How to manoeuvre a larger car

[Blueshadow]

We have gone from a small car to a much larger car. I find it really hard to manoeuvre into parking spaces. Are there any handy hints? I’d love to be able to reverse in, which I found hard, even on the smaller car. I’m embarrassed by my incompetence.

I echo the reverse thing. Easy to back in to spaces, but I can’t drive in forwards easily in my estate. In all manoeuvres make good use of reversing. Look round if you’re not used to it, mirrors can be harder to judge distance in

I do use the mirrors, but for filtering in, changing lanes etc. I didn’t know you could use them to help with reverse parking

Eh? How can you have driven for 20 years and not used your mirrors for parking ????

If it is a hire car, can you just call them up and swap for a smaller one?

The first vehicle I drove after passing my test was a transit van at work. You have to learn to use mirrors pretty sharpish with no actual rear windows.

So for 20 years you've never thought to use the mirrors for parking? How do you see how close you are to the kerb when parallel parking if you aren't using the mirrors? How did you think people reversed vans?

It's far easier to reverse using the mirrors than it is to try and look out of the back window.

I’m perfectly fine at parallel parking, but don’t use mirrors for it. (I had to do it most days in a previous job). I just thought other people were naturally talented at reverse parking and I was naturally useless at it.

I nearly found out the hard way about using mirrors properly when reversing at work 15 years ago. I was reversing out of a space in our work car park that was also used for the shopping centre and offices around our offices (which was situated in a shopping centre). For some reason, as my usual spot was taken, I drove into another space usually used by a butcher's and they needed it that day, so asked me to move.

Luckily for me, the guy who asked me to move was watching me reverse. As I was reversing, I turned around to look behind me and heard him shouting 'woah, woah!' in horror and shouting at me to stop, waving his arms at me. I realised that I had narrowly missed reversing into a large pillar (the car park was one level underground), and my reversing technique would have meant a bit of an avoidable accident if.he hadn't been watching.

I wound my window down as I drove past him sheepishly to say thanks, and he told me that the best way to reverse is by using the wing and rear view mirrors at the same time - and definitely not just turning to look out of the back windscreen. I have never forgotten to do that since the day I nearly ended up with a massive dent in my car!

Another driving thread that has totally stunned me.

How could you not know why the mirrors are for?

Use it in the same way as you use a smaller car - paying attention to mirrors.
Practice in a supermarket car park if you need to.

I find threads like this bizarre. I drive a van on a regular basis - it’s exactly the same as driving a car except sl larger so. I need to be more aware when filtering and with my turning circle. That’s it.
Just drive