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Original poster

Why do people buy SUVs?

542 replies

MuskIsACnt · 08/01/2025 23:37

I need a new car and I’ve always had a small car but it seems every other car now is an SUV, so I’m wondering why and whether I need one.

The boot space is often the same as smaller cars, they’re more expensive and arguably harder to park. Am I missing some great benefit that I should be considering? Or does driving a big car just make people feel big (I used to drive a Luton van and that made me feel big)?

OP posts:
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fashionqueen0123 · 08/01/2025 23:38

Goodness knows. I looked at some and the boot was the same size as an old Toyota Yaris I had. At least I could park that easily!

username299 · 08/01/2025 23:41

It's a status symbol. Some people are very concerned about how they're perceived by others.

Conkers2 · 08/01/2025 23:42

Some of it is slightly forced by car manufacturers. There's far less estates / big saloons on the market these days.
We were looking for a big boot car and found that lots of the models we liked that were big cars, minivan type things , were suv in the newest redesigns

To mu knowledge the alhambra, tourans and sherans have all been replaced by suvs for example

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SabbatWheel · 08/01/2025 23:42

I tow a horse trailer that's why. I also bought a 5 seat version of a 7 seater so the boot is enormous and holds lots of horse related stuff.

JennyPenny222 · 08/01/2025 23:43

We've gone bigger (but not flashy) and ours is because we holiday in the car a lot and need the space for camping equipment etc.

I imagine it depends on the area, demographic and type of car.
If everyone's driving an evoque in an urban area it's likely trend chasing or status.

StrawHatLuffy · 08/01/2025 23:44

Why do people buy too big for them to handle?

Fuck knows.. I think they like reversing into spaces and it taking them a 23.8 point turn...
🤪

Get a car you can comfortably handle and reverse park.

Original poster
MuskIsACnt · 08/01/2025 23:44

SabbatWheel · 08/01/2025 23:42

I tow a horse trailer that's why. I also bought a 5 seat version of a 7 seater so the boot is enormous and holds lots of horse related stuff.

Well this I can understand as the Luton I drove was a 3.5t box.

OP posts:
pompey38 · 08/01/2025 23:45

MuskIsACnt · 08/01/2025 23:37

I need a new car and I’ve always had a small car but it seems every other car now is an SUV, so I’m wondering why and whether I need one.

The boot space is often the same as smaller cars, they’re more expensive and arguably harder to park. Am I missing some great benefit that I should be considering? Or does driving a big car just make people feel big (I used to drive a Luton van and that made me feel big)?

For me is the height, I don’t like being “ low” , and the inside space , I don’t like being crammed.Don’t necessarily pick a suv for their boot space as I have a small family, and I’m good at parking so no issues there

notanothernamechange24 · 08/01/2025 23:45

Because I live rurally and daily drive roads which are closer to tracks than roads. So an SUV gives me higher road clearance so I'm less at risk of bottoming my car out.
I also have two dogs and need a large boot space

whydoihavetowork · 08/01/2025 23:45

I find the sitting position better for my back. A lot of people do. Generally I just like them though plus if it's a proper SUV then it's 4 wheel drive (a lot aren't though and I don't see the point in that!)

chocolatespreadsandwich · 08/01/2025 23:46

No idea. I love my little car. Cheap to buy. Cheap to run. Very easy to park, I can fit it in the spaces everyone else leaves.

I could afford an SUV. We had one for a while as DH wanted it but it was a total pain , and despite being much more expensive and was actually less reliable

FatAgain · 08/01/2025 23:46

Well it’s around here - fairly rural -
It’s mainly wankers who then struggle to park the damn things - the farmers seems to either have estates or Landy defenders - but you’ll hear a load of flannel about posters about having to have an ancient 4x4 for towing horses through blizzards etc…

I could have done with one myself this week, however, so maybe I’m just bitter🤣.

I actually had an x5 and traded it on for a 2 door coupe - parking at school is a hundred times easier -
can’t see myself ever going back to tanks plus my fuel costs are way lower

Conkers2 · 08/01/2025 23:46

We were looking for a big boot with 3 solid backseats and were definitely struggling to find any suitable non suv still being manufactured

It feels like everything is either massive or a fiesta size! Even things like focuses have been sized down.

