" it seems strange to me that the Americans, having hundreds of native languages, chose the language of their former colonial masters." Otto von Bismarck

As an American living in Germany, one thing I would like to touch on is the health care system here. I've had 2 surgeries here, a multi-level disc replacement surgery in my neck and a hip replacement surgery where there was a complication and a 4 day stay turned into almost a month in a hospital. Both surgeries and aftercare would have cost hundreds of thousands in the US, but in Germany I paid absolutely nothing. Additionally, a vast majority of surgeries require physical therapy/rehab. My neck surgery required almost 8 weeks of intensive rehab. In Germany, patients that require rehab or just PT go to facilities (called Reha) where they stay and have multiple PT sessions, multiple types of massage therapy, water therapy, and even meditation everyday (~5-7 hrs/day). Due to the complication of my hip surgery, a 3 week stay at Reha was extended to over 8 weeks. Again, I didn't pay for any of the treatments or the medications. Germany can do this because the taxes are higher but not exorbitantly higher than the US. More importantly, medical services are not outrageously expensive like they are in the US. In my opinion, they are priced lower than they should be but the prices are controlled in order to allow proper treatment for everyone with insurance. The downside to this is that a majority of healthcare workers, including MDs are grossly underpaid. A quick note, it is mandatory for employees to be provided health insurance, even people who work a certain number of hours and this includes many part-timers. From what I have seen, Germany places a priority on preventative medicine. They try to prevent serious diseases and if your sick, they provide REAL medical support so people can return to work, be productive members of society and ultimately contribute to the health of their economy. I've only lived in Germany twice, for a couple of years each time so there is a lot I still don't know so I'm not claiming to be an expert. I'm only sharing my experience if medical treatment which is vastly different than what I've had in the US.

About taxes in Germany vs. the US, The Blackforest Family KZfaq channel has made a very detailed comparison a few months ago. Worth seeing.

Consider this when talking about race: There is biologically only one race, the human race. And that is not just an idea, that is proven, scientific! All those white, brown, black or yellow skins are just phenotypes. Not more, not less.

Proud driver of a station wagon here. 2020 Volvo V60. I think they don't even sell them in the US. Kombis are just a perfect blend of large inner volume in a still reasonably small car, which is an advantage in european cities. Meanwhile in Germany we make fun of pick up trucks. If you drive one of them over here, you definitely do it to compensate for something... 😅 When it comes to taxes it boils down to a very simple question: What do you want your government to be responsible for, to cover? The US tends to prefer a "small state" individualist everyone for themselves approach. Germany takes a the state provides for its citizens approach. Where exactly you want to be on that scale is up to the the people of a country.

A friend of mine had the best explanation for living in US vs Germany: Living in the US is like a roller coaster: If you like an eventfull life with big up and down the US is the place for you, but dont get sick on the ride! Living in Germany is like a walk in a park: Its calm, much slower and if you need to sit down there are enough places to rest for a while. I think both is needed and its up to the people what they want! Greetings from Germany :)

I have been to the States several times, and what I have always found weird is that people in the states don't identify as US citizens. They say that they are Irish or Italian or Afro American.

Just to get the figures straight: In Germany, income tax starts at 14% (and NO tax below an annual income of € 10,908) up to a maximum of 45% (starting at € 277,826 per year). FYI, €€ figures are roughly 1:1 with $$ figures. I really love watching your videos. If I didn't get it wrong, I understand you will be coming to Germany this summer. So, I wish you a great time over here. Looking forward to your reflections afterwards. All Best from Germany

the US is in love with pickups, in Germany it's the station wagon. A large trunk where everything fits in. And station wagons are protected from the rain, pickups are not.

Her German is impressive. Almost perfect.

You will definitely see station wagons or hatchbacks every minute of every day on the road here in Germnay. They're the most popular type of vehicles in Germany.

The biggest advantage for not paying taxes for a community based system but instead paying premiums for privatized services: The private providers can make billions of $$$ out of your basic needs. Oh... that advantage is, of course, not for you. Only for the shareholders of that companies. Did I forget to mention that before?

