Small study about what the US drives...

[ChrisV]

From http://aytm.com/blog/research-juncti...ands-we-drive/

[Laconian]

omg infographics

[Byteme]

Bright primary colors, childish graphics.  Designed to appeal to people with the collective IQ of a colony of cherrystone clams.

[Laconian]

Bright primary colors, childish graphics.  Designed to appeal to people with the collective IQ of a colony of cherrystone clams.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/ending-the-infographic-plague/250474/

[Laconian]

Not beating up on you Chris, it's just that infographics are a pet peeve of mine, since I'm immersed in an industry that's infected with SEO...

[giant_mtb]

Interesting statistics.  Pain in the ass to read, though, damn.

[Raza]

Surprised by the freedom stat.

[cawimmer430]

Funky graphics, but hard to read.

Love the typographic playfulness, though. 

[GoCougs]

Surprised by the freedom stat.

Me too - my car is immensely important to my freedom and otherwise the linchpin in imposing my will on the world around me.

[GoCougs]

Also, infographics are good when done right. What is BAD are graphs and bar and other common (and abused) graphic displays of info.

I think this one is pretty good.

[TurboDan]

People are emotionally attached to their Camcords and Corollas? Yuck.

[cawimmer430]

People are emotionally attached to their Camcords and Corollas? Yuck.

They're so reliable! 489,099,923,0939 miles and not a single oil change, flat tire, broken cup holder or scratch on the paint! Now that is reliability!

Unlike their friends whose poorly built European car fell apart at 999,999,999 miles!!!

[sportyaccordy]

Me too - my car is immensely important to my freedom and otherwise the linchpin in imposing my will on the world around me.

Imposing your will on the world around you?

They're so reliable! 489,099,923,0939 miles and not a single oil change, flat tire, broken cup holder or scratch on the paint! Now that is reliability!

Unlike their friends whose poorly built European car fell apart at 999,999,999 miles!!!

Wimmer, why do you think Renault, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and Citroen failed in the US, while all the Japanese brands flourished?

[Madman]

Wimmer, why do you think Renault, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and Citroen failed in the US, while all the Japanese brands flourished?

Daihatsu didn't flourish.  And I think it's safe to say Suzuki and Mitsubishi aren't exactly flourishing, either.

Whilst I don't have any firsthand experience with Citroen or Alfa, my two Peugeots (especially the 505 Turbo) were pretty reliable.  It was Peugeot's marketing strategy in the US, not any reliability issues, that led to their downfall on these shores.

[AutobahnSHO]

"economy cars" are #3 for type of vehicle bought, but wouldn't that include a lot of hatchbacks/wagons??
Those are listed dead last, after minivans, coupes, and trucks.

[sportyaccordy]

"economy cars" are #3 for type of vehicle bought, but wouldn't that include a lot of hatchbacks/wagons??
Those are listed dead last, after minivans, coupes, and trucks.

Naw, strictly sedans. Remember, hatchbacks have only had a recent resurgence, and most of the cars are ~10-15 years old. There wasn't any Matrix or Fit back in the late 90s. Plus even still those variants prob sell like 1/50th what the sedan variants do, except in some cases (I see a lot of Mazda3 hatches for example)

[GoCougs]

They're so reliable! 489,099,923,0939 miles and not a single oil change, flat tire, broken cup holder or scratch on the paint! Now that is reliability!

Unlike their friends whose poorly built European car fell apart at 999,999,999 miles!!!

After driving spotty-to-junk Detroit and German offerings, yes, people do become emotionally attached to quality, reliability and good resale.

[GoCougs]

Imposing your will on the world around you?

With extreme impunity.

Took a car load on an all day ski trip. Went to the store. Went to the computer shop. Went to my parents' house. Went to the gym. Went bike riding. Went to the post office. Went to the furniture store. Went to a girl's house (invited this time/no cops).

And that only in a single weekend.

[Vinsanity]

I'm shocked at how small Audi's slice is in the brand pie. That can't be correct at all.

[AutobahnSHO]

I'm shocked at how small Audi's slice is in the brand pie. That can't be correct at all.

They didn't sell well until just a few years ago. Look at how old the majority of cars are! That's a whole lot more of the other brands that sold the last 5-20yrs...

[sportyaccordy]

With extreme impunity.

Took a car load on an all day ski trip. Went to the store. Went to the computer shop. Went to my parents' house. Went to the gym. Went bike riding. Went to the post office. Went to the furniture store. Went to a girl's house (invited this time/no cops).

And that only in a single weekend.

I can do 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 w/no wheels. I used to do 4 & 9 by train (when I was single). I can do 1 by renting a car. Folks without cars "exert their will over others" all the time (by your definition). Nothing you listed is "exerting your will over others".

Lol @ needing a car to ride a bike

[Vinsanity]

They didn't sell well until just a few years ago. Look at how old the majority of cars are! That's a whole lot more of the other brands that sold the last 5-20yrs...

I dunno, I started seeing a lot of Audis on the road starting with the 1996 A4 and the 1998 A6. I would've thought they'd be even more popular in the snow belt.

