# How do American ideas of luxury compare to European ones? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 16, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650 "2010-05-16T16:13:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/81 "2010-05-19T17:53:54Z")
I never had any serious problems. Early 80s Jags fine, but I promise you that once Ford started getting involved (and they got involved before they bought it) things were looking up. But how about, say, a W201? All I’m saying is that cost isn’t the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/82 "2010-05-19T17:55:47Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Might not cover the twenty extra days of work you miss each year because the fucking thing won’t start. Honestly, you’d have to be insane to buy an old Jag unless you just wanted a car fill in the negative space in photographs of your driveway. Here’s how European ideas of car reliability compare to American ones. Your Jaguar driver probably considers himself lucky that he got to work on the other 10 days, compared to the Austin Allegro or Fiat 124 that he’s used to. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/83 "2010-05-19T18:00:02Z")
:rolleyes: You do remember what happened to British Leyland and Rover, don’t you? Basically all cars are reliable now, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/84 "2010-05-19T18:14:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Might not cover the twenty extra days of work you miss each year because the fucking thing won’t start. > [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Your Jaguar driver probably considers himself lucky that he got to work on the other 10 days Which brings up another place where Europeans and Americans differ with respect to luxury. Europeans get far more vacation time. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/85 "2010-05-19T18:19:08Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > :rolleyes: > > You do remember what happened to British Leyland and Rover, don’t you? > > Basically all cars are reliable now, anyway. That’s a little harsh. British Leyland wasn’t responsible for literally all the unreliable cars in the world, other car companies also made unreliable cars sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/86 "2010-05-19T18:30:47Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > That’s a little harsh. British Leyland wasn’t responsible for literally all the unreliable cars in the world, other car companies also made unreliable cars sometimes. Yep, similarly it was a good thing for your big three that they avoided standing up to the unions following our example… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/87 "2010-05-19T21:05:16Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Here’s how European ideas of car reliability compare to American ones. Your Jaguar driver probably considers himself lucky that he got to work on the other 10 days, compared to the Austin Allegro or Fiat 124 that he’s used to. Easy, there. It’s not as though American cars were any more reliable during that period; they had all the electrical problems of British cars, plus all the rust problems of Italian ones. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/88 "2010-05-19T23:19:54Z")
Getting away from the hijack, this quote seems appropriate: _Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man._ ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/89 "2010-05-20T04:26:37Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > A late 1980s Jaguar for a thousand pounds? Of course, that sounds like an excellent proposition. I can’t for the life of me think of any reason why the average Briton hasn’t done exactly that. It certainly isn’t because of the cost of ownership, what? Where would your average city-dwelling Briton keep _two_ cars? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/90 "2010-05-20T05:44:47Z")
The South of France. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/91 "2010-05-20T05:47:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The South of France. Nicely played. 😃 “The Costa Del Packet” would also have been an acceptable answer. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/92 "2010-05-20T06:35:30Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Where would your average city-dwelling Briton keep _two_ cars? Your average Brit is not city dwelling ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/93 "2010-05-20T08:32:36Z")
I have your major difference for you right here… penis size. Er, I meant building height. The American elite (if that’s what you call the filthy rich bastards who build these things) LOVE tall buildings in a way Europeans… apparently don’t. All the data below is gathered from Wiki, except for NYC and Chicago. The Wiki lists for them didn’t go down as low as 150 meters Major European cities, and how many buildings they have over 150 meters. \*\*According to Wiki, there are only 94 buildings in all of Europe over 150 meters, and 20 of them are in Moscow. \*\* Paris region - 16 London - 14 Frankfurt - 10 Barcelona - 5 Madrid - 5 Warsaw - 4 Berlin - 1 Major American cities, and how many buildings they have over 150 meters. [New York - 216](http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=101028&bt=5&ht=2&sro=0) [Chicago - 97](http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Chicago) Miami - 30 Houston - 28 Los Angeles - 25 San Francisco - 21 Boston - 18 Dallas - 18 Las Vegas - 17 Atlanta - 16 Seattle - 15 Philadelphia - 14 Detroit - 8 Cleveland - 4 American love height, and Americans love newness. Even the middle class – I know so many people who have never-ending home renovations. They redo the kitchen, then the bathrooms, then the basement, then the closets, then the windows, then the deck,… ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/94 "2010-05-20T09:02:30Z")
London is going to be building a lot of tall buildings over the coming decade. It’s going to ruin the skyline for ever, but just bringing it up as a point of information. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/95 "2010-05-20T13:20:28Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I have your major difference for you right here… penis size. > > Er, I meant building height. The American elite (if that’s what you call the filthy rich bastards who build these things) LOVE tall buildings in a way Europeans… apparently don’t. Bear in mind that New York was basically a dusty hamlet until about 1800, when its population passed 50,000 for the first time - so there wasn’t nearly as much existing construction needing to be knocked down to put up skyscrapers. By contrast, London had more than half a million residents during the 14th century (though the population dropped significantly in the 17th century following the Great Fire), and just shy of a million by 1800. Hell, [there are _pubs_ in London which predate European settlement of New York](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_of_Whitby). ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/96 "2010-05-20T13:28:33Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > Your average Brit is not city dwelling I didn’t say they were. Point is that the Brits who do live in cities- and by my rough estimate it’s about 20-25% of the population- aren’t likely to have enough space to keep two cars. Definitely not if they live in London. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/97 "2010-05-20T13:30:24Z")
My brother lives in London, and has two cars. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/98 "2010-05-20T13:42:38Z")
I can’t live without air conditioning. I was surprised to learn many Europeans don’t use it. ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/99 "2010-05-20T18:17:49Z")
As was said in the other thread, it’s just not necessary here. We don’t have that extreme a climate, and air conditioning (as opposed to just opening the windows and getting some fresh air) would be useful for so few days a year that it just isn’t an issue. A large proportion of modern office-type buildings have it, but they have more complex temperature control than houses do for both heat and cooling. However, this is the UK experience, don’t assume that this is the ‘European’ experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is not true for some of continental Europe where the heat is more of a feature. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650/100 "2010-05-20T18:40:41Z")
> [@Charley](#): > > However, this is the UK experience, don’t assume that this is the ‘European’ experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is not true for some of continental Europe where the heat is more of a feature. Here in the South of France, air-conditioning is fairly common in houses and shops. We didn’t have it in the flat we were living in last summer, and while our fan helped a bit, I still felt like I was dying. Hopefully this year will be easier - we have air-conditioning in this place. (So, aside from rambling, the point of this post was to say **Charley** is right and it varies depending on where you live.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-american-ideas-of-luxury-compare-to-european-ones/539650.md?page=6)