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.

It's a bit of an arms race set up when folk start buying bigger and bigger cars so they are safer in a crash. I can see why they do it, but don't understand why they can't see the bigger picture...

I agree with you OP. We live on the outskirts of London and every other bugger drives an SUV. I just can’t understand it. It must be a nightmare for the school run, parking etc. It would be a constant source of anxiety for me Give me my Ford Focus any day.

This thread is mental

I got knocked off my bike by a stereotypical small blonde expensive-looking woman driving an SUV on the school run. Totally her fault. She came to my door with a bunch of Aldi reduced price flowers and a £10 note to cover the damage to my bike.

So now I hate all SUVs on the school run or driving through a town or city centre. Unless it's muddy and has actually seen the countryside. Then I don't mind so much.

I drive a Discovery. I like being high up and it feels nice and safe (a bit like a tank and I wouldn’t ever worry about ice/snow). It never goes near a mountain or mud lol.

Actually it parks itself with a press of a button.

If I’m in a rush and going somewhere with a small car park, I borrow the nanny car (a smaller SUV). I know, I know, such a cliche 😆

It's a bit of an arms race set up when folk start buying bigger and bigger cars so they are safer in a crash. I can see why they do it, but don't understand why they can't see the bigger picture

Although my car has a 5* rating despite not being huge.

There's 4x4s and 4x4s. A functional utility vehicle with a purpose is fine, but there are a lot obstructing the roads for no good reason other than being trendy (far too shiny and suburban, not that many horseboxes and caravans to tow in the area, and it's not a snowed up country lane area either.

I changed car fairly recently. I had what had traditionally been a mid-sized family car, but was increasingly feeling small. I needed a bigger car to accommodate the DCs' increasing leg room as I expect the car to get them through their teenage years, and I needed more luggage space to deal with things like scout camps.

Buying second hand, I'm at the mercy of what is currently avaliable. Traditionally, I'd have been looking at estate cars, but there are so few of them and they are comparatively expensive due to lack of supply. I've ended up with a 7 seater MPV as that's what was there, met my requirements for internal space and what was physically comfortable for me to drive.

Looking at the new car show rooms for research, the cars on display were predominantly SUVs. No mid-size, no estates (or the hatch versions), some small cars. This will sway people's choices as people are much more likely to buy what they see.

Going to the car "supermarket" the salesman saw "mother" and directed me to a Juke. I humoured him knowing it wasn't what I wanted but thinking it was the quickest way to kill that discussion. Big chunky exterior, but the internals are just another Focus/ Astra/ Golf which is what I needed to upsize from. It was unpleasantly claustrophic anyway.

Over the last couple of years, it was getting increasingly frustrating driving a mid-size car as I couldn't see over the bonnets of the hump-mobiles. Unfortunately their acceleration was much better than mine, so if one was obstructing my view at a busy junction, I was stuck until they moved. Larger vans/ buses/ trucks aren't a problem as they pull off slower and there is sufficient length to pull off alongside them, knowing that they are between you and whatever is on the other side. Getting a car with a higher driving position has solved that problem from my perspective. I don't think mine is too problematic for others as the bonnet is more sloped and not a huge square on the front, therefore not a huge visual block.

Unfortunately the trendy (rather than functional end) of the 4x4/ SUV market does tend to attract wanky drivers and show off poor parking skills.

@BogglesGoggles

Your driving style is actually scary and I'm surprised you've yet to have a crash.

You drive onto a motorway and go from 40 to 70 as fast as you can, regardless of other people basically forcing your way on. I've seen your type before, force your way onto a motorway as quick as possible. What do you plan on doing from 70 if the car in front of you suddenly needs to do an emergency stop and you're trying to force your way onto the road? With your 4x4, you're likely to kill the person in front.

Thanks for your 'advice' /nonsense, but I'll stick to how I drive which is in a way that won't eventually kill someone.

By the way, I drive a 1.4 clio on the m25 with everyone doing 70 or higher it seemed. Had no issues. Maybe you need some lessons?