Loved my Kombi. A lot of dog owners have them.

As a a German, I have to say, Hayley Alexis has an incredible grasp on Germany and understanding German society. Her videos are always on point! Another channel I can whole-heartedly recommend is the Black Forrest family. Their "deep dive" videos are next level!

As a young woman, I used to joke about people who own station wagons. I found this to be an old people's car and family car. Then I realized that young men from my acquaintances and circle of friends buy such cars. They explained to me that their hobbies require them to transport a lot of stuff and that's why the station wagon would be the dream they had saved up for. Then I noticed that more and more women are buying such station wagons. They also had hobbies and they thought it was great that you can throw mattresses in the back and drive anywhere and as a woman you feel a bit safer in the car than in a tent. I feel safe in a tent on campsites, but yes. Families in their everyday lives have a lot to transport, even if they go to visit families to visit their grandparents. That happens more often here than in the States, I think, and also going on vacation. Here you can go everywhere by car. You'll be in a completely different country within a few hours, so car travel is common and common. But if you travel by car, then you will take your stuff with you and not buy so much there. With a station wagon you can take it all with you. I live in a medieval town, built in 1200. The streets are small, your car pattern will fit through where an ox cart used to drive. Such a station wagon can also get through every narrow alley. What shall I say? A station wagon is the dream of many people in germany and they now look very cool and they are expensive. It is also a status symbol.

Hayley and Joel should Collab on a video in Germany.

Go let Hailey guide you through München or something ...

I'd love to see a video of you two together, sharing your thoughts, maybe before and after you've visited Germany!

Thank you, Joel, for introducing us to Miss Alexis. I really loved the last video.

What I really love about your channel ist that you‘re so open minded to new views and ideas of other countries. I‘m German and based on your videos, I see my country from a new perspective - as it happens if you see something for a long time, you sometimes forget about the good things. Looking forward to new videos 😊 cheers from Germany

Such an interesting channel Joel . It’s taught me so much about Germany it seems such a nice place to live, it’s made me want to visit too. You are so refreshing to watch being genuinely interested in other countries and their cultures. Because I follow you I’ve been recommended other similar channels but had to stop watching them. They are older than you and I don’t feel they are learning anything as they make the same comments about “I didn’t know that” when I see they’d said the same thing previously. Keep up the good work. Enjoy your visit

Hi! I jjust found your channel on KZfaq, it is really cool ! I am watching it from Brazil. I have been many times in the USA and also in Germany and it is very interesting to see both countries thru the eyes of an American. You’re very wise for a young man, this brings me hope for a better world. Great job!

I like your honest reactions to the videos you comment on. You seem genuinely interested in not looking at everything through the American lens, but in getting a better idea of what else this planet has to offer! I hope you find your own (best) way!

Iam a 20 years old german guy. My car is a Mercedes Benz E-Class with a nice 6 cylinder. Well this was my first car and i love it over all.

Hey man, I've been watching your videos for about 2 weeks now and I love how obvious the process is that is happening in your mind. It feels like you are having epiphany after epiphany and it kind of makes me emotional :D You definitely seem too aware and too clear sighted to live in the US. Come to Germany, I'm sure you will love it here

As a German I get really uncomfortable when Americans talk about race. In German it's a term that was used in Nazi ideology and therefor is a total no go. Can't we just talk about nationalitys and not someones skincolor? It's so dumb. But then again I have to remember that it wasn't long ago that people were judging people by their looks here as well (and still happens in some communitys in Germany). My uncle once told me a story where he and my aunt tried to rent a flat and were denied because he looked "Arabien". Bro, my family has been German for so many years, we can't even trace our roots out of Germany. Even our last name is a middle high German word.

She is the best way to get information about Germany for an American. Watch more videos from her and you won't regret it. Since the start of your channel you have really grown. There is so much out there. 😅 American living in Germany since 1969. Was born in Oklahoma.

