Euro cars you can't get in the US and what they're really like

"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey) 09/17/2013 at 15:58 • Filed to: Eurocars

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I've noticed that when I mention certain cars that are commonplace here in the UK the majority US based Jalops bemoan the fact they can't get them in the US - and how they'd love to be able to get them.

In the main these seem to be diesels, hatchbacks (in particular hot hatches), wagons and anything French. So I asked on Oppo what cars you can't buy in the US and got a load of responses. I've driven and owned most so here is my rough guide to Euro cars you can't get in the US and what they're really like.

Low and entry Spec Mercedes - You want the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's a groovy little car that looks good, drives good and is unbelievably good as the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . You don't want the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's a horrid mini Minivan, a bit like the Fiat 500L is to the standard 500. You DO want the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's great looking and good to drive. The 2.1 litre diesel sounds like a tractor but goes OK. The C 63 AMG, particularly in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is flipping epic.

BMW E36 Wagon - I've just bought one, a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's brilliant. BMW were remiss not to have sold it. The E36 M3 was OK but has a pretty poor image in the UK. I don't know how the language translates, but as a chavs car. That's a trashy person in the US I think?

Audi RS6 Avant - What the hell is Audi thinking. It's brilliant, although IF you get the E63 AMG or CLS63 AMG then you're not missing out too much. The RS6 is super fast and super thirsty, and will cost a fortune to keep on the road (5 year old versions are the most expensive mainstream car in the UK in terms of reliability and service costs) and the steering is a bit wooden.

French cars - What???? And they wonder why they're in the financial shit. OK, to start, the French cannot build big cars. They depreciate super fast and fall to pieces soon after. But small French cars are awesome. Citroen DS3, Renault !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Renault !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - all fantastic. You are missing out big time. You DO get Infiniti which is kind of French/Japanese but more boring than a washing machine. Huh, makes no sense. The Renault Zoe electric car is cheap and good to drive but has a range of 80 miles which is no good in the US.

Honda Accord Wagon - You know what it looks like. It sells well and it clogs our roads up because pensioners drive them at 40mph through towns, and 40mph through villages, and 40mph on the motorway. You don't get the Honda Civic either. They are EVERYWHERE and driven from ancient people through to young people. The last version looked great, the current version is a bit bland and they drive pretty smooth, although not with much in the way of vim. Not quite as good as a Golf.

VW Golf GTD - Good heavens. The GTD is a direct product of high fuel prices and punitive personal tax allowances. It has evolved since the Mk4 into something rather wonderful that has the GTI's spirit and, almost, speed but with an extra 20mpg.

Any old VW diesel - The early ones were shit. The TDis were OK from 130bhp and up. I once owned a Passat TDi 110bhp and it was dog slow. My brother had a Golf GT TDi with 130bhp and it was great. Both returned over 50mpg (UK). Modern VW diesels (also in Seats and Skodas) are the best in the business and should be in the US.

Skodas and Seats - WHAT???? OK so Seats are a bit 'meh' but Skodas are cheap, funky VWs. The best is the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (photo at the top of the article). It's brilliant, super cheap and would sell by the truckload in the US - guaranteed.

Alfa Romeos - You're not really missing out there. Until Alfa make some decent cars their range is crap, although their followers are fanatical. The new !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! looks awesome though and costs £45,000.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - They are brilliant. They are only available as a diesel in the UK which is a shame because the V6 petrol engine is a peach. The forthcoming XFR-S Sportbrake looks mega. I drove the saloon last week and it's my new favourite Jag.

Diesels in general - I personally don't like diesels. Aligned with an autobox the lag means it takes a second or so to even move after you've out your foot down. They return more mpg than petrol but take away the economic benefits and a petrol with similar power will always be the better car. Sometimes a diesel can be good. The Range Rover SDV6 3 litre turbo diesel is fantastic and the Golf GTD is great. But generally don;t just want one because you can't have one. Most are rubbish.

Hot hatches - I've driven the Vauxhall Astra VXR, Renaultsport Megane 265, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and Golf GTI. They are some of our best homegrown cars. That the US cannot get them is a travesty. You must lobby congress to make them force manufacturers to sell them in the US.

For Sweden > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:05

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You can buy the C-Class in the USA.

