[Katana]

I'll give my opinion with sweeping generalizations about people included.

It's a psychological thing, Americans seem to associate bigger with better, also seems to be that small cars are seen as less masculine, for fags, dorks and hippies. I've also seen what the US makers have done to styling of the small cars, they've made them so bland and boring it's no wonder they don't capture the imagination when you go to a car dealership or see them on the street. Unless attitude and american car designers change i don't think they will ever catch the imagination enough to sell, the euro/jap cars will dominate that section of the market until they can.

Getting good FE cars won't be done till the fuel cost gets high enough that it's worth it and american diesel gets cleaner so euro/jap diesels can pass regs without redesigning the car.

If i look out into the car park for my building i can see (when it's full) a '99 Seat Leon, '97 Renault Clio, '94 Ford Fiesta, '00 Peugeot 206, '95 Ford Transit Diesel (sounds like a tank), '05 Renault Clio, '03 Renault Clio, '08 Ford Focus Zetec TDCi, '99 Fiat Punto, '98 Peugeot 106, '00 Honda Civic Type R, '97 Ford Escort, '94 Peugeot 106 and my '96 Citroen AX. No American cars there since the fords are euro ones.

Out of those the cars the ones considered wussy by British people would be the '97 clio and the '94 fiesta, the rest are neutral or masculine like the focus zetec and the civic type r. Seeing an american car on the road is a rare thing, and i mean a real american car not a rebadged daewoo or some other crap.

The trend for large people carriers and 4wd drives does exist here in england but it's generally for those with more money or those who have enough children/people or the country lifestyle to warrant the purchase of them.
Though the trend seems to be heading away from them now towards estate cars like Volvo, family saloons like the ford mondeo and 5 door family compacts like the ford focus. The cost of fuel has a lot to do with it, and as the cost has gone up people have had to change their attitudes as to what is now considered cool to drive, and it has shifted towards smaller funky designs with good mileage and diesels, since diesels are shedding their reputation as noisy tractors with the new quieter euro/jap engines. Large 4WD/SUV like BMW X5, Range Rover etc. are seen as vulgar and unnecessary unless you live in the countryside and need the 4WD system and the space for transporting.

Not sure how off topic I've gone there, i tend to brain dump when posting on forums.