Un-official GTPlanet BBC Topgear UK ThreadTV

[Joey D]

Down boy, down. WWII, ok I agree but bailing out Europe all the time..... where do you get that??? Feeling a little bit superior, aren't we now.
You should spend some time in Europe and talk to the people. You would be surprised how many of us like the US and US cars. I have some friends and they swear by American cars (and their friends too). They don't want and don't own European or Japanese cars. They laugh at me and other people because we have European cars and Japanese motorcycles (They called my Suzuki Bandit a lawn mower).

I was thinking more along the lines with money. But war also works also, what about the Kosvo conflict...sure it was NATO but that was like 90% American forces. There are others but you're a smart person...I don't need to lecture about conflicts.

I don't want to spend time with Europeans, you guys think Americans are bad for X, Y, & Z, we think the same way about you guys.

So can I. Want to take a second guess?

How about a Neon? I doubt you guys even get them over there. But I'm just saying you can buy European cars for about the same price as an American car over here. I forgot the Focus was sold in the UK.

That wasn't the question. The question was why aren't people buying more fuel-efficient cars, not why aren't they selling their cars and buying brand new ones.

Someone buying a car anyway is buying a car anyway. Why do they choose ones with a worse average mpg in the USA compared to the UK if petrol isn't cheap in the USA? If it wasn't cheap, fuel economy would be a higher concern when the time comes to buy a new car...

How don't you get it? People bought their cars when fuel was cheap, the next round of car buying will show more fuel effiecent cars. Hybrids and diesels are on the rise in America, hell I looked at a diesel powered Jetta and realized that it was worthless. In a few years people will have more fuel efficent vehicles, also we need a better selection to choose from. I want gas mileage but I don't want to drive an Aveo or a Neon.

 

[Dave A]

We get the Neon over here, it doesn't sell well. We get the Focus over here, it sells shed loads. Blazin millions of people buy a NEW car every year, that is Famines point, people in the US are still buying car with big V8's and with low economy. Fuel in the US is more than it WAS but it's still very cheap. And don't go bringing up wars and trying to say how very much the US has helped us, this is the wrong thread for it, it's a TopGear thread let's keep it that way.

 

[Famine]

How about a Neon? I doubt you guys even get them over there. But I'm just saying you can buy European cars for about the same price as an American car over here. I forgot the Focus was sold in the UK.

And you can buy American cars for about the same price as a European car over here. Including the Neon.

How don't you get it? People bought their cars when fuel was cheap, the next round of car buying will show more fuel effiecent cars. Hybrids and diesels are on the rise in America, hell I looked at a diesel powered Jetta and realized that it was worthless. In a few years people will have more fuel efficent vehicles, also we need a better selection to choose from. I want gas mileage but I don't want to drive an Aveo or a Neon.

Are you under the impression that everyone buys their cars simultaneously?

The average person buying a new car TODAY in the US will buy a car which is less fuel efficient than the average person buying a new car TODAY in Europe.

I'm not talking about overall car populations. I'm talking about new cars moving off the forecourts NOW.

 

[Joey D]

We get the Neon over here, it doesn't sell well. We get the Focus over here, it sells shed loads. Blazin millions of people buy a NEW car every year, that is Famines point, people in the US are still buying car with big V8's and with low economy. Fuel in the US is more than it WAS but it's still very cheap. And don't go bringing up wars and trying to say how very much the US has helped us, this is the wrong thread for it, it's a TopGear thread let's keep it that way.

Do you think I can control what people buy? Nope. And I don't care what any of you say, I find filling up expensive. I don't live in Europe so I couldn't care less if you say your gas it more expensive. Don't you guys have differnt regualtions any ways? I'm not really sure how the oil market works to tell you the truth.

And you can buy American cars for about the same price as a European car over here. Including the Neon.

In the Z06 thread you were talking about how some American cars are overpriced over in Europe. But whatever I don't plan on living there so what do I have to worry about?

Are you under the impression that everyone buys their cars simultaneously?

The average person buying a new car TODAY in the US will buy a car which is less fuel efficient than the average person buying a new car TODAY in Europe.

I'm not talking about overall car populations. I'm talking about new cars moving off the forecourts NOW.

No I'm not saying everyone buys a car at the same time, but if I has a 2002 Silverado that I bought new in 02, I wouldn't get rid of my $40k truck for an 06 because gas went up $1.35. Sure it would be expensive but it wouldn't make me want to go buy a Echo. Fuel effiecent cars sometimes aren't practical. They tend to be little, plus you have the automakers now working on fuel effiecent V8's.

 

[Dave A]

American sportscars are over priced in Europe, cars like the Neon and Focus ect are priced around the same as European cars. HYou're still missing the point about people buying new cars, millions buy a new car every year, why do the people that buy new in the US buy lower economy vehicles year in year out? Beacuse they're smaller, American's don't seem to mind the SRT-4, so whats wrong with a similarly sized car thats actaully economic.

