To feel intimidated by expensive cars whilst driving?

[malificent7]

A bit of a generalisation here but I often find BMW, Mercedes, Audi cars etc drive much faster than me...often tailgate me and overtake when I'm on Maxim speed limit.
I feel that a certain kind of go getting person has the money to buy such cars and this is a wflwcted in their driving. This makes no sense I know! I can't help feel intimidated when a beautiful BNW or Mercedes drives behind me. I gave a bimbly Honda jazz!/

While we are at it....it's never those bloody tail gaters who get caught speeding is it?!

Are you a new driver? It may be worth doing a few defensive driving lessons they really give you confidence to drive safely and not let other drivers affect your driving negatively.
I drive a really old volvo 940 so always get over taken even if I'm at the speed limit but I just make sure I'm driving safely. I let people get past and pull over if needed (single lane roads) but don't drive dangerously to give them space etc.

Yes I think people in more powerful cars want to drive faster on the whole but I don't see that as any concern of mine.

Depends where they are tailgating you. If on a motorway, then keep to left hand lane.
In towns unfortunately people do not stick to the 30 mph.
If someone if pissing me off I find a very light touch on the brake pedal, just so the red lights come on, but the momentum of the car keeps it going at the same speed and they back right off. They usually do not want to risk rear ending you in their expensive car. [car]

I drive an expensive car but I don't drive like a twat. It is not the cars that are an issue but the twatty drivers. Just ignore them and drive your car sensibly.

If you're on a single lane at 30 or 40 then just stick to the limit and let them be. If you're on the motorway and in the middle or outside lane doing 70 then find a safe gap to move back inside and let them get on their way.

I don't find it anything to do with the the sorts of car. Plenty of people who drive batters old fords, nissans, Skodas etc drive just as badly and inconsiderately.

It's the worst thing about being on the road...other drivers.

And just for some background, I've had old bangers, posh expensive cars, sporty little speedy cars etc etc and love driving. I think you need to work on finding your confidence on the road.

I find using the washer fluid makes them back off.

I agree with you, ANYTIME I'm tailgated or aggressively overtaken 9/10 it's an Audi or bmw driver. I love these cars but I'd never get one now in case it turns me in to a dick driver!

I find using the washer fluid makes them back off.

I do this!!

OP, it's not just you! My route to work (very windy roads) has a 40 limit and I drive around 37/8.
It's a busy route and I often end up with (usually more powerful, expensive) cars close behind me. It's intimidating & I end of concentrating on them as well as the road ahead. not every driver does this because many know the road - it's dangerous with sharp bends.
I think it's easier to drive fast in these cars as they don't make the same noise as an older car- the drivers don't realise how fast they are going. Oh, and some of them are driven by twats.

I drive a new merc and don’t drive like that. What speed are you driving at though?

What drives me nuts is people dawdling along 30mph in a 50 zone

Not intimidated... but aware I'd rather they were in front of me than behind. I will even pull over & let the prats by. Life is too short to worry about someone who doesn't understand the dangers of tailgating. It's not about expensive, is it? People can be pushy prats in any car with a powerful enough engine.

SUVs... many of them have terrible visibility so that's another type car I'm wary of if driven by bolshy person.

Are you nervous about motorway driving in general and manoeuvring? You need to always ensure you get back in the slow lane immediately after you have passed the vehicle in front and not hundreds of meters later and also make your manoeuvre into the middle lane only shortly before you intend to overtake. Dense traffic is different of course.

There are a lot of middle lane hoggers, who don’t need to be there. Many drivers dawdle along and take forever to move out of the way. This pattern of driving makes the fast lane and to some extent the middle one more dangerous than necessary even without some idiots tailgating. If you are being tailgated, perhaps you’re not doing this. I don’t tailgate myself but I can absolutely see how easy it is for people to lose control of their senses and do so. There are also idiots, who tailgate anyone in their path even if there are cars in front of the tailgated car.

