Question about contemporary American cars

[Jase]

Hi!

This is a question to all the Americans here on this forum (and everyone else who might know the answer). I'm looking to populate a contemporary American city and now I need cars, lots of them, but I don't know what cars are common on American roads. When I watch an episode of the X-Files they usually drive relatively expensive cars, but I'm not sure if this is representative.

So, what cars are common in America? Brand names and car types would help so that I can find them in 1/43 on eBay.

Many thanks!

Jase

[Weird WWII]

I live in a rural Texas town and you see allot of American pick up trucks from early 90s and 2000s with a few '09 models.  Vans are most common for the large family being mostly American made versions where as kids tend to buy imported sedans like Hondas and Nissians that range from the 90s-2000s or pick ups.  The luxury cars you see most are new model Cadillac or other GM stuff.  Lower income tend to have later year imported sedans, vans and small pick up trucks.  Not to many SUVs but the ones I see most are later 2000 models of US manufacturers.  You also see the regular semi truck with a trailer or liquid tank on the highways, all American.  But I would say you see trucks the most.  Lots of farmers and ranchers and most of the people I live around have at least 2 acres of heavily wooded lots so you need that versatility to clear land, transport stuff and pack full of hunting gear.  The only old, old, old stuff you see is pick ups on the road or rotting in someones pasture.  We also see allot of military hardware trucked through the area so you will see semi-trailers carrying everything from M1 Abrams to Hummers so that makes for a cool plot device for a game.

I also use to live in Dallas and you will see everything and anything.  Most vehicles tend to stay 1990s-early 2000s but you see it all.

Mostly American stuff in the country but in the cities you will have everything.

Brian

[Weird WWII]

Pick-ups
Ford F150
Ford F250
Chevy Silverado
Duly of any manufacturer
Small size imported pick-ups

Vans
Not sure titles but Ford and GM mostly

Sedans
Nissian Sentra
Honda Civic
small to mid size imported sedans
Ford Taurus

Other
Farm equipment
semi-trucks
utility vehicles
some motorcycles but not many (all roadsters not many street bikes)

This might be a bit biased because there are not to many import car dealerships around and they tend to be more American made stuff.  The used car lots will have a pretty good mixture of imports and American late 90s to mid 2000 models.

Hope that helps
Brian

[Cory]

Keep in mind that the US is huge by European standards and there is a lot of regional variation to this question.

The commercial parking lot requirements I deal with at work say that in more suburban areas of the US the SUV's (Chevy Blazers and Suburbans Ford Expeditions) jump in popularity and make up a little more than a third of the vehicles. The popularity of full sized Ford and Chevy pickups begins to drop sharply as you move into intensely urban areas and are replaced with smaller Japanese imports such as Isuzu and Nissan. Nationwide minivans (Ford Aerostar) tend to be more popular for families than vans.

[leadfool]

More Urban more cars and motorcycles, more rural more trucks.  Don't forget the vast majority of the US interms of space is rural.  The are also big differences regionally.   The west has more trucks and SUVs then the east.   The west has more japanese/Korean imports the east more European imports.  Some areas tend to have more money as well and therefore a different type of cars.  Southern CA beach towns have expensive imports.  Here in Sacramento, CA. we have lots of trucks.  Even in the relative urban areas.  Also in areas that don't get snow, there is no salt on the roads and cars tend to last longer.  Urban areas do have regular busses, in rural areas you only find yellow school busses. 

You really need to decide where in the US you are setting your game and then build and buy accordingly.  Houses are different in each region, population mix is different, even which fast food joints and grocery stores vary from region to region.  In the east there are real rivers and lots of small waterways.  In the west less so.  In California water is a scarce commodity.  There is an old saying, Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over.

What helps make a US city look real is things like mailboxes, Trash bins, parking meters etc.  Don't forget the graffitti. 

For a better feel for an American city then X-files, try watching something like "The Shield" or "Law and Order."  The CSI series is also ok, particularly as it shows Las Vegas, as a large urban city, but a few miles out of town, an empty desert. 

Good Luck

[commissarmoody]

Yeah I live in Vegas so I can vouch for that. YOu have old Vegas with its 1950-1970s style casinos, houses and apartments complete with shag carpeting and crappy pea green and burnt orange paint jobs.
North east Vegas is usually poorer, with with low income housing, apartments with the whole run down, ghetto feel. Not to be raciest but lots of ethnics live there so lots of mexican restionts and such.
Lots of older cars, 1970s vintage elcominos, and beat up, old sudan's, usually with at lest one window knocked out or bumper being held on with buggy cords.
then north west and western vegas is the burbs, lots of new houses, lots of big parks. almost ever naber hood and apartment complex is walled off.
ok large trucks for the bros, lots of minivans for the soccer moms and such.
South las Vegas is more of the country  orientated types (also lots of trailer parks), lots and lots of old pick-up trucks of american make. a few cowboy hats and gun racks and you get the idea.
and of course there are tons and i mean tons of little Nissian Sentra
Honda Civic every were.
Don't watch X-files for america. It just doesn't work.
and as also be said before, most or are seats are bigger then a lot of European countries, with each having its or feel and local flavor.
I have lived all over the US  all up and down the east and west coast and even a little in the old south and mid west there all american just different.

[Eisenfaust]

I live in a mid-size city in Georgia in the Southeastern U.S. There's a good mix of vehicle types, but to me it still seems like there's a preponderance of SUVs. After that, there's a lot of mid-size and compact imports, and a lot of pickups, both American and import. Some motorcycles, but in ones and twos rather than large groups, unless there's a special event.

Depending on if the city you're planning is near a university or military base, that might affect what you use as well. We're near a huge Army post, so we see a good many military vehicles on nearby roads too.

As others have said, most vehicles are makes within the last 10 years, but you still see the occasional clunker and, more rarely, even an antique car.

[Berzerker]

I suggest that you go to google maps and use the street view function.  You will be able to get a ground level view of real life American cities as they look every day.  Here is a link to the intersection of Glisan Street and 75th Avenue, Portland,  Oregon.  If it works the way it is supposed to work you should be able to travel north on 75th.  There are some very interesting vehicles parked along the curb.  I especially like the Dodge Caravan with the miss matched door.

[wolfgangbrooks]

Lots and lots and lots of silver cars around here.

[postal]

I live in a subburb of the capital of texas,theres still some country here so like brian said lots of pick ups.but in the mast number of houseing tracks it averages out to one suv per house hold.We live in a kinda of wealthy track so hummers are the most common then proubly ford explorers and they are ever in even the poorer areas and thats what I drive.

[Jase]

Hi!

Thanks for all the replies, they've been really helpful. I just ordered a few squad cars from eBay, civilian vehicles will follow soon. Also, the Mercedes M-class that I'm turning into an Ingen Gatherer vehicle for Jurassic Park is coming along nicely. I had so much fun building it that I wanted more, hence the question

Btw, is it just me or are military vehicles difficult to find in 1/43?

Cheers
Jase

PS It's great walking through America using Google Maps!

[leadfool]

For military vehicles try 1:48.