cars

Space and the price of gas are the main factors in choosing a European car.

My brother-in-law just bought a Fiat that gets over 70 miles to the gallon. And it flies down the road at speeds in excess of 80 mph. I am beginning to get excited about Fiat's foray into the American market.

Occasionally you will see a Chrysler Jeep, Land Rover, Nissan Pathfinder and even a mini-van, but these sitings are rare. There is simply no where to park them in most European cities. And then consider that many of the cities and roads were originally built over a thousand years ago when the main means of transportation was a donkey and cart if one was not on foot.

Gasoline sells for a little more than one euro a liter. It sounds cheap until you figure that a liter is roughly equal to a quart and a euro is almost a dollar and a half. If you do the math, gasoline sells for almost six dollars a gallon. Thank goodness the tanks are small.

The good news for Americans travelling by car in Europe. You will feel like a Grand Prix driver in your small rental car tooling down the road with someone riding your rear bumper flashing his or her lights wanting to pass on a hair-pin turn.

Top ten car not in the US.