Germans will always assume that you mean exactly what you say. So if you say, how are you?, they will assume you genuinely want to know how they feel and will answer the question as honestly as they can.

Honestly: I hope your visit to Germany in the summer becomes a permanent one. I would love to have you as a legend living in Germany. When you went on that rant over how americans are "grown ups" with "jobs" I immediately went back to how both countries have a bit of a problem with what I will call "Preparing for the future worklive". I would love schools to have a few manditory courses like: - How to label and sign letters so they reach the right place (was never taught at my school, but I think it is a important topic). - How do taxes work, and how to know where the money is going - If something happens and you can't work anymore: Where to get help Technically you get some of these answers in education during an apprenticeship, or from the Agentur für Arbeit, but I think that is a bit too late. You could probably add many, many more. Germany was also - besides sporty estates - once a market for sporty vans and minivans. Look at the absolute beast that is the Mercedes R63 AMG. It is a 2.5 ton minivan with the same N/A 6.2 V8 you could get in the E63, S63, ML63 and CL63, putting out an impressive 510 HP. The ML63 and R63 are the only AMG cars with that engine that have AWD. It will go from 0-60 is 5 seconds and has a top speed of 170 mph (delimited from factory), and it can hold up with several older sports cars for a while, like the C4 Corvette. Try saying "Porsche Panamera Sports Turismo 4S Hybrid 10 Years Edition" in one breath. BTW, another fellow American reactor by the name IWrocker now has a Volvo 850 estate on his dream car list. There is a very funny video showcasing its toughness. It is well worth a watch: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gb2Hqc2D2ZOlZqc.html

Our salary deductions are high here in Germany or now for me in the Netherlands (approx 50%), but those cover everything you'd ever need, health insurance, pension, different disability covers, free education, free childcare etc and safety! I'll pay for that anytime ❤❤❤

I haven't seen this video by Haley so far, but I have to agree to whatever she said. She has a very big talent in catching things like they really are. I'm German, and of course I am familiar with my homeland, my fellow citizens, and all the habits. But Haley knows how to transfer them into words!

A collaboration would be so awesome!!!

Hi Joel, this video really pressed your buttons I think! A great reaction again. I like the sound of a collaboration between the two of you, especially after your German trip when you'll have real time experience to draw on.

I own a Skoda Fabia Combi, which is a pretty small station waggon, but I can definitely fit a lot of stuff in it. They're still quite popular here in Denmark. It's sad to see that they're declining in popularity in most countries though. I would choose one over an SUV any day of the week.

USA: *laughing_at_station_wagons GER: This is the "Audi RS6 Avant" with 1.010 HP, 4.0-Litre-Biturbo-V8-Engine, doing legally and safely 200mph (~ 320km/h) on the Autobahn ...XD About the taxes: (free) public transportation avaible everywhere, free education system (tuition-fee universities), free (!) or cheap health insurance, clean and safe cities, safety net for people in need, ... and the lists go on and even grocery store items are cheaper than in the US!!! So no need to complain about "high" taxes, I guess! :)

A Kombi is just great design. it does not always look the best but I only owned Kombis (well the first one was my moms old one). Today it's perfect for my family with 3 kids. In my 20s it was perfect to squeeze 5 (even 6) people in it, A few grates of beer and everything for a nice bbq and drive to a nearby lake. Heck I even remember as a kid my grandparents took me once a year to a restaurant in the middle of a forest, real fancy but very remote. We had a family and friends get together there. Most people with kids left early but my grandfather just slapped a mattress in the back of his Kombi and that was the bed for me and the daughter of some friends of grandparents so they could stay late. A few years later we did some more than just sleep in there :) And all that with decent fuel consumption and in a format that fits European streets and parking spots.

I fell in love with station wagons when I saw some huge Fords and Chevrolets, etc. in Switzerland in the 1970ies. Also Citroen offered the DS as a station wagon optionally with 3 rows of seats. However my father preferred sedan cars. Hence we had a VW K70 and an Audi 100 in that time. My own second car was a VW Golf III Variant station car. Extremely practical for my purposes. A really great family car. A couple of years ago I was very surprised to see a vintage Cadillac Fleetwood station wagon of the kind with the large tail fins - such a beautiful monster!

