Image via Complex Original
We have gone on record plenty of times before complaining about all the awesome cars that are sold in Europe that we wish we had access to in the states, like the VW Scirocco, the Bowler EXR, and the Land Rover Defender. Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side, but sometimes, like many golf greens, it's not actually greener, it's just been spray-painted to appear that way.
All in all, it's time we acknowledged that we have it pretty damn good here in the new world, and when it comes to cars, our market is hands down the best. These are 10 Reasons Why America's Auto Selection is Better Than Europe's.
That said, we still really want a Scirocco.
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Cars are way cheaper here.
We're just going to present some numbers to show you why buying a car in the U.S. is way better than buying one in Europe.
Cost of a Volkswagen GTI by country
America: $24,200
United Kingdom: £25,285 ($39,700)
Germany: €28,675 ($38,000)
Spain: €31,010 ($41,100)
American V8s are really, really tunable.
Here in America we have easy access to big V8 engines that are not only wonderful and untouched, but they have tons and tons of tuning potential. One-thousand-horsepower Mustangs and Corvettes are easy to find, and it seems like 700-horse American V8s are everywhere.
Try squeezing 700 horses out of 2.0L I4 without $600,000 and some Cosworth F1 engineers at your beck and call.
We have more full-size truck options than anywhere else.
Compact trucks are great for handymen, exterminators, people who need to transport a couch, and the like, but sometimes you need to tow a boat. Why? Because you bought a boat after not paying $40k for a VW GTI. For that kind of work you're going to want a full-size truck, and this is the land of the full-size truck. Even the big trucks with Japanese names are, in actuality, all American.
The RWD V8 Sedan is still a thing.
Once upon a time, the American auto market was all about rear-driven sedans with V8s. Sadly, most of the old-school sedans have died out, but there are still options like the Chrysler 300, which can even be had with an extra-manly Hemi.
Yeah, the Mercedes E-Class can be had with rear-wheel drive and eight cylinders, but here in 'Murica we make cool sedans for you and your boss.
There are tons of great, affordable classic cars.
Want an iconic car from yesteryear from Europe? Good luck affording it. An automatic E-Type with those nasty black bumpers can easily run $80,000, while here in the states you can actually find a '57 Bel Air in good condition for $30,000 or a decent '60s Mustang for $15,000.
We get way more standard equipment.
Want cruise control in your European car? Get ready to tick an option box and shell out some more or your hard-earned money. Want it in your American car (even from a European brand), just assume it's there, because it almost certainly is. You can still even find cars with no A/C in Europe.
You can be a normal person in a large sedan here.
If you want a big, comfortable sedan in Europe you'd better have S-Class money, because a Ford Fusion (AKA Mondeo) is as big as it gets from affordable brands across the pond. In the states you've got tons of options for full-size sedans like the Dodge Charger at prices that people who don't belong to a country club can afford.
World class sports cars are attainable.
In America,you can get the world's most powerful production V8 for $54,800, and that's not a crate engine, that's a whole Shelby GT500. You can also get a C7 Corvette, a 450-horse, 30mpg car with a Le Mans-bred heritage, for $51,000. These are cars that are obviously world-class, but they don't come with six-figure price tags. Sure, you might not be able to afford it now, but they're affordable enough that it's quite possible that you'll be rolling in something like this some day.
This is the home of Elon Musk and Tesla Motors.
Europe just recently started taking delivery of Tesla Model S electric cars. Just recently. That's pretty much how it's going to be with all Tesla motor cars in the future. The company is based in California, and that's where Elon Musk lives, meaning we're going to get all of the products first, we're going to get a network of chargers first, and we're going to get any and all advancements first. And here in America, we don't really accept anything but first, so it works out nicely.
We have muscle cars.
Do you want an aggressive coupe with a powerful engine that is still fit to be a daily driver? Of course you do, and this is exactly what muscle cars are all about. Good luck finding a car with more than 300 naturally aspirated horses under the hood at a price that a normal person can afford in Europe. There are very few Mustangs or Camaros over there, and they're missing out.
