Poxy Chelsea Tractor Brigade

[fuzzynavel]

Don't even need to ask if I'm being unreasonable because I know I'm not.

These ridiculous tanklike constructions being driven around London is just damn selfish.

Do these people think that "rough terraine" is just round the corner from Fulham High Street or something.

Good idea, kenobi.

Sadly, we've used up all the rhino foetuses in the Aga.

i have a discovery because: it fits 3 kids comfortably in the back seat, has 2 additional seats which we use often for transporting family & kids' friends around, and we holiday in england so need lots of boot space for carting buggies/bikes/suitcases/coolboxes etc in.

i'd love a small car for doing the school run/shopping/general weekday stuff in, but can't justify the expense of 2 cars.

My Landy was in the garage yesterday morning the bastards mechanics gave me a small Toyota.

No offence or nuffink, but I was cut up, pulled out front of, and generally felt abused when I got back home. THAT doesn't happen in the LR.

I know how to drive, I can't bear those that are too inept or lazy to park properly. I refuse to drive to school unless absolutely necessary due to the general standard of some of the mummywagon drivers. They are DANGEROUS.

We need (because I shop a lot we have 2 step teens, 1 toddler, 2 big dogs and a baby on the way), like and can afford our tank. We did look at other options, but not many cars have a large enough boot to accommodate dogs and buggy which also looks like a tank. But, dh has got himself a nice little polo to get to work, although the tank manages better mpgs :o.

I don't think its fair to judge all 4x4 drivers because of the small percentage you have encountered.

mrsravelstein, in all honesty if you did buy a cheap second car for general stuff, you would find it pays for itself in petrol very quickly. You are burning money.

I know for a fact that my friend's Discovery costs more than £150 a pop to fill up at the garage (compared to my Passat's £91) and I get about 51 miles to the gallon compared to her 34-40. So a journey to Cornwall costs me about £140, it costs her about £250, and if you were doing it in fuzzynavel's fiesta (or another runaround) it would probably cost less than £100.

ooh loads near me too in N London, particularly mums of the private school kids. We have one next to our school and the parents drive them so dangeriously - I fear for my children's lives sometimes. hate them with a passion because theyre so unnecessary, Not sure why people even need to drive to school in London.

and I have more than 3 kids and a pushchair and I don't need one.

foolserrand unfortunately the stats (see Nice's post) bear out the fact a lot of 4x4 drivers ain't the best.

I can't comment on your driving, but it's food for thought.

Re my previous post, I'm very well aware that petrol prices vary from garage to garage and area so these are very rough figures.

I'm for an addition to the driving test when you purchase a 4 x 4...

retiredgoth2's argument still seems the best for defence so far.

I live in London, and I drive a Landrover.. because I bloody well want to. Nobody else pays my insurance, fuel or road tax, I pay it myself, and I am more than capable of parking it in a normal parking space too.

So yes OP, YABU. :)

I only wish they'd invent a 4x4 which has reverse gear and is capable of being squeezed into the hedge so that my car isn't the only one to have a macerated passenger side.

There is one around here, I see sometimes, it's a white range rover with gold grilles on the front and other pits picked out in gold.

Footballers-wives-tastic!

I think they're a bit ostentatious personally (even the non gold ones). I can see the appeal though of being high up and feeling invincible - but as someone who mainly walks I hate the fact that when you're crossing around here you often can't see what's coming as they are so high and big you can't see over/around them. Actually that complaint applies when driving as well.

Bits picked out in gold
Although having glimpsed the driver I wouldn't be surprised if her pits were picked out in gold too!

I too live in West London and my life is plagues by the fuckers! YANBU.

I spent a week in the countryside recently - Fiat 500's were extremely popular with the country set - which made me LAUGH!!!! Return to West London to be surrounded by the huge 4x4's!

Well good for you squeaky, but are you able to get it down a narrow street when two normal cars can get by but not an enormous one and a normal one?

Cos the laws of physics say not.

"compared to my Passat's £91"
Gulp!!! It costs me £50 to fill my Focus.

kenobi

Tell your friend to keep her 4x4 out of Cornwall - we have enough of the things here already! :)

On a general point, the fallacy that 4x4s are somehow intrinsically "safer" that ordinary cars is worryingly widespread - safety is much more than simply being better protected after you have crashed!

Because of their sheer bulk, most 4x4s have greatly inferior handling to almost all modern car and are therefore much less likely to be able to avoid an accident in the first place, even allowing for the better visibility - which is no use anyway because most drivers don't seem to be able to look very far ahead.

Not hittng something in the first place is the safest option.

kenobi, we looked at getting a 2nd one but the finances don't add up.

the disco costs £100 to fill up, about 3 times a month, which is horrendous, but even if i got a fiesta and saved, say £150 a month on fuel, it would take several years to actually break even on paying for the fiesta itself plus road tax/insurance/servicing. in a few years' time we won't need such a big car because we won't be trying to fit 2 large baby seats and a 10 year old in the back.

I have a citroen grand picasso because: it fits 3 kids comfortably in the back seat, has 2 additional seats which we use often for transporting family & kids' friends around, and we holiday in england so need lots of boot space for carting buggies/bikes/suitcases/coolboxes etc in. and we've got a big dog too

Oh and, much as I think a Discovery would be lovely, and we could afford one if we wanted to, there's no way we could justify spending that much money when the citroen does the job perfectly well for a fraction of the price.

Bunbaker Thank you for making my point so beautifully. £50!!! sob.

MrsR fair enough. But I do think it's food for thought - the fuel costs of those big heavy cars is criminal.

I saw a RR going about 110 on the motorway the other day (man driving) and I just thought... you mug. You're going to have to fill up again in about 50 miles, and you'll lose all the advantage you've gained by exceeding the speed limit so dramatically.

You're going to get to London less than 10 mins before me, and £100+ lighter in the pocket.

this is worth listening to

I have a very old 90 which I love. I love driving it, I love the fact my DH spent two and a half years rebuilding it for me, I love the fact it's smaller than my Volvo and cheaper to run. I could give you the usual excuses I work on a farm, I have three children but I can't be arsed

I don't have to make excuses for my decisions to anyone. I pay my own road tax and insurance and will drive whatever the hell I like

"I live in London, and I drive a Landrover.. because I bloody well want to."

I just love the arrogance that comes with the ownership of these cars. (Puts wooden spoon away and ducks to hide from the flack)

Sigh.

For everyone who has said "I pay my road tax so I'll do what I like,", there is no such thing as road tax and hasn't been for donkey's years. What you have on the front of your car is vehicle excise duty. It is related to the amount of emmisions your car produces among other things, hence why electric cars don't have to pay it (or bikes for that matter).

The money from this disc does not go to build and maintain roads.

It's explained better here: www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2011/nov/22/cycling-road-tax-confused

Iscreamtea - that was our view. We dont use car every day- just for longer trips holidays etc. nice though some of these cars are they are impractical and expensive (ESP when not used most days( and a Vw sharan does job (we have 2 dc plus dsc ).