I am Dutch and the Dutch love a good stationwagon (actually called that too in The Netherlands). I always had a stationwagon and now I have a hatchback and I miss the extra space. If you put the back seat down you can actually transport a lot. If you go on vacation as a family of 4 in a regular average European car, it will be very hard to fit all luggage and a station wagon just gives that little bit of extra space.

I bet there is a good video about all the different new kombis/station wagons

Awesome why you launched your channel. Big personalities come from big thoughts and your thought was quite big. You're also a starter and somebody who goes his way, hope what you do has an impact. And if you come here I would love to tell and show you stuff :) and this comes from somebody who is so "americanized" cause all of my cultural interest originate in america, music...graffiti culture and surely films and series. so much...maybe be have a much older history, but the recent culture was so influenced or maintained by america..and not only in germany, in the world.) I totally absorbed it in 92 while being in berlin for a basketball tournament. Today it's known how a lot of americans think (through Trump election too), which is not that nice, but even when it's better to live in germany today, I always adored people in america simply for living there :) but today I also think it's so much fucked up there...A picture was going around on FB while the elections went back then, which said: "America, this is your IQ Test, and it doesn't look good." I wonder if any american has even seen this :P this pretty much nailed it

Seriously. Awesome video and reaction on your part.

@MoreJps Love your channel !❤ Im from Hamburg, if you visit Hamburg again let me know. I will show you the city .

If you want a slightly deeper dive into the whole taxes and "Who has more Money" thing, the Black Forest Family has a couple of really well done videos on that as well.

Kombis or Stationwagons as you know them are often the go-to cars used by bigger companies for their workers because they fit a lot with a decent size and are usually efficient when you take a Diesel or Hybrid nowadays so it established a positive viewpoint for such cars which is why they are so popular here, usually you see them Skoda, BMW, Mercedes, Audi or VW Cars

Joel, I think Heyley is living near Munich. Maybe you should contact her before coming to Germany - she might be a super tour-guide to show you some Munich sights and restaurants e. g. !

Station Wagan or Combi they are realy cool cars, this cars you will see special in the European Alps. Also in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy. All Car Brands from Germany has great Station Cars. For exemple the Audi Avant RS6 on the video looks cool and has 600 Horse Power thats more then enough for driving on the Highway or in the Mountains. Thats more then only a family car, its also a fun car. You have many option to buy Station Wagen form 100 Horse Power up the over 600 Horse Power you find of sure also one for you and your budget.

Yea!! Do a combination video with her!!! I am thrilled to see!!

Hey Man! I really hope you are going to read this, since I see no other way to contact you. To start, I love your videos, especially about Germany. In fact, I'm from Germany myself. I've been in the US once. I'm 28 years old and could tell you a lot about Germany and our culture. I really enjoy meeting new people, especially if they are from USA! I would really like to have a talk with you and learn new things about your beautiful country. Of course you can use everything for a video, if you like to. We can talk over Discord or something else as well. Would be nice to hear back from you. Greetings from Germany

CONGRATULATIONS on 30K subs Jps.

Americans get a lot of things wrong about most countries lol Jk

0:40 maybe it depends on the region, but where I live in Germany (born and raised here), many people do engage in small talk without the need to dig deeper and tell each other about actual problems and such (some might do that, though, it really depends). Here it is totally common to ask "how are you" ("wie geht's?") and to NOT expect a very deep or even honest answer, but a simple "I am fine" (still, some people might start telling you about their recent medical or other issues, again, it totally depends on who you meet). What might be different that in Germany people may act less superficial than it may or may not be the case in some other countries. Plus, here "how are you" isn't (almost) equal to "Hi", but actually does mean "how is it going?"/"how have you been?" - but that doesn't mean that an honest answer is always required or expected. In addition, some other things seem to be a bit different from other parts of Germany, as well, for instance, here it has been pretty common for years to pay by card and to never or very rarely use cash, even years before Corona was a problem. I think there are often too many generalizations thrown out there which I find problematic. I feel that you worry a lot about behaving correctly, not offending anyone/German culture or to stand out as "the ignorant American" (maybe I am wrong and you're just being curious or something, it's just that I myself worry a lot, too and know how that can hold me back way too often). Just come to Germany, see and experience the people and culture yourself, get your own impressions and stories to tell to others who never have been to that country.🙂 Don't worry too much. People in Germany may be different from the ones in the US when it comes to certain things, but they/we are also different from each other - and many will probably understand that you come from a culture that may differ a little from our own.

