Why does everyone need a massive car these days?

I think I read a while ago that some of these big cars like suv's were categorised as small lorries and you should ensure that your driving licence allows you to drive them.

@jamesmaysarse Wells?

Massive cars make city streets less safe for other road users. And it’s a myth that you have to drive a massive vehicle to be safe. Like a lot of things, the factors that confer safety for the driver and passengers are complex, and not just about size.

It’s nothing to do with being able to afford to buy a new one outright. Most new car leases require cash deposits which are well in excess of the cost of a cheap second hand car.

it’s about what people want- what they want to do with their cash and what they get enjoyment out of.

the last lease I was quoted was 10% off the purchase price (a discount not available to cash customers) a interest rate which was the same as any bank loan, and enough extras which meant I may as well have kept the cash in the bank earning 4% for 3 years rather than spent it on a car.

I do not live in a rural area, yet most people here reckon they need one.
The same people who are amazed that I work 17 miles away (gosh, that's a long way to go for work) and would never go off reading in a million years, because they're not big fans of the countryside.

I drive a car similar in size to a polo. It does motorway, lanes, snow, small floods, teenagers and suitcases. What more do I actually need?

Probably trying to turn the heaters up or down on a touchscreen

what’s wrong with a button or dial

I live in a city so drive a small car when I don't use public transport or walk. The vast majority of people who own cars round here are the same because you'd drive yourself mad trying to park an SUV and probably end up several streets away.

It makes it much easier to park when the enormocars do it badly leaving a small space which other enormocars can't fit into but I can nip into easily.

One of our local supermarkets has a rooftop carpark built in the 80s so a lot of the spaces are completely inaccessible to modern large cars. I can always find empty spaces there.

I rent a van or a bigger car on the odd occasion I need one.

I think part of the issue is years ago you’d have the big car and little car in a household. And you’d use whichever was suitable.
now it’s two massive cars per household.

Best tardis car out there.

Well they chose not to buy them for whatever reason (didn't have the readies?) whereas I paid for my car in cash. I was brought up to believe that, apart from a mortgage, never borrow to buy something because nobody can predict their future circumstances. I do accept that that's an old-fashioned view though.

Ah interesting, thanks for letting me know. I didn't know that. I was told by the person who repaired my car that it was an extreme level of damage for what had actually happened. The person ahead braked suddenly as was missing their turn. Bumped into the back of them and my bonnet came off, door came off its hinges, whole front right side of the car crumpled and pushed back on itself. It just wasn't what I expected for something minor.

100%. Kids safety paramount.

I wouldn't buy anything less than a euro ncap rating of 5. Cannot believe they are allowed to make cars that are a zero and just crumple and crush you to death!

rangers are the car of the bell end

not all, but many are driven like complete lunatics

What difference does that make? Plenty of people profit from keeping £100k invested for 3 years and using a lease to save money on car ownership.

Ime some of the people who drive them do hurtle at you and are often on the wrong side of the road, they seem invincible

I don't want a big car, but we were limited by the need to fit 2 adults and 3 children under 5. With the size of car seats now that meant that very few cars were suitable.

Of course 20 years ago, the babyseat would have been much smaller and 2 of the kids would already have been in booster seats with all the safety issues we are now aware of.

In the olden days kids car seats were much small or less often used. Now they are much bulkier, so you need more space. Plus dogs and all the gear that goes with them.

I've got a Skoda Kodiaq, the biggest car I've ever had. I need the space for a mobility scooter and hoist, and have always had estate cars in the past, but this time when I changed my car the choice and availability of estate cars was abysmal, so i had no choice but to look for alternatives. I was told by several car people that there just isn't the demand for estate cars any more, and a few said that it is just a fashion thing - estates aren't fashionable.
I do know how to park my big car though!

This is one of my biggest bugbears OP, especially if they are petrol/diesel. There is absolutely no need for such a big car in the city. Land rovers were designed as working vehicles. Everyone would get everywhere much more quickly if we didn't have to give way all the time. I'm quite aggressive about it and carry on driving. I drive a small car so I'm not the problem here so I'll be damned if I am waiting for them. The main issue really though is if you hit someone in any SUV they are more likely to die because of the height of the vehicle. For that reason alone I will never drive one.

Sorry I should say behaviours are getting more dangerous as opposed to roads themselves. I phrased that badly so my apologies.
What I meant was, I drive the same motorway every day and the change in dangerous driving behaviours Ive seen over the last 4 years is outrageous. Evidenced by the number of road deaths. The deaths were car related only, so not cyclists or pedestrians, and are the highest in 5 years. Increasing year on year. I really enjoyed driving in the past but fear it now. That's my experience anyway.

The worst driving I see is Fiat 500 drivers, not SUV drivers.

I'm dating a guy who drives what can only be described as a 'monster truck'. I struggle to climb into it it's that big. Absolutely no need for one - single, no kids, only drives it to work and university.

Some people just like big cars.

Which is why I often have a bonnet above my head in my Fabia hatchback.

I've seen some larger cars being used as homes!
I've seen them parked with people sleeping in them.
That is the state of the housing market, obviously.

Oh you'd love me, I have a massive van.

But I have 3 kids and 4 large dogs who are pretty much taken everywhere with us.