Are full-size SUV's sold only in North America (Canada, Mexico and the USA)?

[Magnus Brage]

Originally Posted by lafreak84

SUVs are not popular in Europe because of two main reasons. First reason is fuel consumption (very bad mileage + very high fuel prices) and second reason are high taxes to be paid for such vehicle. There are SUVs on our streets however but most popular are pretend-SUVs-actually-SAVs (X5, Q7, Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne...), smaller SAVs (X3, Q5, RAV4, Captiva...) and really small SAVs (X1, Qashqai, Kuga...). SAVs tend to be smaller and don't have off-road capabilities (only on paper) but are popular in Europe because they are cheap to maintain (smaller engines->better mileage->smaller taxes). Real SUVs (Ford F series, Dodge RAM...) are for countries with cheap gas and small taxes (North American countries) and not for Europe. Besides maintenance costs, another problem are narrow streets and small parking spaces which, at least from I know, are still defined by 80' standards when cars were much much smaller than today.

A while ago I watched the documentary infotainment series "King of Cars" on swedish TV. Very interesting tv-show about the everyday life at the local car dealer in Las Vegas. They sold a bunch of Toyota Tundras everyday, ordinary blue collar folks buying Monster SUVs on credit and installment plans.

[lafreak84]

Why not when a car is a right in United States and not a privilege like in Europe. If we would have such low fuel prices and almost non-existent insurance costs, we would also drive monster SUVs. We, however, go in another direction. We make engines smaller and more efficient each year and yet they (government) find a way to legally rob us even more each year.

[Magnus Brage]

Originally Posted by lafreak84

Why not when a car is a right in United States and not a privilege like in Europe. If we would have such low fuel prices and almost non-existent insurance costs, we would also drive monster SUVs. We, however, go in another direction. We make engines smaller and more efficient each year and yet they (government) find a way to legally rob us even more each year.

I agree but in the USA the suply of public transport is poor, and the cities are widespread with low density of population that makes the car a needed object for transportation..

In north Sweden circumstances are similar to the above. Yet fuel prices, taxes are as high as in Stockholm where a wide net of public transportation exists. That is not fair. A little comfort is that insurance in North Sweden is less than in the Centre of Stckholm.

[1000city]

US-sized car on euro-sized street in Poland:



The car ws parked rongfully, but the driver dared to be angry on the cameraman and other drivers Small dick - car: BIG!

Escalade is the only full size SUV ever available in Poland by authorised dealers. But with price well over 100k Eur (140k USD) I doubt if they sold even one. Smaller, but still large and luxurious SUVs of german, british or japanese brands are better priced and available with diesel. All/most of amercan SUVs are either new or used grey imports. There are 3 or 4 EXT Escalades in my area, some regular Escalades and Navigators, several GMT400 Suburbans, but generally speaking these are exotic cars here. Probably I see more Porsches a week, than large american SUVs a year. H2, H3 Hummers and Jeeps are nothing extraordinary here, but they’re under 5 meters, so don’t count

I used to meet this classic C/K Suburban frequently, but sadly haven’t seen it recently:











7-series bimmer looks tiny parked along this monster

[DanielFigFoz]

Wow, you have Portuguese banks in Poland!

[nagara373]

Originally Posted by lafreak84

SUVs are not popular in Europe because of two main reasons. First reason is fuel consumption (very bad mileage + very high fuel prices) and second reason are high taxes to be paid for such vehicle. There are SUVs on our streets however but most popular are pretend-SUVs-actually-SAVs (X5, Q7, Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne...), smaller SAVs (X3, Q5, RAV4, Captiva...) and really small SAVs (X1, Qashqai, Kuga...). SAVs tend to be smaller and don't have off-road capabilities (only on paper) but are popular in Europe because they are cheap to maintain (smaller engines->better mileage->smaller taxes). Real SUVs (Ford F series, Dodge RAM...) are for countries with cheap gas and small taxes (North American countries) and not for Europe. Besides maintenance costs, another problem are narrow streets and small parking spaces which, at least from I know, are still defined by 80' standards when cars were much much smaller than today.

In Great Britain, roads are narrowest and curviest in the world. Also, Great Britain has the highest gas prices.

[Luli Pop]

Originally Posted by lafreak84

Why not when a car is a right in United States and not a privilege like in Europe. If we would have such low fuel prices and almost non-existent insurance costs, we would also drive monster SUVs. We, however, go in another direction. We make engines smaller and more efficient each year and yet they (government) find a way to legally rob us even more each year.

cars are not a privilege in Europe, is just not needed in most cities.

a privelege in Europe would be to live in a good appartment in a historical center.

SUVs are seen as cheese in Europe and unintelligent.

Europeans are also concern about global warming.

Europeans prefer a little real butter than 1kg of hydrogenated oil. small quantities of the highest quality while in noth America is the other way.

is a matter of education

[billiam]

Funnily enough 3 days ago I saw a privately owned h2 hummer (as opposed a stretched one in limo service) for the first time. The owner had spent a few minutes apparently trying to park it and had finally left it nearly parked in 2 spaces so he could go about his business. As he got out an attractive young lady came up to him and asked if it was his car to which he said yes beaming with pride, she then went on to say in a loud voice "wow you must have a really small p****" before walking off laughing and pointing at him. Unfortunately the owners day didn't get better as an hour later later as I headed back to my car the hummer was being clamped.

This is pretty typical of a growing attitude in the UK that SUV and 4x4 = evil captalist, polluting pig or even worse, banker. I live on a small farm so have 3 4x4s (2 land rover defenders, a series 3 110 twincab pickup and swb series 1 I'm restoring, plus my Subaru legacy estate) I did look also looked at getting a larger f150 pickup but was larger than pas practical for where I lived and I was disappointed with the build quality and finish on the model I saw so I'll probably be buying another Subaru or similar estate instead.