The car I set my personal speed record on the Autobahn was a good old Volvo V70... with 240 something HP.... and it went that fast in km/h. (so about 150 mph).

Hi, I have been following your video’s for a while now (mostly the ones about Germany) and I am happy to see an American willing to understand the cultural and other differences between the United States and Europe. I am Belgian and mayby you could consider visiting Belgium (I live in Ghent) when you travel to Germany. Check out the Woltersworld video’s about Belgium.

Haley is right, we love our station wagons 😊 so watch out if you’re on the autobahn! Within the first five minutes driving in Germany, you will have a minimum of three station wagons passing you on the left lane going at least 200 km/h! And I might be one of them😂

Hi Joel, that car you thought was sexy is the one I drive here in the UK. I often go over to Germany and you are going to really love it.

the thing about the taxes and the refugee i can't really speak for from an american perspective. but the last one, yea absolutely agree. i also think you and her have a fun vibe together even though you're just watching her video... it's so weird xD would definitely watch a collab! you should tag her in your description, though ;)

Learning English we usually get told that "how do you do" is actually only a typical phrase for greeting. However literally it's a question which we use to ask someone seriously about his situation and it's quite hard for us to get it out of our head when meeting people from English speaking countries.

Duuuude, I have these experiences as well. I am from mexico and naturally i've met many americans. MANY, MANY of them couldn't believe Mexico was a nice country and thought it all looked like the border. They even went as far as saying they thought all mexican women were ugly and stuff like that. I didn't think it was offensive because, honestly I was just shocked. Also, I was an exchange student and wanted to study in the Netherlands and i chose an american university there. While doing all the paperwork I was kind of angry, confused and also very surprised that I had to fill in papers stating my RACE!!! Cause i don't know if you know but in Mexico (I know other countries too but imma talk about mine) there is no race cause we are all very aware that we are mixed, soooooooo mixed we can't even tell what because the mixing started with colonization. Also in the paperwork "latino" is a race? i just found the ignorance and audacity offensive tbh. Even if races were super defined, why do you care? is it going to make a difference? I think it would be more understandably to ask about religion and even that is going too far. I was shocked. I guess in general I am always shocked about the perception americans have of the world. I am not saying in Mexico all people know about everything, no, our education system is horrible and unfortunately, few people have a chance for good education BUT if you speak with the average mexican about a popular country they will be like "oh i have heard this" "is this the country where bla" because we are very much aware of all that needs to be improved in the country and we look up to other places A LOT. So yeah, people will know about certain german stuff, french, so on and so forth (they also learn a lot from tourists and like to talk about what they learnt).

Station wagons are big all over EUROPE ,,in the UK we refer to this type of car as an Estate car . They are usually top quality and made by top manufacturers,,, even Rolls Royce make one . In the US back in the Fifties,,,this type of car was referred to as a Shooting Brake . Weary useful,,, no longer a utilitarian vehicle,,, but up there with Luxury, Comfort,,,ability to be great if you have Dogs,,, or Shopping in the City,

it was love at first sight between me and my Kombi (Seat Leon ST)! I chose it because it's a super comfortable and efficient car to drive (TDI) and also because of how versatile it is. if I convert the back seats I can fit my air matress in and go solo camping safely (a locked car feels better than a tent when you're on your own) or fit my music equipment while also not taking up too much parking space in a city.

