The US has substantially lower fuel taxes than most other developed countries. For example, the UK’s tax on gasoline is 50.35 pence per liter, plus a VAT of 17.5% is levied against both the fuel and the tax. Convert this into US gallons and US dollars, and you end up with a fuel tax of about $3.71 per gallon, plus a tax on the tax of an additional $0.65 per gallon, plus the VAT charged for the fuel itself.

In contrast, the US has a federal gasoline tax of a relatively paltry $0.184 per gallon. Every state adds an additional tax which results in a total combined tax at a national average of $0.47 per gallon. So it’s no wonder that the average price of fuel in the US during December was $3.053 per gallon, while the average price in the UK, based upon the current exchange rate, equated to $7.688 per US gallon.

You think taxes makes the world round. please Ask the people of New Hampshire.

I know that because I’m a College student. I have a good communication skills. it’s not Very hard to read my comments. Have you check other comments on TTAC that has grammatical error? Because people implies purposeful disparagement and I hope you are not one of them.

Why do YOU always assume that Taxes makes oil price higher?

Everyone in my class knows that taxes are high in Europe but Taxes doesn’t make gas prices high my friend. if you studied Macro Economics in College here’s some reasons.

1. Increasing Demand for Oil

2. Gas Prices affected by Geopolitics and Supply problems. for example The Iraq War

3. Devaluation of the Almighty Dollar

4. China is demanding more oil for their factories

The Federal Government is planning to increase Gas Tax not because of the High cost of oil per barrel but the NEED of money to fix our Freeways and Bridges all over the US that are badly needed of repair.

TAX is not the main reason. Arguement close

By the way did you know that we are in Recession?

I’m sure you’ll take this as an attack, but try not to. As I was told many years ago, if you want to effectively communicate your ideas and have people listen to them, you need to learn to write. That starts with punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. I’m not saying that you are bad person or an idiot, just that it is very hard to follow your writing. If you want people to listen to what you have to say, you can’t make it a challenge for them to read your comments.

The reason gas prices are higher in Europe is most definitely due to high taxes both at the pump and on the refineries producing the gasoline and other products from the crude oil. Crude oil costs the same in Europe as it does in the US as it does in the rest of the world. Oil is a world market.

I am fully aware that the government uses the tax code to influence our decisions; that’s why a flat tax or national sales tax will never happen under the current system. I also seriously doubt that the government has a clue as to what is good for the country and its people in the long term. They’ve never done anything to demonstrate this special ability.

Being Critique is not good.
If you don’t want to be judge don’t judge other people.

Even a kindergarden student can read my writings. if you don’t like my comments don’t read it.

Taxes in Europe are always been high especially after WW2. OPEC dictates the prices of oil not taxes.

Old school compared to modern school is completely different. I am college student doesn’t mean I’m naive about the world.

And I know who is the Vice President of the United States of America.

What year Ibiza? Just got back from Germany and picked up two 2008 Automotive Model review mags, and the upcoming Ibiza looks wicked. I keep pulling for clever, small cars to make in-roads here in the States, but am not holding my breath. Even with fuel prices hovering at $3/gallon, we still aren’t seeing an influx of small cars. Sure, the Suzuki SX4 is a start, and there is the first coming of the smart (dang, I’m rhyming!)…but just about everywhere else you look, models are getting bigger and bigger. Just look at the Accord and Civic. The Accord is getting large and bloated, while the Civic is now easily the size of Accords of yore. Man, do I miss my little Plymouth Arrow (okay, so it was a Mitsubishi…)…

Highly Evolved:

There’s a Seat Ibiza sitting in the garage of my building. Ummmm, nope, the Punto looks better, sorry!

Quasimondo:

The reason to choose this car (or rather its sedan version, the Linea) over the Corolla is that for almost as good reliability, you get a much better looking car inside and out that not only pleases the eyes, but also satisfies any car driver, be it a car nut or not.

Because I own a Fiat, Justin. And it is my second one. And just because I think they are a pile of junk doesn’t mean I wouldn’t buy another one.

But I am also prepared to work on it for two hours for every hour I drive it. That type of suffering is what gives aging Fiats their charisma.

My point is that Fiats were inferior to American cars in their warranty, reliability, dependability, dealerships and overall quality.

But let them come out with a decent car years later – which the Punto obviously is – and their wicked past is instantly forgiven. No matter how strenuously American Companies work to atone for their past sins, by comparison ……..

Fiats are great cars. No doubt, they sucked in the 60s and 70s (most other cars did too), but since the 80s they’ve just been getting better and better.

Of the 10 cars I’ve had in my life 6 have been Fiats. They’ve NEVER left me stranded. They’re a hoot to drive, stay together remarkably long, are frugal, are enormous inside (I’m tall and fat, in fact, when I’m in the US people assume I’m American). And the little bits don’t fall off anymore. Trust me. All they need is regular maintenance and they go on forever.

