To not understand the obsession with SUVs/4x4s?

[GinDaddy]

I'm genuinely curious to hear people's views below. Nearly every parent I know in my area has a 4x4 car of some sort. That's dozens of folk. The car parks at our local supermarket are covered in the things.

My AIBU is to ask, what is the obsession with these things? Why are they the "default" choice for parents now, considering so many folk can't park them properly, and our roads aren't set up for them?

I watched in amused horror yesterday as a lady with a Vauxhall Grandland X (yep...me neither) tried to park head-first in a bay in our local supermarket. The width of the thing was the issue, but once "parked", the rear of the car was practically touching the front of the neighbouring vehicle.

It was just absurd. Why is this car any better than an Astra estate, or in the same price category, a Skoda Octavia estate, both of which are narrower and better on fuel, and the Skoda which has extraordinary amounts of luggage capacity and legroom?

I think the answer is simple, it's an image thing. People feel their life is more exciting with DCs if they're in something that looks like it could climb a mountain at the weekend.

Only problem is, my DW and I find public car parks absurd at the moment as I find more and more of these hideous things parked terribly at every juncture.

The beauty of living in a capitalist economy is the prerogative of choice, helped by dollops of PCP finance handed out by every car dealer, meaning anyone can get into a boxy car on stilts.

But for goodness sake can people learn how to drive and park these things if they're going to be bought by everyone? Driving down streets with parked cars on either side is a game of "my car is bigger than yours, so move over", which is just embarrassing.

NOTE: I have no issues with envy here; we have a 6-year old estate car from a well known Bavarian marque with a three letter acronym. I don't ride 2mm off people's bumpers, and it serves our family's needs well.

What an unoriginal thread . . . but then what else can you expect from a BMW driver.

@Bluntness100

What is this, gaslighting school?

I meant it’s embarrassing for the insecure people who refuse to reverse.

I’m not embarrassed by my choice of car.

Goodness...

@WonderWomansSpin

Poor attempt at goading... this has been a reasonable discussion, I respect everyone’s viewpoint. And hundred of posts seem to indicate that people don’t find this a tired topic.

What an unoriginal thread
No more unoriginal than:
My child said they did nothing. Should I call Ofsted or demand to see the head.

I bought non uniform items and are furious someone has told me they're not uniform

I had unprotected sex. Am I pregnant?

Here's some photos of an unclear (at best) test. Do you see lines?

My neighbour thinks they own the road in front of their house.

My neighbour has ruined the silence in my garden. Should I call the council or the police?

Harry and Meghan stepped outside (insert hate/love comment as appropriate)

@GinDaddy

I also do not get it. Unless you live halfway up a mountain, (or in a remote area,) you don't NEED one.

I live in a rural area with winding roads, that is 1.5 to 2 miles from the nearest small-ish B-road, and we have a fairly ordinary hatchback car.

And after 10 years here, we have only been trapped in the village for 3 or 4 days. And they were all in the winter of 2017/18. (Beast from the East etc...) And HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!! the 4 X 4 Chelsea Tractors could not get out of the village EITHER.

In the majority of cases, it's all for show, and for people to feel important and special. Bit sad really. Must be insecure, and lacking something in their lives. The majority of people I have encountered who own a 4 X 4 (and do not live in a remote area,) are arrogant, showy gits, trying to make out they're something they're not. (The 'wannabe' middle-classes...)

And no I am not envious. If I wanted one I would get one. I don't live halfway up a mountain though, so won't be getting one anytime soon.

The reason 4 x 4 drivers are disliked, is shag-all to to with 'envy,' it's because they're nearly all arrogant gits who tailgate, overtake on bends, and act like they own the roads!

@HMArsey

4x4s are more likely to kill or severely injure pedestrians in an impact than normal sized cars. They reduce visibility for drivers of normal sized cars.

Unless you live somewhere remote they're a selfish lifestyle choice.

This. ^

I live just on the edge of Leicester city centre, not a field or dirt track in sight and probably 50% of the cars that are driven by school parents are bright white or shiny black SUVs, no other colours, never any mud on them and 5 seaters not 7.

They are a status thing, and lots of the people that have them seem to have real problems parking them.

It's interesting how car choice is only about the person driving and not about the wider social impact. Driving a larger, more powerful vehicle brings additional risk to the roads, as well as the environment. so I'm not sure it should just be a "personal" choice when you're going to be using these things in a public space.

I wasn't goading. I was stereotyping owners of a particular type of vehicle . . .which is exactly the point of your thread.

Hi OP no I've not looked at that vehicle but my dad only ever drove Toyotas and I've always trusted his opinion

In our case in our old car we were at HGV wheel height and in the accident, at the point our car finally came to a stop, at HGV headlight level. So although our SUV isn't as high as many we do feel safer.

Bluebell

I drive a Range Rover. I live on a housing estate with no sign of mountains or rough terrain anywhere in the local vicinity. We initially bought it because my dh likes big powerful cars (where as I always liked small nippy cars). We were thinking of down sizing the car, however a family member had a serious road accident which has left her with brain damage. She drove a small car and the force of the other car hitting her caused the entire left hand side of the car to concertina in which contributed to her serious head injury. After witnessing what she's gone through we have decided to continue buying big cars as small cars have given us the jitters now.