So here's the thing some car designs don't work as well as others in some situations. In the UK and Europe the agility to handle narrow and Bendy streets and roads, flexibility and economy tends to be higher up the priority list and the American Super size SUVs tend not to offer what European customers need, but why would they? They are after all designed for American audiences.

[AtD]

It's very common in the inner cities here for car park structures to be too low for large SUVs. Near my old university one of the main car parks had a clearance of just 1.7 meters at the ramp and the warning device wasn't chains but a steel I-beam. Every now and then someone would bash into it. It was good for a laugh.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&s...182.09,,0,2.21

[AtD]

Originally Posted by 1000city

US-sized car on euro-sized street in Poland

Wow if you did that in many parts of the world, you'd come back to find your car vandalised or at least scratched.

[chornedsnorkack]

Originally Posted by billiam

Funnily enough 3 days ago I saw a privately owned h2 hummer (as opposed a stretched one in limo service) for the first time. The owner had spent a few minutes apparently trying to park it and had finally left it nearly parked in 2 spaces so he could go about his business.

Originally Posted by billiam

In the UK and Europe the agility to handle narrow and Bendy streets and roads, flexibility and economy tends to be higher up the priority list and the American Super size SUVs tend not to offer what European customers need, but why would they?

Normal sized Hummer H2 is 517 cm long.

Among the sedans, Rolls-Royce Phantom, even SWB, is 583 cm long, Bentley Mulsanne is 558 cm, Jaguar XJ LWB is 525 cm. If a Hummer owner cannot find a parking spot, what can a Rolls-Royce owner do? The Brits are producing Rollses, Bentleys, Jaguars....

[Luli Pop]

the owner of a Rolls also owns a chauffeur...

these people usually uses vallet parkings also while SUV users are often just red necks.

it´s exactly the oppsite side of social spectrum!

[NorthWesternGuy]

Originally Posted by chornedsnorkack

Normal sized Hummer H2 is 517 cm long.

Among the sedans, Rolls-Royce Phantom, even SWB, is 583 cm long, Bentley Mulsanne is 558 cm, Jaguar XJ LWB is 525 cm. If a Hummer owner cannot find a parking spot, what can a Rolls-Royce owner do? The Brits are producing Rollses, Bentleys, Jaguars....

The British cars you mentioned are ultra-luxury models, rare cars if you want to say. American ones are vehicles you see everyday, everywhere.

[nerdly_dood]

Originally Posted by AtD

Wow if you did that in many parts of the world, you'd come back to find your car vandalised or at least scratched.

I'm sure my 1999 Ford Taurus would do just fine at 502cm long, 185cm wide. Compare that to the current-gen Taurus at 515x195cm, and the Renault Laguna of the same year at 450x175cm.

[strandeed]

Originally Posted by billiam

Funnily enough 3 days ago I saw a privately owned h2 hummer (as opposed a stretched one in limo service) for the first time. The owner had spent a few minutes apparently trying to park it and had finally left it nearly parked in 2 spaces so he could go about his business. As he got out an attractive young lady came up to him and asked if it was his car to which he said yes beaming with pride, she then went on to say in a loud voice "wow you must have a really small p****" before walking off laughing and pointing at him.

People should mind their own business, it's your right to buy what you want. It's one of the things that I hate about the UK... too much snobbery based upon what the BBC tells people is right/wrong.

[909]

Originally Posted by Luli Pop

cars are not a privilege in Europe, is just not needed in most cities.

a privelege in Europe would be to live in a good appartment in a historical center.

SUVs are seen as cheese in Europe and unintelligent.

Europeans are also concern about global warming.

Europeans prefer a little real butter than 1kg of hydrogenated oil. small quantities of the highest quality while in noth America is the other way.

is a matter of education

What a load of crap. Have you ever visited of lived in Europe? The 'common' European isn't a green idealist like you want to believe. With a small exception of some European citycenters cars are still needed in most cities. And even in those historical centers you can see many big cars, just take a look in London, Paris, Dusseldorf, Berlin etc. SUV's aren't seen as "cheese" and "unintelligent", with the exception in some leftwing political parties. But that shouldn't be a suprise.

[xrtn2]

In brazil you can buy

[julesstoop]

Originally Posted by 909

What a load of crap. Have you ever visited of lived in Europe? The 'common' European isn't a green idealist like you want to believe. With a small exception of some European citycenters cars are still needed in most cities. And even in those historical centers you can see many big cars, just take a look in London, Paris, Dusseldorf, Berlin etc. SUV's aren't seen as "cheese" and "unintelligent", with the exception in some leftwing political parties. But that shouldn't be a suprise.

I don't completely agree with your assertion. I know many people with a decent income who don't own nor need a car for day to day travel (e.g. working, culture, shopping) me included. Most of us aren't as an*l - excusez le mot - as @Luli_Pop but there's is a shimmer of truth in his post.

[909]

People 'with a decent income who don't own nor need a car for day to day travel' aren't quintessential European. The same kind of people can be find in other parts of the world, these people are a minority compared to the total population. The fact that you know a lot of people who don't need a car doesn't change the fact a lot of people do need a car, it's a form of denying the antecedent. We both can't deny living without a car in Leiden would be much easier and less limited than living without a car in e.g. Emmen. The Europe described by Luli_Pop isn't the Europe presented by facts and figures.

[Magnus Brage]

Some statistics from Sweden:

8,8 % of all new cars are 4 wheel drive

Bigger midsize cars and SUVs make up a 27 % of all cars in the EU, BUT 57 % in Sweden.

Sweden has more SUVs than Norway and Finland.