"Jeff" > wrote in message
news:fxosj.31$dh.15@trnddc01...
> R. Mark Clayton wrote:
>> Back in 1985, I hired a Buick Park Drive and a Pontiac Grand Am while in
>> the USA.
>>
>> The Buick was passable, but with very sloppy suspension etc.
>>
>> The Grand Am was appalling, one of the worst cars I have ever driven and
>> certainly the worst new one.
>>
>> At the time back in the UK I was driving a 1983 BMW 735i. Obviously this
>> was better than most EU cars of that era, however the US cars of the time
>> were laughable in comparison.
>>
>> The trouble [for the US car industry] is that 25 years after that 735i
>> was built it is probably still better than most US cars sold today in
>> almost every department. Some of them are still laughable e.g. the
>> Chrysler PT Cruiser - poor drive, poor ride, poor handling, poor
>> performance, poor trim, poor seats, poor reliability and so on. You
>> would be better off in a ten year old base entry model 3 series than a
>> new one of these.
>
> A BMW 735i probably cost about 3 times as much money as most American cars
> of the era, too.
>
> You get what you pay for, especially considering the high cost of
> maintaining such a vehicle.

But you don't have to replace it after just a few years.

Obviously cars are / were not taxed as much in the USA and over there a BMW
was a premium import.

Where it was made it would be a lot cheaper.

The main point was that a car designed and made in Europe a generation ago
is still better than most US made cars now.

The corrolory would be that current EU mass market cars (e.g. Ford Mondeo,
Vauxhall Vectra etc.) are better than their BMW market equivalents (3 and 5
series) of the mid 80's.

To put it another way the US is about 25 years behind Europe on car design,
build and quality control.

>
> jeff
>
> Jeff