Having driven a lot in the US, the main difference between US and Europe cars are how the suspensions are set. A typical US-built mid-size car would be rated "crap" in Europe, and I would never think of attaching my favorite toy to it. In such a situation, I do understand the thinking of US drivers to go for big mass and big engines - what else can you do if there is no engineering?

No, the main difference is that US cars have always been bigger and relatively less expensive (read - cheaper). So a lot less sophisticated.

Our driving conditions are probably somewhat different - I would guess that the average American drives a lot more distance than the average European. Our geography is responsible for that.

Also, our roads, frankly, suck. Long boring straight stretches, bad pavement, low speed limits: "you might as well have a comfortable car, cuz you can't have fun with a sporty one" seems to be the mindset.

I remember when most European cars were nasty little things - and American cars were highly desirable. Yours got better. Ours didn't, until recently, and are now starting to catch up.

Kirk
Jeep, Scion, Lexus, Mini in the family fleet. The Jeep (old Cherokee) is my favorite - and properly setup, is a decent tow vehicle that can also pull a loaded glider trailer out of a plowed field...