Why do people buy SUVs?

[MuskIsACnt]

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)?

I have an Audi Q5 . I'm not apologising for it , I love it . I have a 10st dog and 2 smaller dogs and need the space . I also had a very bad accident years ago in a small car and it made me realise how vulnerable you are . I feel 10x safer now and with much better visibility . I live semi rural and no longer worry about snow / flooding/ ice .

Huge boot, 7 seats when I need them, large cabin space for rear facing car seats. I live rurally so 4 wheel drive and increased height and wading sensors available in bad weather/flooding which happens frequently.

I'd probably have it even if I lived in the city though just because I like it! I find it simple to park and it's safer for my kids in a crash.

I used to drive an estate but not many around any more, even second hand.
There was far more space in that than any of the modern SUV’s.
I think the UK is very “car culture”, so much of it is to do with perceived status and “ having money” even though there are many who prioritise a car then can’t get by without running out of money before next pay day.
Because they have to pay off their huge car loan before buying food.

I don't know if anyone on this thread has mentioned safety.

We have a Defender because of where we live in that we couldn't get here in frost or snow or when it melts and covers the road. We also have trailers that need towing occasionally. We have a van too because neither of us have the guts to drive a car on todays roads.

The more metal you have around you in a shunt, the more likely you are to walk away.

We were given a car by a friend who moved abroad and we drove it for a year and scrapped it. It was terrifying by comparison.

Due to their weight, height and the shape of their front SUVs are far more dangerous for other road users (pedestrians, cyclists and other car users). For this reason I am avoiding them.

I don't have an SUV but I do have a pick up truck. I do use it to tow a pony trailer which was the main reason for buying it. But it is amazingly useful. Not just in the weather (horses are stabled 3 miles away, not been a problem in the snow). Roads often flood locally and it gets through as higher. When ds was little could fit 3 carseats in the back for days out with his mate and little sister. Have a cab on the back so when we were carting pushchairs around we could fit that, plus shopping easily in the boot. UK holidays we just shove what we want in the boot.

Also I am high up when driving which makes visibility brilliant. I can park in a normal sized car space, am a dab hand at reversing. The only issue I have with parking it up is when the rows are narrow as the turning circle is quite large due to being a long wheel base. Rarely a problem tho, I don't really ever have to park in multi storeys or shopping centre car parks and if I do I park at the back or on the end of a row, or drive into a space I can drive forwards out of.

Would I have it if I didn't have horses? Probably would tbh. But I don't work in a city centre, don't really go into town very often and live a sort of semi rural lifestyle.

I will get flamed but you're far far safer in an accident (by this I primarily mean my children). Reason enough for me.

Not all SUVs are large but almost all large cars are SUVs. There are lots of reasons why people want/need a large car.
They need something that can tow
They have 3+ dc and aren’t in the sweet spot where they are out of car seats but haven’t reached adult size
They regularly carry a lot of stuff (work, camping, hobbies, wheelchairs)
They want to fit their dogs comfortably in the boot
They are very tall
They are obese
They have mobility issues

People have gone off large estate cars and people carriers because of the driving position and they just aren’t fashionable. People are allowed to prefer fashionable stuff. People carriers were often a bit shit, there was a sense that “mums” needed them to fit kids in and wouldn't know or care if they were crap.

I used to have a bigger SUV which I could get my 4dc in (including car seats), my dog and luggage. Older dc have left home and I have a Suzuki ignis, which is small but still has good clearance and a high driving position. I’ve got a crap back and although I’m not as bad as I used to be I struggle enough with low cars to prefer not to own one. Lots of people want/need a big car some of the time, but not all of the time but having a big car for weekend events and trips and a city runaround for the commute isn’t economical for most people.

Definitely a status symbol round here, also some owners just enjoy driving round in something bigger than everyone else.

my biggest bugbear is not with the cars themselves but with car parking spaces which are no bigger, so that means that those of us with reasonably sized cars find it even harder to park as it often means squeezing in between two beasts and finding it really hard to physically get in/out ourselves. Of course it’s not as simple as making car park spaces bigger as there would be less of them.

The centre of gravity is higher in an SUV so you are more likely to turn over

We have recently upsized from a Toyota Yaris to a Volvo XC60 - both petrol hybrids.

We did it for a combination of:
Comfort over long journeys, boot space, and height/visibility on country roads.

The issue is that while you are safer, other people especially pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, are in more danger as a 4x4 will do more damage to them in an accident.

I get that individuals make decisions that are best for them, but there’s a societal problem where “others” are put at more risk

Because I live in a semi-rural area with poor roads and my house is accessed down half a mile of (shared) unmade track.

