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.

BoggleGoggles I think your are confusing torque and bhp. Higher bhp results in higher top speed, higher torque faster acceleration, I specifically look at torque when comparing cars for the reasons you assume relate to bhp. My old 2.2l car had lower torque than my current 1.6l and I can accelerate to slip into pretty much any gap

I have a Subaru Forester because I
Live in the middle of nowhere and need to be able to get to work in all weather
Have 2 large dogs
Tow a horse box
It's a very old Forester, so only as big as a modern estate
I have no trouble parking her
I never took her on the school run, was quicker to walk than try and find somewhere to park (my daughter learnt to drive in her)
It drives the same in snow, rain, off road, on road.
It's probably going to live longer than me, had her from new so that was money well spent
Don't know why people buy white ranges which can't leave the Tarmac under any circumstances?

I drive a small Dodge Nitro with a 2.8ltr engine and 18mpg on a good day. I use it to tow large trailers and equipment, it has a 10-ton winch and is very good in deep mud. I have had all manner of 4x4s since 1967 and used them all in deep mud and for towing. You can drill holes in them to fit accessories and with land rovers, you can bolt two more tow bars on the front bumper. Once you get one and learn to drive it you'll never have a car again.

SUV-type vehicles are very popular round here. They are annoying in car parks when they touch almost to the lines of your average supermarket car park space making it hard for anyone next to them to get in or out and when they are parked up on pavements at the side of the road. However, as the driver of a Nissan Micra, I can nearly always find a parking space as my car is the only one small enough to fit in the tiny spaces left between two parked SUVs.

My DH has a Kuga for the following reasons: he is 6'6" and so is much more comfortable in a car that is bigger height-wise and he spends a lot of time in the car, he's an excellent driver and has no problems parking it, we have 2 young DC and the car fits luggage, a pushchair, his work stuff etc etc. I'm happy with my Astra so although I might ferry the DC around more, I don't need lots of boot or headroom space, and I don't spend that much time in it.

Different people have different needs funnily enough!

I got a 3008 as I enjoy camping and wanted to be able to carry more kit! It’s only a 1.2 engine. I get 37mpg which I’m disappointed with, and next time I will probably opt for a smaller more economic car with a trailer for camping gear.

I loved my previous small nippy car especially for country lanes. Nowadays I am constantly having to stop down the narrow lanes near me, especially as there’s so many SUVs to squeeze past!

These big cars are extremely annoying in the city where I live, because there isn't space for them to pass another car on the opposite side of the road, especially in residential streets with cars parked on either side. I find myself having to pull over and let them pass so they don't squash my lovely little mini. Selfish fuckers. (Have not RTFT)

I had one of these massive buggers until a year ago but it was bought originally for off road business use, so I'm exempt from anyone's hatred. It did that amazingly well.

I've always detested them before that, but I loved the fact I could use it for loads of things - it could take any load you chucked at it, tow stuff around the garden (which was a muddy building site), fit seven people in, drive up a massive incline for fun, go through a huge flood (we used to seek those out). And it was huge so when the kids had any row we felt suitably distanced.

I think the last point is the reason to be honest. I bought a convertible after the beast went wrong and need another sensible car, I'm looking around now and much of my criteria fits around being able to have the space to tolerate the kids kicking off at each other in it.

Oh and I could manouvre it but then had to tow with it, there's no way I could get away with being crap at that.

I drive a long wheel base 9 seater van.

Its massive.

I have a lot of kids.

It does have sliding doors though which is amazing

I live in the middle of nowhere. As in, an hour's drive to the nearest Tesco. Loads of tiny dirt roads, we're farmers, the gritters don't come here etc etc
I drive a fiesta. Vast majority of farmers and farming families here don't have 4x4s. The only time you'd need one is if you actually needed to go out on the mountain / pasture, and we always do that on a quad bike. A few farmers might have Isuzu trucks but Range Rovers are generally for people who have settled in the villages and like to pretend they need one.

I love my Range Rover, I do live in the countryside but not on dirt tracks where I use the 4 wheel drive, I just like it to look at. No PCP or finance not that it matters. Love using 1 1/2 spaces at the shops so no one bumps my doors. Sorry not sorry 😃

Eugh

Love using 1 1/2 spaces at the shops so no one bumps my doors. Sorry not sorry

Well you sound like an utter dick.

Sorry not sorry.

I’ve also been noticing a lot of SUVs around, probably because I’ve ordered one myself! I’ve wanted a much bigger car for ages. I’m disabled and use a scooter so I need room for it in the boot. We looked at all the options available and went for a Peugeot 3008, as we could get more for our money! I’m very pleased that it has parking sensors and a rear camera as that will make things much easier for me. It’s being built at the moment but I can’t wait for delivery!

It does have sliding doors though which is amazing

My people carriers had them too. I miss them.

We got an SUV as not many cars fit 3 car seats across the middle. We'd have preferred an estate (we go camping so need a big boot) but we couldn't find anything that would fit 3.

My brother in law drives a huge range rover though, there's just him and his gf and it's just a status symbol (he likes to think he's v important, he's a twat lol, paying about £500 a month, (at least) in finance on the thing!).

My best friends car was purchased with me at least partially in mind. All I can tell you is it’s an suv and it’s bloody amazing in my eyes. Why? Because I’m disabled (back issues) and getting in and out doesn’t make me wish for sudden death to relieve me of the excruciating pain (unlike my dps car which ISNT an suv and I scream with pain getting in and out)

I have no issue with suvs. I like the look and they definitely appeal to me with my disabilities; if I were able to drive I would most definitely be having one.
Lots around where I live now, and I live in a large city.

YANBU I find them really "keeping up with the Jones' " there are loads in the town next to where i live. In my large village almost none.
They often hog 2 parking spaces.
They are too wide for country lanes (especially in Cornwall which is full of them)
Many drivers can't seem to drive them properly
They just seem a bit showy & chavvy. Obviously people who need them for countryside driving aren't using them as a status symbol as such.

We have 4 kids so we need a big car. Agree with you though, people don’t need them unless 7 seats are needed

I have a 4X4 Porsche and live in Central London. I mainly need it to show everyone how rich I am, and it also gives me a better view into people’s living rooms as I drive past. At least I’m a really good driver :)

I'm in an old, close-in suburb of the possible city, where cars park on both sides of the street by day pumpkinspicetime. The residential streets are narrow in both the suburb and in the city. They are actually about the same, width wise and in terms of parked cars on either side, as many of the streets in the video I posted.

This isn't really about 4x4s, but I am curious as to how the speed limit of 30mph on residential streets/restricted roads is justified, and whether defensive driving or horn blowing is the preferred option for UK drivers.

They are annoying in car parks when they touch almost to the lines of your average supermarket car park space making it hard for anyone next to them to get in or out

Absolutely this. And I am a city SUV driver. Drives me insane. Common sense would dictate they need to redo the spacing. Admittedly a number of spaces would be lost but would save so much angst all around.

As well as the reasons I outlined before why I have one, I forgot roominess. Can have adults in the back and everyone has plenty of room front and back, nice and spacious.

The people responding that that they live or work ruraly and genuinely actually need these vehicles probably don't understand the difficulty of coming up against hundreds of them

We only recently moved to country but have had a 4x4 for ages even living in city simply cos of towing and our large dog. Also DP likes to go off road
City or country, the size and 4x4 ability suits our needs better than any sedan ever could. There was no point having a 2nd smaller car registered and running when only dp drives, waste of money.

YANBU. Totally obnoxious when driven in the city and much more dangerous due to decreased visibility and height.