Detroit does not even dream about manufacturing. Take this example of 2 cars we drive in Europe: BMW e60 M5 & BMW e60 530d. The first one has a 5-liter V-10 gasoline engine (hoot to drive at 180 mph but 12 mpg fuel economy with 400 lb-ft torque). The second one has a 3-liter TDI engine, same 400 lb-ft torque, but 28 mpg fuel economy. A diesel powered Audi A6, VW Passat or BMW 5-series can tow what a 6-liter pickup V8 would be required to in the U.S.
Great video and thanks for the content. One thing missing how finance and marketing departments of big companies shape very targeted lobbying efforts. The examples are legion, but in this specific case it was the ability to have light trucks exempted from fuel efficiency standards. These gave companies a strong incentive to push SUVs and pickups. In addition, regular SUVs and pickups are body-on-frame constructions which are very simple and hopelessly outdated technologies to modern unibody designs you find in cars and modern crossover SUVs. All told, pickups and SUVs give you insane profit margins for very bad products that are about half a century out of date, except for very specific applications that are rarely relevant outside of commercial use, where in any case European style sprinter vans or light trucks tend to be the better solution.
Thanks!! Just wanted to add that here in the US we have a lot more teenagers driving! Parents often want the safest cars for these young, inexperienced drivers. If we weren’t so car-centric and had better public transit options with more pedestrians in general and kids specifically, then we might have different safety regulations. My kids walk to school and I’m always shocked at how many parents drive to pick their kid up even when they live within the walking radius.
So, the (inexperienced and therefore even mor dangerous) teenager *in* the car is more worth than his/her age-mate outside that gets hit by it. Got it. The equivalent of _"survival of the fittest"_ AKA that other American way of life.
16:18 There is also the quality of the gasoline that makes some of the difference. The worst you can get in Germany is Super 95 octane, whereas in the USA you can still easily get the regular 87 or 89 octane which is also cheaper but almost extinct in all of europe.
We also like to sometimes watch Top Gear and I think the host Jeremy Clarkson puts it quite similarly: "Buying a Large SUV or Pick-up Truck because once a year you need to haul or tow2 something is just about as ridiculous as wearing ski boots 365 days a year because one weekend in December you go to Vail."
Always in awe about the research you come up with! Congrats! Very well done, again! A bikers story: I've been riding a BMW R 75/5 for some 20 years. (Still have it. Needs repair.) A wonderful tourer. Currently ride a Yamaha RD 125LC. Why? I wanted a bike to cut lanes more easily on my way to work. And found this great bike! 21hp, 100 kg of weight. 140km/h top speed, 4l of fuel to cover 100km. And pure fun to ride! 62yrs old, I don't need to impress any girls with my ride anymore. (Old guys just wanna have fun! haha!)
You mentioned that cars are getting bigger across the board. Well, so are people, especially in more advanced countries. Yes, I'm talking about extra weight around waists more than getting taller on average. Also, slightly taller cars are easier to enter and exit for unfit people.
Thank you, Ashton. 7:47 Just hit that spot in your video and I literally whooped a "Yes!" when I saw that. That video is an absolutely perfect clarification why pickup trucks became so ubiquitous in the USA. Basically it boils down to "big car companies" lobbied for exceptions to environmental regulations for the biggest single contributor of green house gases in the personal vehicle market. Edit: 19:24 and a second whooped "Yes!" for your caveat here. Both of these types of vehicle are simply compensation and projection objects for their owner's vanity. Their claimed usage has nothing to do with their true purpose: fun. That's pretty much all they are. But at least the Porsche doesn't claim to be anything but a fun vehicle. On the other hand, the Raptor at least may serve as a utility vehicle as well... But for that it's ridiculously overpriced.
I saw a comparison between modern American pickup trucks and the smaller vehicles used by the military during the Second World War. Vehicles like the M4 Sherman, the Panzer IV and the Soviet T-34. The F-150 is longer than the main combat tanks of 1944.
Hi Ashton, pedestrian protection leads to quite interesting solutions. Regulations require to have a distance of about 10 cm between the Motor hood and engine block, so that there is enough "braking zone" for a pedestrians head when deforming the "soft" hood, before crashing on the hard engine. This is why e.g. Mazda MX5 has a so called "active" motor hood that's back side is lifted with two explosive charges, when sensors detect a pedestrian crash. With this mechanism, the required minimum distance is achieved at the time of the crash. Btw. Can become very expensive, when a rabbit... is hit.
You already covered a lot. As an EU citizen and having family across the pond, I have always wondered: is the 'settlers psych' the root cause of (car buying) decisions? I can imagine if you are a settler you have this nagging voice in the back of your head that says: "We need to pack our stuff and settle elsewhere". So : 1. Your car needs to be big 2. You should not invest too much money in the durability of your home, because we "might be forced to move in a hurry". 3. You should not bother to your environment that much. If natural resources are depleted we simply move to another location. 4. Investing in human relations is not worth it, bacause ... we might have new neighbors when we move... etc.etc.etc. 5. If I default on loans I might need to sleep in my car..... The 'car subject' is a compelling way to tell that story.
@@MaticTheProto much younger country with things to do. You were likely born in a place all settled and largely established like 3 times longer ago. The US is 250 years old and huge.
Yes. Avoiding to face infrastructure and safety problems that come with cars, and moreso big cars, and instead individualizing it. People feel less safe with bigger cars on the road, but instead of facing the problem they buy a bigger car themselves to feel (!) safe individually. That and capitalistic marketing.
That was actually a very interesting video, although for me personally there is nothing more boring than talking about cars and everything that goes with them. Cars and private transport are among the greatest sins we commit to nature. Hardly anything takes up as much space as paved roads, parking lots, multi-storey car parks and garages for cars that are getting bigger and bigger and unfortunately are often driven by people who can't handle them at all, who really aren't good drivers. And people who live in big inner cities don't need SUVs or pick-ups. In addition, there are no more durable cars being built, the broken cars then rust somewhere in African deserts and contaminate the soil and water there. Our thanks for robbing them of raw materials such as oil, among other things. Because the USA does not produce so much oil that all the people can fill up so cheaply.
Our goverment is wanting every one to go to electric cars even though the grid is not up to it.Also a lot of people can't afford them.They are telling people to shut their air conditioners off because the grid is not up to summer so how are everyone supose to charge an electric car?
I completely agree. Same for the Netherlands. The government wants us to go electric, but the infrastructure is not up to it, but it's not being upgraded either
Sadly, it's extremely hard for humans 1) to assess risks, 2) to base one's actions on long-term outcomes, 3) to take responsibility on things that don't have immediate visible/salient outcomes, and 4) to do what's best not only for oneself and the immediate ingroup but for everyone. I don't want to endorse any government or political party and I am not saying it is easy or even possible for everyone. Also, for what I know, government regulation is much more important than any individual's actions. But: I'd rather have a few years of rolling blackouts (while the grid is being updated) than keep on driving pedal-to-the-medal towards the abyss. Also, I'd like to be able to look my kids and grant-kids into the eye in a decade or two from now.
The most scary thing is, that doors and windows of electric cars only opens by electric motors from the inside. What happened in an accident, when for some reason the power is off? Imagine a battery fire on top.
@@thomasschmidt8544While you're right that some inconvenience should be tolerated to reduce climate change damage - the fear of constantly rolling blackouts because the grid can't handle EVs is mostly FUD spread by the fossil industry and repeated by misinformed petrol-heads who can't imagine change. Fear of the grid not being able to handle it didn't keep people buying household appliances and especially A/Cs. According to the The-grid-can't-possibly-keep-up logic nobody should have ever bought A/Cs. The grid will adapt to demand like it always did. Norway is already at 25% EVs - but I have yet to hear about daily blackouts. And EVs are already rapidly rising in numbers everywhere. I guess they charge with magic. The grid can't handle it, there's not enough Lithium, batteries need replacement every few years, etc ... - it's all mostly FUD. Bad working conditions in cobalt mines? How about that gets changed regardless of whether that's used in cell phones, power tools or EVs. How come the sourcing of materials is suddenly super-imoortant for EVs - while nobody ever questioned how everything else was made? I'm very much in favor of improving working conditions - irregardless of whether materials end up in an EV, ICE car or tablet.
US oil and European oil is traded on an open market but they are on **different** markets: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil and North Sea Brent (Brent) Crude. WTI is priced at delivery to a small town in Oklahoma where many pipelines meet. Brent oil today is $5 more than WTI, which is common. The $5 difference is mostly the cost of piping WTI down to New Orleans and putting it on a ship for delivery to the other side of the Atlantic. Before the US started exporting, oil the WTI price was often much lower than Brent due to frequent production surplus. The WTI standard is lighter (API gravity of 39.6° vs Brent at 38°) and lower in Sulphur (0.24% vs. 0.40%). Brent has greater storage reserve than WTI so WTI is more volatile. The lower API weight and lower Sulphur reduces the cost of refining Gasoline, but not Diesel fuel.
Well, I can tell you this, as a mechanic/ towing employee for 20 + I can tell you American trucks are reliable and anything made in Germany is not. So much so that we call them “German junk”. But Japanese vehicles take the win for the best!!
Hi, I became aware of your cool video by chance. As a German, I like to see how you see things in Germany. I wish you a lot of fun and many more beautiful videos about Germany. Only the seriousness of the Germans in road traffic is also due to the fact that it becomes very, very expensive in the event of an accident. Especially if the car has technical problems.
Again, high quality research, scripting and editing! I enjoy your documentaries a lot and thus have followed you on patreon. Here is something that triggers me a bit, when I hear the notion "German" car: When it comes to cars and national economies or brands it helps to take a closer look on how cars are manufactured. Only about 30% of a car's value is created by the manufacturer. Car brands usally produce the body and the engine and perform the final assembly of the parts. These parts are supplied by many 1st tier supplier which itself source their parts from 2nd tier suppliers and so on. As an example, mercedes-benz is sourcing more than 50% of their parts from non-German suppliers. Also, all the big players in the car industry have plants (engine plants, assembly plants, CKD facility etc.) in many different countries. It has been many decades ago since we have been able to talk about a national car industry. BTW: China based brands are the biggest exporter of cars followed by Japanese brands and then German brands. But it really doesn't matter. Additional: Heavier cars have made accidents less dangerous for the passengers but more dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and bikers. So, cars have become heavier over time. The Golf I from 1978 weights about 800 kg. the latest Golf VIII weights between 1300 and 1600 kg! Finally, the fixations of owning a transport vehicle that is used only 10% to 20% of the time just for getting to work and performing the daily errands puzzles me a lot. This is highly inefficient use of capital and requires a lot of space to park cars. That might be okay for rural areas but the majority of the car owners live and work in cities and/or suburbia. Our societies need to invest much more in transport networks for people and goods. Walking and cycling might help as well.
I am a German who lives for over 20 years in Pennsylvania now. I used to own VWs and Audi's. I had the chance when still in Germany to get my hands on a 78 Mustang. OMG what complete garbage that car was. After the oil pump broke twice and the second time it also took the bearings out it ended up on the junk yard where it belonged. In the U.S. my wife wanted a mini van. She bought a Chrysler town and country. It was not even 6 years and the sides got holes from rust. Absolute junk....after that we went back even in the U.S. to just buy German cars again. My 645ci BMW is now 19 years old and you won't be able to find any rust on it. Neither on our Audi A6 or our BMW 528xi.......especially pick up trucks rust as quick as milk spoils....it's hilarious to see as a German and they STILL buy them over and over again....
