Americans love big carsWhen you take a look at the cars in mall parking lots or speeding by on the highway, it's pretty clear: Americans have a thing for bigger cars. Ask around, and you'll hear that many people consider bigger cars to be comfier, safer, and just right for the American way of life.Whether it's for cruising through the city or taking on cross-country adventures, these larger vehicles offer plenty of room for both people and all the stuff they like to bring along on trips.Contrast this with Europe and Asia, where narrower streets and higher gas prices make smaller cars a smarter choice. That doesn't mean Americans don't care about saving on gas — they do. It's just that fuel efficiency often gets overshadowed by the appeal of a car's speed and other amenities. And the fact that most Americans clearly prefer bigger cars is one reason we don't see some of the coolest compact and fuel-efficient cars on U.S. roads. And car companies really want to sell what most Americans are buying.