You might think that a car is a car, but different cultures enjoy different vehicles. There are some vast differences between American and European cars.

To start seeing differences in the vehicles driven, you’ll look at the difference in the areas where people live. America is one large country that touches an ocean on both sides. Even though it’s divided by states, most Americans think of themselves as Americans first. Europe is a continent divided into various countries, many of which are old and have gone to battle against each other many times in history.

Size Matters, in Both Cases

Many of the European cities we admire and travel to have been around for centuries, while America is only a little more than 200 years old. The Medieval cities of Europe didn’t adhere to road mapping and planning that was meant to fit large vehicles. If you’ve ever spent time in Rome, Paris, or Prague, you know that travel is much easier by public transportation and on foot than by driving yourself around. The tight confines of these European cities are much better for smaller vehicles.

Contrary to the older style of Europe, the newness of American urban development is much more welcoming for larger vehicles. The size of city streets is only one reason why many American cars are larger than European cars. In America, everything is bigger. We have larger portion sizes, larger plots of land, and massive, gas-guzzling SUVs that show the big size of our lives. Europeans typically make do with smaller spaces, including driving small cars meant to get them around more easily.

Are Cars Status Symbols?

You might find this question to be a little odd. Some of the most incredible, high-priced luxury vehicles offered in the market come from European names. The likes of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, and Audi are just a few to consider. That said, Americans view their cars as status symbols more than Europeans. This isn’t always the case, as anyone who has seen Top Gear or The Grand Tour can attest, but for the most part, Americans are less practical. Drivers in Europe consider their vehicles to be nothing more than transportation.

Fuel Efficiency is an Oddity in this Comparison

Even though American cars face stricter emissions regulations, European cars are much more efficient. The size factor is one of the main reasons for this, but so is the fact that many European countries still allow small diesel engines to be used in their cars. This is changing, and the two continents might be closer in the fuel efficiency numbers going forward, but historically you would get more from a gallon of gas or diesel in Europe than in America.

Where Do You Find More Stick Shift Cars?

The modern automotive market in America is proliferated with vehicles using automatic transmissions. You don’t need to know how to drive a car with a manual transmission to drive around on the roads in America. In fact, this activity is viewed as an extra and something only those looking for a classic driving experience will enjoy.

Conversely, European drivers must know how to drive a car with a stick shift and several gears. Some European cars have automatic transmissions, but they aren’t as plentiful as in American cars.

In some ways, this is another area of driving where the two continents will be much closer in the future. Electric vehicles don’t require complicated transmissions, which means the differences between manual and automatic transmissions will soon be a thing of the past. Additionally, most performance-based auto brands have discovered that advanced electronics allow their cars to shift more quickly using an automatic transmission than a manual version.

Which Cars are Built to Last?

For several decades, American auto brands built cars that were meant to be less expensive. These cars didn’t last as long as cars from European brands or Japanese automakers. This is another area where some aspects of driving have shifted. The complicated electronics of modern vehicles mean that most cars can last a long time as long as the owner adheres to a regular maintenance schedule.

We expect long-lasting and impressive quality from the names of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Ferrari, and other European brands. GM and Ford don’t garner the same level of quality reputation, but older European sports cars were known to leave drivers stranded on the side of the road. This seemed to be a personality quirk of the Jaguar brand, but that wasn’t the only brand that might require some roadside assistance during the early days of the auto industry.

Driving Dynamics are Extremely Different from America to Europe

Many European cars are sleeker and more stylish than their counterparts across the pond. These cars are made to offer an impressive drive that gives drivers an easy way to handle the curves, push the accelerator hard, and rocket down the road.

When considering the basic driving dynamics of cars made in America, the feeling is often tough and utilitarian. Why shouldn’t it be? Our three most popular vehicles sold in America are all pickup trucks.

German vehicles are well-known for superior engineering and quality, but this is also the country that gave us the Volkswagen Beetle. Typically, American cars aren’t looked at as offering the smooth and exciting drive you find in European models, but you’ll find a disagreement with this factor when you drive a Chevrolet Corvette or Ford GT.

Are European Cars Better than American Cars?

You might think that superior engineering, ride quality, and efficiency would put European cars ahead in this conversation, but that’s not the case. American cars are offered with a much more rugged tilt, typically cost less, and bring a ton of style and personality to the drive. The right car doesn’t necessarily come from one continent over the other; both have qualities that contribute to driving and the enjoyment of what’s offered.

Will you drive American or European cars? Maybe a mixture of the two is what you want to enjoy.