Hello Black Forest Four, another Sunday another very interesting video, thank you hope you are all doing well... for me living car free since almost four years it was before that time a question of costs, practically and then environment impact, in this sequence... why to own a car that will eat my hairs of the had literally? Practicable, sure there where a few cheap "gebrauchte" used Cars in opinion but for what does a single male need a Bus, a SUV or a Pickup? the three times a Year i need to Transport some Fourniture, some Cornstruction Stuff or the annually garden spring buy of flowers, earth and so on? last point was ever impact to the environment, simply because i couldn't afford a electric car and the infrastructure to charge... Almost four years ago i stumbled upon an old Cargobike without electric Motor and it changed the view... since then i didn't use a car more often than three times (in those 4 years) have now two electric Bikes (one for the cargo as substitute..) and even two Trailers for them, and i feel happy... no more fuel costs, no Tüv (or here MFK) no Taxes, no search for Parking Lots... okay the bad side is the weather but you can wear an extra layer... still interesting video for me, i can also recommend the notjustbikes video...
This winter's rain storms in California showed a lot of drivers who couldn't drive their 4x4 pickups and SUV's in inclement weather. "Not Just Bikes" is a wonderful YT channel. There are studies called "accidentolgy" in Europe. I once worked at an institute in France that studied that including crash-test dummies and real corpses. There is a track in Spain that is used crashing cars to study the effects. Incidentally, there is a funny comic book by Gary Larson "Night of the Crash-test Dummies". It is part of his series "The Far Side". Very good dark humor.
I had no idea about the pedestrian safety issue, but it does make sense. My Seat Ateca will slam on it's brakes if a pedestrian steps in front of me. As Seat is a member of the VW Group I expect other VAG vehicles do the same. I was in an Audi dealership a while back and even the smallest of them was pretty big by European standards. As for your comment about the Tiguan, my Ateca is the Seat equivalent and it's really not a large vehicle. Yes it seats five but it does so efficiently and cruises comfortably at 140kph with a 1.4L engine. Oh, and you bet I'd choose the Porsche over the truck. I never understood the truck thing, even when I lived in Texas and had a Dodge 3500 for work.
I think, a big problem is, that cars got wider, but the parking spots, especially in parking garages, stayed the same width. So, it is harder to fit the vehicle the car in these spots. And, because of the growth of the length of the cars, there can't park so samny cars in street parking. I don't know the size comparison from the Smart from Mercedes-Benz. But I think, two of them could fit in one spot.
I really like your "land yacht" expression! I call them "unarmed but deadly tanks" or just "workday / commuter tanks", or "private panzer", "need to compensate something vehicle"... 🤣 Thankfully, some cities in Europe are reconsidering the presence of such beasts in their streets, thar only carry 1.2 person on average, and certainly no heavy or large haul more than once a year. Some cities want SUV's and crossovers to pay their parking fees by excess weight and size / volume compared to a smaller urban car. In France in general and Paris in particular, there are groups of "deflaters" who, as the name implies, deflate tyres of huge vehicles parked in the steets at night and leave an explanation note on the windshield under the wiper. Usually detailing the excess CO2 and particles caused by their vehicle over a smaller car. I'll add one other point to the video : even a 5 year old knows that cubes and bricks are *not* aerodynamic shapes. But vehicles like the Suburban, Escalade, F-150, etc. All look like a pile of cubes and bricks with wheels. The new heresy is now to market EV versions of these kinds of beasts : even more weight! The batteries in these things are mostly used to transport their own weight. And they can weigh more than all the passengers combined. Many "private" American vehicles would require a special high gross weight / lorry driving license in several European countries. Who would think of taking the kids to school or running errands with an 18 wheeler? Cause we're getting there... At least license wise. Excellent video, as always!
The problem here where I live is different and a little more "ancient". In the city center in Zaragoza, you can not dig a hole without finding Roman ruins. An example is that about 25 years ago an unstable building was demolished because it was deemed unrepairable. When they went to dig for the new foundation they discovered why it was unstable. There was a 2000 year old Roman amphitheater underneath. Quite a surprise and it required the demolition of another building to completely uncover it. It is now an outdoor museum to that time in the city's history.
One thing that I never hear from people is how bad our roads are in many or most places in the US. I personally drive a old work truck or bicycle and the biggest problem I see is how ruff the roads are you need something with ground clearance and a decent amount suspension travel to not get thrown all over the road or scrape in many places. I couldn't imagine trying to drive something low to the ground on some of the interstates let alone neighborhoods.
Love your content which makes very valid points. There are a quite a few issues that were overlooked which are a bit more involved than I would want to convey. Keep up the good work. Subscribing 🙂
Correction to the Video: The Ford KUGA is the European Counterpart to the Ford Escape (not the EcoSport as noted in the video). Although fun fact! The Ford EcoSport is not even available for purchase in the United States. In Europe, the EcoSport is the small SUV option to the larger KUGA, where as the Escape is the smallest SUV offered to US consumers in the Ford line-up.
The United States' Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) is recognized by only two other countries, Canada and Mexico who also assemble vehicles for sale in the U.S. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Vehicle Regulations are recognized by all other countries on the planet including Canada and Mexico but not the U.S.! While most foreign manufacturers have been willing to assemble vehicles compliant with U.S. regulations, American manufactures haven't reciprocated. Instead, American manufactures have preferred to buy and own foreign brands. But, even that has changed. All three U.S. manufacturers have pulled out of Australia. GM sold off its European Opel and Vauxhall brands in order to concentrate on the China market. Japan (which drives on the left side of the road) was more than willing to build left-hand drive vehicles for the U.S. market but U.S. manufactures were unwilling to reciprocate with right-hand drive vehicles for the Japanese market. On the other hand, the Japanese manufacturers built plants in the U.S. to assemble vehicles specifically designed for the U.S. market. BMW assembles all its SUVs in South Carolina and ships them around the world ... even to Germany! Chrysler was taken over by Fiat which was in turn conjoined into the Stellantis Group. GM seems to be in the process of becoming a China-only company. Ford, meanwhile, is struggling everywhere. Also, the fact that the U.S. tax code favors short-term gain over long-term investment doesn't help.
The Ecosport was offered in the US at least until model year 2021 or 22y
Yeah. I thought the same. My neighbours got the new Kuga.
Originally the EcoSport, which is produced in romania should only be offered in some regions of Eastern Europe as there was already the Ford Puma available.
The Ford Kuga was very different in the first generation (which was Ford C-Max based). This car was built in Germany (Saarlouis plant only) With the second generation the already existing it was changed to a new "world car" (based on the actual Ford Focus) moving the European Production to Valencia in Spain (which lead to the upcoming closing of the Saarlouis plant). Production will be stopped in 2023 for EcoSport and Puma (Puma will get an electric successor). Ford Kuga production will end in 2025 or 2026 when Ford will only build an electric successor based on the MEB (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten) by Volkswagen.
You can find most of those information quite easily on Wikipedia. It might be a good idea to check this before publishing a video
My cousin owns the Ecosport, she bought it before it was discontinued. It's an ok vehicle 😊
I think the cars in Germany are not very different from the rest of Europe. I am from Amsterdam and I think the Netherlands look like Germany. I think the general point is that drivers in Europe value quality over quantity. It is not good to generalise in general but my idea is that Americans want everything bigger than everyone else in the world.
I'mi a German-American, but the best car I owned was a Volvo fastback, especially all-out on winding rural roads no traffic. What a sweet ride.
I've been very surprised to hear people from the USA praise the quality of our European cars. And I do not mean the engineering or luxury cars, but the quality of the interior of every day models. I've often heard how 'nothing is rattling', 'quite, 'steady'' etc.
Yes but I appreciate it anytime someone doesn’t directly go to „this is what European X is/looks like, how Y is all over Europe“ bc for a great many things it can be wildly different, the EU after all is comprised of many very culturally different countries.
Also the Netherlands is not just a neighbor but similar in many aspects, or Germany is to the Netherlands. Estonia, Bulgaria or Portugal e.g. might be more different tho
@@ja_u Agreed. I think there is a balance to be struck. In the future, we would like to make content that appeals to a wider European audience. But we have to be VERY careful not to group all of the EU together when making generalizations. Plus it takes quite a bit more research to make sure that there aren't individual laws and regulations that affect EU trends/phenomena in individual countries.
Yes, Fiat, Citroen, Renault, Peugeot, Dacia, Lada, Moskvich, Zastava, Polski Fiat, Skoda (before VW), Trabant, Yugo are the paramount of quality built European car brands. They are on the cusp of automotive engineering!
It is actually a pretty common concern in german news by now, that especially newer models of high class brands such as bmw reduce window size and visibility for the driver in favor of a heavier exterior and more safety for the people inside the car, relying on cameras and sensors for pedestrian safety. So we start to emulate that trend from the US... :( Personally I feel like the front of that newest ford pick-up looks like a snow plow for children. Pretty scary.
I live in a very car centric small town, and the rise of new US-style trucks everywhere is a huge safety issue here. These trucks and SUVs are so high that children in front of it are straight up invisible to drivers. And in our road, which has lots of outdoor seating from restaurants, store displays and all that, it's really dangerous to have all these cars that are so high up and have these super long and straight hoods... Just a few days ago, one of these trucks just ran over a planter, and I'm honestly just waiting for someone to get hurt.
And that's a small road, with an extremely low speed limit (20km/h) that everyone KNOWS is full of pedestrian traffic...
The backseat of a new VW Golf Variant feels like an armoured car! 20 yrs earlier windows where larger and structures thinner.
@@rikulappi9664 yep, no room for side airbags in those thin pillars.
You forgot one of the main reasons:
thin metal sheets weight less than thick glass sheets.
This means less total mass, and thus less fuel consumption, and thus less CO2 emission.
The reduction of glass is one of the many tricks to build bigger cars and yet stay within regulations and laws.
next to ocean water, fuel is the most prevalent liquid. CO² is a life gas, and communistic politicians and bureaucrats shouldn't make collective decisions for us. We, the market, will decide. If anything should have tought us, it's the 20th Century.... pfff.
I can add some more points
- divers license: a European class B driver's license is limited to 3500kg while to my understanding in the US a car driver's license allows a lot more
- considering towing the license things get a bit more complicated, but in general it is preferable to have a car below 2t as this will allow a 1,5t trailer within a class B license. If the combination stays below 4.25t it can be driven with a B96 license
- Utility trailers are probably also one reason why smaller cars are not really a disadvantage. It is so much more comfortable to have a normal-sized station wagon in everyday life and use a trailer for trips to the hardware store than driving around a huge truck all the time. A trailer is cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, has low taxes and will last for decades. It is also easy to buy one for 2 years when it is really needed and sell it afterward (this is what I do for my current landscaping need)
- infrastructure is not just roads. A full-size pickup truck will have little fun in a parking garage. The prevalence of oversized surface parking in the US makes parking a huge vehicle much easier
I am from the USA and live in Germany currently. My old full-size Chevy Silverado long bed with an extended cab would be almost useless in Germany and impossible to park.............but it served me very well when picking up dirt, gravel, mulch and landscaping stones. It also came in very handy for helping friends move, picking up furniture, etc. It had a big V8 engine, automatic transmission and was mated to a 3.73:1 rear axle. It was brutally powerful and had tons of torque.......but it got 13 miles per gallon in the city and maybe 17 or 18 on the highway. When I sold it in 2017, gasoline was around $2.25 per gallon. I also had a four-cylinder Nissan Altima sedan that I used as my 'daily driver' since I had a long commute.