You can also buy the Accord Wagon, but as an Acura.

dieselwagon > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:09

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I would like to add the (now defunct) Ford Mondeo Estate into this, I have the 2.0 140hp diesel version and I love and can't seriously fault it. Although it doesn't need to be as big as it is and rear visibility is not great, as with most new wagons.

I would disagree on the Accord Wagon too, I think the latest generation got a lot more people interested in it, I would have gone for one if they didn't hold their value so well. I had an older Accord hatchback, chosen for many reasons (economy, reliability, general build quality), but also because of the assumption Accords are driven by old people. Not something the police are looking out for, or likely to follow but still a great car to drive and be in generally.

Awedgar > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:11

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Agreed, growing up in France, I don't know why Jalops romanticize the oil burners. Power delivery is something like: wait for it - wait for it - wait for it - POWER change gear.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:16

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In Indonesia Jaaaag sold a very entry level XF Sportbrake with 2.0L Turbo. And i really like it. It's comfortable, not really fast, but have good mileage as well. 75k US$.

Jagvar > For Sweden 09/17/2013 at 16:17

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True, though you can't get the 2.1L diesel.

Jagvar > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:20

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VW diesels have been sold in the U.S. for many years now, and today Americans can get the Jetta, Passat, Beetle, Touareg, and Sportwagen in TDI trim. I love them all, but I'm biased.

Hoccy > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:22

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I've heard that some want the Volvo V70 (back).

I think the T4, T5, T6 and D4 and D5 would be good engines for the US as well. If you think those engines are slow, you don't want a Volvo wagon.

Who needs sway bars anyway > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:23

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I am a Huge alfa fan, and I would do some raunchy things to get my hands on a 159 sport wagon or a Giulietta QV. Those are some sexy sexy cars.

duurtlang > Jagvar 09/17/2013 at 16:24

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You can't get them with wide array of diesels though, you only have one engine available per car.

duurtlang > Awedgar 09/17/2013 at 16:25

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Grass is always greener on the other side. Europeans want what the Americans have, Americans want what the Europeans have.

duurtlang > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 09/17/2013 at 16:30

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We get those in continental Europe too. 240 hp if I'm not mistaken. A 2.0 V6 I must add, not a 4 cylinder. It's $49k before taxes, where I live (in the Netherlands) $80k after VAT and some sort of CO2 (=gas guzzler) tax.

Besides the obvious 3.0 V6 and 5.0 V8 there's a 2.2 diesel and a 3.0 V6 diesel as well.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > duurtlang 09/17/2013 at 16:37

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I see.

That XF is cost 100k after taxed, but still, i want it.

I don't want a Diesel Jaaaaaaaaag. It's kinda wrong in my book. And luckily the local Jaaaaag dealer in my town didn't have that thing

trynthink > duurtlang 09/17/2013 at 16:38

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This is true generally. USDM cars tend to have one engine option, whereas in Europe they might have 3+ petrol and another 3+ diesel options. We tend to just get the highest power, lowest economy option, because gas is cheap and Americans love power.

Pockets > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:41

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Bit harsh on Alfas there; the current range is pretty "meh", I agree.
But the earlier Fiat-based stuff is good and pretty underrated (145/146,147,155,156,166,GTV), even if the stuff they did with their GM technology share (Brera, 159) was all looks and not that special to drive.

French stuff - you're underrating the bigger stuff; the Citroen C6 is cool as hell and going back a bit, so were the XM, 605 and Avantime and moving down a category the Xantia and 406 were both great cars and quite well made. Rating a car on depreciation is unfair - everything in the UK depreciates unless its a White/Silver/Black German diesel.
Their problems aren't as simple as "can't do big", its that the reliability disaster area of the Renault Laguna 2 has formed some sort of vortex that has sucked in the reputation of anything French at a time when they were just starting to get to grips with decent reliability, combined with the fact that they're not 4x4-ish brands. In terms of their individual problems Peugeot's medium-sized stuff is rubbish and their small stuff isn't as good as it used to be. Citroen are ok at the minute and Renault's small-to-medium stuff is very good.

Diesel also makes for boring awful cars in general, I agree.

trynthink > Speedmonkey 09/17/2013 at 16:43

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Just read your V40 T5 review. The want is strong. If they offered that car here, it would be my next, for sure.