 

[Joey D]

You know who buys SRT-4's? Young guys who think they need a fast cars for whatever reason and they aren't economic. My buddy has one and we can't fit a damn thing in it, riding in the back seat is uncomfortable, and the exhaust is annoying past 60 mph. They also burn premium fuel and get pretty bad mileage since everyone who owns one, raggs on the motor all the time.

Like I said I can't control people, but typically Americans enjoy bigger comfotable cars. Compacts don't do well here because we have parking spots, wider roads, etc. We can accomodate bigger cars. But I can tell people what to buy, I can only tell myself what to buy.

 

[Dave A]

I know you have no control over what people buy, no ones saying that you do. But the fact remains that people are buying more uneconomical cars in US, I've never sat in a Neon so I can't say how good or bad they are to ride in, but my mum and dad's Clio which is a smaller car does fine, theres plenty of leg room front and back and you can fit a few suit cases in the boot, what more should an average guy need. Space for wardrobe? Okay you still need something bigger, how about something like a Ford Mondeo you can get around 30mpg from one of them, that surely big enough to use. I do know that people who buy SRT-4's think they're the best car on the planet and can be tuned to beat anything but I don't care about that, it's the sizes of the car bought. You can have a bigger car that can do 30mpg, people in the US just don't buy many of them.

 

[Joey D]

We have big cars that get good mileage, the Magnum with a 3.5 gets decent mileage, the Impala get decent mileage, hell my moms Pacifica even gets good mileage. We have cars that get mielage and people buy them, but in America we have a million choices in engines when we go to buy a car. Human nature says buy the best.

And you are right about SRT 4 owners.

 

[Famine]

And that's the point.

You say petrol/gas is expensive (or rather not cheap) in the US. If that was the case then fuel economy would be a much more major concern when people buy cars and this would be reflected in the current new car sales figures. Which it isn't.

 

[Dave A]

Over here we don't go for the engine choice with the best perfomance, it costs too much to run and insure, we buy the engine that suits our needs. My dads didn't buy the 1.5d because it was the best, he bought it becasue it was economical. I admit I'd like a fast powerful sportscar, but until I'm 25 I'm not going in that direction. I'd also like a car that does good milage and is comfey, I'd also like the new M5 . It's hard to judge exactely what will make someone want that car or this one, but over here people generally choose economy over performance.

 

[DQuaN]

So, errr.......


Top Gear good show huh?

It's on tomorrow

 

[Dave A]

Yep it's on tomorrow, the new M5 goes round the track this week.

 

[Giancarlo]

Let's hope they don't flip it 3 times without having insurance.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

When does the season end?

 

[ExigeEvan]

End August, beginning September usually.

 

[Slick Rick]

JC called the M5 ugly

Pretty boring episode today i think.....(Boring Top Gear standards not boring boring)

 

[Dave A]

I'm gonna catch it on Tuesday.

 

[livemusic]

I´ll look for it tomorrow.

 

[Slick Rick]

Im suprised knowones posted much here yet. Was i the only one who watched it today??

 

[Dave A]

Maybe, I've been playing snooker.

 

[DQuaN]

I watched it. I thought it was quite a good episode. I didn't care for the hot hatches at the beginning much but the rest of it was good. The M5 is an awesome car, but i agree that it is uglier than a bulldog chewing wasps.

 

[Solid Fro]

You have to push a button to get full engine performance?

Seesh.

 

[Crash]

Good show. It was funny seeing how annoyed Jermey was with the sat. navigation lady. Despite the annoyances though, the M5 is still one hell of a car. 👍

I also look forward to seeing their world record of rollovers in the next edition of GWR.

 

[Slick Rick]

but i agree that it is uglier than a bulldog chewing wasps.

How?! i think the M5 looks very good.

 

[Race Idiot]

Good show. It was funny seeing how annoyed Jermey was with the sat. navigation lady.

I thought it was funnier when he was doing the voice of the megane coupe. I a like to smoka my front tyars.

 

[G.T]

The M5 is an awesome car, but i agree that it is uglier than a bulldog chewing wasps.

I think it's OK, not the best looking car but not the worst.

 

[donbenni]

Yeah that Megane voice was hilarious.

"And like everything else French, it loves to smoke..."

Wasn't too bad, but not that great an episode either. The mini motorbikes that James and Rich were riding looked awesome! But perhaps drove a bit salty.

 

[daan]

Good show. It was funny seeing how annoyed Jermey was with the sat. navigation lady. Despite the annoyances though, the M5 is still one hell of a car. 👍

But if he hadn't told it where he was going, it wouldn't know where to tell him to turn, would it?

He brought it upon himself for journalistic sensationalism.

 

[Famine]

I thought it was even better when it distracted The Stig mid-corner...

 

[vladimir]

You have to push a button to get full engine performance?

Seesh.

who needs 500 horsepower when cruising around town?

i think its a good idea, it might save some fuel...oh, i forgot, americans don't understand the point of saving fuel...anyway, you can programme this button to not only unleash all the power, but also change SMG mode, switch of traction control, sharpen the throttle and everything else. so its only one button you have to press in the M5 to get everything setup the way you want it in contrast to the multitude of buttons you have to push in every other car.