One thing sad about the US is that you cannot find a good "compact" pickup truck anymore (Mazda B2300, the pre-2011 Ford Ranger, Nissan hardbody, small pre-1995 Toyota, etc.). They were pretty cozy on the inside and boxy on the outside - but they had four-cylinder engines, manual transmissions and were excellent of fuel economy + they'd last almost forever. A good Toyota or Nissan pickup with proper maintenance would rust out long before the engine would give up the ghost. I think the smallest truck you can get in the US now is the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger or Chevrolet Colorado - which are more "midsized" and are almost 3/4 the size of the Tundra, F-150 and Silverado.
I once owned a 1985 Ford Ranger long bed. 4-cylinder, rear-drive, five-speed manual and no options at all except for air conditioning (which barely worked after 12 years). Such a cheap, cool little truck - until a drunk smashed into it when it was parked. A total loss.
I think that if Toyota and Nissan offered their compact pickups again in the States that they'd sell like hotcakes. They still are made in other parts of the world, but you cannot import one into the USA until it is 25 years old.
3.5 tons is the limit, including trailers.
With the small lorry license that gets you up to 7 tons combined.
But more than that means no weekend driving.
I am a retired trucker from the USA and - in most states - a standard driver's license is valid for vehicles up to 26,000 pounds! You don't need a special license for a trailer unless it is rated at 10,000 pounds or more. ( In some states, you don't even need a CDL for air brakes if the vehicle is under 13 tons gross weight! )
For a heavy straight truck that weighs over 26,000 pounds GVWR OR has more than two axles, you need a Class B CDL. Combination vehicles (tractor-trailer) require a Class A CDL. Then there are separate endorsements for HAZMAT, tanker and double/triple trailers. Passenger and school buses also require a different endorsement.
Even old folks who buy a $500,000 RV don't need a CDL because their vehicle is not used for commercial purposes.
@@1VaDude I guess you have no weekend and holiday truck driving ban. And you are allowed to drive as long as you do not make an accident.
Our truckers - in every EU country - have very stringent work and play times. And play times means no work, not even refueling or cleaning the windscreens is allowed. Having sex with anyone or watching RUclips is ok.
The trucks are under permanent oversight and must pay road toll in every country. Besides that they must undergo extremely nitpicking yearly emissions and drive train checks.
We got enough horror stories where a romanian truck or a polish bus without brakes killed a whole school class. INSIDE the school!
On the other hand, when you have a hauling company its not easy to take advantage of your personell. Not impossible, but not easy.
@wolfgangpreier9160 -- Trucks in the USA run 24/7 and 365 days a year. Drivers do have hours of service limits and we had satellite monitoring, GPS tracking, cameras facing the driver & out the front windshield, etc. We also had electronic logging devices (ELDs).
Trucks are inspected periodically, but some companies were a little slack on things. With CSA ratings, though, it hurts companies to have a high (bad) score. Driver & equipment violations can cost them bigly
I was fortunate to be short-haul. I worked Sunday night through Thursday night and slept in my own bed every day. My situation was not typical, though.
Expat American Living in Wiesbaden here. When I was a young Military Police Officer working in Kitzingen, my Polizei counterpart (who had spent time in the US) summed it up like this, "Americans like to cruise, Germans like to drive."
hmm, not a bad summary really, hadn't thought of it that way.
Never been so happy to get back home to Germany a couple days ago and onto the train and then back to my little Fiat Punto after going crazy waiting endlessly at traffic lights in the States for three week in my rental mid-sized SUV. Being forced to drive there is hell (and I'm from Detroit, the most car centric place on earth!).
I am from the USA and live in Germany right now. I will be going to the States for two weeks this fall. I am looking forward to some wide-open roads, as I'll be doing about 2,000 miles in a rented Camry during that time. However, I am really going to have to watch my right foot because I'll be driving through PA, OH, MI, WV and VA. The roads are big, but they're NOT the Autobahn. I'll have to slow down a bit AND put up with the dolts who hog the passing lane.
@@1VaDude put your pot-hole detectors on. the north is murder on cars. i occasionally go to NJ, PA, MA. Roads here in the South are better, except metro atlanta, where potholes have become a thing as well.
@@uliwehner -- Almost every state in the North has crappy roads - except for Maryland. They have excellent roads and highways. New York (outside of NYC) highways are not too shabby. Pennsylvania's roads have always been bad.
@@1VaDudeif you will need to slow down it means you had to drive a lot of autobahn inside Germany, for work I suppose.
I don't envy you. (I'm a 9-10k a year tour guide and don't own a car. I loathe driving in our capital Zagreb, but I do enjoy driving sometimes. Small car, borrowed from my brother, 0-60 in 17-20 sec i guess, i suppose that is the sole metric used by Americans.
@@florkgagga -- I have never been to Zagreb, but my wife and I were in Croatia back in April. We stayed in Dubrovnik for five or six days. We also got to see part of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Surprisingly, both of them accepted Euros despite not being in the European Union. ( We were in Copenhagen a few weeks ago and Denmark is in the EU but they do not accept Euros. )
I do like the Autobahn, that's for sure............but you have to pay attention because there is no advance warning when the speed limit drops. Driving in cities can sometimes be a bit more of a challenge, though.
Yup, my American in spe-father in law was always confidentially making fun of my little Audi S3 (haha, your little box fits on the back of my Pick-up...) until I made him drive it on the Autobahn here in Germany on his first visit.
He has been very quiet, when it comes to cars and highways ever since...bless him😂😂🏎🏎❤
mine tried to humiliate me in the USA, gave me the key to his pickup truck, who got manual gearbox...
i will never forget his face he made, while i took off, waving to him!
@@Arltratlo To be fair to yours, 98% of car thieves in the US that are stealing pickups probably couldn't make it go but inch by inch and disturbingly noisy...so, in that regard: smart thinking!😂😂👍🍻
@@dasmaurerle4347 but in Europe its dont work this way, here everyone but US tourists know how to drive a manual!
@@Arltratlo Yes, i got it on your first comment. Stick-driving Americans think that we can't handle it...even though it's standard over here. That's what my stupid joke was based on...Oh man, now you ruined it😔😂😂😘🍻
Yes even grandmother's in Europe know how to heal and toe
100% Porsche over F150 and I loved your point that they now typically serve a similar function. So true.
In the Netherlands I see plenty of big SUVs and even some big pick up trucks on the road. However, when I go grocery shopping I very rarely see them on the parking lot. When I do it's often pretty hilarious seeing the driver try to park it, our parking lots weren't designed for such behemoths.
How it started: driving lessons (Netherlands, 1972) in a VW Beetle. How it went on: 3-month road trip (US, 1976) in a Toyota Corolla station car, considered extremely small by about everybody there, but quite comfortable for 2 people. How it is now: Ford C-max which has a higher seat, hence comfortable for getting in/out; removed one of the backseats, for easy transport of my rollator.
Point is: treat your car like any household item - don’t buy a complete Kitchen Aid, if you bake about 4 cakes per year, just bc it looks impressive (and takes 1.5 square feet on your countertop).
Thanks, Ashton, your comparisons are always very informative!
you do not have to buy ONE car to meet all your needs. My in-laws are in there mid-70s, they have Ford F250 Diesel for the camper, a Dodge Durango 7-seater for longer trips and rides to the airport with luggage, and a Hyundai Kona, as their runabout car. yes, 2 people and 3 cars. the truck is a 99, the durango a 2003, the Hyundai is like 5-6 years old or so. Those cars will likely last until they die. on their retirement income it would be impossible to replace the F250 and the Durango.
That would be extremely expensive on taxes. (which goes by weight).
Good morning tbff,
As a scientist in a completely different field, I adore your Wissenschaftskommunikation! You are already one of the few channels where I don't filter/skip the ads, and I am now finding myself for the first time considering supporting someone via patreon. Not because of the extra benefits (I am completely happy with the vids, please don't put pressure on yourselves with the benefits!), but just as a Thank You for your awesome content. I hope many others will consider (and actually do it) as well. Good luck with it and cheers from a few hundred km ti the north!
also thinking about, but i really dislike discord...
@@SirHeinzbond Hi there! Discord is optional. The majority of the content we upload on Patreon will be directly on patreon (early acess to videos, polls, feedback etc.) However, we have not 100% landed on the platform JUST yet, but if you decide to join the tier that allows for video chats with me, we may end up using Discord to help organize the call.
The Raptor - Cayman example is on point. Both are sold as "Race Cars".
As usual, a very well researched and produced video.
Thank you Dr Ashton.
and a lot of bais.
I truly appreciate your balanced views on almost all subjects you explore, but in this specific case I am in the NOT JUST BIKES camp. The ongoing trend of expanding cars is alarming at best and downright criminal in true fact. Protecting yourself better is all very well, but in this case it goes at the expense of all other street users, who become more and more vulnerable.
I agree…and I’m an American who likes trucks, but does not own one. The attitude of the culture portrayed on Not Just Bikes is very appealing. It shows a respect for the lifestyle of the whole community and environment. It’s simple, cheaper, and makes sense when you look at the true needs in your life. If you “need” a truck…then get it if it’s the right tool for the job. Most don’t and they just take up more space everywhere. My humble 2 cents!
Personal use pick up tricks in the USA account for 1/6th of the US's CO2 output.
I'm new to this channel but I got the impression she supports the same view as Not Just Bikes.
- shows screenshot of Not Just Bikes video titled: THESE STUPID TRUCKS ARE LITERALLY KILLING US
The worst thing is that even with internet and near instant exchange of information, many politicians frequently have refused to learn from Europeans while the generally more sane (Democrats) have spoken about virtues. War starts in the heart and many Americans simply like war even with allies 😢
@@piccalillipit9211who cares. Most people don’t give a shot about CO2 okay. Get real
Great video! Thank you! But, you stopped just short of revealing the real reason our vehicles, here in the US, are so utterly stupid. CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards, for which the category "light trucks" do not have to be included. Just as quick as that regulation was adopted, car-makers here, began to manipulate consumers through advertising, to buy a lot of trucks! They transformed the vast majority of car buyers to truck buyers through deceptive and manipulative advertising so they wouldn't have to include the majority of their sales in their Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers and, in fact, the majority of their sales became excempt from those standards. If pickups were actually included in those standards, you would see US manufacturers change their business model immediately!
yes, GVV and wheelbase exemptions. That is why you hardly see 2-door mid-size trucks anymore. the 2-doors would have to meet car standards for emissions and fuel economy. Think Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma. by the time you spec a 4-door all wheel drive tacoma, you are in a Ford f150....
They shouldn’t be included
Don't forget the Chicken Tax. That was where it all really started, 1964.
And Pickup Trucks and large SUV's are also exempt from Safety Standards. Check out their ANCAP Ratings. They're actually more dangerous when they run into each other, and completely terrible when pedestrians are involved. But they don't look or feel like it.