15:40 you need space to bring all the beer home from the grocery 🍻😉

In the UK we call " station wagons" ESTATE CARS. Usually used by sales people who are " on the road" a lot.

Love your videos! Keep making awesome content like this! An interesting suggestion for a next video might be this one, about freedom in The Netherlands (after WW2 remembrance day and our liberation day on may 4th and 5th). It is about how we experience freedom, mixed with a bit of history: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hbB8mdiptZbdYHU.html The follow-up video to this one on liberation day also includes a small interview with our king, and shows a very different side, just 1 day later

Hello Joel. "Boxy" cars remind me of a film with Dudley Moore that you might look up. They are called estates in UK.

Sweden has station wagons, too. Great cars to have!

I think in Germany we accept paying higher taxes is a benefit for everyone else, we want our least fortunate fellow citizens to have access to healthcare and higher education. I think germans don't want to be rich in a poor country.

I'm German and I always enjoy watching videos pointing out differences, prejudices, misconceptions etc. And she does a beautiful job. While she is correct about tax rates and that you can't really compare one country to another, she kind of threw a few things together. Daycare (children 3-6years) is 'free' (as in paid from taxes) in most areas but only in the morning (usually until 12pm and only up to the amount a public daycare facility would cost). Costs for afternoon care as well as any descepancy for morning care if the child is enrolled in private daycare (those facilities usually charge more) are paid by the parents. In other words, daycare is at the very least subsidized by the state. Public schools are also paid in full through tax money (private schools exist, but aren't really a big thing here). Health care insurance is mainly paid in full by the insured (if employed the costs are split 50:50 between employer and employee). However, children are covered for free in the family healthcare insurance. Those costs are covered by the state using tax money. Same applies to certain costs in relation to pregnancy and maternity. I'm sure there might be a few other things, but those are the big ones. If course, it might be more convenient to only use part of the truth, but but let's face it, those people can be found anywhere. However, people in public positions, especially when their wages are paid through tax money, should face consequences for speaking half truths (imo). I mean, I would love to pay the very low taxes in Switzerland, but all other costs of living not so much 😂 Great video and I'm really glad the KZfaq algorithm suggested your videos!

Your videos are really good i like them i

12:44 I feel you so much on this one we also have these people in germany and sadly in all other countries too I can't belive how they aren't able to use their gesunden Menschenverstand (=common sense)

Look at the new BMW M4 "Kombi" 😍...its a dreamcar. But the Audi RS6 Avant is hot as hell

0:40 never noticed that....but that is pretty accurate

I'm a Brit living in Germany, she's pretty much on the ball about just about everything she said, I never really picked up on the Kombi/Stationwagen thing (we call them Estate cars in UK), because they are popular in UK as well. I'm sat now in my living room, of the roundabout 20 cars I can see on the street outside there are 4 Kombis and just as many "people movers" i.e. VW Touran, Sportsvan, Dacia Jogger, Ford Grand C-Max etc.

the how are you thing, in german: "wie gehts"(short for "wie geht es dir") can be really shocking. if you meet someone for the first time and ask wie gehts, he/she will most likely tell you "Thanks i am fine" This is the conversation starter, if you walk away it will be seen as rude. you can talk about the weather, your trip thru germany, the quality of the food and so on but dont walk away. Oh, and please avoid politics at the beginning. I am saying this because, when i was in the states, many americans greeted me with the famous nazi salut and the famous nazi words and it really threw me of. I still dont know if they were trying to mock me or if they thought WW2 would be a good smalltalk topic.

I'm owning a station wagon (Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Variant) too. People were asking me why I got such a "huge" (for German/ European scales) car, but now as my fiance and I are becoming parents it obviously makes sense. Also, we drive A LOT for German standards (like 40-50k kilometers per year) and also transport a lot on the way. For example we transported the entire children's room for our daughter (like 7-8 cupboards and shelves) with this car with justy two drives (without a trailer because my car doesn't feature a trailer hitch). And yes, one of the cupboards was mounted on the roof. But what I see from Instagram is that there are more and more Americans getting themselves German cars, and yes, also wagons. German car meetings taking place in the US with everything from VW Bugs, Transporters up to VW Tiguan, Golfs/ Jettas, Audis, BMWs and so on. Which is a great development in my opinion.

