Built like a Mercedes (?)

The US has been more prosperous than a more densely populated Europe for a long time.

Actually, the reason the US is so tough on cars is the fact that most people do not take care of their cars. They expect them to work all the time, no matter how deficient their maintenance upkeep.

I have lived in and maintained cars in Arizona, Mississippi, Texas, Wisconsin and Indiana. So, they have seen oppressive heat, humidity, rain, snow, cold, ice, etc... None have let me down (Ford (US and Korean), Chevy (US and Japanese) Mercedes. If all of us Americans took care of our cars like folks in Europe, the automotive industry would be in much better shape here.

Also, to Bob,

I have been overseas, and American drivers cause many more problems on their roads, then do they on ours. I can only imagine what they say about American Caucasians in the East when we try to drive in Tokyo (especially if we bring our big, poorly maintained US cars there).

Yes, you are, but I wasn't going to comment about it first..

Budd

Pooh Bear wrote:

While this may be true, they did it by buying you, not by war, pretty much the same thing that is happening to us.

And there were we readers of these forums being misled into thinking US cars had their oils changed every 3000 to 5000 miles while we Europeans serviced our cars every 10000 to 15,000 miles. LOL

Huw

Errr... I said third world, not Europe, though some parts of it do belong there... but I am assuming you mean western Europe...

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

I did not get that, but never mind that now. Tomorrow morning I am scheduled to go out of the country for a few days so won't have access to NGs (and I am not that dedicated to look at Google Groups...)

(Although driveable, about 8 h via Channel Tunnel, I decided to use an Airbus vehicle instead, especially in view of the cold weather and risk of snow on the Continent. Living in southern England I don't, of course, bother with winter tyres.)

DAS

That depends directly on who is doing the reporting.

Excellent point. I'm always fascinated by the way people from outside the U.S. criticize our actions. Frankly, half of us disagree with any given military action. Fortunately, when most of the U.S. was opposed to going to war in 1940, we decided to enter the European theatre regardless. This saved England from invasion, and lead to the liberation of France.

Yet they seem to know better than we how our military works.

That is simply not true. In fact, even Hollywood would be shamefaced to drift that far from reality.

Yes, you find it funny, I find it sad. In general, an Asian designed vehicle will last maybe five years without major needs. Used to be that inside of three years, an Asian made vehicle would rust badly, which is to say, holes through the metal. Perhaps now that they are built here, that is solved. European vehicles fare a bit better, but by seven years, can become cantankerous if not costly to maintain due to nickel and dime stuff that costs ten times as much because its Euro design.

Well, then you must be fairly ignorant on load capacity of vehicles.

No, long distances are not easier. Quite the opposite, they create another type of hazard to longevity, that of heat and wear. Thus our larger engines tend to do better than the smaller engines from elsewhere. Your freeways are driven at like speeds to ours. This is not to say that our vehicles are better or worse than any other, simply that design follows use. Thus, cars designed in the country where the designer uses them, will fare better in that country.

Have you seen where we drive here? I guarantee imports won't survive the same type of road here in the states. I know, because we've done our share of driving "other" stuff, and it just doesn't do as well as american iron when it comes to rough roads. I see far more 1980's Chrysler 2.2 powered stuff than I do any other maker's 1980's vintage stuff. A rough second place would be Chevy Cavaliers. The only other that would place would be the Toyota 22R engine, mostly in Celicas. However, lately those are rare too. Too bad, I actually liked those.

You cast aside how many vehicles it takes to go that distance, let alone which ones actually make it that far.

I don't think there are many pickups sold in Europe, but feel free to cite proven statistics. In the States, a pickup isn't built above the one ton level. I'll bet its the same in Europe.

You actually only entered the war when it became obvious that the USA would have to deal with a power greater than itself if Britain fell. The penny didn't drop in the Pacific until most of the fleet had been sunk at Pearl Harbour.

It is hard to imagine that the average American has the slightest more idea of how their military work than anyone anywhere but others could take a step back dispassionately and see what was happening in Vietnam. It is also fairly obvious what is happening now in Iraq and the gung-ho talk of whooping Chinese asses by some here is a reasoning that is a fair way removed from reality. One has to see beyond the militarist rhetoric. Face it, your military power is not capable even if the government chose to do so. And why should it be capable? Military action should be a last resort in defence not as an invading force on a power that was no doubt sympathetic to Bin Laden, but was no real threat to the USA. There are now a hell of a lot more enemies of the West than ever before and with no end in sight for your stretched military or for peace in Iraq. Hammas, a terrorist organisation, has just won free and fair election in Palestine. This would not have happened without a greatly increased animosity towards the West.

Huw

Perhaps YOU should get out more if you feel that the U.S. is all one set of driving conditions. Maybe next time you arrive on our shores, you should go farther than the local taxi takes you, which is to say, leave the city behind and forget about the pubs.

Tell that to the families of the thousands of American military personal killed and maimed there so far. Tell it to the tens of thousands of brave soldiers who risk committed bombers who blow themselves up to rid their country of the foreign invaders on a daily basis and who are there for months at a time on several repeated tours of duty because there is not the manpower to relieve them.

Huw

As Thom suggested, it varies by owner.

Actually, Japan declared war on the USA, followed days later by Germany. The USA didn't "enter" the war, they were dragged into it.

Would it not be more correct to say "...their collective ass..."? (I'm thinking a collective anything is singular.)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

How about I just ask my friends who have BEEN there?