Fiat has been the leader in Brazil for 6 years. Are people in Brazil more stupid than in other countries? The Punto has been on sale here for, oh, 6 months and it is already the segment leader and are just all over the place (in fact, my city, where Fiat has its plant, mercifully for people with asthetic sense, Fiat has around 45% of the market! F.. incredible)In the past it was said (in Brazil) that having a VW was like having money in your hands. The same is now said about many Fiat models.

A friend of mine changed his Fiat Marea for a Toyota Corolla, which believe it or not is the car of choice for executives here. He couldn’t stand it, after a year he got rid of it and hopped back into the much more fun Fiat Stilo. “I need to feel alive in a car”, is what he said.

As others have said: ’nuff said.

PS Justin could you get your hands on a new Fiat Bravo? Wow, it’s possibly the most beautiful car out there in the Golf-size segment. Jeremy Clarkson recommended it over a Golf. We still don’t get this car in Brazil.

Regarding this quote: “Enough with the social engineering to ensure we do the “right” thing in the eyes of the government. I prefer to trust myself to decide what is best for me not some government official, whether I elected him/her or not”

Why do you think the US has subsidized energy prices and an insanely complex tax code that rewards big houses and encourages consumer spending? Its called social engineering…now say that slowly “social engineering”, and our government engages in in on behalf of big corporations and wall street banks to influence what you want and are willing to spend money on. I’m all for free markets, but its delusional to think our market is not rigged to give certain results. And I for one would prefer it was socially engineered for the long term good of the country rather than the short term good of a few influential industries.

Fiats are in most cases terrible cars, with appalling quality control and subsequent poor reliability, and let’s not forget the dealers!!!

They are also notorious for using large incentives for persuading buyers to purchase their cars.

They have a lot in common with the US firms as a large percentage of them end up on car rental fleets – so I would doubt the so-called sales figures.

The new 500 is interesting, but nothing would get me behind the wheel of one. This probably explains why I have just bought my third MINI last week and second Cooper S.

Regards,
Andrew

Actualy, my wife and I both think the Mazda3 hatch looks nice in the right color (some colors just don’t go well with it for whatever reasons). I also drove dozens of cars back in 2004 when I was looking for a new car. While I didn’t buy it, the Mazda3 was comfortable and a blast to drive in its price segment. Way better than a Chevy Cobalt, for instance. That may also color my opinion of the car’s appearance.

They’re very difficult to read as they are now.

And regarding gas in Europe, it’s more expensive because it’s taxed more heavily, not because of bulk buying from OPEC or gas companies being American (think Shell, BP, Total…)

I don’t even remember the names of the cars that they built in the 90s. Except for 1 the Mazda 626.

Do you remember?

And C’mon do you think the Mazda 3 looks sexy.

Now every person who reads TTAC are admiring the Mazdas and majority of readers here I think drives Mazdas and there is nothing wrong with that just like nothings wrong giving a Punto a 4 star.

For me I respect a company that built not only cars but also planes or should I say Jet planes.

Just look at the front end of a Punto?

It looks like a Maserati…

But I warned the American Consumers that there will be more Mini Cars to be introduce in the good old USA but not the Punto but the Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi will be introducing them soon in a dealer near you.

Diesels have been popular in Europe largely because the fuel was, until recently, much cheaper due to lower taxes.

And yet Fiat gets a pass and a gushing review with a very ordinary car that could never compete with Toyotas or Hondas.

The advantage of the Fiat is that they are a lot more fun to drive. Which is fine, if you don’t have to live with it everyday.

Be that as it may, they are still not necessarily very reliable. The 2007 JD Power survey in the UK gave the Punto a “poor” ranking for mechanical reliability, placing it 29th in a field of 31 superminis and 106th out of a field of 113 cars overall. It also gets low ratings for owner appeal, with “below average” ratings for performance and interior. (In contrast, the Panda gets “above average” marks for mechanical reliabiity, equal to the Honda Jazz, sold in the US as the Fit, and the Toyota Yaris.)

The fact that a fun small car can place so miserably on the JD Power survey tells you something about how good smaller cars in Europe can be — even many of the losers are pretty fun to drive — and how dull most of our offerings are in comparison. The competition there in this segment is so stiff that it raises the bar very high for everyone. Competition is good for the breed.

It may be a remarkable car (I don’t doubt your view), and it certainly is an attractive one.

But the bottom line is that the Fiat badge WILL be a handicap for the people who don’t frequent sites such as this (i.e., about 99 percent of all car buyers), just as the Ford or Chevy nameplates scare off a fairly large percentage of buyers.

People don’t just hold grudges against the domestics.