AIBU to think driving a big car is easier than a little car?

[blowingraspberries]

I've yet to pass my test (I know, I know) but hope to in the next month or so.

We currently have a fiat 500 but as DC2 arrived this year it's not that practical, although I love it & feel comfortable driving it.

DH & I are Londoners & live 12 mins from the tube/high street & 5 mins from nursery/school so we don't actually drive that much. DH wants to get a big car & sell the fiat. AIBU to think I will struggle to drive a big car? It will be automatic but probably 5 yrs old so not self driving!

I much prefer big cars, in the UK I had a Discovery, since moving to the US I have a Ford Expedition which is probably twice the size of the Discovery and I love it

I've owned 2 Zafiras (which I find quite small), and my previous car was a Galaxy - that one was automatic, and an absolute doddle to drive. You quickly get used to it. I loved it.

Ok giving me so hope I'll adjust. 'm worried I'll cause a blockage in a busy road or won't find parking.

Much easier! I've owned a 'super mini' type car, several estates and a couple of 4x4.

Big cars are so much easier, 4x4 have such good visibility you can see everything, despite being an experienced driver I found taking the small car on the motorway terrifying, it didn't have a lot of power and it used to roll about in the tram lines made by lorry tyres on the inside lane so on certain bits of motorway I had to sit in the middle lane to avoid them, that's not who I am as a person but the car would lurch alarmingly round the inside lane in the 'ruts'.

I much prefer small cars. I'm in a city and they are just so much more practical.

Not looking forward to having to have a big one when dd3 is out her maxi cosi.

I own a micra and a 4x4 honestly they both have different ways they are easier. 4x4 is a clearer view, starring is very light, easy to see. Micra small, gets into small gaps easily. I wouldn't say there's much in which one I prefer to drive.

I prefer a small car, definitely. I drive a Fiat and DP has a transit. I can drive both but much prefer mine. It's smaller, much easier to reverse (which is vital around here - lots of single-track country lanes) and I can find a lot more parking spaces than he can!

But it's what your used to and what you need. DP uses his van for work and for transporting his hobby stuff around, so my little Fiat would be useless for him. He likes driving it and hates my car!

I prefer a smaller car, simply because it's easier to find a parking space.

I've had a tiny sportscar and a landrover defender. The small car is much, much easier to drive & park! Also fast as hell

Bigger is much easier. Worst car I ever had was a Corsa. And I felt much more vulnerable in it, used to get bullied by other drivers and I’m far from a wallflower behind the wheel!

I am in London and have a wee Soda Cities (we are a family of 4). It's cheap to run, easy to park and easy to manager round narrow streets.

We have a very big car (4DC) and a very small one. Other motorists are much nicer to you on the road in a bigge car. I get overtaken and tailgated in the small one all the time. The smaller one is a dream to park though and I love nipping about in it.

Visibility wise, bigger is much easier.

I like a big car, but then I live in a fairly rural area and need something to cope with the country lanes. I drive an SUV (Volvo XC60) and love it, I'm also shit hot at parking (and have sensors which help) but I do have to discount parking spaces sometimes as they're just not wide enough or long enough. Also due to the larger turning circle multi-storey car parks can be awkward.

If I lived in a city though I'd prefer a smaller car - easier to park and zip around in; not too small though as I don't like being too low down and too light or you get buffeted around a bit on the motorway.

I drive a Honda CR-V and its a doddle. Light as a feather and easy to manoeuvre. Bigger cars also often have good parking sensors and rear cameras. Sitting high with large windows gives much better view or the road and feels safer all round.

We know some people involved in a nasty smash in a fiat 500 and they were very lucky to survive, it crumpled so badly.

I should add that we've not long had the small car and managed just fine with the big one. I wouldn't fancy squeezing 2 DC into a fiat 500 all the time so that's something to think about. Also, do you have to drive to visit family etc? You need a car big enough to take all the stuff if so (or a roofbox or both!)

I'm mystified that anyone would think bigger is easier.

Yes you can see further if high-up in an SUV, but I have no issue with how far I can see in an ordinary car, I don't see how it would help to be able to see over the top of a few non-SUV's, when that happens to be what's in front of me.

I can think of lots of situations where a big car will be more difficult. For example, a Range Rover is too wide to fit through my garage door. A Jaguar length car can take more back-and-forth than a shorter one, to turn around in limited space.

If the big car had surround cameras, that would make it easier, but it's easier because of the cameras, not because it's big.

Or you could go for something medium sized.I think I'd find a 4x4 too big - my golf estate seems to me a good compromise on load carrying without being massive. DHs is a volvo v40 which is smaller but very safe and fab fuel economy... its build quality means it doesn't feel small.

Ease of driving isn't so much the size as factors like not being underpowered, good visibility (I'll include in that parking sensors/camera) and whether the type of car you have makes certain other road users behave like dangerous dicks.

I like small for parking reasons, but I found that having a bigger car in the first few years after passing has made me a better driver and a lot more confident. I know some people who will not drive their partners cars as they are too big.

I learned to drive in a corsa, and hated how small it was. Our family car was an estate at the time, so when I passed my test I jumped straight into driving that. A few months passed, and we needed a new car so got a 4x4. Couldn't imagine driving anything smaller than that now. Definitely easier to drive than the previous two before. Don't worry if you don't find it comfortable to drive straight away, practice is all you'll need.

I prefer smaller. We are looking to downsize to just one car when we retire and I won't go bigger than Focus sized car. Small cars are much easier to park

I can't park for shit, at least in my bigger car I have an excuse for not being able to get into spaces

I have a big car - not an SUV but a large estate. It is perfect for us and I do enjoy driving it, but if I had to regularly park on the road in the city I think I would get a smaller one.

Table I do like the visibility of a 4x4, we had a x5 as a courtesy car for a few weeks but it was Sooo big. We do not take the fiat on the moterway, feel too vulnerable in it.

Funkin luckily all family is here in London & my mum is only a 15 min walk, great for babysitting!

The other issue I have is we are thinking of having another child so we would technically then need a car with space for 3 child seats. Hence why DH wants to bite the bullet and go big now.

In an ideal world I would keep the fiat 500 for myself & the kids could just crawl, walk, hang onto the roof will I zip about it 😁

No way! I have a BMW X5 in Zone 2 London and hate it. I break out in a sweat every time I have to park it on a narrow street or underground car park.