And CAFE standards have become even worse since the 2011 changes which made fuel efficiency requirements based on wheelbase and track width. This is why things like compact pickups and a number of subcompact cars are no longer sold in the US. It's also why other models still sold have increased in size. If the technology isn't there to meet increasing efficiency requirements, they have to make the car bigger to stay compliant.
@@chrisharshman5838 the technology is totally there, just not the will to implement. a small pickup could easily get 30mpg or so, it just can't also have 400hp and 35inch wheels.
We lived in Würzburg for about four years when I was in the military. We brought our Chrysler Town and Country with us and it felt huge. I agree that having a truck in the US does seem more like a status symbol than anything else. Now that we don't have to seat 5 kids, our car is a four door hatchback. Interesting analysis.
Europeans would stash those 5 kids, the neighbours' kids and their friends in that hatchback if necessary.
The labrador dog gets the front passenger seat.
Germans with lots of kids usually get a minivan (VW Bus) in my experience.
Greeting from Würzburg!
@@e.458 I think that's true, although there are not many familys with more than 2 kids anymore. So this type is on a quite steep decline since it's peak (probably around 200X).
On the other hand mobile homes are on a steep upward curve since Corona.
@@flitsertheo🤣🤣🤣
As an actual "gearhead", who has probably owned close to 100 different cars over my lifetime, I agree with your perspective on the difference between the US and Germany (actually all of Europe). I have owned everything from a land yacht (69 Chrysler New Yorker) to a small compact/economy car (VW Beetle), including 3 pickup trucks. Currently I drive an Opel Corsa because it fits my life and needs currently. All served a need in their time and they were generally what was being sold in the place/time. For cars, I always drifted more to the smaller end of the spectrum because I found them more practical. They were more economical on fuel, easier and cheaper to repair, simpler to operate and easier to maneuver. Prior to the 1973 oil embargo, American cars were huge and had massive engines. Afterward the trend shifted to smaller cars with smaller engines and has never returned to the pre-1970s size (except for trucks that remained about the same size). Yes, vehicles have grown, but it seems in a strange way. Existing models grow larger, but many times new, smaller models continue to be introduced. Toyota is an example. The Corolla was their smallest model for many years and continued to grow in size. Soon it was as large as the Camry once had been, so they introduced the Yaris that was about the same size as the original Corolla. VW did the same thing when the Golf grew larger they introduced the Lupo that was the size of the original Golf. I find the more interesting factor in the future is how European infrastructure will cope with the changes. Many streets are too narrow for two American sized cars to pass and the width and length make it hard to park them in the streets (1 F-150=2 Golfs). Parking lots are also interesting. The average spot is sized for European cars. If you can manage to get a Ford F-150 into a spot it will stick out halfway into the traffic lane and you will not be able to open your doors because the other cars (properly parked) will be too close.
You don't need to go to an F-150 to feel the limits of parking space. Try any family MPV (Seat Alhambra, Crysler Voyager, VW Sharan etc.). I am driving a Fiat Scudo Panorama because of family size and it is a nightmare to get the thing parked at a mall or similar ...
Isn't the solution just bigger taxes for using two spots regularly? Somehow make them pay extra in urban areas. Small cars were kind of becoming "in" in the late 80s and then nothing came of it, wars, oil, wars, oil, and oh why not sub, not any, just larger. Larger than what? Just larger. I wonder how the old (like me, but the rich ones) feel about pissing on the ideals of our youth.
I think they will be soon forced to stop this trend to supersize cars, in EU at least. Slowly but surely more and more city administrations and governments are realizing that catering to cars is not actually economically sustainable(let alone environmentally).
So for example in the city centres car parking spots are getting reduced, not implemented, and get more and more expensive every year.
Not to forget, to create many of those huge parking lots in the Us cities, they bulldozed the low-income neighborhoods flat. I dare you to find an area in a city centre where you can move a stone without getting eaten alive by regulations and citizens´ cultural associations devoted to protect the cultural heritage.
Just look up what happened for one single house, built around 1850, that was illegally tore down (well, not completely) in Munich´s neighborhood Giesing. It´s called Uhrmacherhäusl. The owner, who had asked permission for renovations only, has been punished even if he claimed to have not wanted the construction company(which is now bankrupt) to tore it down, and has been ordered to reconstruct it exactly as it was. You don´t mess around with the Denkmalschutz here ;) .
Yes. You are bang on, here. I’ve been in the automotive industry for many years. Here in America I routinely tell folks to get their lumber and mulch delivered. I was sitting in city traffic one day, looking around and thought myself… we have it all wrong. If everyone drove a smaller car, instead of an SUV or truck, our traffic would be dramatically reduced because the available space on our highways would be increased by about 30%.
The "Dienstwagenprivileg" aka "Firmenwagen" has been a gamechanger for the German automotive industry. The vast majority of luxury cars, SUVs and Crossovers in Germany are company owned - a privately owned and operated VW Polo is more expensive than a company owned but privately operated Audi Q8. This injustice is insane.......
This is true. I am driving company cars since 20 years and none of those I would have bought privately - at least not as new.
Germany is the Fatherland of the Automobile but not for the average folk!
@@thomaskalbfus2005 Schwachsinn!
So corporate big wigs get to drive luxury cars and its chalked up as a business expense, I bet they take them home too, and take their families out on vacation throughout Europe, all on a business expense, instead of paying the corporate big wigs a salary so they can own their own luxury vehicles. So if they get fired, the cars stay with the company. I really don't like CEOs getting corporate perks, but maybe that's because they pay high taxes in the upper tax brackets, so if they earn enough to afford those cars, they pay high taxes, so they keep their salaries down and get corporate perks instead as a business expense!
@@thomaskalbfus2005 I am definitely not a corporate big wig, I am an IT consultant driving a 80 000 EUR car which I would not lease or buy privately. In my company everybody can get a company car, even a secretary. The advantage is the private use with corporate car fleet conditions. And the company can deduct costs from tax. For the employee a company car is like additional salary and I need to pay taxes for it.
Glad that I stumbled on your RUclips channel like 2 years ago. It has evolved to become one of the best on the whole RUclips.
Well researched and presented in a way that everyone can understand it. Fantastic job, can't wait for the next one.
Alles gute aus Island 😊
Ah wow thank you so, so much. 💜
hi Ashton, the quality of your videos is really exceptional. Congratulations. I think your videos could very well be a good learning tool in German classrooms. I hope many teachers find them on RUclips and can incorporate them into their lessons.
On today’s video: I think one important reasons for growing car size is that people just feel safer in a large vehicle. It can be quite scary if you are surrounded by large pick up trucks while sitting in a small European compact vehicle. So it’s like an uncontrolled arms race, where everyone just tries to keep up or surpass the others, not realizing that it makes life so much unsafer for everyone.
You got that right. I am a retired trucker from the USA now living in Germany. I remember driving my big rig down the wide-open Interstate and passing a little Smart Car trying to merge onto the highway. The wind from my truck (which was about 68 feet in total length with the trailer) would almost blow it off the road. Sure, it did make me chuckle a bit - but it must be scary as heck to be in one of those tin boxes with bigger vehicles all around you.
We have a Mazda CX-30 (small SUV in the States, but almost mid-sized here) and I feel a lot safer on the Autobahn at 90 mph than I did at 65 or 70 on an American Interstate highway. For the most part, Germans are MUCH BETTER drivers than Americans - by far. Lots of people in the US will buy a Ford Expedition or a Chevy Tahoe and act as if they are in an Abrams tank.
😞
the mentioned video by Not Just Bikes also shows that arms race. You need a bigger car because everyone else has a bigger car. And the entire focus is the safety of the people in the car, not the ones outside. Modern US pickups are indeed the size of a tank.
@@HappyBeezerStudios -- And so many car makers practically advertise the "bigger is better" approach. Still, the folks making this video were not even born when cars in the United States were TRULY huge land yachts. I once had a 1964 Cadillac Sedan deVille and - a few years later - a 1978 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight coupe.
There is a man in Wiesbaden who has a pristine 1967 or 1968 Cadillac deVille. I can only imagine the pain at the pump when he has to put almost 100 liters of Super +98 in that big boat.
@@1VaDude Jonathan inherited a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 from his father when he passed. On the one hand, we would like to bring it to Germany because it is just sitting there, rusting away in storage in the US. It has a lot of memories that would be nice to pass on to our boys.... but on the other hand it is a BOAT (just like you mention about your neighbor's deVille. Filling it up would be SO expensive and driving it on many of the tight roads would be nerve racking. We often have discussions on the cost vs. benefit of whether or not to bring it here.
@TheBlackForestFamily -- Sell it to someone in the USA or have it - carefully - shipped over to you. Letting it rust is sacrilegious (I am a major gearhead). The 4-4-2 is based upon the mid-sized Cutlass platform; not really a land yacht. More like a small cabin cruiser. Haha!!
A Cadillac deVille, Fleetwood or El Dorado of that era is like a battleship. Same for an Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight or a Buick Electra 225.
Yes, a 1969 Oldsmobile with a V8 engine (400 or 455 cubic inches) will be thirsty, but you won't be driving it every day. Many of those cars were very quick in the 1/4 mile, but don't make for good Autobahn driving because of the short gearing and no overdrive.
Get a good home for it or bring it here to Germany. Just don't let it rust away!
Another excellent well researched video. 65 year old Canadian here but I have always liked smaller, European cars. Owned/drove 3 Fiats( boy did I learn auto repair with those) but the driving experience was enjoyable. Graduated to Japanese/Korean but still prefer the smallest car that fits my needs. Can't wait to rent my car in Germany for 18 days in August and rowing through the manual gearbox again on those wonderful Bavarian roads.Will see what car I will get, will be a mini/economy car.
Don't be disapointed if you get a automatic, more and more common also here in Europe ;)
@@martinohnenamen6147 I guess I will take what they give me but since I'm at the lowest price point for a vehicle as of now they would have to bump me up 2 classes and 200 more for my rental. Now the upside would be on the Autobahn, I would not have to pedal so hard to exceed 150km/hr:)
@@martinohnenamen6147 Ended up with a great Hyundai I20 from Europcar. Had a 6 speed turbocharged motor which was a joy on the autobahn's and back roads. Hit 180 briefly and it really liked to cruise at 160-170 so I was very much enjoying the driving on those smooth roads.
As an expat in the UK for a decade, I have often had this conversation. One key point of realization for US vs UK is the massive difference of a middle class life between the two. In America, you often see a lot of "toys" being hauled around in trucks and SUVs. Boats, Quad bikes, jet skis, etc etc. That is basically completely unheard of in the UK with exception of very wealthy families with estates. In the states, esp weekends, you are going to see this multiple times a day. In the UK, you'd count on one hand per month.. if that.
