Back from Vegas, views on American driving...

[Whoosha]

Sounds great G6 gives me some hope for a kool time ,We head off in 12 days 5 hours and 10 mins for a month carnt wait

[ltd]

Up until late last year I owned an ex-demo 2008 F250 King Ranch which I used to use on layovers. I drove over 40,000 miles on that thing and drove it through 48 of the 50 states. Amazingly comfortable, great way to get around and big enough to sleep comfortably in (which occurred twice). When I stopped going to the states every couple of weeks, I decided it was time to sell. It took 3 months to sell, as many deemed it as too old.

I asked a good friend in Seattle what the go was with all the cheap cars and the ridiculous prices here. Basically, the market sets the conditions. The reason so many cars are cheap in the states is that cars tend to be bought and sold much more frequently than here.
In the northern states, it is not uncommon for a 4 year old car to have significant rust and corrosion issues thanks to the harsh winters, snow and the road salt used to melt the snow from the road. Think about it, 3 or more months of the year where the roads are covered with extremely salty water, water getting in to all the areas of the undercarriage of the car.
I have seen thousands of late model pickups and such where the frame has got rust bleed all over it. In Australia, we tend not to have the same harsh conditions and as such, we hold onto our cars for much longer. If you go to Alaska, you'll see barely any pickups older than three years. As a result, cars in states like Alabama which very rarely see snow and ice tend to be older, as they will last longer not being exposed to such extreme conditions (Ice and snow and salt).
One tip for those going over, speeding on the state highways and interstates is fine, just don't tail gate or under take. You'll pulled over in no time. Also, if driving alone be prepared to be pulled over as they profile single men expecting you to be in search of buying drugs. Once they hear your accent and realise you're not a native, the troopers lose their suspicion.

[FGX-351]

I had, "Mustang, or similar" written into my agreement but wound up with a FWD V8 Caddi DTS instead. :(

[HULK_I6T]

In LA with the wife I had My heart set on a mustang with all the fruit but drive out with a mercury.

I was doing the speed limit as advertised on the road and most cars were honking me and flipping me the bird as they sped past.

In LA there is a 6 lane each way highway, people were going hell for leather on there.

I tried to race a few people stalling up the 6 cylinder mercury but it didn't have much grunt.

I had a ride in New York in a escalade, massive massive car, basically a table between passenger and driver.

In Las Vegas the coppers ride the nicest motorbikes..

[noosacuda]

My favourite quote from my trip to the States came a cashier in a little shop in London, Kentucky... "Y'all not from 'round 'ere urrr ya?"Loved the States, and reading all the posts on here made me realise i really want to go back!

[RJx307]

I quite enjoyed travelling in cali/nevada. People wanted truck pics well heres one when myself and a friend did a road trip for work from SoCal up to San Francisco with a trailer on the back. Its no ford but still a good truck.

[Moby Vic]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

There didn't seem to be many semis on the road...in the USA there are dozens of rail companies, and your first choice to move goods across the country or to the next state is one of them, not a fleet of massive trucks, so you don't actually see many driving around.

You were in the wrong part of the country. Drive on I-95 along the east coast and you'll see plenty of semis.

[2011G6E]

When we rented a car, I ticked the "full size" box which said "Charger or similar"...turned out that you either pre book or pay at the office downstairs at McCarren rental car center where all the companies are located, and then go upstairs to where there are rows of cars with signs over them...compact, full size, van, etc...and you pick whatever car you like.

Unfortunately when we got there, all the Chargers had gone...bugger...but while everyone else ran for the coloured Impalas (there was a couple of blue ones, a grey one, and a red one), they ignored the white one with a wing on the back sitting right down at the end of the row. I noticed it had "LTZ" on the back instead of nothing at all or just "LT" as all the other cars had, and luckily it turned out to be the top of the range one filled with all the fruit! Good luck there and a lesson to check twice and not ignore the "boring coloured white car"...


I'm not exactly sure how you could actually get a particular car...even companies that rented prestige or performance cars have a notation saying "or similar", so if you try and rent, say, a Mustang from the specialty or performance range, you could well end up with a Challenger or a Camaro...and you'd be bloody hard to please if that disappointed you...