@WonderWomansSpin

Nope... nope

The point of my thread wasn’t to stereotype 4x4 drivers.

It was to start a debate (which 200+ posts has happened) around the prevalence of these cars and why they’re so popular; and whether they are always entirely necessary.

I was honest from the start about what I drive. You can use it as the cornerstone of a lazy joke, but please don’t tell me what my post was about as I’ve stated the thesis here and elsewhere in the thread

I have a 4x4. An old one. Owned outright. I don't like small cars. I have two kids and large imported car seat and one disabled car seat and two disabled pushchairs. Two big dogs. I can park it in nearly any space and have found that where I live (relatively rural) that I am the one forced of the road by smaller cars avoiding bumps or pot holes. I have also rescued a flat bed lorry after he reversed in a ditch.
I like the visibility and less strain on my back. I also may add that I have never been stuck due to anything as I know how to use my low box ( permanent 4x4). It's also easy and affordable to fix and spares are plentiful.

Some people just don't like low down cars and also prefer the visibility from higher up. Some like the practicality of it.
On the parking. I know my vehicle so I can park it anywhere, I have also witnessed people struggling with Fiat 500's and other estates etc so it's not just bigger cars, it's all to do with the competency of the driver.

A 4x4 is pretty good on potholed roads. Due to local government cuts to fix potholes I can see the sense.

I drive an ancient diesel SUV. We live in a rural area and cannot afford anything else.

I need something that can tow my horse box and caravan, and is big enough to put bales of hay etc in.

yes maybe that’s because it’s a shiny new work car and they think you’re one of them! Mine is new but rarely clean, let alone shiny. I don’t find it gets any more respect than dsds initially, more that when they get close enough they realise they can’t intimidate me with size.

I find the vehicle that provokes the most courtesy is the very old farm 4x4. Unlike the bigger horsebox it’s faster and more manoeuvrable. And as it looks like it hasn’t been cleaned since 1970, and it’s body work is battered, dick head drivers seem to recognise that threatening to drive me off road is somewhat pointless. Not to mention that barring a hgv or a tractor, anyone trying to do so would then be needing me to tow the crumpled wreckage of their vehicle from whichever ditch it bounced off into.

Generally I find stopping, switching off the engine, putting on the hazards and picking up a paper is the easiest way to deal with dickheads intent on their (wrong) right of way.

Although we do have a 4wd suv, specifically to cope with the snow in winter ours is one of the smaller ones. No one would class ours as a chelsea tractor. I checked the sizing against the 2 cars mentioned on the first page and it is both narrower and shorter than both of them. We do get more boot space than our previous hatch but we get that due to the height rather than length or width. I guess my car is not one of the ones you are referring to.

I also do not get it. Unless you live halfway up a mountain, (or in a remote area,) you don't NEED one

I use mine to tow the horse box all over the place and to access the farm when there's extreme weather. Without it I wouldn't be able to do those things, so yes, I NEED one. And don't even get me started on people who assume because I'm a blonde woman I can't park it; I am renowned for my parking skills.

I don't drive mine for the badge or for any kind of show-offiness. I just liked the car, could afford it and it suited our needs. Have to say the fact that so many people are sniffy about other people's vehicles is odd, though, as though it impacts upon any of them or says something about the driver other than "I want to get from here to here".

I live in a large town in South East. We are riddled with Chelsea tractors. They are a status symbol and a massive pain in the arse - use up too much room parking, environmentally shite.

I grew up in way out in the countryside at times a 4x4/SUV would have been great. The other 340-ish days of the year the thing would have been no better than a normal car.

Heck, my first car was a 20-year old polo and it drove perfectly well through miles of mud on several occasions and made it through three moves across countries, with all my belongings squashed into it.

We do have a nice new-ish car these days but really, I am with you - 90% of the people driving them, do not need them. Honestly, I think they should only be sold if people can prove they need them.

I drive a Honda hrv which is smaller in length and width than our previous Ford Focus.

Good gods, people saying they're allowed to drive SUVs because it's not Communist Russia! "I work hard and deserve it"!

You sound like Americans talking about guns... Such utter bollocks.

we got one because we camp lots and have a big dog so the big boot is useful.

i'm not keen though, it's cumbersome.

i am very good at parking (even if i do say so myself) but yeah, it's ridiculously large in narrow spaces / lanes

we also live in the countryside but never had a problem in the last 20 years with small hatchbacks, i've never once been stuck in snow or on a pothole. i used to drive a MX5 and that was A OK in the countryside i don't buy the "i live five miles from a field so i need one"

fudge yes, I’d like to know where all these small hatchbacks are that tow horses in trailers. Awaiting roadside assistance I imagine. Or is it just the same ignorance that leads people to think their 2ltr short wheelbase, lightweight golf can tow a fair sized caravan because it has a big engine and accelerates fast.

"Have to say the fact that so many people are sniffy about other people's vehicles is odd, though, as though it impacts upon any of them"

It does impact on us though - because we can't see past you at junctions, badly parked SUVs take up too much space in carparks, and if you hit us we're more likely to be killed.

Very much our business.