Comparing American to European Cars

Europe and America both have a long history of automobile manufacture. While both regions have well-known car makers that produce iconic automobiles, European vehicles differ from their American counterparts in several respects. Due to these disparities, European cars can require special maintenance and care.

There are some differences which may not apply to most imported vehicles. European cars are on average smaller than American cars. This is because fuel prices in Europe tend to be higher than in America, so customers are more inclined to buy smaller, more fuel-economical vehicles. Likewise, diesel and bio-diesel cars are more popular in Europe, as diesel prices are often lower there than gasoline. However, sports utility vehicles and other large cars are still sold in Europe, and European auto manufacturers also design larger vehicles intended for sale in America. Manual transmission vehicles are also more popular in Europe, as they get better mileage.

Other differences are country-specific. Cars intended for sale in the United Kingdom have steering wheels on the right side. While these British vehicles are sometimes imported to American, most German cars sold either in America or their native land have left-side steering wheels, as drivers on both German and American roads drive on the right side.

European cars sometimes are built to different safety and environmental standards, due to different regulations in Europe. The headlights of European vehicles have a different beam pattern and brighter xenon bulbs must be self-leveling to avoid glare. On the other hand, American vehicles may be built to higher safety standards in terms of airbags or windshield glass, though any European cars sold in America must meet the local regulations.

When it comes to higher-end luxury and sports cars, American and European manufacturers have different focuses.While American sports cars emphasize speed and power with high horsepower engines, European vehicles are tuned for maneuverability and handling, designed to take the sharp corners of winding European streets. American vehicles tend to have softer suspensions, better for cruising on flat, smooth highways, while the suspension in European vehicles are stiffer. Since European cars are built with fuel-economy in mind, they are often lighter, with more fiberglass and carbon fiber in their bodies, letting them get more speed out of a lower horsepower but more finely tuned engine.

While the differences between European and American automobiles can be subtle, the variations in the engines, suspensions, equipment and other factors mean that the different vehicles may have different maintenance requirements. Visit this site for more about these variances and finding a European car technician in Mountain View.