Speedmonkey > trynthink 09/17/2013 at 16:52

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It's a hot hatch but a little more refined. You could cover serious distance with no probs

Alex87f > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 07:34

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No love for the Giulietta?

Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 13:22

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We most certainly do have the Civic here; it's one of the 4 best selling cars in the US. What we don't get is the Type R, our top performing version is the Si.

Wonk Unit > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 13:29

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I'm excited we get the Focus, and Fiesta ST after many years of none of ford's good hatch offerings. We already got the Mini, Golf GTI, and now the Abarth. But yes i really wish Renault would ship us some Renaultsport products.

Collin > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 13:49

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Sadly, the US doesn't really have a very good equivalent to, "chav." Due to the large number of poor blacks, most of the equivalencies are racially tinged.

55_mercury > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:02

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The other side of the coin is to ask what US cars Europeans wish they could get over on their side of the pond.

EL_ULY > trynthink 09/18/2013 at 14:04

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i've seen many a V40 cross country (not XC40 for some reason) in Mexico DF, sooo much want there also

Tad-bravo > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:04

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Frankly you can't be a british and speak for all europeans.

The UK doesn't get exactly the same cars as the rest europe simply because the market is biased and most of the time the models and options offered in the UK are lower spec.

Also, the right hand drive modification means that some cars loose part of their options and reliability when they're converted for the UK.

Brumos59fan > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:07

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We do get the VW GTI...I know...I have one. We also get TDI versions of almost all the VWs we get and the GTD is coming within a year or so. We also get the Accord wagon as the Acura TSX wagon but only as a 4 cylinder automatic. We get Civics but they are different from yours. We get the Mercedes C Class and Canada gets the B Class or at least they used to.

kenhitch > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:08

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I want all the Skodas and most of the SEATs. From what I can tell SEAT offers a lot of VW performance models that sacrifice a bit of comfort for a lower price, yeah?

Bfil > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:10

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I always have trouble not to link you to Chris Harris..

Chris' nickname is monkey.. speed monkey is yours website/user name..

I'm the only one ?

Somethingwittyer likes noisy > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:12

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Oh how I want a DS3 sport so badly. Really I just love Citroen's DS range. They seem to be one of the few companies that get mid-level luxury brands (cough) Acura (cough). As for diesels, I really wish JLR would bring over their entire diesel range. I love the LR4 but it piss me of thinking how much of an all around better SUV it would be if it had the diesel V6. Also, you do realize that there is a VERY, VERY good chance of us getting the Mk VII GTD.

Speedmonkey > Bfil 09/18/2013 at 14:14

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Ha! My wife came up with the name 18 months ago, before I'd heard of him. I'm taller and more handsome....

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Collin 09/18/2013 at 14:15

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Maybe not, but the analogy is clear. He's saying it's a Camaro.

Speedmonkey > Somethingwittyer likes noisy 09/18/2013 at 14:15

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Cool. It would suit America's looooooong highways

Speedmonkey > kenhitch 09/18/2013 at 14:16

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Basically yes. Seat is meant to be slightly more sporty and funky than conservative old VW

bmw325_num99 > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:17

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We finally have the Accord wagon (pictured). Sold here as an Acura but I wish we had all the choices you have on the used Accord wagon market.

Speedmonkey > Tad-bravo 09/18/2013 at 14:18

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True. I'm talking about what models are available over here based on what Oppo told me. On a recent trip to Rome I saw millions of these

Outie5000 > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:18

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Which is every enthusiasts dream. GTI performance for 70% the cost!

Saracen > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:18

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We do have a few of those...

E36 wagon

C63 AMG/Black (I've driven a couple)

GTI

VW diesels

Accord wagons

Speedmonkey > Outie5000 09/18/2013 at 14:19

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Yep. That's the job of the Skoda vRS models too.

AlexP > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:20

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What do you mean Alfas are crap? Have you driven anyone of them? They're great to drive and they've greatly improved their reliability following their past foibles. And yet you praise those horrid VWs in drag called Skodas - simply dreadful. Most of the VW lineup is as boring as dish-washing liquid

blackonblack > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:22

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I want the mid-engined Clio!

