to not know why people drive Unnecessarily Big Cars?

[herecomesthetide]

So, the thing is, lots of people I know have started to buy what I call Unnecessarily Big Cars (henceforth known as UBCs). One example would be a VW Tourag (not totally sure how you spell that). Not the space wagon one, the sort of four wheel-y drive one. Or another family we know have just bought a Landrover Discovery. These are families with two or possibly three children. They live in a very big city. They do not regularly if ever drive 'off-road'. I just really don't know why people buy these cars, so this is a genuine question. Is it because they need the space? Because we have two children and don't feel that we do. If it's something else, what is it? I just ... I don't know, if I'm totally honest I find these cars a little obnoctious. And the funny thing is the people we know who have bought them would have laughed with us a couple of years ago about wallys driving around in Chelsea Tractors but now they are the ones driving the tractors and I'm too scared to ask them what changed! Any thoughts?

Because they live far from family, and have to visit for weekends at a time, taking clothes, travel cots, baby chairs, air beds etc with them.

Because they only holiday in the UK, and need to drive themselves and their stuff to their holiday destination.

Because they camp regularly and need the space to fit tents etc in.

Because their children need car seats, few standard-sized cars fit 3 car seats across the back seat.

Because they car share.

Because they are childminders.

Because they regularly have to carry other family members around.

Because they do the supermarket shop for all their elderly neighbours.

Because they are involved with providing medical services in the community and have lots of kit to carry around.

Lots of possibilities!

I like how the OP's post has been answered sensibly, rather than descending into name calling and class steriotypes. Must be a first for MN!

We have a Ford Fiesta. We managed for 8 years with 2 DCs with no car when we lived in a city. We moved to a small country town and bought a car but hardly used it as we cold walk everywhere. Then we moved to a village near the town and during the winter have been doing about 10 miles a day going back and forth to the town due to school & various activities. But in the summer when it was lighter we cycled. because we never had a car before, when we go on holiday we take hardly any luggage (because we always had to carry it) so we can fit it all in the boot of our small car. When GPs visit we go places by train or if really necessary we will hire a larger car for a couple of days. When it snowed we walked to the shops and bought our food. It can be done but needs a bit of forethought and resourcefulness and the will to do it.

I think I am correct in saying we can carry 2 adults and 3 DCs in our car as 1 does not need to be in a booster seat if it can't be fitted because of the 2 other car seats in the way. I wouldn't drive on a motorway like this but IMO its fine for short journeys on 30 MPH roads.

However I have found since having a car that it has become easier and easier to make excuses to myself about why its OK to use the car rather than bike. Similarly i believe that people who drive big cars expand their lives to fit in their car. Its true that we can't do everything that people with big cars do but I care more about the environment than being able to put my bikes in the car and drive somewhere to ride them. If we want to go for a bike ride we just set off from our house. The main worry for me in this scenario is that one of my DCs will be knocked off their bike by someone driving a big car.

OP YANBU

I am not shocked but a bit saddened by people who don't care about the damage that big cars do to the environment.

YANBU
And the fact that those unnecessary petrol-guzzling tanks create more (very real and serious!) hazards to my child on her bicycle...
Making the roads even more dangerous, noisy and smelly for those of us who would so like the city to be different.

NHA - hear hear - the whole thing is a hideous self destructive circle. Soon we will all have to drive buses to avoid being run over by SUVs. We are all doomed ....

curlymama asks "What business is it of anyone else's what car someone else chooses to drive?"

What John Donne wrote, all those years ago. It's everyone's business because we all share the same resource pool, and some people are draining it and crapping in it, all at the same time.

It's like in Dubai, everyone gets bull bars because you need to protect yourself in case you crash into someone with (yes, you guessed it) bull bars, which everyone has.

The fact that if you hit a pedestrian with bull bars on them, they are far more likely to die, is seldom mentioned.

The people who have these 4X4 vehicles for safety reasons are rather naive I feel, the high centre of gravity is a serious cause for concern, I speak from experience. You are much safer in a midsize saloon -Mercedez, Audi, Volvo etc.
I don't think it selfish to want to own a larger vehicle, people have the right to drive what they like, I just feel that anyone opting to purchase a 4x4 ought to do their research beforehand, do not automatically think that bigger = safer

Well ... I'm slightly convinced that some people need a big car. But I still think that a lot of people driving them probably don't really. Does it matter? No, probably not, there's lot's of worse things you can do for the environment I'm sure. And of course it's none of my business really. I'm just interested.