*drove not drive. Damn autocorrect.

I don't mind people having big cars, as long as they can drive and park them properly and considerately. This is often not the case

We have one, weather is dreadful we're we live and road surface so 4x4 is needed along with 7 seats.
We could have got an estate but I prefer the higher driving position.
I don't think they are any harder to park than an estate having owned both.
Obviously a mini is easier but doesn't work so well with family, dog stage of life.
But car fashions come and go. I'm sure this one will too.

As I posted earlier - i have an old, battered 4x4. I live in the middle of nowhere. My car has ensured that animals got feed, neighbours got to hospital appointment (only one so far, but it was important), we got food into the old folk and my next door neighbour spent all day for several days ferrying people back and forward to docs appointments, sbopping, etc., in his 4x4.
In the country, they are essential. In towms and cities, my gut reaction is eh??? But, never having lived there, I might be a numptie😁

@SudowoodoVoodoo

This is all so very true about what’s available on used market, and also about the arms race of needing to be higher up now due to almost one in three cars being on stilts

Boot space, higher driving position, towing ability. I bloody love mine and find it far easier to park than my dm's Peugeot 308 for example.

Oh, and I don't live rurally anymore, go off road etc. I just like them 🤷‍♀️. And yes, I have a 'proper' 4x4.

I “need” a 7 seater and I like to be high up. I’m planning on downsizing now ds1 has passed his test as I need the 7 seats only infrequently but I will still get something highish. I know someone with a Fiat panda who is shit at parking, it’s not wholly a if you drive a big car you can’t drive thing.

Almost all modern cars are far larger than their equivalents were 40 years ago. I know this because we have planning for a double garage granted when the house was built (1979). We've never bothered to build it because the available footprint is two feet too short and two feet too narrow for two estate cars. Today's Mini dwarfs the 1960s original, as does the Fiat 500.

I have a mitsubishi outlander, bought recently, has I own a small woodland, so it is actually used off road! It's a million times easier to work than my last car (Peugeot 807) though I didn't have a problem parking that either ....

YANBU - every other fucker where I live has a Range Rover or Land Rover Discovery.

Some of them aren't even all that roomy inside.

Like really, you only buy a Range Rover Evoque for posing in don't you? It literally has no other purpose! 😂

I once parked next to an SUV in a busy supermarket car park, I was beautifully in the lines (if I do say so myself!) My car is a Peugeot 206 so quite small.

The SUV family came back to their car as I was getting ready to head out. As their car was right on the line and I had parked next to them (well within my space) they were moaning very loudly about MY parking as they couldn't get in without a struggle.

They then noticed I was still in the car and promptly shut the hell up

www.theaa.com/car-buying/depreciation

@BogglesGoggles

I lease my car. I put three years worth of payments in a high interest account to gather interest whilst covering the monthly cost. After three years I've paid around 50% of the cost of the car. Depreciation is around 60% generally. I then repeat with a new car. I'd much rather not tie my money up for so long.

Like really, you only buy a Range Rover Evoque for posing in don't you? It literally has no other purpose!

"Literally has no other purpose?" Really? It transports people from A to B. That is a purpose.

I’m not sure about bad parking, but I must admit to being mildly miffed when I come out of the supermarket to find myself hemmed in by one of these behemoths. Some of them are absolutely huge! The parking spaces are simply to small for a lot of them. My car is very low and being a coupe has wide doors. It’s fine to get in and out of when a regular sized car is parked next to it, but not a tank! My boobs are on the ginormous side and I have to slide in sideways crushing them on the way - not very graceful! So no, yanbu!

Oh, and I drive a T Roc, which is a 1L engine but is much faster than my DHs 2L Tiguan!

To get to the original post, in my experience, most SUV drivers that I know admit to just wanting the status of a specific car, i.e. They are Instagram influenced rather than led by needs and economy.

@Propertyofhood

I love Landrover in general, but even I think the Evoques, and Velars for that matter, are an abomination. Not keen on the Disco Sport either, the Freelander2 was far far better.