The argument of whether an American car is better than a European car, or the other way around, is a conversation for the ages. There has really been no overall solid answer to this. Every car, whether American or European will find its value depending on the owner and how it's used.
But if by chance you are out on the market now and checking out cars to replace the old one, then let us give you a little guide on why American is a good way to go. Then on the flip side, we'll explain why European cars could be better.
10 Better: American Cars are Cheaper
It is no mystery that European cars are more expensive than American cars. There's a lot of explanation there, too. One is that they are of better quality than their American counterparts, but a car is a car. If it rains, the European car gets wet as much as the American car. Take for example a comparison between two similar cars: the Cadillac ATS and the Mercedes-Benz C Class.
According to Edmunds, the ATS is $39,990 (basic pricing) and the C Class is $44,795. That's almost a $5,000 difference between two very similar sedans. One has more stuff than the other, which kind of evens them both out, but if we've thought of something to use the extra 5k on, we'd pick the Cadillac here.
9 Better: American Cars are Low-er Maintenance
There's less hassle when something happens to our American cars, the parts needed for replacement are readily available. It often will take less time than if our European breaks down, the days it takes to wait for that replacement part will be longer compared to American cars.
Maintenance will also be easier, not to mention cheaper, for American cars. We checked with YourMechanic, a popular name in vehicle maintenance and repair, and got their average quote for repair and maintenance of American and European cars. The Chrysler average is $220, while their quote for a Mercedes is $324, $100 more than an American car.
8 Better: American Cars are Made in the USA
If the costs in the first items you read do not convince you yet, let's get patriotic. It might be in Europe that the first automobile was made, but America was right behind and dominated the industry years later. The Model T and auto giant General Motors were all born in the USA.
The Ford Mustang (2020 model priced at $26,670), Lincoln Continental, Chrysler New Yorker, Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac V16, Model J, Tesla cars, old or new, vintage or high-tech, there's an American vehicle for any kind of car buyer's taste. You want something bigger, the American auto brands are the best in the world at making bigger vehicles, as soon we'll share in the next item.
7 Better: American Cars are Bigger
America is one of the largest countries in the world, and it has miles and miles of roads in it. Cars in America were made to be driven on the open road. Americans love road trips, and families go on these trips all the time. That's why American cars are bigger than European cars, especially the interior.
The countries that build cars in Europe live in a much smaller space, and they don't see the value of making bigger cars as American manufacturers do. The Ford F-Series has been around since the 1940s and they are still made today. One of the newest American trucks is the 2020 Dodge Ram 1500, with a net price of $43,135 this vehicle screams America rather proudly.
6 Better: American Cars are a Smart Buy
If you are an American and buying a new car, it's probably safe to assume that you'd end up buying an American brand. But it's not just about heritage or culture or patriotism, or choosing what's familiar, like the other cars that are hard to pronounce and even harder to spell out. It is the whole package.
The 2019 Ford Expedition seats eight people and is priced at $52,130. The 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS seats only seven and is at least $90,000. There are bells and whistles, but both cars can take us to our destination all the same, so it's smart to save a few thousand bucks or $30 thousand in this comparison.
5 Worse: American Cars are Not as Stylish
It's why this topic is still up in the air, European cars look good! We'll give it to some American cars, they look nice, but almost all European cars look amazing! We haven't looked inside yet and we already know we'd like to be behind the wheel of that Euro car. Let's look at the Audi Q8, it's a $67,400 SUV that is all-luxury on the outside.
Those headlights and the radiator just looks so handsome, and the sloping roofline and spoiler only make it sexier. We can't wait to see more, but what we've witnessed is worth the money already. That's how European cars get us hooked, with style, elegance, and sophistication.
4 Worse: American Cars are Not as Fuel Efficient
Most people thinking of buying a new car already know that most American cars are fuel beasts. It's just how some of these models are built, and we can't do anything about it. If we think gas is expensive here, take a look at prices overseas. European cars started out more fuel-efficient. These classic American cars look and sound great under the hood, but they also classically burn a hole in our wallets.
The US Department of Energy's Fuel Economy website states a 5 MPG difference between a 2019 Ford Mustang (25 MPG) and a 2019 BMW 330i xDrive GT (27 MPG). That's just BMW, but it’s a very fuel-efficient European car that could save us money and help with our carbon footprint as well.
3 Worse: American Cars are Not as High-Tech
Technology in vehicles is now playing a big role in nudging a customer to buy one car over the other, and European cars are not sleeping at the wheel when it comes to car tech. Their cars really just have more bells and whistles than American cars. For example, imagine a car that would change your mood as soon as you step inside it.
The German car Mercedes-Benz has this innovative feature in their S Class sedans called Comfort Control. It's an energizing feature that's just a button away aiming to make the driver feel any of the following: comfort, joy, freshness, vitality, warmth, and training. It controls temperature, light, fragrance, seat massagers, and music to fit the owner's chosen mood.
2 Worse: American Cars Do Not Last as Long
We actually expect this from a European car since it’s a lot more expensive than an American car. They would last longer, we pay extra for quality and we should get it. For one thing, the resale value of American cars is lower than European cars.
Try to find cars online and you'll see that the European second-hand vehicles are still expensive compared to the American ones. Kelley Blue Book shows us the resale value of the Mercedes Benz C 300 Coupe from $32,000 to $36,000. That's just a depreciated value of about $13-17 thousand bucks from the brand new price of $44,795.
1 Worse: American Cars Do Not Handle Better
People surmise that the main reason European cars handle better than American cars is that Europe's roads are smaller than the roads in America. While that could be true, it could also be a bunch of baloney. We want our cars to handle better whether it's on an open road or on classy old-age, war-ridden Italian and French brick roads.
European cars handle better because engineering is better, but why are they also faster? The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is one of the world's fastest cars, it has a max torque of 1,500 Nm, 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, and 415 km/h top speed. Bugatti is a car manufacturer based in France.