From: geoffm@purplehaze.Corp.Sun.COM (Geoff Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: American engines oversized,underpowered ?
Date: 16 Apr 92 17:03:52 GMT
Followup-To: rec.autos
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Menlo Park, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: purplehaze.corp.sun.com



In article <1992Apr16.125337.3943@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk>
kerrat@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Adrian T Kerr) writes:

>In Britain it is widely believed that American's drive oversized cars with
>ridiculously huge engines. 

While many 'Merkin cars have engines larger than what's typical in Europe,
they haven't been "ridiculously" large since the Seventies.  The cars
themselves tend to be larger because they can afford to be; our streets
are wider, for one thing, and we drive much farther in a typical year
than Europeans do, so larger, heavier cars with better ride characteristics
are in demand.

------

>Since I know that recently the Honda accord (perhaps known as something 
>different in America) was the number 1 selling American car ,and Japanese 
>cars are becomeing more popular in America , are engine sizes of typical `
>family saloons getting smaller?

The Accord has the same name over here.  I own one myself, in fact.

Your impressions seem to be a bit behind the times.  Japanese cars are
not becoming popular in America; they've been tremendously (and increas-
ingly) popular for many years.  Most family sedans (saloons) here now have
moderately-sized 4-cylinder and V-6 engines.  The days of the full-size
family sedan or station wagon (estate) with enormous V-8 engines are over
for the most part, although there's still enough demand that a few such
cars remain.  Examples of this genre include the Ford Crown Victoria, the
Chevrolet Caprice and the Buick LeSabre wagon, and of course the more
expensive offerings from Lincoln and Cadillac.

------

>I own a Fiat Tipo with a 1.4 litre engine. This is reasonably powered for
>everyday driving (I've managed an indicated 120mph on a journey to Edinburgh).
>It is also one of the roomiest cars I've ever travelled in ,able to seat 5 in
>comfort. The interior decor is nothing to speak of but is pleasant.

American consumers tend to have a higher standard for luxury and available
features then their counterparts in Europe.  What passes for adequate 
everyday transportation over there would be considered a Spartan econobox
by most American drivers.  And that's certainly not intended as disparage-
ment; our geographical and economic conditions are much different over
here, and we didn't have to endure years of postwar austerity that couldn't
help but have an ongoing effect on automobile design philosophy.  

While those in postwar Europe were making do with Isettas and Austin 850s 
and Morris 1000s and Citroen 2CVs -- those who could afford an automobile
at all, that is -- we were blasting down the endless highway in fire-
breathing, chrome-laden V-8 barges.  We could *afford* to, so why not?  
I daresay that if similar conditions had existed on your side of the pond
at that time, the typical postwar European automobile would've been far
different.

------

>If cars in America ARE as ridiculously large as we are led to believe is it not
>about time that "Yank tanks" were designed more sensibly.

There's been a downsizing trend for quite some time, since model year
1977, in fact.  But bear in mind that, as other posters have pointed out,
our driving conditions here are much different than they are in the UK.  I
for one would be a bit reluctant to drive from San Francisco to LA in a
Fiat Tipo.

------

>I saw an article in a magazine reviewing the cadallac seville. It did sound
>like it was indeed an exellent car ,however it was enormous. Is this the 
>normal size of your average American sedan? 

It's toward the upper end of the scale, dimensionwise.  But bear in mind
that the Seville, like all Cadillacs, is a luxury car aimed at more 
affluent consumers who are less concerned with efficiency.  Just like most
Britons don't drive cars the size and weight of the Silver Spirit or the
Daimler Double Six, most Americans these days have cars much smaller than
the Seville.  (At least they do here in import-crazy California.  The
proportions are probably a bit different in the Midwest.)

------

>Do American engines have to be so large to move rather oversize and 
>overwieght cars?

Well, naturally out larger cars tend to have correspindingly larger
engines.  But we have a lot of smaller cars as well, and as far as
I know, their efficiency is comparable to that of European cars in
the same category.

And bear in mind that size and weight are relative.  While many American
cars are larger and heavier than they absolutely have to be, they aren't
intended as exercises in minimalism.



Geoff


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Geoff Miller                    + + + + + + + +        Sun Microsystems
geoffm@purplehaze.Corp.Sun.COM  + + + + + + + +     Menlo Park, California
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