[EDManual]

I got pulled over in Arizona for doing 90mph in a 70 zone! He let me off :-)! Have the warning ticket in my photo album!
Driving there after Europe was like slow motion and on the desert hwys 90 felt like 50 (MPH that is!)

[Espec]

Had a great time in America people I met were very friendly if you go to Shelby museum: afterwards go a few minutes down the road to Las Vegas speedway and go to track shop and do a tour of Las Vegas speedway complex tours leave every hour and cost about 12 dollars very rewarding tour eyeopener on the size of things in US

[BadMax]

We spent 3 weeks travelling the West Coast last year. Their driving is far better than ours, courteous, no lane hogs, better speeds, better rules, revenue raisers kept their distance etc.
In the three weeks there, I drove 2000 miles in our brand new Mustang, when I say new we were pulling the pre delivery tapes off it and about 150 miles on a Harley. We drove some amazing roads at from Vegas to Mammoth lakes to Lake Tahoe, stunning and billiard table smooth!

Americans in their own environment a friendly, courteous people. We went to two major events, Sonoma Raceway for an NHRA round and MotoGp at Leguna Seca. We'd find ourselves in queues where locals would just start chatting to us and wanting to know how we were getting along and about our trip. I recall on several occasions where we'd be standing watching something and someone would walk up and stand in front of us, without us saying anything they would turn around, apologies for blocking our view and move.

Oh, they know how to put a motoring event on!

The 'Stang.


Yep a bit toasty, but very comfortable dry heat in Death Valley. We almost gave it a miss because of all the warnings during the middle of summer, so glad we didn't. Amazing landscape.



The Harley Ferguson. Rode from Reno, full circuit of Lake Tahoe and back. The only day it rained on our vacation!



Big Mother truck!



Do want!

[ebxr8240]

Yes how did you survive driving at those speeds.. Ahahaha

[Brazen]

Great place, I would happily live in the US, I love the mid west actually. The people are great, really friendly salt of the earth people. You go to some places and there are some reals dags - in a good way, like this http://youtu.be/AC0sR5_NTFo although I think that are from BC.

Minnesota was amazing in Winter, bitterly cold and the accent of the people was very Nordic.

The concealed carry states are interesting, felt very safe walking the streets because everyone assumes that everyone else is carrying a gun.

Sitting on 100mph in a Buick was a comfy way to travel.

[trentski]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Seeing nearly the whole line of traffic move off as one once the light goes green...not the domino effect you see here where the car in front moves, and only then does the one behind him move, and only then the one behind him...and so on...until only about five cars manage to get across before the light changes again. People over there all seemed to look ahead to the traffic light, not stare at the brake lights of the car just in front of them.

How good is that

I love holidaying in the states, great road trips, friendly people and beautiful country.

[BadMax]

Imagine planting some intersection in Austria with the four give way signs. Sure we got caught out the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, it works perfect. First in first served for those who don't know.

[Jastel]

I haven't seen any in Austria...but only done a few hundred kms there.

I have seen some in Australia...but the one that comes to mind has been replaced by a roundabout now. I think Mythbusters did an exercise to prove roundabouts move 30% (guess) more cars better than a 4 way stop.

Roundabouts are something that Americans are not very good at....luckily not too many of them over there.

Anyone driven in Houston, Texas? They were the worst drivers I found in the USA...or was I just unlucky? I saw four multi car pileups in 10 miles, weather was fine??

[2011G6E]

Nearly every morning there was an accident on the I-15 in Vegas, usually at the intersection of Charleston for some reason. However, the traffic there was very heavy each morning with people going to work and coming in from outlying areas.
But, given the "move aside" laws and the way they shift wrecks out of the way as fast as humanly possibly to get traffic flowing again, it wasn't a real issue.
You'd probably have just as many fender benders on the way into Brisbane each morning.

[steve.zissou]

awesome trip -

best thing about US - turn right on red and people keeping in the slow lane

worst was riding my rental harley on the LA free ways (no gps no map no idea - lots of crazy fast drivers)