JayHova > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:23

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Well....a Passat is ~35 grand in Germany and 20 grand in the States.

The Skoda Rapid is 15 grand here in Germany, so probably buyers would be given some cash in the States.... Also does 40 to 50mpg.

BigHarv > duurtlang 09/18/2013 at 14:26

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Yup, we can only get the ones 130hp and up-ie, the good ones.

BigHarv > Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon 09/18/2013 at 14:28

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We get a different car.

BigHarv > 55_mercury 09/18/2013 at 14:28

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Cheap gasoline and pushrod V8s.

JayHova > Alex87f 09/18/2013 at 14:29

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For this one only:

MagicMoe > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:30

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Don't forget one of the most ultimate grocery getters. Audi RS3

Svend > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:31

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I agree with the Skoda point though disagree with it being the Yeti. The Superb is an awesome car (I'm biased though). The new Octavia III is a very nice car and a great all round package. In fact the only one I don't like is the Roomster, looks like the guy designing the front fell out with the guy designing the rear and only put it together in the last second. Though it does drive very well.

gav-bangernomic > duurtlang 09/18/2013 at 14:32

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The economic argument for diesels is very dependent on nothing going wrong. Dual mass flywheels, common rail injection pumps that run at 2000 bar and turbos don't come cheap. Honest John (a UK car website) had a big run down about how they make no sense. I still reckon the VW ones will be OK thanks to massive production numbers keeping parts prices down, but other one give me the fear.

Thankfully I do limited mileage and can take advantage of the best thing about the UK car market; unbeleivably cheap V8 Jags. Here in Britian they're not even all that expensive to get fixed (both my mechanics have one). Another good thing about the UK/EU car market is that nothing built before '92 has to pass an emissions test, so you can make that malaise era Trans-Am into a giant slayer.

BeauM > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:35

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"You must lobby congress to make them force manufacturers to sell them in the US."

Lobby congress? What the hell good would that do?

Svend > Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon 09/18/2013 at 14:35

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Don't you get a different form of the Civic, the coupe and the saloon/sedan as opposed to the three and five door hatchback?

CarWrapGuy > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:37

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i see mexican SEATs here in houston from time to time.

mcseanerson > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:40

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You got the chav reference right and in my opinion I think it's the same in the US.

As for diesels, what's your opinion of the smaller diesels in America like the Chevy Cruze and the VW GTD? I understand that it's not just the increased mileage but also the fact that the price of diesel over there is half the price of petrol.

Over here Diesel is typically more expensive. Like on the way to school today Petrol is $3.15/gallon (Normal American gallons, not those weird things you guys mix back and forth with liters) where as Diesel is $3.89. Personally I don't think the little diesels make sense.

Stuff like the 3.0 tdi A7 look pretty good though.

Speedmonkey > AlexP 09/18/2013 at 14:41

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Hi. Yep. The range is tiny - Mito and Giuletta and they're still pretty unreliable. A friend has a Mito - the wheelnuts have gone rusty, the glovebox fell out, a door fell off (!) along with many other faults

Eike > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:42

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I much prefer Mr. Clarkson's view on Skoda: Its the VW for evil people.

And with the new Fabia, people with Multiple Personality Disorder, if their early ads were to be taken seriously.

Speedmonkey > mcseanerson 09/18/2013 at 14:43

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My local fuel station sells petrol for £1.39 per litre and diesel for £1.45 per litre. Diesel is more expensive everywhere. Tax breaks keep it mainstream. Some are good, like the Golf GTD. It also helps that a diesel will generally do 5-600 miles to a tank whereas petrol typically does 3-400.

Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon > Svend 09/18/2013 at 14:44

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Ah, you would be correct. I wasn't aware the bodystyles were different. Underneath they're the same car, though, right? Same suspension/drivetrains/etc?

anacanapana > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:46

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Bad news! You still can't get this either:

anacanapana > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:48

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Here we see a fleet of Lancias, right off the assembly line and awaiting transport.

Alex87f > JayHova 09/18/2013 at 14:49

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Those are absolutely fantastic!

anacanapana > Collin 09/18/2013 at 14:49

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"Douchebag" is a quite versatile word.

mcdx3 > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 14:59

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what the hell's a pensioner?