Perhaps it would be useful for you to have a few lessons with an instructor to build your confidence. As a driver of a small car, if you are in any accident with a larger and more high end car, you will fare far worse than the other driver. I would urge you to protect yourself even if it is a financial strain to do so.

My MIL used to tailgate in her vauxhall. While talking at 90 to the dozen. Bloody terrifying for her passengers as well as the car in front!

I drive a Mercedes, I don't tailgate and I tend not to speed. I'm also an advanced driver.

I have however been tailgated or over taken by some idiot and I can assure you it's not specific to Higher end cars.

Either you're a new driver, or you've a chip on your shoulder, or both. What you've posted is a little bit silly.

I drive one of those cars but hopefully don’t drive like an idiot but I have noticed that I can pull out and speed up much quicker than in my old ford so do come up behind people quicker than I used to when pulling away but I never tailgate and only ever overtake on the motorway

I’m not intimidated by them but as a fellow Jazz driver I know where you are coming from. I think a certain percentage of drivers have an expectation of Jazz drivers ie, they are older and slow and they behave in a certain way. Things happen to me whilst driving the Jazz that don’t when I drive our other larger car and it does piss me off but Ive learned to live with it.

Also I have noticed a pattern of very poor behaviour from some Audi and BMW drivers, Mercedes not so bad. However I am as bad as they are with stereotyping and now will not stop to let them out as I would with other drivers so I figure it’s swings and roundabouts.

I drive an old shed of a car that looks like it should be driven by a boy racer. I find that nice cars keep their distance but the police sometimes take a second look!

What I've noticed is that people cut you up and pull out in front of you etc a lot more depending on what you're driving. We have two cars, one of which is a Micra. When I'm driving that, I encounter more people (in bigger, flashier cars) acting like total dicks.

It annoys me on many levels. Why do people, when driving around town, think "Oh I'll pull out even though this Micra is coming" when they wouldn't if it were a BMW? I get that a micra isn't a fast car, but it's just as capable as the BWM of doing the speeds you can do around town. Pisses me off.

(Crossed post with post)

I'm an old lady in a very hot hatch. I find that often it's the other way around, the boy racers try to outrun me, and people in old bangers try to cut me up, then pull in and slow right down, as if they're trying to slow me down. Most of the time I'm just driving along in a perfectly normal way, minding my own business.

I think I feel a bit more nervous around pricey cars as they seem more often to be driven aggressively, like the owners can't take the presence of my clunky Nissan Note. I am aware that's a bit irrational and yes, I know many of you drive expensive cars well.

I hate parking next to expensive cars, as those are the only ones I have had experience of owners having a go because your car door lightly touched theirs when you got out and stuff like that, and I am nervous of damaging them as well.

I feel that a certain kind of go getting person has the money to buy such cars and this is a wflwcted in their driving

That's a bit of a generalisation if ever I saw one! I'm one of your so called go getting expensive car driving people and it certainly doesn't reflect in my driving.

I find the people who do this are drivers of Black Range Rovers - the proper big ones - are the worst, followed by Audi’s and BMWs. Many of them drive badly on the country lanes around here where it is not safe to go fast. If they are really annoying I go slower and slower until they back off or overtake - not on motorways obviously, my car is fast but I know how not to drive like a moron.

I'm with you OP, and I've been driving 15 years plus. Nothing to do with your confidence/competence and everything to do with that certain type of person who buys themselves an Audi (it's always an Audi- sporty one, generally not the estate car drivers) then suddenly think they have superior driving ability to everyone else on the road and the divine right to tailgate/speed/force others out of the right hand lane.

Two in Audi's yesterday so I feel your pain. I'm much more cautious since having a child. This is probably limiting my tolerance a bit.

I drive an expressive car and bought it for its speed. I like a fast car...but you've got as much right to the road as anyone, unless you are driving like an idiot. Lots of cars are leased so people don't actually own them!