Automotive culture: Enthusiasts share experiences from other countries

Some countries are dependent on it so much that they have not developed the public transport system on purpose due to lobbying by the auto makers.

BHPian RaviK recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As BHPians, we discuss all things cars all the time, their associated ecosystem, behaviors, patterns and perceptions. Now there are times, when we see something vehicle related in a different culture, that leaves us puzzled, shocked, captivated, or amused !! So thought of creating this thread to explore experiences of BHPians, around differences they came across, in how vehicles are used/perceived/handled/interacted in a different culture (inside India or abroad).

Ok, enough babbling, here goes my list:

Power pyramid inversion: Seeing cyclists bullying car drivers (in EU) was really puzzling !! Imagine a cyclist banging window of a Range Rover ! In India, the guy would likely become history, or part of the landscape (or an ortho statistic at the very least)

No hierarchy: This again from western world. Quite amusing to see hefty Explorers/LCs chugging slowly behind old Micras, road-presence/respect be damned !!

So please contribute with your personal cross-cultural automotives surprises. As you can understand, the thread is to discuss interesting or unusual vehicle usage/perception experiences in different cultures, so no numbers & charts needed.!!

Let's explore the fascinating realm of cross-cultural automotive experiences!!

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter;

After India, I find the American market to be the most interesting and do spend some time reading on it.

• A pickup truck (F150) is frequently the best selling car in the USA.

• Americans love BIG cars. The bigger, the better.

• Pickup trucks have a sexy image there, unlike in India where they are looked down upon.

• SUVs & Pickup trucks are really where the market is. Ford stopped selling regular cars there (except for the Mustang).

• Anecdotal evidence, but they use their car cabins like a room of their house. Lots of personal stuff always kept in, which I personally don't like (I keep my cars neat & tidy). Too much clutter.

• You cannot sell a car without a cupholder in the USA. Mornings especially, a majority of drivers are chugging on coffee, with a few even doing breakfast on the way to work.

• Driving distances are long, but driving time is comparable to India. You use freeways to get anywhere & everywhere in the USA.

• Daily petrol prices are set by petrol pump owners. Even a handful of cents lower than the next station will get you more business.

• In most cities, you cannot survive without a car. Everyone needs a car to live and to get to work. Even your carpenter, plumber or house cleaner will arrive in a pickup truck.

• India has approximately 30 to 40 cars / 1000 citizens. USA has 900 cars / 1000 citizens! Imagine the penetration.

• Ubers are still affordable in India; they aren't in the USA. A 20-minute ride can cost you 50 - 60 USD. No one I know uses Ubers on a daily basis. Everyone drives themselves. Renting a self-drive car can be cheaper than 1 Uber ride.

Here's what BHPian ajmat had to say on the matter:

I could ride around London on a bike and feel like a king

My observations

UK

• Attractive leasing plans, PCP car purchasing sees prestige car brands available to everyone. You can drive around middle-class neighborhoods and find a shiny BMW/Mercedes parked outside a mediocre house.
• Prestige Brands are everywhere - nothing is really special
• Most Ubers are Mercedes Benz's. EQE now the choice for high end taxis.
• Land Rover/Range Rovers - the ultimate city vehicle but again the Discovery Sport is a workhorse for rural folks.
• Korean Brands have stolen the preserve of Ford

Kenya

• In a country which is not as wealthy as India, Range Rovers are amazingly popular, no other Prestige vehicle matches it. I saw a few in the hotel with scratches, chipped windscreens, evidence that their versatility was utilized.
• S Classes/ 7 Series were hardly used
• Used Japanese cars are used by the lower income group especially as Uber or Point to Point taxis. They were in incredibly good condition.
• Old cars are not abandoned, they are properly scrapped or kept on the road.
• Pickup trucks are really popular since it is an agricultural economy
• Fewer 5-10 ton trucks compared to India
• More 10-20 ton powerful trucks, roadworthy if tired.

Here's what BHPian Carma2017 had to say on the matter:

Japanese market is a different market compared to rest of the world:

• European and American vehicles rarely sell here, no matter how good they are. It's a strong case of being Japanese and Buy Japanese.

• There are vehicles like Suzuki Lapin which are directed purely towards women and ads and commercials are directed in that manner showcasing woman friendly features. In fact, Females are a strong deciding factor here in vehicle sales and lots of initiatives are taken to ensure woman friendliness of a car.

• A sleek curvy shape vehicle is rarely liked compared to boxy cars. The idea being that utility trumps everything else. OEMs put in a lot of energy to make Boxy shapes attractive, be it in small cars or Vans.

