Why all the hate for SUV’s/4x4 vehicles?

[FluffyRabbitSocks]

Why do so many people on mumsnet hate SUV and 4 wheel drive vehicles? I don’t think it’s a correct reflection of the UK publics preference because you see so many of this type of vehicle on the roads and in car parks these days. I couldn’t get myself so worked up about what car a person chooses to buy and drive and really don’t think a hybrid Toyota Rav 4 or Honda CRV is any worse for the environment than a diesel MPV like a Vauxhall Zafira.

If money was no object I'd do something wild like get a classic camper van retrofitted with an electric motor. No way would I buy a pointless, ugly black lump.

I love my SUV. I own one as it’s a lovely drive and love feeling so high up - no other reason. Hope Mumsnet isn’t mad at me!

Owning an 4wd SUV vehicle is not to show of wealth and I really don’t why posters keep saying this as it’s a ridiculous statement. I certainly didn’t purchase one as an indication of my wealth or non existent wealth but for the practicality of the vehicle and the fact that it meets the needs and requirements of my family. I also made a decision on safety for my children inside the car, everyone does that no matter what they say. Nobody in the right mind would be a 1* safety rated car for children because it was an acceptable model and mumsnet poster approved.

The benefits to owning one for me are as follows:-

1. the 4wd capabilities when living in rural areas.
2. the space inside fits myself, dh and 3 teens comfortably, with plenty of head, leg and boot space.
3. the higher driving position gives a better view of the road ahead.
4. the 5* safety rating for passengers inside the vehicle as well as pedestrians and passengers in other vehicles. Anti collision technology preventing accidents.

None of those reasons are about wealth there are lots of cars on the road in the 50K+ price bracket that do not get the same hate. When out on the roads it’s usually the BMW and Audi hatchback/saloon drivers that I see making the reckless and dangerous decisions because the think their car has the power to get them out of trouble. And again in the snow and ice it’s the same rear wheeled drive BMW/Audi estates you see slipping, sliding and wheel spinning time and time again. It’s not a hate of the brand as they do some nice 4wd vehicles like the X6 or Q7.

*Is it though? Why are SUV drivers so convinced criticism about their cars has to be rooted in jealousy? Do they genuinely believe that's why others don't like them? Do you buy the car because of a desire to make others jealous?

I doubt many are. To the overwhelming majority they are just a car. They feel no need to defend their choice on a public forum.

Personally I'd buy a sports car and do track days if I wanted to show off wealth.

Is an SUV an indicator of wealth? I suppose it depends on what you class as an SUV. The range of cars SUV with characteristics is huge. Some are small and cheap, most are middle range. Relatively few are big and expensive.

Bold fail

I drive a Toyota hybrid rav4 and a Toyota hybrid Yaris.
They're actually the same width. The rav4 is slightly longer but not much.
The rav4 uses the same amount of petrol my old tiny Yaris did because it's an economic hybrid.
Parking them is the same. The rav4 is higher that is useful when driving and much easier to get DC in and out the car. It has a boot that fits the pram. It's also much more comfortable to drive.
The hybrid Yaris uses less petrol. So gets used for child free journeys as much as possible.
I can't understand the hatred for the suvs. The hybrids aren't gas guzzlers, they're a standard size for modern cars. Older cars in my experience are smaller but use much more fuel.

I don't get the hate for them . My mondeo isnt far off the size (apart from height) of some SUVs maybe bigger than some . 9/10 it over hangs a parking space . But no hatred of the mondeo

I don't care what people drive, as long as they're confident enough to drive it safely and considerate of other road users. It annoys me when SUV owners don't manually adjust the height of their headlights, so they're too high and blind me when driving in the dark. Or behind me in traffic, their lights are level with my windscreen and the blinding white reflection in my rear view mirror nearly burns the corneas out of my head.

Less frequently - but still too frequently - I see a particularly massive, American-sized truck/4x4 that doesn't fit into a standard space but has been jammed into one anyway. At my local (enormous) retail park, it's usually a space at the front of the car park, on the only exit route; the truck's bonnet hangs well over the end of the space and it holds everyone up as you have to wait for cars coming toward you to stop so you can pull out and drive around it.

Have a car that looks like it could transport ground-to-air missiles - that's your prerogative. Please just park it a bit further away, where you can get a double space that's long enough to contain it 😫

No one trying to brag spends £34k on a vehicle. That's a very average price for a car. Not sure why you would think you would be evoking envy at that price point.

@Changingnametime if calling out self righteous twats makes me unpleasant then I happily join the unpleasant brigade 😂

@journeyofinsanity

That's entry level for a new SUV

It's certainly not the average for all car purchases

But it's certainly not 'look at me in your face' level of spending.

@journeyofinsanity

It is round here! That's more than twice the deposit to buy a flat where I'm from

£34k is entry level? Honestly, unless you really need a car like that, like a friend who lives on a farm at the end of a half mile long bumpy dirt track, I think you'd be a mug to fork out that much to get from A to B. People run entire households for a year on that kind of money, and a good deal less.
But hey. Whatever floats your boat. I only want a vehicle that takes me where I want to go. And just as well, too.

Agreed. Financial Darwinism if ever I saw it

If somebody can afford it, why does it matter what it costs?

@Kualma love this. DH doesn’t need a fast sporty car, but he likes driving it. And liking something is a perfectly valid reason.

I think this thread has become about justification when the truth is that it’s a preference. A totally valid one!

They are gas guzzlers. It’s hardly fair to compare them with an older car when the technology has come so far. They use as much or more than a standard car because they are heavier. The hybrids offer use the same or more fuel than their non-SUV equivalent because they are heavier.

But environmental impact is about far more than fuel consumption. These SUVs simply use more resources to make - metal, plastic, glass etc. The carbon footprint of producing a car is massive. The bigger the car, the bigger the carbon footprint.

Your point about the size of the boot is also not a valid comparison. Just about any car has a bigger boot than a Toyota Yaris. In reality standard, non-SUVs have the same size boot as SUVs. The only difference with the SUV is that it is higher off the ground. And it’s the height that is the source of so many of the safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists, especially children.

“Preference” isn’t a valid reason to anyone who gives a damn about the environment or road safety. It’s just selfishness. Own it.

I have a preference not to have dangerous vehicles on the road

@CowboyHat

100%

They've gone through all the potential reasons to own one and are left with "because I want one"

Like toddlers

£34 sounds like a bargain estate EVs are £50k it seems. Ouch. Dh determined to get one… in 7 years no combustion engines or hybrids will be made. Slightly blew my mind our existing bog standard estate is 12 years old.

@TheaBrandt I love our boring estate, it's ten years old and been fantastic. I'd love an electric estate, but sadly the popularity of SUVs means they'll be rare.

Me and my currently worth 10k SUV are laughing at concept of showing off wealth with this sort of car. If I wanted to show off wealth, I'd buy Porsche! (If I could afford one obviously 😂) There are much nicer cars on the market to "show off" than SUVs.