Not Just Bikes made an interesting video about station wagons, pick ups and SUV's.

I don't know if anyone has made this comment before (?), but in the UK we call a station wagon an estate car... And they are popular here too!

Yeah, a collaboration with Hayley would be epic! She is very approachable, just mail her. I'm sure she is on board.

In Denmark we love our "stationcars", as we call them, as well. Of course it's great for a family. But my dad gave me his old one when I was young, and there's no better way to get your friends, a cooler of beer, a grill and a music system down the road with speed and comfort.

Ich habe selber mir nen Porsche, Jaguar S Type, diverse Merzedes wie auch BMW 635 und 528 gegönnt....aber richtig glücklich war ich tatsächlich sowohl mit meinem Turbolader Kombi von Opel (Omega) wie auch mit meinem Grand Vitera nebst Bullenfänger. ☺️

Haha, the Kombi thing is so on point 😂. Volvo V60 Stationcar here! I like how you speak about Germany and how much you learn... 15 years ago, I left Germany and moved to 🇩🇰 Denmark. Best decision I have made in my life because Germany is great compared to the US, but not just great... Denmark is for me and my family the best choice and I would recommend a trip over the border for you!

They pay roughly the same amount in taxes, in Germany, but they have things like free or very affordable health care and education, nice roads without potholes, good public transportation, paid leave, sick leave as long as they need (nobody has to give their colleagues their own days of allowed sick leave because when you're sick, you stay at home until you're fine), etc.... When you say "hello", don't ask "wie geht's" (how are you) because people will likely tell you how they are. You can say "alles klar?" (is everything fine?); people will say "yes" and move on. For the cars, they're supposed to get you from A to B or to get you to the grocery store and back with the trunk full of groceries, for instance. You will see that many people who live in large cities don't have a car, don't want nor need one because there is so much public transportation to get you anywhere you like; the cost of car maintenance, gas, parking spots etc. is very high. You can buy a "Monatskarte" (ticket you can use a month) that will allow you to take all means of public transportation (bus, tram, train) as much as you want during a month for something like 30 Euro; they also have "Tageskarten" (8 Euro) where you can take everything and criss cross through the land a whole day (24 hours). It's cheaper than one simple ticket to town and back.

14:21 Yeah, I think if you wanted to buy a new "Kombi" in the US in the 90s you'd probably buy a Volvo. In the past I've seen quite much american station wagons , like for example Chrysler Town & Country, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser + Vista Cruiser, Chevrolet Caprice Estate, Buick Sport Wagon + Roadmaster Estate Wagon, AMC Eagle Wagon... But nowadays they are really pretty rare.

Swiss people are on the same train with the Station Wagon love... for the same reason: the are practical, allround cars with a decent MPG.

U have to come to germany one time, really man. U'r view an mindset fits with the understanding of our society.

Majority of small to medium size SUV vehicles are a modern station wagon replacement. A rear hatch door, large open floor area to pack with things, overall a 3 door or 5 door vehicle, distinctly different and not a standard sedan with 2 or 4 door seating space and a trunk (boot for our non US terminology) with limited volume space. Still not the over sized TRUCK vehicles that seem a US only main type of vehicle. Even these big trucks, divide between rear tray and enclosed big volume storage, that really is a modern replacement of the old times station wagon, now just referred to as SUV style.

The last few times i was in the States i got some lessons but not only in history. That was really strange for me when you got lessons from foreigners (in this case from Americans) about your country. I asked them where and how they had learned all these interesting " facts". Well, most of them had their knowledge from the so called "history channel". I really was "impressed". Greetings from Bavaria - great job

15:35 In my family we say "The last car is always a station wagon. Why buy one now?" (a hearse is meant).