I think one major contributing factor to the rise of the SUV worldwide (or the pickup in the US) is marketing. Let's stay with the SUV: If you compare a minivan and a SUV with the same length and width, the minivan will provide more space for passengers and cargo, better line of sight and is more economical due to its' overall design. But the car industry successfully implemented the thougth, that you NEED an SUV. You NEED wide fenders for your BIS ASS wheels. You NEED an agressive and tall hood to instill FEAR of being crushed in the people in front of you, so they move over and let you pass. You NEED massive ground clearance in case you have to go offroad, although your car probably won't see a Feldweg in its' whole lifetime and the biggest mountain you'll ever climb is the Mt. Bordstein. You NEED to sit as high as possible, to have a better view in the distance. It doesn't matter that you're blocking the view for other drivers, it doesn't matter your bloated carriage is blocking your own line of sight in close proximity, so you can't see smaller obstacles like the aforementioned Bordstein or kids. You NEED the massive Stadtpanzer for YOUR safety. It doesn't matter the poor single mom and her kids in her rusty subcompact she can barely afford, will be crushed to death, because YOU are to incompetent to pilot your humongous pile of metal. There is a true story of a woman, who killed a kid on a school run. She was unable to see the kid in front of her bloated Mercedes ML, because her line of sight was obstructed. In court she said, she NEEDS that kind of car for school runs. Just observe a parking lot at a shopping center for a while. Tiny persons, barely able to see over their steering wheel, struggling to manoeuvre their massive SUV into a parking spot, because they're unable to comprehend the size of their car. YES, there is a tiny fraction of owners, who really need vehicles with offroad and loading capabilites. Hunters, forest workers, farmers, rescue services, etc. but surprisingly, those often use comparably small cars like the Lada Niva, the Suzuki Jimny, the Skoda Yeti (when it was still on the market), Subaru crossovers or the Mercedes G-Wagon (in it's original non-luxury, boxy version without massive fenders) or coming to pickups the Nissan Navarra or Mitsubishi L200. But as i said, those are only a TINY fraction of buyers. The pickup and the SUV, are (by a wide margin) the most antisocial vehicles for private daily use, but F*** YOU environment, F*** YOU fellow road users.
Bravo! Yes, the attitude is spot on about these gigantic land yachts.
Wow! This was a rant! But I couldn't agree more... 😅
THIS EXACTLY. SUVs are not practical by any means.
Recently I was in the market for a car, and I was searching for a hatchback with a flat load floor, level with the boot lip, because I need to be able to open my dog's transport crate. I searched the entire market and I could find a grand total of TWO hatchbacks fitting that description. Skoda Scala (with an option) and Kia Ceed.
Other than that, only estates would offer that, and massive SUVs. Small SUVs don't even have that !
Totally true. SUV's, crossovers and other big fragile lumps of metal are a huge waste of everything. And they're pushing us to buy these🤐,?!
My current car, a 22 year old Mercedes station wagon doesn't use loads of fuel, does some light off-roading because it's on the top of a gravel road and tows easily almost 2000 kilos.
And when I'll no longer need it I'll switch to something smaller and more utilitarian.
I don't want a monster of a car. But I'll probably buy an SUV next simply because sedans and hatchbacks have gotten so low to the ground. They are not deisgned for my roads anymore. They also have very cramped head room and just in general don't have a comfortable driving position. I'm not going off roading but I would like my car to not scrap the poor quality pavement. Older sedans were much higher up. Reliability is also a concern and that pretty much leaved only Toyota. My current Honda Fit is a terrible car. The Corolla and Camry are both too low with terrible head room and impractical sedan trunks. A SUV is my only option.
Great video 👍🏻👍🏻
I don't know if I'm speaking out of turn here but I get the impression that a lot of Americans drive trucks like that because they like to dream about being a wild frontiersman who does outdoorsy things like chop down trees with their teeth, as a denial of their humdrum suburban corporate existence. They might never do anything more adventurous than mowing the lawn on a Sunday, they might never do anything more hunter-gatherer than going to Wal-Mart, but if they've got a truck that _could_ be used to haul a couple of dead deer then they can pretend to themselves that they have it in them to be that person.
Also, because arms race. It's understandable that when the roof of your Golf is below the window-line of most other vehicles on the road, you're going to feel like a really vulnerable sitting target and want something that gives you a bit more protection against those behemoths - especially in an atomised non-society where the standard of driving is pretty appalling.
I'm from Southern Africa - not everyone needs a "truck" (and ours are relatively smaller Japanese style ones) but it's always very useful to know somebody who has one. It makes that person slightly more socially important.
You "are" what you drive. You get respect and the better looking girl. Pathetic. Such is the power of advertising.
@@timmurphy5541 Not „always“. Maybe in extremely specific circumstances in extremely specific groups of people and in very specific surroundings.
Another great video, Ashton. I really admire the thorough research you put into every topic you discuss in your videos and your dedication to be as objective as you can without dismissing your roots and/or personal experiences - even when diving into such an emotional topic for us Germans and, I guess, Americans as well. But you deliver it with an absolutly charming twinkle in your eyes so no egos would get hurt. Well done, young Lady🙇♂👏💛💛
thank you so much for such a nice compliment.
It is insane how the auto industrie created this demand for totally huge and dangerous trucks that often have less caring volume than a standard kastenwagen or any real transporter (like a multivan). I recommend you watch "How The Auto Industry Carjacked The American Dream" from climate town and "These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us" from Not Just Bikes to understand better how the car industry influenced the US and also Germany.
vans do not allow one to haul tall items as a pickup truck does.
@@scrambler69-xk3kvtrailers do. Plus let’s not act like most pick up drivers ever do this
You're talking like a city boy. A minivan can't carry the weight that a truck can. This is just a fact. The car industry didn't do make trucks popular. Consumers did this. Pickup trucks are great for farmers. It great for hauling heavy things. There's a Ford pickup that can haul 22,680 kg. A normal transporter can only haul 1,292 kg. Pickups can haul horses, cows, etc. When i was a kid (Im 39) you didnt see pickup trucks on the road as much as now. If you saw a pickup it was hauling something farm related and it was heavy (usually tractors).
Consumers decided it was better to drive all the time. The car industry followed what people asked for.
Food for thought. Some trailers.can haul 4 horses. 4 horses weigh between 2721 kg-3992 kg. That's more weight that a normal transporter can haul. A tractor weighs upto 2,388 kg. Again this weight is more than what a transporter can safely pull. It's not much more, but still it's more.
@@jessicaely2521 suuure buddy. Keep pulling shit out of your ass
Good morning to the Black Forest😊. Wow, even the topic about European and American cars isn't on the top of my priority list, the video took me from the first second. Again a masterpiece of well researched content and entertaining presentation. It's my pleasure to be your "Patron" and to support your high quality work. Have a pleasant Sunday and enjoy it with your loved ones.😊
Don´t know if someone already mentioned it, but there is another reason Pickups are less practical in europe :
In europe you are not allowed to just put everything unsecured in the loading area of a open pickup. So if using the loading area of a pickup you eigther have to secure it with bands/rope or you have to have a closed loading area. Reason for it are on the one hand exidents and on the other, that we drive faster. In both cases loads should not be able to get lost and hit others.
Imagine you put your groceries in the back of a pickup (unsecured) and drive with 200 km/h (convert yourself) on the Autobahn… Pickups are not aerodynamicly designed… there is a good chance grocery bag get caught by the driving wind and kicked out of the pickup… no good on the Autobahn.
On the other hand… if you have to secure every single item it is very time consuming… or the other variant: a pickup with a top cover on the loading area is not only stupid looking, it has the worst outcome of practicality in puting things in it… Because you eigther have to lift the cover every time, or you have to push everything to the front to use the whole space.
… so even farmers and forrest worker preffer to use a full siced Jeep over a Pickup.
Personal note :
I had a friend (in germany) with a Dodge Ram with a hardtop loading area… worst car ever.
Not ony was it hard to find a parking space in any city… but buying groceries was a pain in the ass. To unload it usually one had to climb into the low top laoding area because something „rolled“ to the front of it.
Good explanation for the reasons why Europeans prefer Vans or Jeeps. Still, I don't find a reason on why Americans prefer pick-ups. Even without those restrictipns, a Van or a covered Jeep offers better protection of the cargo against the elements of nature.
As always, I can only compliment you on how calmly and analytic you take on topics like a highly emotional one like cars are for many. Amoungst all the hype-screamers on the net, you and your husbend are truly bliss. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for the effort you‘ve put into this one 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Looking forward to whats coming next.
Regards from the NiederRhein area close to the dutch border.
Really interesting video. About car sizes, it's also something car companies try to steer. Obviously their profit is a lot bigger on luxury SUVs than on small affordable cars. Especially in the EV sector this is a big problem. Many people would love to get an affordable small EV but the choices there are very limited while every car brand and their mother produces EV SUVs. Which is ridiculous, since you'd think it would be obvious that most people want an EV that is as cost and energy efficient as possible but obviously car brands don't care about that too much.
My biggest aversion to the whole EV promotion. For me, even buying a EV would create more damage for the environment than riding my 20 year old car for the rest of my life (however long that may be).
I am also waiting for a small affordable electric car. All I could get are ridiculously large SUVs that I don't need. There just isn't any modern energy efficient electric vehicle for about 20k€.
@@juliaclaire42Why should a new EV cost €20.000, while new ICE cars typically cost 30.000+? All cars are expensive. I often hear people complain about EVs and their prices, but ICE cars are just as expensive and apparently that not an issue at all.
@@hansc8433 I want something as big as a VW Polo, that has a starting price of 20830€.
I think you have it the wrong way around: we're producing EVs for people who are status conscious because they are prepared to pay over the odds for status. All the huge costs of bringing a new technology are being kindly subsidised by such people and I thank them. No jokes.
Gday BFF, hope you and your viewers all had a fabulous week. I never thought I could be interested in a topic about cars but as always you raise my level of interest through your outstanding presentation skills. I really enjoy your content on a level I never expected. Thank you for always going the extra mile ( no pun intended) to give your viewers a well researched and professionally crafted video. I can’t praise you enough ❤
Hi there! Thank you so much for the (always) kind compliments and feedback. So glad to have you as such a long-term subscriber.
I can say with my German background, I acquired a VW New Beetle! I loved that car and I still miss it. I’m not your typical American given that I like things simple, practical and fun! Then there too, Is my affection for the Bauhaus. A good write up of the difference between the German and the American car culture. People who value freedom don’t express it in the same way and I would hate their being a mirror image if each other. Our personalities, lifestyle choices and the time we spend on the road says a great deal about who we are.
I have recently visited Canada: First in Southern Ontario, then Winnipeg (Manitoba) and finally Vancouver Island.
Especially in Ontario I was surprised by the ginormous pick-ups with engines in the 6 to 7 liter range (mostly Dodge RAM), and more often than not the occupant was a sole lady barely topping 160cm in height and barely tipping the scale at 60kg soaking wet! The thought that came to mind was: "Somebody is trying to [over]compensate here." Even though it was a mostly rural area, most of these pick-ups where NOT working trucks since they featured a super glossy waxed and polished finish. The "working" trucks very obvious in being covered in dust and scratches.
In southern Manitoba, though also a very rural area, the trucks had engines more in the 2 to 3 liter range and the bigger trucks were clearly working trucks.
On the west coast (Vancouver Island) the trucks again got bigger, though on average not as big as in Ontario. With the very mountainous terrain both on the island as well as the mainland somewhat bigger engines are understandable and justified. And a higher proportion of the really big pick-ups (aka trucks) were obviously working trucks.
The BFF videos are always great. The research and the editing must be so long! I still surprise that you have around 50k subscribers! Continue the good work!
