If you buy a massive 4×4 SUV...

Emissions on the biggest models tend to be about 20% higher than smaller SUVs and cars. They all run on various combinations of petrol and ethanol, just as in the UK, and electric vehicles are getting more popular.

Most vehicles can use E10, some can use E15, and a few E85. I drive a PZEV SUV (partial zero emissions vehicle), and I see lots on the roads, as well as a lot of flex fuel vehicles (E85 fueled). I've noticed a lot of newer electric vehicles that are really big - really large SUVs (Rivian, Hummer, and more) and also E-trucks. However, I live in a well to do suburban area where people tend to spend money on newer tech, and there are several payg public charging stations. There are hundreds of Teslas tooling around local streets.

Agree @BoredZelda
Or a white van
Or a school minibus
Or………

no I don't leave the lights on or engine running luckily my heaters stay on when the cars in eco mode! but I usually park up the top end of a car park with full view of all the people with shit parking..... I don't really have excitement in my life as you can tell 😂

In the UK we use design standards that allow for the manoeuvres to do both but it’s recommended to reverse in for pedestrian safety and not to stop your car getting damaged.

Ive only used car parks in the US in and around Norman,Oklahoma and Dallas ( not in big cities ) and they were (I seem to remember ) all angled. People just drove straight in and out. I don’t recall anyone reversing in……
I assumed they didn’t reverse because their cars are ( or were then ) so huge!

Its definitely quicker to park at an angle. From my personal experience in the US they would park at the supermarket, do a bit of shopping then get in the car to cross the road in the car to park opposite to go to a pet store…..repeat for every other shop. However, as I say, this was small town, lots of land in Norman. So I suppose quick parking is important if you’re getting in and out of your car a lot.

Angled parking in England is a lot rarer. I don’t know why. Perhaps because we have less land and are trying to squeeze as many cars in as possible. I’ve never designed a car park layout that way as I always have to squeeze as many in as possible.

@Lemsipper

you cannot have a food baby everyday surely? If so, you might wanna re- evaluate a few things…

I remember seeing a video where they tested how many little children lined up behind the car it would take for an SUV driver to be able to see them out of the rearview mirror. I can't remember the exact answer, maybe +. Even the driver was totally shocked and said they didn't realise their view was so hampered that they wouldn't be able to see small children stood behind their car, even if they checked the mirror before reversing.

Did they do the test with an estate car? Or those smaller cars with tiny back windows you can't see out of?

My car beeps if anyone farts within a 2 mile radius of the car, back, front and side.. With that and the reversing camera, I'm not running in to anyone

Quite. It doesn't make financial sense to pump £100K of your cash into buying an SUV outright. Much more sensible to keep that £100K cleverly invested and making you more money.

Ah, not unless their choices affect me

Yep I don't understand people buying SUVs because they "need a big boot", they've got shit bootspace.

Mine doesn't. It's over 900l of bootspace. More importantly, it has the height that the sloping boot that estate cars doesn't.

The only comparable non SUV for boot size and height was the VW Touran. Unfortunately it wasn't available to us when we replaced our car.

YANBU at all. We’ve got a VW Touareg, it is a total beast (but fits our 3 lanky teenagers comfortably in the back - and is brilliant for uni runs.) Always park it v carefully.

I look for spaces next to where smaller cars are already parked, as it is so wide!

Again, levying a hefty tax on SUVs probably won't really be an issue to most of the owners.

Psst, Rachel Reeves: SUV tax 😉

And for many people who drive a RR it really doesn't matter to them, financially, if it does depreciate.

I’m not sure how that justifies sneering at people who buy cars on finance.

The ones driving SUV while living in the city are all the same. Ignorant, selfish and not interesting. Anecdotal evidence ofcourse but I've yet to meet a SUV owner to prove the contrary.

Fucking ridiculous for city dwellers to have these wanky child killing machines.

It's the only car with a big enough boot to carry my child's wheelchair and walking frame without me having to spend hlf an hour dismantling/building them every time we get in and out of the car.

If you have one, I judge you.

Let me guess, you don't mean me right? 🙄 because you'd have no looking from the outside

Really? What a narrow perspective. I find being judgemental about people you don’t know says far more about a person than the type of transport they choose.

Houses are appreciating assets, cars are depreciating assets.

Plenty of wealthy people don't spend lots on their cars for that reason.

Thanks for reversing in! There should be a loyalty programme/DVLA sticker for this. 5 consecutive reverse parks and you get a free cup of coffee. 😀

However, may I ask if you leave the car lights on and the engine running so nobody knows if you're going to pull out in 5 seconds or 30 minutes? (Other DH's shopping mileage may vary.)

Thank you. It just seemed like common sense to learn how to properly manoeuvre and park my RR. My instructor gave me so much confidence, I would recommend their courses so much.

I always try to make sure to knock over as many children as I can with my SUV before I park in the disabled space outside my local hospital.

In the same way as the majority of people don’t actually own their houses because they can’t afford it?

If they can afford to pay the finance, they can afford the car.

@bravefox
Which? magazine reported in 2023 that there are 161 car models on British roads that are wider than the average puny British parking space of 2.4m.

@mathanxiety

Thanks for your latest input on angled parking spaces. Fascinating. I clearly need to investigate further. If this thread is still running. I'll post again.

Hopefully I'll also visit the US this year and I'll pay close attention to the parking design. I don't suppose you (or anyone onthread) lives near Phoenix, Arizona?