Personally:

1. It was cheaper than the similar estate/hatchback
2. I needed a big boot that could fit a pram alongside a weeks worth of shopping. 3)It was cheaper to run
3. We go camping so needed something we could fit all our camping stuff, 2 adults and 2 kids in

I went from a Smart ForFour to a SUV. I'd done my time in a small car with a baby. For my second I didn't want that struggle again

This is what shocked me when I looked into buying an SUV:

A person is 11% more likely to die in a crash inside an SUV than a regular saloon. Studies show they lull drivers into a false sense of security, encouraging them to take greater risks. Their height makes them twice as likely to roll in crashes and twice as likely to kill pedestrians by inflicting greater upper body and head injuries, as opposed to lower limb injuries people have a greater chance of surviving.

More info here:

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/oct/07/a-deadly-problem-should-we-ban-suvs-from-our-cities

Where do you stop with this risk to others reduction though?

Every form of mechanised transport, and even the humble bicycle, puts others at more of a risk than simply walking to where you want to go.

Because I have back issues and I can get in and out of it easier.

Where I live I'd say at least 50% of cars are SUVs and a large proportion of the others are teslas its not really a status symbol because nearly everyone has one.

Lots of people don't need an SUV (I don't need one, I just liked it) .....but for a lot of consumer (and other) decisions they're based on choice rather than necessity. I don't need as many pairs of shoes as I own, no one needs a handbag that costs 5 figures, most people with a porsche or Ferrari don't need a car that powerful, no one needs expensive (or any) jewellery etc
Why single out SUVs as something people don't need?

It’s the height of them for me. I’m very tall as is my husband and have two kids who I need to get into car seats. I’ve had lower cars before but now have a small suv to save my back !

@CarlaH this is what I’m thinking, I do not have an SUV but have seen some smaller ones and am considering buying one in the future due to my back issues.

We used to have a huge estate car when we travelled around a lot with the kids, you just don’t seem to see them anymore. We also live on the edge of the Peak District and it would be very handy for that reason.

True, but it’s for society to weigh up the balance of risks and decide what’s sensible. It may be we as a society should decide that the risk of cars is acceptable but SUV’s is not. Risk vs benefits (overall, it may well be for some people there’s a huge benefit in owning a large suv but on balance I tend to think the costs outweigh the benefits)

individuals will usually do what’s best for them, and that’s when society steps in and makes them do something different. Like recycle, or not speed, or buy safer cars.

Which is why I always think carefully - do I need to use this mode of transport, and am I in a fit state to use it.

My child missed their hobby the other day because I knew I wasn't well enough to drive them safely.

If I can walk somewhere, I walk there.

Even if you are profoundly selfish it's worth taking that approach because I imagine killing or seriously injuring a pedestrian is also hugely devastating and life altering for the driver

I think if you took the 4x4 out the equation people would find a lot of what’s being said on here an offensive stereotype - woman can’t drive/park. But add 100 grand’s worth of Range Rover in and sexism is OK it would appear.

Not that I would, but if I was posting things about people driving little cars not working hard enough or being ambitious enough I suspect that would go down very badly. But I can slag off people who drive big cars as only being status symbols, penis extensions etc.

I think the real issue is most people (including me) can’t afford a £100k Range Rover and lots of those people are eaten up with envy about it.

The environmental argument is a nonsense. Most new cars are hybrids. To say nothing of the fact do these people not drive at all? Do they have things delivered in Amazon’s diesel powered vans? Do they only holiday in the UK because of environmental concerns? Doubt it.

I also don’t buy the safety argument, the idea that hitting a child in a fiesta at 30mph means they’ll get up, dust themselves off and go about their day? Don’t think so. And a 4x4 will only roll over if you’re going way too fast.

All of this subject to the fact that I don’t drive a 4x4 and don’t get the appeal of them. I prefer a saloon to drive. But I don’t spend a great deal of time hating on people because of the car they drive.

Recently got an SUV (not particularly flashy, 5 years old but top spec inside, low mileage, from the make's dealership).

Trying to fit a pram, a weeks food shopping, a toddler in a 360 car seat into a smaller car was so stressful, it didn't fit. Also pregnant with number 2. That's why we went bigger.

We have a Discovery Sport. Chosen because-
We have 3 kids so wanted decent space inside, wanted 2 extra seats in the boot for driving ds and 5 of his mates to football, we tow a caravan, it looks nice, feels well made and sturdy. And because i grew up on a farm and we always had Landrovers so it feels like home.

But it is a nuisance in a city so we also have a small car for driving around. The Landrover pretty much only moves when it's our turn to drive a bunch of kids to football or we're going on holiday.