[TurboDan]

After driving spotty-to-junk Detroit and German offerings, yes, people do become emotionally attached to quality, reliability and good resale.

Most Japanese cars I've driven feel exceedingly cheap to me – hardly exuding a feeling of "quality." I had a Toyota RAV4 as a rental once and it felt like a strong wind would blow it off the road. In seemingly every Toyota I've ever been in, the interior looked cheap and overly-plasticky with big gashes in the dash panels. The doors don't make a good "thud" when they close, either.

Hondas aren't as bad, but I just find them bland and appliance-like, save an occasional anomaly like the S2K or RSX/Integra.

When I drive a German car, I feel safe and secure on the road. I feel more connected to the road, and I'm happy to be spending time in a vehicle that has a well-put-together, high quality interior. I just don't get that feeling from many other cars (the Caddy XLR, I'll admit, is as good as any German car I've driven, and the SRX is superior to almost any other crossover being built). And as long as I've been alive, my family has been buying mostly VW/Audi products and using them to high mileage (150K to 180K) without any notable reliability issues.

[Vinsanity]

Also, WTF is meant by "integrity" on panel 9 about important factors???

I'd love to know how the average buyer determines how much "integrity" a car has.

[GoCougs]

I can do 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 w/no wheels. I used to do 4 & 9 by train (when I was single). I can do 1 by renting a car. Folks without cars "exert their will over others" all the time (by your definition). Nothing you listed is "exerting your will over others".

Lol @ needing a car to ride a bike

First, for the 623rd time, watch the strawmanism - imposing my will on the world around me NOT "others."

Second, by you using mass transit or living in unnaturally if not unhealthily dense living, which if you haven't quite realized, is the world imposing its will on YOU (with your permission).

Third, I mountain bike, not that sissy road bike stuff.

[GoCougs]

Most Japanese cars I've driven feel exceedingly cheap to me ? hardly exuding a feeling of "quality." I had a Toyota RAV4 as a rental once and it felt like a strong wind would blow it off the road. In seemingly every Toyota I've ever been in, the interior looked cheap and overly-plasticky with big gashes in the dash panels. The doors don't make a good "thud" when they close, either.

Hondas aren't as bad, but I just find them bland and appliance-like, save an occasional anomaly like the S2K or RSX/Integra.

When I drive a German car, I feel safe and secure on the road. I feel more connected to the road, and I'm happy to be spending time in a vehicle that has a well-put-together, high quality interior. I just don't get that feeling from many other cars (the Caddy XLR, I'll admit, is as good as any German car I've driven, and the SRX is superior to almost any other crossover being built). And as long as I've been alive, my family has been buying mostly VW/Audi products and using them to high mileage (150K to 180K) without any notable reliability issues.

Maybe so, but when it comes to quality, reliability and resale, the German marques play 2nd or 3rd fiddle, depending.

[2o6]

Maybe so, but when it comes to quality, reliability and resale, the German marques play 2nd or 3rd fiddle, depending.

Yeah, too many people out there with Jetta IV's with horrible problems with pretty much every facet about the car.

[Rupert]

With extreme impunity.

Took a car load on an all day ski trip. Went to the store. Went to the computer shop. Went to my parents' house. Went to the gym. Went bike riding. Went to the post office. Went to the furniture store. Went to a girl's house (invited this time/no cops).

And that only in a single weekend.

That's not imposing your will on the world; that's running errands.

[Madman]

Most Japanese cars I've driven feel exceedingly cheap to me ? hardly exuding a feeling of "quality." I had a Toyota RAV4 as a rental once and it felt like a strong wind would blow it off the road. In seemingly every Toyota I've ever been in, the interior looked cheap and overly-plasticky with big gashes in the dash panels. The doors don't make a good "thud" when they close, either.

Hondas aren't as bad, but I just find them bland and appliance-like, save an occasional anomaly like the S2K or RSX/Integra.

When I drive a German car, I feel safe and secure on the road. I feel more connected to the road, and I'm happy to be spending time in a vehicle that has a well-put-together, high quality interior. I just don't get that feeling from many other cars (the Caddy XLR, I'll admit, is as good as any German car I've driven, and the SRX is superior to almost any other crossover being built). And as long as I've been alive, my family has been buying mostly VW/Audi products and using them to high mileage (150K to 180K) without any notable reliability issues.

I know what you mean.  Even my Odyssey feels a bit tinny and lightweight compared to any of my Volvos or my current Opellac Caterror.  Most of the European cars I've owned and driven felt as if they would outlast time itself.

[TurboDan]

I know what you mean.  Even my Odyssey feels a bit tinny and lightweight compared to any of my Volvos or my current Opellac Caterror.  Most of the European cars I've owned and driven felt as if they would outlast time itself.

Yeah, exactly. Minivans are what they are - utilitarian, good for hauling (stuff and people) - so brand wouldn't matter too much to me if I was in that market. But for cars I like that solid feeling.

I'll admit the Accord stacks up decently (an ex-gf had an '09 coupe), but I honestly can say I've never enjoyed driving any Toyota of which I've been behind the wheel.