Speedmonkey > mcdx3 09/18/2013 at 15:01

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Retired folk. In the UK you get a state payout called a pension once you reach mid-60s

DrIcyHands > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:02

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A car that I think would sell well here and actually may stand a chance of getting here in one way or another is the Fiat Panda.

Speedmonkey > anacanapana 09/18/2013 at 15:02

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Oh dear. I've driven. Basic but very cheap

Rust-y > Pockets 09/18/2013 at 15:03

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Peugeots are Citroëns and vice versa. Same company, same engines, same platforms slightly different in setup.

bliqbloq > Saracen 09/18/2013 at 15:07

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we have the e46 wagon, not the e36.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:08

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A Chav in the UK = "trailerpark trash" in the USA

Shiftright > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:08

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They're still making the 159 which is still a pretty cool car, especially the wagon. Three relatives in Europe have Alfas, one of each range, and none of them have had any issues that are worse than any other car, and one of them is a Mito 1.4 Turbo with already 120k miles. I think people just love to mindlessly regurgitate outdated stereotypes and it's a natural human instinct to poo poo everything on the internet.

Meanwhile, the glove box door on my mom's C-Class fell off DID fall off in my lap last week, raini gutter moldings flap in the wind at highway speeds, the wipers stop in the middle of the windshield, the power window switches stick, and there's some airbag warning fault that no dealer has been able to track down and repair. She's had it for sale for a year below Blue Book and can't get a buyer.

Vortex > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:18

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Vous AVEZ vu tort, à Rome, c'est ceci:

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon 09/18/2013 at 15:18

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The Euro Civic is quite different from the North American Civic.

Vortex > Awedgar 09/18/2013 at 15:22

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no more, with the new oil burners, you wait just One "wait for it"

kenhitch > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:23

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Well... I want those...

Alex87f > duurtlang 09/18/2013 at 15:28

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The 2.0 liter petrol is a 4-cylinder, it's actually Ford's Ecoboost. But it's only available with the sedan.

The Sportbrake is diesel only, in all markets. 2.2L4 or 3.0V6.

I assume the 2.0l V6 you're referring to is the 2.1 petrol V6 that was available on first-gen X-types?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:29

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We actually had a version of the Vauxhall Astra. It was a saturn. not sure if they got around to making a redline version of it before they were shut down or not. I really liked the way it looked.

Alex87f > DrIcyHands 09/18/2013 at 15:29

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I'm afraid the last gen isn't doing so well in terms of sales figures..

willkinton247 > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:30

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We do get the Skoda Yeti - it's called the Volkswagen Tiguan here, and it looks much better stateside, IMO

afterace > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:30

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Yeah well, fuck you for not liking the Giulietta!

duurtlang > Alex87f 09/18/2013 at 15:30

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You're right, my source was wrong.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Collin 09/18/2013 at 15:31

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I'm not sure that's true. I think we use "douche" in a very similar way. Sometimes "redneck" works too, though with some exceptions, they are very different groups.

Speedmonkey > Shiftright 09/18/2013 at 15:33

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We all have opinions and differing experience so take your points. Merc have severe quality issues. CLS suspension exploding being one of many

Speedmonkey > afterace 09/18/2013 at 15:34

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Chill dude!

Speedmonkey > willkinton247 09/18/2013 at 15:38

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We've had Tiguan for a few years. Don't think (but might be wrong) latest Tiguan is Yeti based. I started to google it but stopped when I saw the first search term!

duurtlang > gav-bangernomic 09/18/2013 at 15:40

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The economic argument is also very dependent on fuel prices. On the other side of the Channel a liter of diesel is considerably cheaper than a liter of gasoline. Where I live (the Netherlands) diesel is almost 20% cheaper than regular 95 gasoline. Combined with the improved economy diesel powered cars can make sense quickly, assuming you drive enough to make up for the higher purchase price. Also note that almost all modern new gasoline powered cars come with a turbo and other finicky gadgetry as well, so I wouldn't be extra worried about the repair costs of a recent diesel. When it comes to older diesels, like the older Pumpe Düse technology in VWs until a few years ago, I still wouldn't be too worried about diesel-specific repair costs.

