Text and Photos by Jason Ang
MOTIONCARS Magazine
http://motioncars.com/
If you love driving, then the United States is the place to live in. Though clogged in some stretches, the US Interstate Highway system is still a pleasure to drive on.And the cars! You’ll have so many models to choose from in the U.S.: from the humblest commuter sedan to the wildest concept-cars-turned-real, to something neatly in between—the hot new Chrysler PT Cruiser. 
That’s just what motioncars did over a three-week period: check out the car scene in the U.S.A. We visited seven cities, each with its distinct car culture: 
San Francisco. Just north of the exploding economy of Silicon Valley, San Francisco has some of the most expensive real estate in the U.S. Good thing the road network is logically organized and well-maintained. Example: alphabetically-arranged street names. And in case you still didn’t get it, considerate road signs that inform you well in advance what the next street will be. 

San Francisco also contains a stretch of the highway hugging the edge Pacific Ocean—a beautiful scenic drive along twisty roads. Sharp up- and downhills and curves are part of the city. The world’s twistiest street, Lombard Street, with its 8 consecutive downhill hairpin curves, is located here. The rest of the city roads are not that different from Lombard.

So what kind of car do San Franciscans like? Compact, agile cars would be the likely choice, and indeed most cars here are on the small end of the scale, such as Civics. Not many massive vehicles like F150s or Navigators here. 

One car stands out as the most popular new car: the VW Jetta. Like its chassis-mate, the New Beetle, the Jetta looks friendly and inviting. The Jetta stands out from its American and Japanese counterparts, with its sharp, angular body. The large square headlamps add some liveliness to the car’s personality. That enjoy-life exuberance is carried over to the interior as well, which is roomy and functional. The layout and materials ooze quality and durability.