Station cars do exists today too. They are camouflaged as suvs, like the english Land Rover, or japanese cars in the same segment, like a Pajero, or a Ford Bronco, as an example.

VW is releasing the new ID.7 EV this year which is a kind of successor of the Passat and people already ask about the station wagon version of the ID.7. well, yes, it will come next year and it already has been seen on the street as camouflage test versions. many friends of mine have a station wagon / kombi and they like it. volvo, passat, bmw. this week we meet up at a camping spot in Czechia and many people do not want to use a tent but sleep in the back of their kombi. very comfy. once a year i go with a friend to a village for tasting wine from friday to sunday. and on sunday we buy a year worth of wine supply. 25 boxes is no problem at all for a Kombi. and that BMW 330d Touring has no slow legs. quite an impressive car.

I love my opel Astra Kombi. Her name is Astrid. Everything fits in there.

German here, i also have a Station Wagon (Mazda 6), The reason why i chose a "Kombi" was my Hobby. I play Icehockey as a Goali, and my Bag is very Big. I hated to put Down the rear Seats in my former Cars to get the Bag in. Now it Fits perfect and i can move one or two People (with me) in the Car. My Wife has a Audi A4 Station Wagon, the Women next to our House also has a Station Wagon. You can move alot in there, especially when you own a House, and i would never buy a smaller Car.

I am from Spakenburg, the Netherlands. And I also had an Opel Vectra 2.5 V6 aut Combi for 8 years. Other chips. And from 170 Hp to 225 approximately. And also had a towbar, to take my boat. Or a tandem axle with more than 3 tons in it.

😂 of course a station wagon is a dream car! I just had a rental, an Audi A6 Quatro. Thats not the biggest they come in, but maaaaaan it was huge and felt like "driving" a ship. A very luxurious ship 😅 it was great and it was sailing on the road and so awesome. Now i have my new car that i was waiting for, an Opel Astra, but i kinda miss the Audi a bit 😂

in Germany many people have kombis because you can combine a lot with them. family, vacation, crafts. a big trunk is beneficial for so much. in Germany, many try to design their own homes. build your own furniture. so if you drive a lot to the hardware store, you need a lot of space. In addition, many in the country invest a lot of time in the garden. you also need a lot of space in the car if you buy plants. If you have children and then a dog, a station wagon is perfect. the hubd has enough space in the trunk. especially for day trips.

I also think: the blackforest family are a great source of information. Also: Antoinette Emily. A kiwi, living in Germany. To avoid the "how do you do?": in the north, it's common to just say "moin" = good morning. Or: "moin,moin". I live in a village, close to Hamburg. Just moin or nodding at a person is more common. But: just get onto the local train from Pinneberg to Hamburg in the morning and say "moin", when you sit down: people would consider you a stranger. (I use to drive my car. And experience I made, years ago.)

From my personal perspective as a 35 year old italian, the sedan is the car for old people, the hatchback is a typical first car for new drivers or a second smaller city car and the station wagon just makes the most sense overall. With SUVs and sport cars being just luxury toys.

a professor once said something like this regarding taxes: "it's the money i pay to feel safe on the streets". now that is obviously oversimplified but i think it also makes a great point - taxes that are generally used to make a more just and equal society are something everyone benefits from. because overall, the more inequality there is, the more people resort to crime. unfortunately for the last decades in germany we also strayed more and more away from the "social" in "social democracy" and the gap between the poor and the rich widens and widens. ps: plus it is obviously very frustrating when you see your taxes are wasted (buzzword german bureaucracy, it never shows up in the videos you react to but the bureaucracy in germany is insane, on a whole different leven than in our neighbouring countries, it's a big problem)

Haven’t you see the Volkswagen (Passat) before 😮 it’s one of the most popular cars even in Denmark 🇩🇰

The YT Channel of Black Forest Family had made two or three videos in depth about comparing income, taxes and other expences

2 other channels I also like, and i think also interesting; T and T go Dutch and Soul to Soul travels.