The price of a new car only seems to be going up every year, and many American drivers are left frustrated, wondering what they're actually paying for in vehicles that exceed tens of thousands of dollars.
It's part of the reason why vehicles on often suboptimal finance agreements are so prevalent, as many simply can't afford to buy a new car outright — especially with the expected transition to fully electronic or hybrid options.
There could actually be a solution hidden right underneath your nose, although it's unfortunately banned in the United States for reasons that, while officially unclear, are heavily speculated.
'Made in China' has long been considered a negative label, denoting products that are cheap and likely to fall apart over time, leading some to believe that anything coming out of the Asian nation isn’t worth your time.
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One popular car lover on YouTube has challenged that notion, revealing the reason why he believes Chinese cars are illegal in the United States, and it might actually shock you.
As shared by Supercar Blondie, Rich Beniot, known by his moniker 'Rich Rebuilds' on YouTube, went out to Alaska to test a number of popular Chinese electric cars, and was left stunned by how good they are.
Testing the BYD Yangwang U8 primarily, Beniot was amazed at quite how much it can do compared to American-made alternatives. By far the most mind-blowing factor is the price, as it costs far less than any equivalent vehicle would set you back in the United States.
The only unfortunate 'catch' here is that you can't buy it in America, as cars from Chinese manufacturers have been banned by the government. It’s something Beniot that speculates to be 'political'.
He highlights potential issues with security, software, and the major hurdle of tariffs facing imports right now, but it's also likely that the introduction of these vehicles onto the market would disrupt the American car industry significantly.
The common denominator between all of the Chinese vehicles that Rich tried out is that they both look and feel far more expensive than they actually are, and why wouldn't you opt for that over an alternative that's probably double the price?
It's certainly a factor that's appreciated in China too, as roads in many of the biggest cities are filled with electric cars, resulting in an oddly silent atmosphere that you wouldn't expect from a metropolis boasting 17 million people.
Rich isn't the only YouTuber to come to a similar conclusion, either, as tech king Marques Brownlee was also amazed when he tried out an electric vehicle from Xiaomi, noting it to be a 'ridiculously good car for the price' with no downsides apart from availability.
"US automakers are cooked if Chinese EVs are allowed to enter our market," speculated one comment on Reddit in response to Rich's video, with another adding that "Americans increasingly sounding like the Russians queueing up at the first ever McDonald's to open in Moscow."