Maybe I was scarred by a bad experience a few years ago where a woman on my road had one and used to park it across the entire pavement so that you had to walk into the fairly busy road to get round it. The hilarious thing was that even when there was enough space to park a lorry she would STILL park it on the pavement. We used to speculate that she was practising its off-road capabilities. But on the other hand maybe she just liked parking on the pavement.

Anyway, apologies if I'm stereotyping. I know not all big car drivers do that. And I know that big car ownership is a contentious issue.

Have a 'UBC' because:

a) I want one
b) I can afford one
c) its nice to drive
d) I feel safe in it
e) I couldnt fit 3 car seats in the back of my previous car
f) I can fit all the stuff that 3 soon to be 4 children under the age of 6 need when we go out and about
g) why the hell not!

Simonedeboudoir - "People who drive enormous great big 4X4s primarily for the purpose of ferrying 2 or 3 children to school then popping to waitrose do so because they are vain selfish morons"

It's not selfish to have something that you want especially as I haven't had to get into debt to get it.

It's not vanity on my part, it was about having a car that we all fitted in and the fact that it is a beautiful 4x4 was an added bonus :)

Why should we all have (4x4 drivers) have to feel like we need to justify why we have the car we have. If we all had the same things then life would be very boring and samey. TBH those of you that drone on about peoples choices of cars etc etc just sound jealous! I would love a smaller car that's easier to park, nippy, cheaper to run etc BUT it's not possible when you have 3/4 children. I am jealous of the pretty little cars and am still gutted that I had to sell my apple green metallic fiesta 4 years ago because we needed (not wanted) something bigger.

the environmental argument is bit of a red herring. 4x4s do not automatically = the worse emissions. many saloon cars are as bad, if not worse. All the arguments for having them that are on here are perfectly valid I think. We are going soon from 1 to 2 DCs and are thinking about upgrading to some kind of people carrier type thing because family live at the other end of the country so there are frequent trips with a weeks worth of stuff + the thing about being able to fit GPs in when they visit us (no public transport from our village). I think one of the main reasons people get annoyed is the issue of narrow car parking spaces and the damage they can do if they do hit smaller cars - in other words, how one person's choice can impinge on another's life.

We have a big car and a small one- large family, camp, have a hobby that means we seem to live in the car two months in a year.

Not 4X4 though, even though we could justify where we are and visit farms regularly.
We managed 3 seats in the back of our old Proton Persona though.
Dh has just gone from a Smart car to a Matiz (did everyone e4lse know a Smart engione typically dies at 50k? We didn't), we also have a Multipla though I much preferred the space wagon we had before- described by the garage as a 'sofa with a rocket attached'- and sadly I assume by the garage as 'a meal ticket' (petrol and parts!).

I am also a bit of a petrol ehad but I am as happy driving an old mini as a great big engined thing; the only ones I don;t really enjoy are the computer controlled modern ones that we seem to have ended up with through practicality.

Friend has a Warrior, an Aston MArtin and a Bentley: it's the Warrior he seems to use the most.

It appears I've accidently arrived on the PistonHeads forum!

Petrol is obviously not yet expensive enough.

Those who buy a Discovery/Cayenne/Freelander/Tourag etc etc because they feel that they are safer for their kids cannot see that they are fucking things up for those same kids 20 years down the line for driving such horrendous carbon-belchers.

Bytterbur if that was to me in part, the only reason we run two cars is becuase we live in a Welsh village with no public transport to where we go, Dh drives many miles one way and I have 2 Special Schools to negotiate, each in separate directions; indeed I am dreading Snow Day 1 when I have to collect a child from each as the LEA Transport packks it in at first flake.

I like cars; I prewfer money in my bank more but we have zero options. That's life. And petrol will cripple us I expect as the conditions that led us to actually need twoc ars are the same ones that keep us less than rich.