10:00 actually the Ford Kuga is the European version of the Escape, the ecosport was originally meant for South American markets but Ford brought it slightly updated here because they missed the boat on the small SUV demand here. They will stop selling it here now that the Puma is the successor.
And in fact, it’s the same car proportion-wise (Escape/Kuga).
As an American, I own the top two German vehicles, a Golf and a Tiguan. The need for me to use anything beyond what my Tiguan can handle with a trailer is extremely rare. IF I ever do, it’s something where paid delivery or a truck rental is available. To me an F-150 seems very excessive to have as a daily driver. You are so on point with being better off daily driving a Cayman and renting a truck as needed.
Why do u care what other people drive
@@TheRockkickass I don’t believe I mentioned caring what other people drive. I was pointing out my choices and how they work for me, and agreeing with the video about daily driving a fun car and renting a truck as needed.
@@aluminumfalcon552 I fucked up and @ed you instead of a different comment, my b
@@TheRockkickass no problem, have a nice day
I think you sport the most in depth videos on Germany vs America on RUclips right now. Hats off for all the effort you are putting into this!
The European version of the Ford Escape is not the Ford EcoSport but the Ford Kuga and it looks basically the same as the US version. So, no better visibility for the driver.
Love the shout out to not just bikes, another channel I watch all the time.
Hello Ashton,
happy Sunday!
In my opinion Americans tend to supersize everything, cars, roads, shopping centers, portions of food and also the people. The safety regualations are also big part of the differences. It seems that pedestrians are unknown to US-carmakers. best regards Ralf
I made my first trips to US round about 20 years ago. In that time the Volkswagen Passat was the smallest car (as I remember). Car#s like Fiat Panda didn't exist, neither other little cars. When I was there last year, it has changed: The Fiat 500 is available and there were less huge cars than two Decades ago. And: There are Bike-lanes. Anyhow: Only a few people really need a SUV or a Pickup - whereever.
to be fair this supersizing trend is also here in Germany to find... the first VW Golf has been a cheap Metal Box on 4 Wheels, the last generation is some high tech wonder with i assume more computer power than Apollo 11 in it... i guess this trend will also go on, but with the microcars getting a foot in the market i assume at least in europe we can stop the trend to make the cars bigger, heavier only for the price to pay in sell and operation and maintenance...
@@frankbernotimm3031What kind of car someone 'needs' is entirely their decision, not yours and certainly not that of politicians. Normative paternalism and 'knowing better' does not belong in an open society.
@@gerohubner5101 Doubtles! But I am allowed to ask, too. Right?
Pedestrians are known by US carmakers as an object to hit and drive over. Is there a country beside the US that has a law made(sponsored) by carmakers that made it ILLEGAL to cross a street while being a pedestrian.
@Ashton, here is an interesting aspect to pick-up truck vs car regulations. larger pickups, by wheelbase do not have to meet the same emissions and fuel consumption requirements as cars, or even smaller (as in 2-door) trucks. 4 door trucks have a longer wheelbase than 2 door trucks. fewer requirements for emissions and fuel consumption. Also Pick-up trucks by and large (pun intended) are exempt from emissions testing. This does vary by state, or even county!) vehicles over 8800 pounds are exempt. and, yes, large pickups weigh 4 tons..... technical note for Jonathan: a typical trailer in germany may have a tongue weight of 50-100kg, well within the limit of a "car". while a camping trailer in the US may have a tongue weight of 400-800 pounds, well out of spec for a "car".
And once again a high quality video. Whenever I see a new video by the Black Forest Family turn up in my notifications I immediately click, because I know it’s going to be good.
Hi Ashton. Ich hab sie vermisst… diese fundierten ausgewogenen und informativen Betrachtungen. Well Done. Vielen lieben Dank und liebe Grüße aus dem Sauerland 🌲⛰️🌲. Hoffe es geht der jungen Familie gut.
The "my car shows how much money I have" part is going down in Germany - has been going down for quite a while. It is simply not as much seen as representative any more as it once was.
As usual: Very well done in depth video!
Yes, I agree that it generally goes down - but there are still lots of "car crazy" people in Germany as well.
And as it was said in the last part of the video, especially the number of SUVs has increased a lot in the last 10 years. In contrast, it seems to me the number of smaller cars such as VW Polo, Opel Corsa has shrunk.
All in all, that's something I don't understand in Germany: Gas is expensive, the parking lots on the street are reduced in particular in new developments, taxes are high, but a huge parts of Germans still prefer SUVs.
@@Bema1001 Jep, that is still a trend. But many of those are company cars, which have some tax evasion loopholes to make the cheaper and the drivers don't have to pay for the fuel (directly). But the "1%" rule might change (i.e. 1% of the company cars value is deducted from your pay, I think before tax). So a way oversized car for its purpose will get 1.5% tax rule. Many towns push actively against those oversized nonsense, so there is a development on the way.
I learned from Albert Hammond that it never rains in Southern California, so I'd understand why they'd use pickup trucks there :) But honestly, why would I want a truck with an open loading area, so that my cargo gets wet whenever it rains? Another point about car size worth mentioning is, that there's old parking garages (especially in Vienna), where an SUV won't fit into any spot. They still try though.
As usual, this is a fantastic video. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Ashton. Although I'm not interested in cars (just a tool), the impact cars have on our lives is important to me. I think there is one point you could add to this subject. With the higher weight of electric vehicles, and the even higher weight with the growing size of our cars, the maintenance and construction costs of our infrastructure will increase as well, while the load of the average vehicle doesn't. This does not really fit with the German efficiency stereotype.
Sadly all Europeans are buying larger cars... I have just visited my family and I'm from lake Como, where roads are very narrow. The amount of tourists from all over Europe driving large SUVs, but not actually able to drive them or park them, was infuriating... They slow down traffic and drive in the middle of the road 🤦♀️
Dear Dr. Ashton, as usual, a very good article about that subject and very nice performed, thank you. Let me just ad a possible reason, why those pickup-trucks are so popular inside USA: In the end of the 70s, there was a "oil-crisis" with rationing gasoline and so on, after that, the US-government decided, that the cars (the overwhelming majority that tine were normal cars, sedans and station wagons) shoud less consume gasoline in the future, every year from that startpoint onwards, the average consommation of all the cars, a factory was making, shoud be less and less, up to very few, too few for the big V-8s, what were build in the most cars that time, so, the size of the engines became less and less, no mor V 8, V 6 was state of the art, after that even a 4-cylinder engine had to be installed, in order to meet the strict regulations. That was the reason, Mercedes-Benz introduced the "Baby-Benz" that time.
But ..... those consommation-regulations were not valid for trucks, also for those mini-trucks, you call them pick-up-trucks, because those cars were seen as cars for working only , for business-purposes. Thats why those cars were the only new cars inside USA, where the costumer could order one of those famous American V 8 engines, if he/she wanted, and the people wanted them oilcrisis hin oder her.
I don't know if this is still true, but if I remember correctly, Germans are more likely to drive manual transmission than people in the US. Most of the people around me wouldn't want an automatic for different reasons while in the US automatic is and has been pretty much the standard for decades unless you are looking for a sports car.
I think this is another aspect of the different way Germans and US people use their vehicles.
As a Nürnberger: Thanks for the short Nürnberg clip at 0:22 😊
I'm impressed by the work you put into your videos - not only the amount of research but also your editing, looks very professional! 👍
It was a matter of price. Manual transmission were cheaper. And it was easier to reach the emissions standards. Not so easy with torque converters. That changes in the next years to DSG drives until there are no more fossil cars - And no need for gear shifting anymore.
@@wolfgangpreier9160 They also used to be more efficient, but automatics have caught up quite a bit.
Y'all talk about the past. Nowadays ICE cars with automatic transmission are at least as fuel efficient, though a bit heavier and more expensive. BEVs have a fixed ratio transmission. - Another difference is the slower adaption of BEVs in the US. US lags both EU and China by about 3 years.
I think the main reason why cars are getting bigger in Germany is on the one hand the safety aspect that many see in SUVs but even more important is the convenience of getting in :-). Imagine an eighty year old getting into a Mini, Polo or Golf :-).
That's why box spring beds sold like hot cakes years ago. A country with motorically limited inhabitants needs corresponding cars - that's how it is.
my mum broke her leg earlier this year, complex break, should be able to walk unassisted by xmas... they have an Audi a8.... she can half fall half be lifted into the car and getting out is a lot of work on both her and my dad's part. they were expats in the US for 4 years, my mum had a VW Touareg then, which would have made everything WAY easier now (they live back in germany now and mum sold her mini a year ago so that wouldnt have helped either)
They could do what they always did, from the modest Fiat Panda to the gorgeous Volvo wagons: offering elevated versions of "normal" cars. Just an example: the Dacia Sandero stepway is as elevated as any SUV of a similar size. The problem with the SUV plague is that those who neither need nor want (or like) those hideous SUVs have less and less choice. Car companies extinguished small Station Wagons, small MPVs, small sedans and now even small hatchbacks like the Ford Fiesta are beginning to disappear. Europeans are getting older, but we're not all in the 80s, god sake.
That was one of the best RUclips Videos I saw ever! Thank you for your work and recherche for this! Great! You introduced all facts in perfection👍
Without watching I would assume the main reasons are:
- Road width
- road quality
- parking space sizes
- driving distances
- fuel prices
- American DIY culture
I just love how in-depth your analysis is! Honestly, initially, the name of the channel stopped me from subscribing because I expected expat-family content which is not my thing, but WOW! I get amazing economic lectures instead! Definitely subscribing now after watching 3 deep-dive videos in a row: the tax comparison, the reaction to an article proclaiming Americans are getting richer while Europeans are getting poorer, and now this one. As a Marketing Specialist I thought you are interested in what gets your audience to convert to subs)))
I sincerely appreciate this comment and would love to hear more from you. We are currently considering a rebrand but don't know where to pivot.
Our channels started two years ago with more vlog-style content and the name made more sense. We wanted to share with our family back home what our lives were like.... But such a discussion on the differences of life lead us to do more "deep dives".
So IF we do a rebrand... We don't want to alienate our original subscribers. We still want to approach topics from our lens as an American Family in the Black Forest.... With personal experiences. But at the same time we don't want new audiences to think we are a family vlog.
@@TypeAshton honestly, I think essays on various comparison topics, just like you do it with tax comparison, is the thing that RUclips wants: long videos means more time spent on the platform, and you are conducting them perfectly! But I can only imagine how much work goes into them. Anyway, I'm from the cohort of users who watch Not just Bikes, Adam Something, CityNerd, ClimateTown and all the urbanist/leftist essay-commentators, if that helps with target audience indicators😏 what's fun, is that I'm Ukrainian who moved to Köln last year because of the war, but I sure watch too many videos about how car-centric US is ahahahha. Maybe it's because I don't drive
Not Just Bikes! cool
A favorite of ours for sure
Once again I am fascinated by the way you research the facts for your videos. So thank you very much for this. The German car market or I should rather say the cars German buy and use are different now. For example:what happened to the estate cars, they were all over the place only 10 years ago and now you see less of them as the buyers obviously are now going for the SUV type. I had various estates over the years and switched to the SUV variant some 4 years ago. It doesn't really make sense as they are bigger, guzzle more petrol etc. but it's easier to get in or out, you sit higher up, better visibility is a point. But believe it or not my estates could easily take more luggage. Writing this I cannot really explain why the SUV is now my preferred type of vehicle.
