There's a significant difference. American society is largely built around the use of cars. Large parts of the US are unlivable without a car. In Europe, this is much less common.
The UK is exactly the same for people not living in the big cities. Same thing for France. Same thing for the North/East of The Netherlands (where I live).
The difference is that we also tend to drive more efficient vehicles.
Americans also drive much less fuel efficient cars in general?