why in USA doesn`t sell european cars???

[patolincar]

why in USA DOESN`T SELL CARS LIKE PEUGEOT , FIAT, RENAULT, IT ARE VERY GOOD CARS...
please someone can help me...whit my question...
bye Duck...of chile

[henk4]

Extensive emission controls, low octane fuel in the US not suitable for most smaller european engines without significant loss of power, prejudice among american buyers about the quality of any european car not build in Germany. French products are suspect because the French do not unconditionally support american foreign policies.

Furthermore, the set-up of an extensive dealer network in such vast country requires large investments to get full coverage. May Fiat could use the GM dealership network, but I doubt that they would be happy to do that.

[CdocZ]

yeah, emmisions laws. in america they are stricter, but in europe they tax emmissions.

[Quiggs]

Originally Posted by henk4

Extensive emission controls, low octane fuel in the US not suitable for most smaller european engines without significant loss of power, prejudice among american buyers about the quality of any european car not build in Germany. French products are suspect because the French do not unconditionally support american foreign policies.

Furthermore, the set-up of an extensive dealer network in such vast country requires large investments to get full coverage. May Fiat could use the GM dealership network, but I doubt that they would be happy to do that.

This + different (not necessarily better) crash standards = not federalized.

[QuattroMan]

Originally Posted by henk4

Extensive emission controls, low octane fuel in the US not suitable for most smaller european engines without significant loss of power, prejudice among american buyers about the quality of any european car not build in Germany. French products are suspect because the French do not unconditionally support american foreign policies.

Furthermore, the set-up of an extensive dealer network in such vast country requires large investments to get full coverage. May Fiat could use the GM dealership network, but I doubt that they would be happy to do that.

WOW HENK4!!! you really know your stuff im impress.....

[Matra et Alpine]

and don't forget price.
US cars are WAY cheaper for more steel around you than European cars.
So it would be harder to sell a Ford Focus against the US equivalents

[Dino Scuderia]

Peugeot and Renault used to sell cars here but couldn't compete with Japanese car quality, has nothing to do with policies. Their cars just simply weren't as good in the 1980's as the competition so sales faltered.

Same with Alfa Romeo, FIAT and MG.

Americans just don't put up with a poor value to quality ratio, different taste plays a role too.

Just about every make has improved thier quality but this would be a hard market to break into because Japanese, and now Korean cars are so well established now, and I think Alfa are coming back, I hope so because I would love to see them.

[Radoman]

Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

and don't forget price.
US cars are WAY cheaper for more steel around you than European cars.
So it would be harder to sell a Ford Focus against the US equivalents

The Focus is doing exceptionally well in N/A, actually. Our "focus equivalent" is, in fact, the focus. It still is a crappy car, though.

[Matra et Alpine]

YOUR FOcus is NOT the same in any form to the European version.

It's a differnet engine, suspension, chassis, interior. In fact about all it shares is the name and maybe the fuses !!!

Ford are the worst at producing an old-technology of the cars in Europe. THERE reason is they say the US market woudl not pay for the better engineered Eureopan versions. Of course a few years later you WILL get it when Ford Europe moves to a newr better design. It is one of the tragedies of American car ownership . It looks as if GM are following suit with the Astra - but I've not seen detailed specs of the US versions to confirm yet

[CdocZ]

lucky me, i may live in england for a few years later in my life (if i do, right after college)

[henk4]

Originally Posted by Dino Scuderia

Peugeot and Renault used to sell cars here but couldn't compete with Japanese car quality, has nothing to do with policies. Their cars just simply weren't as good in the 1980's as the competition so sales faltered.

Same with Alfa Romeo, FIAT and MG.

Americans just don't put up with a poor value to quality ratio, different taste plays a role too.

Just about every make has improved thier quality but this would be a hard market to break into because Japanese, and now Korean cars are so well established now, and I think Alfa are coming back, I hope so because I would love to see them.

I know they all were there, we have loads of contemporary Road and Tracks lying around here were these cars are tested, which also show the ridiculous low amount of HP those cars got compared to the European versions. The problem is now that they have left the market how to return. There certain psychological factors may play a role.

Interesting remark about the quality of cars. I am not talking from personal experience, but I have the impression that the quality of US cars is not much to write home about. Anyway also in Europe Japanese cars have by far the lowest break-down ratio of all cars sold, so their build quality is very much above average.

[islero]

And don't forget the fact that the priorities are diffrent across the "pond". Europeans demand different attributes and features from their cars than the Americans. Which is why full-size trucks don't do well in Europe, and hatchbacks don't do well in the USA.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by islero

And don't forget the fact that the priorities are diffrent across the "pond". Europeans demand different attributes and features from their cars than the Americans. Which is why full-size trucks don't do well in Europe, and hatchbacks don't do well in the USA.

My Citroen has no cupholders

[Bladerider]

Originally Posted by islero

And don't forget the fact that the priorities are diffrent across the "pond".

Spot on,

Quality has nothing to do with it - american cars are hideous chunks of cheap plastic and metal. (I'll go get my flamecoat in a minute after Im finished generalising again )

All americans seem to want is as much tin as possible for as low a price as they can pay. Everything about US cars is focused on saving money. Why have effecient engines that require better tolerances when a bigger cruder engine can do the same job, after all gasoline is cheap !!

They also dont need the same kind of margins on the finished cars purely down to the sheer volume of sales making the cars seem cheaper again.

Best I go before I get keyboard warriored to death !!!

J.

[CdocZ]

um.........well......even tho it was quite generalized, there was alot of truth to that. alot of americans do want giant monstosities that have no point. btw, blade? put your location up.