Nwdubbing > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:44

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Most any diesel can be quick with a little bit of tuning. It's the 200hp 350ft/lbs with 40mpg that does it for me...

Svend > Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon 09/18/2013 at 15:49

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I don't know about the rest of the vehicle, I would guess underneath is all the same, but the body styles of the coupe and saloon are very very, I believe you'd call 'beige'. The three and five door hatch have great styling (even if some aren't too keen on the rear spoiler intergrated into the rear window).

willkinton247 > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 15:54

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Hahahaha yeah, it is the VW answer to the CRV/RAV4, but I feel like people over here buy it more because they want a Touareg but they can't afford it. Honestly, if I was in the market for a CUV, I'd seriously consider the Tiguan.

As for it's comparison with the Yeti, if you get the 4MOTION version, you are getting a CUV based on the VW PQ35 platform with the same 2.0L TSI engine and 6 spd DSG transmission, which is pretty much the same. Just a slightly different (better looking) exterior. We get less choice on engines, but we do still get a manual in the FWD versions, which is pretty awesome.

Daniel Leigh > willkinton247 09/18/2013 at 15:54

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You don't get the Yeti...

They aren't based on the same platform. The Tiguan is Golf-based, the Yeti is (albeit stretched) Polo based. To be specific it's actually a bastard child of a Golf and Polo platform, but more Polo. It's alot smaller than a Tiguan.

Daniel Leigh > Alex87f 09/18/2013 at 15:54

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It's a horrible car, I've driven it and it looks great but it's hideously unreliable and has numb, lifeless steering and a terrible interior. It also has uncompetitive engines. Bad car. Looks amazing though.

Daniel Leigh > JayHova 09/18/2013 at 15:55

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Interior is made of recycled Legos though.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 16:00

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Heh...I don't complain about the us market. We're missing out on a few things I kinda want.

The other side of the coin is that we basically get twice the horsepower for half the price.

willkinton247 > Daniel Leigh 09/18/2013 at 16:02

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The Yeti is based on the PQ35 platform, which is what the Tiguan, Golf, Jetta, Audi TT, Scirocco, EOS, and Beetle are all based on, to name a few. The Polo is based on the PQ25 platform, which is smaller. The only Skoda on the PQ25 platform is the Rapid

Shankems > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 16:03

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Anyone ever driven a Vauxhall VXR8 GTS? Anyone?!? :-(

YesILoveCars > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 16:09

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We had our version of the Astra here in the US. It was labeled a Saturn, when Saturn was already circling the drain. I do want a Vauxhall VXR8 wagon. And the Skoda Yeti; I would drive the wheels off that thing.

Daniel Leigh > afterace 09/18/2013 at 16:15

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It really is a bad, bad car. I have driven it, the engines are terrible, the interior is cheap, the ride is terrible (too hard, but not sporting, and the steering is numb), plus they're hideously unreliable and really uncompetitive.

metros11 > DrIcyHands 09/18/2013 at 16:18

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Pretty sure it's already sold here as the 500L. No?

FelixScout > Collin 09/18/2013 at 16:25

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White trash works very well for this.

FriscoFairlane > Speedmonkey 09/18/2013 at 16:26

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I believe your Chavs are more like what we call Bros.

Maxis47 > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 09/18/2013 at 16:38

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There was no VXR equivalent. Saturn never did a Red Line version of the Astra

KirkyV > Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon 09/18/2013 at 16:44

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I'd definitely heard that there were some significant mechanical differences, but I believe my source was an Internet commenter, so a few grains of salt are likely in order.

In any case, this is what the Civic used to look like over here, before they introduced the current shit-tastic design:

Type R:

James May:

buzz killington > Saracen 09/18/2013 at 16:46

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You mean E46 wagon.

KirkyV > 55_mercury 09/18/2013 at 16:52

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Mustang plz. Though we'll need a few smaller engine options.

Most other notable American cars wouldn't really work here: you're very good at building very, very big cars, and our roads look like this:

(The roads in the video and top two pictures have a speed limit of 60 MPH. Second from last's probably 20, while the lowest's 30.)

(Oh, and obviously I'm not including the European Fords, which are some of our best-selling cars.)

Speedmonkey > Shankems 09/18/2013 at 16:53

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I keep asking Vauxhall. Will persevere