If the US & Canada had access to the global market, what cars would you expect to see and where?

"cuts_off_prius" (cutsoffprius) 07/03/2014 at 18:14 • Filed to: None

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If we truly were the Land of the Free(TM) and had access to cars around the world, what cars would you expect to see in greater numbers in certain places of the USA? Canada as well, since they also follow our existing vehicle standards (except for their exemption being 15 years and ours 25).

My take:

Northeastern US (dense cities): Fiat Panda 4x4 & Skoda Yeti

Generalizing here, the Northeastern US gets a lot of snow, so they want AWD. Shitty roads, so they want ground clearance. They also want some storage space (as do many Americans), but may require something smaller and more maneuverable for parking in the relatively dense cities. European things are also considered stylish there. The upcoming Jeep Renegade is basically a Fiat Panda 4x4 anyways... May as well be popular there.

Los Angeles: Skoda & likely Latin American market sedans

Affordable sedans are king here, I think. With so many roads and a lot of sprawl, there are tons of them out there to get you across town. It's hard to come up with new sedans to add, because I think the existing best sellers would still be the best sellers (ie - Accord, Camry, Civic, Corolla). To add to the list of affordable sedans, I pick the Skoda Rapid, Octavia, and Superb sedans. They're stylish too. At least to me... I'd throw in some cheap rebadged Latin American market sedans as well simply due to their affordability.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:16

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Well, good news! The upcoming Jeep Renegade is a rebodied Panda!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:16

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For me, the list of cars, both new and used, is so long that my autobiography would be both shorter and less interesting.

oldirtybootz > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:17

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More of these, in my driveway.

PheeNoIVI > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:17

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These would be all over in California

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:18

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Canada is actually easier to import cars into, well I guess it used to be. I see a Skyline or some JDM wagon everyday.

Dsscats > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:20

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The Skoda wouldn't sell here. All the trophy wives will continue driving their range rovers and all the aspiring trophy wives will drive 320i's.

GhostZ > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:20

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I have a feeling these two RWD straight six sedans would have outsold cars like the Chevy Caprice, Lexus ES, Crown Victoria (for non-police/taxi use) and a number of Mercedes sedans. They were inexpensive and efficient, but not underpowered, weak, or cheap. And they were right wheel drive for 'muricans.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > PheeNoIVI 07/03/2014 at 18:21

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We see those quite a bit here in San Diego. People drive them up from Mexico.

carcrasher88 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/03/2014 at 18:22

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Don't forget the Fiat 500X version, that's supposed to be coming to the US as well, according to FCA's latest 5 year plan.

PheeNoIVI > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 07/03/2014 at 18:23

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Well I'm jealous. I don't see any in the bay area lol

Racescort666 > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:31

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You would probably see these about as much as Suzuki Samurai which is unfortunately, not enough.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > PheeNoIVI 07/03/2014 at 18:36

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Aren't Seats just VWs in disguise?

PheeNoIVI > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 07/03/2014 at 18:37

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Basically. But they're way cooler

T5Killer > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 18:40

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Ford Falcon in the Southwest/West. With our dry weather, open space and mild winters we love Muscle cars and I bet these would be a hit. Even the lowrider folks would love them since they are RWD and have plenty of space.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > PheeNoIVI 07/03/2014 at 18:44

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I do like their styling. I remember the first time I saw was was when I lived in Israel many, many years ago. I always wanted to hoon the one my friend had. I think it was called the Seat Ibiza..

dogisbadob > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 19:08

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Chrysler should really sell the Panda over here.

It would also be nice if we joined the rest of the world and adopted the UNECE standards.

And besides, Mexico gets the good stuff. NAFTA, right? :)

But to answer your question, the first-gen A-class, the Falcon, more Holdens.

Why the fuck doesn't Nissan sell the Cube in the US? Especially since Canada gets it! The hard work has already been done, and we could use another cheap car down here.

Spasoje > cuts_off_prius 07/03/2014 at 19:43

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Hmm. I definitely know that I'd see one of these around all the time. The same one. Registered to me.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Racescort666 07/03/2014 at 21:06

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Could you import an older one to the states?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > dogisbadob 07/03/2014 at 21:08

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They do sell the Cube in the U.S. Do you mean the Micra?

dogisbadob > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 07/03/2014 at 21:22

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Yes, I meant Micra.

Why the fuck did I say Cube? hahaha :s

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > dogisbadob 07/03/2014 at 21:26

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You were thinking of cheap/ugly Nissan's maybe?