• Accessorizing cars to become second homes where one can stay the night is a standard usage case. Cars are designed to ensure this utility.

• A high fuel efficiency is a must if one wants to sell any car. Very few Japanese buy cars purely by the heart. A car must make economic sense. Swag is sought-after but it is not as important as it is in India where cars are still a status symbol even in the roads.

• Lastly, the discipline on the roads is something I have seen nowhere else in Europe and US.

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say on the matter:

Some thoughts on this.

As we have discussed in various other threads, working on cars yourself is very common in many countries, irrespective of your “social” position. Lots of folks really enjoy getting their hands dirty. Some might do it because servicing your car is cheaper than getting a garage to do it for you. Many people just enjoy it and it is more like a hobby/interest.

The difference in wages between Indian car mechanics and western car mechanics means there is a distinct difference on how car repair and maintenance is approached.

In the west labour cost on many car related jobs is likely to be much more than the cost of spare parts. So when working on say an engine overhaul it makes a lot of sense to replace just about everything. Having to pay a mechanic twice is just way too expensive.

In most western countries you will see far more women behind the wheel than in India. Many women will own their own car. And perhaps surprisingly to some, will decide what car they buy all by themselves without any male interference!

Another thing is the “social” status attached to some car across various countries. In western Europe driving a high end car, means it is not yours. Its most likely to be a company car. Certain brands like for instance big Mercedes are associated with certain folks. If you own or drive a big Mercedes, especially an estate version, you will be seen as a builder/contractor.

Here in western Europe high end cars, such as say a Range Rover, or a big BMW are frowned upon by many people. They believe these sort of cars are simply frivolous and way to polluting. And you might find your nice new shining, very expensive car keyed when you leave it in the supermarket parking lot.

The USA is different in this respect when it comes to expensive cars. Americans like to show off their wealth and most admire and respect a guy just because he can afford a bigger car. In many western European countries a large part of the population would see that the exact opposite. Here in Calvanistic the Netherlands even our Prime Minister doesn't show off with a car. He drives to the houses of parliament on his bicycle and also cycles over to the King’s palace.

However, the Dutch police force is one of the few law enforcement in the world that for a very long period of time patrolled our highways in open Porsches 911s. Even the Germans did not use Porsches, except for some exceptions.

Can you imagine the Indian cops in a Porsche in a high speed pursuit, dodging stray dogs and cows and pedestrians wandering onto the motorway?

Here's what BHPian Mr.Ogre had to say on the matter:

One thing I have noticed here is that people keep their cars longer and they are mostly in very good shape. Its the same with motorcycles too.

This is the reason why I am not hesitant to buy from a private seller as so far I have only interacted with good people who did take effort in maintaining their steed.

I think a lot of it is also down to the conditions here. Namely streamlined traffic, fairly strict implementation of rules (speeding, parking etc) and of course lesser pollution levels.

Here's what BHPian Mystic had to say on the matter:

Having lived in dozens of countries, my take :

1. Car is just one of the many ways to move around from one place to another. Some countries are dependent on it so much that they have not developed the public transport system on purpose due to lobbying by the auto makers. This has resulted in a society where one’s car is costlier than their home. People after being laid off literally live in their car.

2. There is literally huge divide between countries for what ever reasons wrt to automobiles. I still don’t understand why some countries have left hand steering vs right hand steering. In one of the countries I lived, the Government took a decision to move from right hand steering to left hand steering. Just imagine the chaos it creates in the initial days of rule change.

3. Some small countries which are rich have developed their public transport system to be very efficient that it doesnot make sense to own a car even for a CEO of a company.

4. Let us talk about the most populous countries on this planet and their automotive philosophy. In China, many people until few decades back depended on cycles for moving. Car is very big luxury. Just in a matter of a couple of decades, we see a huge change in the personal car ownership with automotive companies like Rolls Royce setting up their dealers due to huge sales. Coming to my country India. We are basically an agricultural country and oil importing country with more than a billion people. We are unique as we have a unity in diversity. We have huge 50 storied towers and also slums in the same neighbourhood. I don’t know if this unity in diversity is a boon or bane but it still holds good to this day. I see people driving a Porsche panamera and getting into a 3 wheeler auto immediately for what ever reasons and this is normal. India neither has a state of art public transport system or have majority of population own personal cars. Hence with this unique situation, we try to imitate other countries by buying huge gas guzzler SUVs which make sense only in OPEC countries.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.