You still have this freedom. You are free to paint that flag on the roof of your own car. No one will stop you, no one should stop you. People might think you are an asshole if you do so, but that’s merely their freedom of speech.

History won’t be changed. But glorifying the ugly parts of history is a bit odd, is it not? If Forza were to remove Swastika imagery from its games, would you still call them snowflakes? How is the confederate flag any different?

I’m sure it felt quick though,

Meanwhile in Europe, work vehicles like these are much more common than the show ponies that are used in the US.

Sure, but that hybrid drive train is something the competition did not offer. It was its only real unique selling point I guess. In the Netherlands the only recent Yarii you see are the hybrid versions.

Toyota builds reliable cars. However, in Europe where the B (subcompact) segment is highly competitive, the Yaris is just not competitive. Other than reliability (and the optional hybrid drive train) it is just worse than the vast majority of the competition. Which is why it is not very successful.

I guess VW is the only one that offers European market mainstream cars in the US. And then only with the Golf (and Tiguan) line of cars really. The Golf is clearly not designed with the US in mind, which might make it quirky from a US perspective?

There are two issues here:

It has more to do with the failing government in the US. 

From what I understand the USDM Passat is larger but built cheaper than the normal EUDM Passat. The Arteon is already a step up from the EUDM Passat, even when ignoring size. It should be much nicer than the USDM Passat.

Your argument about availability in the US market is fair. However, a wagon tends to have a longer but lower cargo area than a similar crossover. I personally consider length more useful than height.

Interesting though that you describe VWs as quirky. From a European market perspective VW is the most bland and generic Europe-based manufacturer in existence.

Yes, there is a 3500 kg (7700 lbs) limit for a regular drivers license (B) in the EU. That’s a maximum of 3.5 tons for the maximum authorized mass, not simply the curb weight. A F150 is fine, I am sceptical about an F350 though. An American style RV or a car/truck with a not-small trailer would require an upgraded…

Me neither. My convertible has a tow hook though, so I can transport mulch and the like whenever I want without getting the car dirty. Borrowing/renting a trailer is easy and super cheap. I also know where I can rent a more practical van for peanuts.

The point is; people outside of North America who need a truck that has similar capabilities as your F350 will not buy a Colorado either. There are other, more capable options. So comparing an F350 to a Colorado makes little sense.

Why not both?

That Thunderbird was small on the inside, but not on the outside. A 1956-1957 generation Thunderbird is marginally longer than a 2020 RAV4, which is optically whale sized from a European market perspective.

Honest question: when they watch the whole 30 Rock episode, so in context, what kind of percentage of people of color would find these episodes so offensive that they should be pulled? 5%, 50%, 95%?

In Europe it’s a very popular segment. They prove that a small car does not have to be a shitbox. You can have a car with low running costs that is easy to park, but is still nice to drive and nice to spend time in.

True. The Mitsubishi is more like a Dacia. Mostly meant to be as cheap as possible. The new Micra, like the Renault Clio, is a decent car that happens to be small-ish.