Racescort666 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 07/03/2014 at 23:08

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You could but it's more expensive than it's worth. There are a few Canadian Nivas out there but the asking prices are absurd. In very good condition, they're worth $5k with all said and done, maybe. Awesome but you just can't spend that much money on them.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Racescort666 07/03/2014 at 23:25

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Realistically, there are few cars worth importing. I just want one someday.

Racescort666 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 07/03/2014 at 23:46

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Words of wisdom my friend.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > cuts_off_prius 07/04/2014 at 00:04

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!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

duurtlang > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 07/04/2014 at 12:56

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That's a first gen Seat Ibiza. The current generation battles the Fiesta. The first gen was marketed with this rather pretentious (but not untrue) slogan you can spot on the engine here. And no, I'm not talking about EFI.

duurtlang > Dsscats 07/04/2014 at 13:09

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To add some perspective: a Superb is a segment larger than a 3-series, yet costs less than a similarly performing 3-series. In Germany a Superb with the 2.0 TSI and DSG costs €3.6k less than a manual 320i and €5.8k less than an automatic (Steptronic) 320i.

Dsscats > duurtlang 07/04/2014 at 13:18

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It doesn't matter. It doesn't have the badge

Svend > Dsscats 07/05/2014 at 01:02

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That's true even for here in the U.K. but Skoda is winning them over by the day.

Question: What's the difference between a top spec model 2.0TDi 190ps Black Edition Audi A6 Avant with a 6 speed manual and a 2.0TDi 170ps Laurent & Klement Skoda Superb Combi with a 6 speed manual?

Answer: The Skoda has more interior space with a lot more rear legroom, comes with more standard features and is GBP£29,690 (USD$50,946) to Audi's GBP£37,010 (USD$63,507).

Essentially the same car, same engine, gearbox from the same parent company.

The 'badge snob' would be a smaller group as Skoda hasn't been in the U.S. for a hell of a long time if ever.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > duurtlang 07/05/2014 at 02:33

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I do remember something about them having some connection to Porsche. Was it just the engine design?

duurtlang > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 07/05/2014 at 02:50

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Not a clue. I merely remember the System Porsche decals. I haven't seen one of these in ages.

The Stig's Rustbelt Cousin > GhostZ 07/07/2014 at 14:02

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The majority of ordinary non-enthusiasts prefer FWD. FWD handles predictably, has better traction in inclement weather (because ordinary people love all-seasons and hate snow tires), and, assuming it were possible to build a sedan that could offer customers a choice of FWD or RWD, the majority would choose FWD, because it would save them money while providing exactly the same features (color choices, bluetooth, navigation, heated seats, whatever) that they were really out shopping for.

Car manufacturers went FWD to save on production and design costs. Consumers ate it up because they bought the hype, and because they weren't enthusiasts. The dinosaur large RWD sedans stuck around a little longer, but in the end, no one wanted them anymore.

GhostZ > The Stig's Rustbelt Cousin 07/07/2014 at 16:03

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In the early 2000s (when the Skyline and Falcon sold) cars like the G35 sedan, BMW 3 series, Crown Victoria, Lexus IS and GS, and mercedes C class sold very well in their segments despite being RWD. None of them would be considered 'enthusiast' cars (arguments can be made for the 'sportier' sedans but they're still practical sedans, not sports cars). And most of them remain rear wheel drive today, arguably the only 'dinsoaur RWD sedan' not in that segment is the Crown Vic.

I'm not saying that people don't like FWD cars more, but like I said in my post, the Skyline and Falcon probably would have outsold cars like the Crown Vic, G35, and C class as entry level executive cars.

The Stig's Rustbelt Cousin > GhostZ 07/07/2014 at 19:55

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The BMW, Infiniti G, and Lexus IS might not be considered true enthusiast cars in the way we might think of one, but to the average person, they're a huge step up from a garden-variety compact or midsize sedan. Most of these cars were RWD to appeal to enthusiasts, or simply because BMW and Mercedes were RWD, and the rest just followed suit to be competitive.

As far as the Skyline and the Falcon competing with luxury compact sedans, they both lack the badge factor, which is what sold the majority of those cars in early 2000s. Half the people who leased a 3-series couldn't tell you which wheels were driven, and I know this because they were my service customers at the dealership. Also, I don't think a single person who was considering a small Lexus or Infiniti sedan ever thought about buying a Crown Victoria. It's not even a comparison.

The Falcon and the R34 Skyline would have been up against the Camry, Accord, Altima, and whatever other midsize FWD cars were available at the time, and while I'm sure they would have sold a few, I doubt they would have been more than 5% of their market. As far as the Falcon being pitched against a 325i, it wouldn't have worked. Again, because of the badge issue, and also because Ford was a joke at the time.