It is perhaps worth noting that there is a kind of fundamental difference in the background: The European way is to have (perhaps way too) detailed regulation up front, while the US way is to sort liability through obscenely expensive court cases.
The American way treats life as something expendable or rather something that can be roughly valued
Love your Videos. ❤
Just one small comment regarding the car comparison: the Ford Escape is called Ford Kuga in Europe. And they are basically the same car (at least from design point of view)... but you are right, cars are adapted regionally for regulatory requirements.
Ah shoot thanks for that. You are totally right on the Kuga. Interestingly.... In the USA The Ford EcoSport does not exist in that market. The Ford escape IS their "smallest" crossover-SUV available (outside of the Bronco, but that is marketed more as a true "off road" vehicle).
@@TypeAshton The Ford EcoSport was actually sold in the US as well till 2022 😊. The market for small SUVs is just not there I guess.
Good morning beautiful TBFF❤
Good Morning Arno! ☀️ Happy Sunday!
What about a follow up video about campers (mobile homes) which are also popular in Germany, EU and in the USA? Such a comparison about larger family holiday friendly vehicles with a kitchen and the usability would be interesting for all sides.
Great suggestion! I think that would be a fascinating episode!
Moin Moin. Der Vergleich warum Deutsche kein Truck fahren hinkt gewaltig , hat eher andere Gründe ! Der Truck hat eine zu kleine Ladefläche da hat ein Transporter von Mercedes oder VW mehr . Laden ist schwierig weil die Ladefläche so hoch ist beim Amerikaner , auch weniger Multifunktionell als wie der Europäer . Der Truck schluckt mehr Sprit da verbrauchen die Transporter aus Deutschland wesentlich weniger ! Die Transporter in Europa generell können mehr laden auch bei kleinen Motor . Und vieles mehr was eigentlich eher für einen Transporter (Van) spricht als für einen Truck . Gruß aus dem Nordwesten Deutschlands in den Südwesten Deutschlands .....
Du meinst aber Transit und Sprinter, oder schließt du da Pritchenwagen mit Doppelkabine ein? Letztere darf man mit einem gewöhlichen Klasse B Führerschein noch fahren.
@@vHindenburg ich schließe Pritschenwagen aus , Mahlzeit .....🙂
@@nordwestbeiwest1899 Mahlzeit und guten Hunger.
Like the type of videos you make! Just a few very late comments, not sure if anyone already posted them: The Ford Escape is called Kuga in Europe, not Ecosport, that’s a different car. Opel isn’t really a German brand anymore, at least if you look at ownership of the brand, but that’s a bit nitpicking. Greetings from The Netherlands.
Because we in Germany and in Europe as a whole have shorter ways to go shopping, even if we live in the country, the next town where you can get everything is usually not that far.
We also build and repair much less often, not to say almost never, on our houses when we then have our own house.
We also have a lot more "sidewalks", i.e. footpaths for pedestrians!
Even in the countryside, the small villages are usually not only connected by a road for cars, but there is usually a footpath separate from the road!
You get it all wrong. A Kombi fits even big grocery amounts and sidewalks have nothing to do with car size usually
@@MaticTheProto I spoke mostly of construction supplies and much larger amounts of shopping and that pedestrians in the United States lead more dangerous lives for many other reasons.
could it be that you misunderstand everything
@@alicesadventuresinwonderla988 no. But none of what you mentioned warrants buying a pick up
@@MaticTheProto Try getting a fridge or washing machine in a station wagon.
@@alicesadventuresinwonderla988 trailer
Good morning! As always, good to see your videos. Now I have to go to your links to check something out.
Hi Ashton, I know that you do good research for your videos and the source you have for the german commute is pretty solid, but I still think it seems to put the german commute at a very low distance!
The figures I get for Europe are at about 30 km. Half as much as in the USA, so your argument about fuel efficiency still holds, but not such an extreme difference as you claim in the video!
As always, I really love your content, it's so much more than just reiterating either side of the debate. It is really refreshing to actually hear about the facts and how those factor into such differences of opinion and (economic) behaviour.
Just one minor point of criticism. At the start you are talking about campers while you're referring to caravans. There's a huge difference between the two, most notably that campers are much bigger, can be driven on their own without needing to be towed and are essentially tiny self-contained houses.
I really enjoy your deep dives, and here's another great one. However, I think there's still a lot of psychology to unwrap, especially when it comes to the SUV trend in the EU and Germany. I feel like it is really a sign of the times and our society, I will always stand firm on my belief/observation that the first SUVs became a trend in Germany in about the same time talk about climate change and in particular Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" became bigger at the end of the 90s, and modern SUV and Pickup design (just look at the front) is really a very loud "F YOU, I won't do what you tell me", with the "F you Greta" and "Fridays for Hubraum" stickers soon becoming a factory standard. Maybe I'm too simple in my thinking, but modern car design really brings me back to the old stereotypes of egoism, member size and those other most basic instincts in humans, because I can find no other logical explanation for why most people choose these cars with this design than either showing off brutality or being so scared that they need a tank around them to feel safe with no regards to anyone else.
As an American living 50/50 in Europe and the U.S., to me it comes down to one thing: torque. Americans have been taught that the only fuel for road cars is gasoline. In Europe, we have highly sophisticated TDI engines (Turbodiesel Direct Injection). Something Detroit does not even dream about manufacturing. Take this example of 2 cars we drive in Europe: BMW e60 M5 & BMW e60 530d. The first one has a 5-liter V-10 gasoline engine (hoot to drive at 180 mph but 12 mpg fuel economy with 400 lb-ft torque). The second one has a 3-liter TDI engine, same 400 lb-ft torque, but 28 mpg fuel economy. A diesel powered Audi A6, VW Passat or BMW 5-series can tow what a 6-liter pickup V8 would be required to in the U.S.
Great video and thanks for the content. One thing missing how finance and marketing departments of big companies shape very targeted lobbying efforts. The examples are legion, but in this specific case it was the ability to have light trucks exempted from fuel efficiency standards. These gave companies a strong incentive to push SUVs and pickups. In addition, regular SUVs and pickups are body-on-frame constructions which are very simple and hopelessly outdated technologies to modern unibody designs you find in cars and modern crossover SUVs. All told, pickups and SUVs give you insane profit margins for very bad products that are about half a century out of date, except for very specific applications that are rarely relevant outside of commercial use, where in any case European style sprinter vans or light trucks tend to be the better solution.
Thanks!! Just wanted to add that here in the US we have a lot more teenagers driving! Parents often want the safest cars for these young, inexperienced drivers. If we weren’t so car-centric and had better public transit options with more pedestrians in general and kids specifically, then we might have different safety regulations. My kids walk to school and I’m always shocked at how many parents drive to pick their kid up even when they live within the walking radius.
So, the (inexperienced and therefore even mor dangerous) teenager *in* the car is more worth than his/her age-mate outside that gets hit by it. Got it.
The equivalent of _"survival of the fittest"_ AKA that other American way of life.
@@agn855 don’t disagree! It’s ridiculous. I meant that there are fewer pedestrians when there are more drivers and less public transit.
16:18 There is also the quality of the gasoline that makes some of the difference. The worst you can get in Germany is Super 95 octane, whereas in the USA you can still easily get the regular 87 or 89 octane which is also cheaper but almost extinct in all of europe.
Buying a full size truck because one might need to haul something makes as much sense as buying a snowmobile in south Texas in case it snows.
We also like to sometimes watch Top Gear and I think the host Jeremy Clarkson puts it quite similarly: "Buying a Large SUV or Pick-up Truck because once a year you need to haul or tow2 something is just about as ridiculous as wearing ski boots 365 days a year because one weekend in December you go to Vail."
Always in awe about the research you come up with! Congrats! Very well done, again!
A bikers story: I've been riding a BMW R 75/5 for some 20 years. (Still have it. Needs repair.) A wonderful tourer. Currently ride a Yamaha RD 125LC. Why? I wanted a bike to cut lanes more easily on my way to work. And found this great bike! 21hp, 100 kg of weight. 140km/h top speed, 4l of fuel to cover 100km. And pure fun to ride! 62yrs old, I don't need to impress any girls with my ride anymore.
(Old guys just wanna have fun! haha!)
You mentioned that cars are getting bigger across the board. Well, so are people, especially in more advanced countries. Yes, I'm talking about extra weight around waists more than getting taller on average. Also, slightly taller cars are easier to enter and exit for unfit people.
In a German car from the 70s you have more space inside than today.
Thank you, Ashton. 7:47 Just hit that spot in your video and I literally whooped a "Yes!" when I saw that. That video is an absolutely perfect clarification why pickup trucks became so ubiquitous in the USA. Basically it boils down to "big car companies" lobbied for exceptions to environmental regulations for the biggest single contributor of green house gases in the personal vehicle market.
Edit: 19:24 and a second whooped "Yes!" for your caveat here. Both of these types of vehicle are simply compensation and projection objects for their owner's vanity. Their claimed usage has nothing to do with their true purpose: fun. That's pretty much all they are. But at least the Porsche doesn't claim to be anything but a fun vehicle. On the other hand, the Raptor at least may serve as a utility vehicle as well... But for that it's ridiculously overpriced.
I saw a comparison between modern American pickup trucks and the smaller vehicles used by the military during the Second World War. Vehicles like the M4 Sherman, the Panzer IV and the Soviet T-34. The F-150 is longer than the main combat tanks of 1944.
Hi Ashton,
pedestrian protection leads to quite interesting solutions. Regulations require to have a distance of about 10 cm between the Motor hood and engine block, so that there is enough "braking zone" for a pedestrians head when deforming the "soft" hood, before crashing on the hard engine. This is why e.g. Mazda MX5 has a so called "active" motor hood that's back side is lifted with two explosive charges, when sensors detect a pedestrian crash. With this mechanism, the required minimum distance is achieved at the time of the crash.
Btw.
Can become very expensive, when a rabbit... is hit.
You already covered a lot. As an EU citizen and having family across the pond, I have always wondered: is the 'settlers psych' the root cause of (car buying) decisions? I can imagine if you are a settler you have this nagging voice in the back of your head that says: "We need to pack our stuff and settle elsewhere". So : 1. Your car needs to be big 2. You should not invest too much money in the durability of your home, because we "might be forced to move in a hurry". 3. You should not bother to your environment that much. If natural resources are depleted we simply move to another location. 4. Investing in human relations is not worth it, bacause ... we might have new neighbors when we move... etc.etc.etc. 5. If I default on loans I might need to sleep in my car..... The 'car subject' is a compelling way to tell that story.
I also feel like Americans are a bit paranoid
@@MaticTheProto much younger country with things to do. You were likely born in a place all settled and largely established like 3 times longer ago. The US is 250 years old and huge.
Now THIS is researched Information I totally get. Well done! Ever thought about teaching those things?
Isn't wanting a bigger car just compensation for something else? 😂
Yes. Avoiding to face infrastructure and safety problems that come with cars, and moreso big cars, and instead individualizing it. People feel less safe with bigger cars on the road, but instead of facing the problem they buy a bigger car themselves to feel (!) safe individually.
That and capitalistic marketing.
As a Nigerian and African, i prefer European cars like VW, Audi, Mercedes.
