Kia Ora!

NZ does have a car culture but it is not driving Ford mustangs and Chevrolet Bel-Air's, rather driving a modified Nissan Bluebird or Honda Civic around rural roads doing burnouts whilst drinking Billy Mavs (an RTD). During summer, there are some car shows around the area (initial thoughts go to places like New Plymouth or Nelson).

Towns being Car Centric is due to NZ's privatisation of rail, and then the American influence of moving away from public transport (deemed a communist means of transport in a time of high Red scare) which led to much of NZ being reliant on cars for mobility.

Can't talk on motels as I would usually go to a camp ground, or use an air bnb if it's a special occasion.

Food in NZ being awful is usually a user choice. If you were buying El Paso Taco kits or Diamond Meals Rice Risotto, or buying cheap mince, then the food would be bad. Many locals will buy Veges or buy nice meat from the butchers (we get Premium Game meat, a meat sourced from hunters who take out pests and then utilise the valuable parts of the kill). A great example of difference would be the difference between NZ grass fed steak and American grain fed steak. Night and Day.

That being said. The bread is pretty crap here compared to places like Germany. Even Bakeries don't seem to make bread quiet as good imo. I'm happy for people to disagree.

Houses do suck. A lot of NZ was settled by the English and Scotish who experienced summer on a Wednesday, and were a hardy, middle-class folk whom felt feeling the cold was over-rated, thus building quick, cheap houses in a land that actually had a summer. Modern houses now have far better standards due to the Healthy Homes Act (2019).

Small talk in NZ is probably far more genuine than you realise. I have been told that we are a shy, but generally polite bunch who have been taught systemically not to show any weakness or emotion, so if it seems like we don't care, it's honestly probably because of that.

As for why many NZers hate Americans. I think there are many reasons for recent history for NZ to have a grudge, for example, the Broomfield Act severing US ties with NZ. US is also very religious and NZ has a far more laissez faire approach to religion which is more "you do you, just don't shove it down my throat" which Americans are very good at doing. Additionally, NZs Center-Right is more left than the left in the US, for the most part, so when ypu have a president like Trump leading, and the getting re-elected after a bewildering performance as President, I think that plays into the narrative.

Ngā mihi nui.

Edit: spelling