The 'i feel safer in it' argument really gets to me... Nevermind that it makes the road more dangerous for other users, those who are not sitting in an armoured box (and the air more nasty to breathe!)

As for the 'choice' argument... well we could drive trucks, buses and tanks to ferry our families to school, couldn't we, we'd probably feel even safer ? When does it start getting excessive ? Where do you draw the line ?

I personally think SUV have no place on urban/suburban roads - they just represent a very selfish choice to me...

And yes there are people who choose not to contribute to the nightmare that our city roads have turned into and walk/cycle/use public transport instead - yes yes it can be done, even with children!

oooh I can't help but be judgy about the huge cars too - for lots of the reasons people have listed above.

Seems like high proportions of people who have these huge cars have very ME ME ME attitudes. Living in central London I'm surrounded by them. Usually populated by one adult, and every 2nd one has a car seat or 2 in the back.

I wonder if people who have them because they WANT them & can AFFORD them and AFFORD to run them, also care about say conserving energy in the home? Surely just because you can AFFORD to leave every light on in the house with one person at home, doesn't mean you necessarily would/should. That attitude would clearly cause huge problems for society at large if subscribed to by too many people.

Or would it be OK because the people who can afford to pay whatever sums for gas/electricity can also CHOOSE not to live near a power station, and could afford to sell up and leave if a nuclear power station was built around the corner (to fund the habits of the "I can have the lights on cause I can afford it" brigade). And then get arsey if other people dare to be judgemental or critical about their selfish lifestyles???

"Makes the road more dangerous for other users", erm no. Bad driving makes the road more dangerous for other users, not the size of vehicle.
"the air more nasty to breathe", not necessarily. As has already been pointed out the emissions from a 4x4 are on par with most mid range saloons. What if the 4x4 has been lpg converted?! Then the emissions are less than a tiny fiesta for example.

We have a large 4x4, because we want to! It suits our requirements, is lpg converted so costs us less to run than another car that would be big enough. Bonus is that as well as saving us money, it also takes environmental arguments into consideration.

I have to echo onessa really. I have 4 children so a 7 seat disco is just the thing but DH bought it for me when we only had 2. Yes I could drive a nice jelly mould people carrier but actually i would rather stick pins in my eyes. I can afford to drive something lovely, safe and stylish and pay for the privilege in tax and fuel. We do use it a bit off road at our place in France and we pull a trailer a lot but actually we have it because we like it.

Fundamentally I find the whole people carrier thing so fucking absolutely mediocre.

DH has a Range Rover too, massive thirsty 4 litre petrol thing and we love it

Just doing our bit for global warming

I live in the suburbs, and a lot of the school run mums drive UBCs. As far as I know they are not all off-roading or towing stuff and so I guess it's all for the "status". However, I do like the fact that they are able to fit me and my DCs in their car and give us lifts if we go out together (cos I hate driving and have a small family car!)

Fuck me, I have a tumble dryer too....

I've not got a 4x4 but I do have a very large MPV, a 7 seater Citroen.

If we had anything else I doubt we'd fit me, DH, 3 kids, a wheelchair, a pushchair and a walking frame in.

But then it's only a 1.6 litre petrol so hardly carbon city.

Does make me laugh though when it's in for servicing and they give me a piddly little 207. Suffice to say we have to make sure we stay home then as no way we can all go out together.

I have a freelander. It is no bigger than the average car, and takes up no more space.

Its a 1.9 diesel and no more of a pollutant than any other car.

I like it because I prefer being higher up, I like being able to drive easily in bad weather, and its my car, and my choice.

It is also a lot comfier to sit in on long journeys.

It is incredibly small minded to say that people with big cars are a bigger drain on resources. Cars are not the only thing to have an imact on the environment.

What about all the fiesta driver that don't bother to recycle, leave light on at home, have a tumble dryer on constantly or go on foreign holidays just because they can.

We all have an impact on the environment, and the best thng we could do for the planet is to stop having so many children. Or do I get to be morally superior to those of you with three children because I only have two, seeing as how I have created one less person that is likely to want to drive or use air travel in the future? No, I didn't think so.

I drive a Land Rover County because it was difficult to fit a calf and sheep into the boot of a SmartCar.