American cars are damn too big
That was actually a very interesting video, although for me personally there is nothing more boring than talking about cars and everything that goes with them. Cars and private transport are among the greatest sins we commit to nature. Hardly anything takes up as much space as paved roads, parking lots, multi-storey car parks and garages for cars that are getting bigger and bigger and unfortunately are often driven by people who can't handle them at all, who really aren't good drivers. And people who live in big inner cities don't need SUVs or pick-ups. In addition, there are no more durable cars being built, the broken cars then rust somewhere in African deserts and contaminate the soil and water there. Our thanks for robbing them of raw materials such as oil, among other things. Because the USA does not produce so much oil that all the people can fill up so cheaply.
Thank you for this very informative video. Quality wise it could be screened on TV. Well researched, and professionally presented.
Our goverment is wanting every one to go to electric cars even though the grid is not up to it.Also a lot of people can't afford them.They are telling people to shut their air conditioners off because the grid is not up to summer so how are everyone supose to charge an electric car?
I completely agree. Same for the Netherlands. The government wants us to go electric, but the infrastructure is not up to it, but it's not being upgraded either
Sadly, it's extremely hard for humans 1) to assess risks, 2) to base one's actions on long-term outcomes, 3) to take responsibility on things that don't have immediate visible/salient outcomes, and 4) to do what's best not only for oneself and the immediate ingroup but for everyone. I don't want to endorse any government or political party and I am not saying it is easy or even possible for everyone. Also, for what I know, government regulation is much more important than any individual's actions. But: I'd rather have a few years of rolling blackouts (while the grid is being updated) than keep on driving pedal-to-the-medal towards the abyss. Also, I'd like to be able to look my kids and grant-kids into the eye in a decade or two from now.
And the same in Norway! So it is many Tesla in Norway. Bergen were I live it is normal to have a el car.
The most scary thing is, that doors and windows of electric cars only opens by electric motors from the inside. What happened in an accident, when for some reason the power is off? Imagine a battery fire on top.
@@thomasschmidt8544While you're right that some inconvenience should be tolerated to reduce climate change damage - the fear of constantly rolling blackouts because the grid can't handle EVs is mostly FUD spread by the fossil industry and repeated by misinformed petrol-heads who can't imagine change.
Fear of the grid not being able to handle it didn't keep people buying household appliances and especially A/Cs. According to the The-grid-can't-possibly-keep-up logic nobody should have ever bought A/Cs.
The grid will adapt to demand like it always did.
Norway is already at 25% EVs - but I have yet to hear about daily blackouts.
And EVs are already rapidly rising in numbers everywhere. I guess they charge with magic.
The grid can't handle it, there's not enough Lithium, batteries need replacement every few years, etc ... - it's all mostly FUD.
Bad working conditions in cobalt mines? How about that gets changed regardless of whether that's used in cell phones, power tools or EVs.
How come the sourcing of materials is suddenly super-imoortant for EVs - while nobody ever questioned how everything else was made?
I'm very much in favor of improving working conditions - irregardless of whether materials end up in an EV, ICE car or tablet.
US oil and European oil is traded on an open market but they are on **different** markets: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil and North Sea Brent (Brent) Crude. WTI is priced at delivery to a small town in Oklahoma where many pipelines meet. Brent oil today is $5 more than WTI, which is common. The $5 difference is mostly the cost of piping WTI down to New Orleans and putting it on a ship for delivery to the other side of the Atlantic. Before the US started exporting, oil the WTI price was often much lower than Brent due to frequent production surplus. The WTI standard is lighter (API gravity of 39.6° vs Brent at 38°) and lower in Sulphur (0.24% vs. 0.40%). Brent has greater storage reserve than WTI so WTI is more volatile. The lower API weight and lower Sulphur reduces the cost of refining Gasoline, but not Diesel fuel.
Well, I can tell you this, as a mechanic/ towing employee for 20 + I can tell you American trucks are reliable and anything made in Germany is not. So much so that we call them “German junk”. But Japanese vehicles take the win for the best!!
Hi, I became aware of your cool video by chance. As a German, I like to see how you see things in Germany. I wish you a lot of fun and many more beautiful videos about Germany. Only the seriousness of the Germans in road traffic is also due to the fact that it becomes very, very expensive in the event of an accident. Especially if the car has technical problems.
That was a good obituary for the German automotive industry - it is doomed. Germany is on a path of deindustrialization
Again, high quality research, scripting and editing! I enjoy your documentaries a lot and thus have followed you on patreon.
Here is something that triggers me a bit, when I hear the notion "German" car: When it comes to cars and national economies or brands it helps to take a closer look on how cars are manufactured. Only about 30% of a car's value is created by the manufacturer. Car brands usally produce the body and the engine and perform the final assembly of the parts. These parts are supplied by many 1st tier supplier which itself source their parts from 2nd tier suppliers and so on. As an example, mercedes-benz is sourcing more than 50% of their parts from non-German suppliers. Also, all the big players in the car industry have plants (engine plants, assembly plants, CKD facility etc.) in many different countries. It has been many decades ago since we have been able to talk about a national car industry. BTW: China based brands are the biggest exporter of cars followed by Japanese brands and then German brands. But it really doesn't matter.
Additional: Heavier cars have made accidents less dangerous for the passengers but more dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and bikers. So, cars have become heavier over time. The Golf I from 1978 weights about 800 kg. the latest Golf VIII weights between 1300 and 1600 kg!
Finally, the fixations of owning a transport vehicle that is used only 10% to 20% of the time just for getting to work and performing the daily errands puzzles me a lot. This is highly inefficient use of capital and requires a lot of space to park cars. That might be okay for rural areas but the majority of the car owners live and work in cities and/or suburbia. Our societies need to invest much more in transport networks for people and goods. Walking and cycling might help as well.
I am a German who lives for over 20 years in Pennsylvania now. I used to own VWs and Audi's. I had the chance when still in Germany to get my hands on a 78 Mustang. OMG what complete garbage that car was. After the oil pump broke twice and the second time it also took the bearings out it ended up on the junk yard where it belonged. In the U.S. my wife wanted a mini van. She bought a Chrysler town and country. It was not even 6 years and the sides got holes from rust. Absolute junk....after that we went back even in the U.S. to just buy German cars again. My 645ci BMW is now 19 years old and you won't be able to find any rust on it. Neither on our Audi A6 or our BMW 528xi.......especially pick up trucks rust as quick as milk spoils....it's hilarious to see as a German and they STILL buy them over and over again....
Thank you for another very informative video. Your "history" explains why your videos are so well done and enjoyable to watch. Take care,
Thank you so much!
thumbs up for mentioning the "Not just bikes" channel!👍
Very well conveyed. You gave a good insight as someone who is not that into cars.
Hello Black Forest Four, another Sunday another very interesting video, thank you hope you are all doing well...
for me living car free since almost four years it was before that time a question of costs, practically and then environment impact, in this sequence... why to own a car that will eat my hairs of the had literally? Practicable, sure there where a few cheap "gebrauchte" used Cars in opinion but for what does a single male need a Bus, a SUV or a Pickup? the three times a Year i need to Transport some Fourniture, some Cornstruction Stuff or the annually garden spring buy of flowers, earth and so on? last point was ever impact to the environment, simply because i couldn't afford a electric car and the infrastructure to charge... Almost four years ago i stumbled upon an old Cargobike without electric Motor and it changed the view... since then i didn't use a car more often than three times (in those 4 years) have now two electric Bikes (one for the cargo as substitute..) and even two Trailers for them, and i feel happy...
no more fuel costs, no Tüv (or here MFK) no Taxes, no search for Parking Lots... okay the bad side is the weather but you can wear an extra layer...
still interesting video for me, i can also recommend the notjustbikes video...
This winter's rain storms in California showed a lot of drivers who couldn't drive their 4x4 pickups and SUV's in inclement weather. "Not Just Bikes" is a wonderful YT channel. There are studies called "accidentolgy" in Europe. I once worked at an institute in France that studied that including crash-test dummies and real corpses. There is a track in Spain that is used crashing cars to study the effects.
Incidentally, there is a funny comic book by Gary Larson "Night of the Crash-test Dummies". It is part of his series "The Far Side". Very good dark humor.
I had no idea about the pedestrian safety issue, but it does make sense. My Seat Ateca will slam on it's brakes if a pedestrian steps in front of me. As Seat is a member of the VW Group I expect other VAG vehicles do the same.
I was in an Audi dealership a while back and even the smallest of them was pretty big by European standards.
As for your comment about the Tiguan, my Ateca is the Seat equivalent and it's really not a large vehicle. Yes it seats five but it does so efficiently and cruises comfortably at 140kph with a 1.4L engine.
Oh, and you bet I'd choose the Porsche over the truck. I never understood the truck thing, even when I lived in Texas and had a Dodge 3500 for work.
I think, a big problem is, that cars got wider, but the parking spots, especially in parking garages, stayed the same width. So, it is harder to fit the vehicle the car in these spots.
And, because of the growth of the length of the cars, there can't park so samny cars in street parking.
I don't know the size comparison from the Smart from Mercedes-Benz. But I think, two of them could fit in one spot.
It is a common joke that the smart can park sideways
I really like your "land yacht" expression!
I call them "unarmed but deadly tanks" or just "workday / commuter tanks", or "private panzer", "need to compensate something vehicle"... 🤣
Thankfully, some cities in Europe are reconsidering the presence of such beasts in their streets, thar only carry 1.2 person on average, and certainly no heavy or large haul more than once a year.
Some cities want SUV's and crossovers to pay their parking fees by excess weight and size / volume compared to a smaller urban car.
In France in general and Paris in particular, there are groups of "deflaters" who, as the name implies, deflate tyres of huge vehicles parked in the steets at night and leave an explanation note on the windshield under the wiper.
Usually detailing the excess CO2 and particles caused by their vehicle over a smaller car.
I'll add one other point to the video : even a 5 year old knows that cubes and bricks are *not* aerodynamic shapes.
But vehicles like the Suburban, Escalade, F-150, etc. All look like a pile of cubes and bricks with wheels.
The new heresy is now to market EV versions of these kinds of beasts : even more weight!
The batteries in these things are mostly used to transport their own weight. And they can weigh more than all the passengers combined.
Many "private" American vehicles would require a special high gross weight / lorry driving license in several European countries.
Who would think of taking the kids to school or running errands with an 18 wheeler?
Cause we're getting there...
At least license wise.
Excellent video, as always!
The problem here where I live is different and a little more "ancient". In the city center in Zaragoza, you can not dig a hole without finding Roman ruins. An example is that about 25 years ago an unstable building was demolished because it was deemed unrepairable. When they went to dig for the new foundation they discovered why it was unstable. There was a 2000 year old Roman amphitheater underneath. Quite a surprise and it required the demolition of another building to completely uncover it. It is now an outdoor museum to that time in the city's history.
One thing that I never hear from people is how bad our roads are in many or most places in the US. I personally drive a old work truck or bicycle and the biggest problem I see is how ruff the roads are you need something with ground clearance and a decent amount suspension travel to not get thrown all over the road or scrape in many places. I couldn't imagine trying to drive something low to the ground on some of the interstates let alone neighborhoods.
Love your content which makes very valid points. There are a quite a few issues that were overlooked which are a bit more involved than I would want to convey. Keep up the good work. Subscribing 🙂