Boot wise we have 2 dogs and didn't want to loose the whole boot to them so wanted space to out a divider....

Hello39 · 08/01/2025 23:46

We used to have one and I liked the height - .mostly being able to see over hedges to see what is coming (live rurally, very narrow roads). The height is bad for city driving though (more dangerous for pedestrians).

Very occasionally, having 4 wheel drive was good.

I found it easier to park than a saloon.

whydoihavetowork · 08/01/2025 23:47

StrawHatLuffy · 08/01/2025 23:44

Why do people buy too big for them to handle?

Fuck knows.. I think they like reversing into spaces and it taking them a 23.8 point turn...
🤪

Get a car you can comfortably handle and reverse park.

And yet it always seems to be people in the tiniest cars that struggle the most with parking!

Hello39 · 08/01/2025 23:47

It was more economical to run than the saloon it replaced, they are not all gas guzzlers!

chocolatespreadsandwich · 08/01/2025 23:47

username299 · 08/01/2025 23:41

It's a status symbol. Some people are very concerned about how they're perceived by others.

Yes DH made all kinds of reasons why he "needed" one but I think it was just vanity at the end of the day

DinosaurOfFire · 08/01/2025 23:48

Personally- There are 5 of us, one of whom is still in a car seat, it has 2 fold down boot seats for when we take extra people around with us, it has a massive boot and we go camping/ are renovating a house so need the room for everything. And it's reliable as well as having the space we need- I found that estate cars of the same age didn't have as much room across the back seats or have the extra boot seats available and we wanted a newer car this time than our previous 2005 giant estate, as we are hoping for good reliability for longer (as it is, this is a 15 plate. Which is still 10 years newer than anything else I've ever owned!). A small car wouldn't work for our family set up- we tried out loads of different models of car before deciding on this one.

Original poster
MuskIsACnt · 08/01/2025 23:48

Hello39 · 08/01/2025 23:47

It was more economical to run than the saloon it replaced, they are not all gas guzzlers!

I’m looking for an EV so gas guzzling not an issue.

OP posts:
Gowlett · 08/01/2025 23:48

I live in a very posh area, where it’s all school mums driving SUVs. All you can see is a tiny blonde head just about seeing over the steering wheel. It’s definitely a status symbol around here!

Princessconsuelabananahammock9 · 08/01/2025 23:49

I love our Subaru Forrester.

I prefer to be higher and it is one of the safest cars for those of us drive long distances.

chocolatespreadsandwich · 08/01/2025 23:51

Gowlett · 08/01/2025 23:48

I live in a very posh area, where it’s all school mums driving SUVs. All you can see is a tiny blonde head just about seeing over the steering wheel. It’s definitely a status symbol around here!

Same round here. And they all get to school really early because they are stressed about finding two spaces to park across somewhere to park

DH was the same when he had one, always being dramatic about finding somewhere to park. Eventually he realised it was a stupid car!

Everything0Everywhere · 08/01/2025 23:52

I have a small car but want an SUV type purely because my car feels so tiny next to all the other cars and I worry how it will hold up if it were ever in a crash with an SUV.
So, I'm contemplating an SUV because there are lots of SUVS...🙄

wandawaves · 08/01/2025 23:54

The height- it means in my very built up very busy area that is packed with huge SUV's, I can see over their bonnets for oncoming traffic when pulling out of roads/driveways etc.

I have a mid size SUV though, most of these narky comments from PP's seem to be talking about large SUV's. You can get small SUV's too.

suki1964 · 08/01/2025 23:54

Try a Mini Countryman

I always like a small car, but getting in and out was getting hard and I didnt want a huge car, hell even with the countryman I wondered where the back window had gone

Space wise, its massive inside and has a huge boot

Four adults plus luggage travelled Belfast to Scarborough no bother. Plenty of leg and head space, all the luggage fitted in the boot and it was a really comfortable journey

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