Quote:
Originally Posted by theunchosen
I never said the whole market.
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But that's the implication of saying "Americans want big cars", that the whole US market wants them, when in fact only a fraction do. I'll even argue that the fraction that really wants big is smaller than that which buys big, because some of them are buying for other reasons, such as the SUV having been the automotive equivalent of the hula hoop.
Nor is the "want a big car" segment confined to the US. When I lived in Europe, there were a goodly number of big cars on the roads - even saw a couple of Hummers, though most were things like Land Rovers, or Rolls, Bentleys, and big BMWs.
"Size is why Citroen and Fiat aren't here now. . .their cars would not survive the perceived safety factor against getting hit with a semi or an SUV."
You really think so? Then why are for instance VW, Honda, Toyota, and the rest still here, and doing better than the US automakers? Their cars were as small as the Citroens (which unless you count the old 2CV, aren't all that small) or Fiats, if not smaller. I think the departure of Fiat might have more to do with its "Fix It Again, Tony" reputation, while Citroen is, of course, French.
You mentioned the Smart: well, isn't that a case in point? If Americans really wanted big cars, the Smart wouldn't sell here, would it? (It's not exactly cheap, you know.) Nor would the Honda Fit, the BMW Mini, the Mazda Miata...