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.

'I want it and I can afford, it stuff everyone else'

One might say the same about OP’s car.

The obsession with 4x4s while ignoring estates, MPVs and large sedans which often have larger physical footprints (OP’s BMW estate is about 20cm longer than my car and at the very most only 2cm narrower) and similar or higher emissions is really interesting.

To clarify I am talking about vehicles in general ....it is inefficient to lug 2 tons of metal around with you wherever you go, we should be be incentivising people to drive smaller more efficient vehicles, we need to stop the arms race towards ever bigger vehicles since it is counterproductive

That’s a more coherent position, for sure.

I don’t agree with you on the efficiency question on an individual rather than community level, and that’s the rub, isn’t it? We live our lives as individuals with individual pressures and needs, as well as members of a community.

If more shares low-carbon transport can become truly efficient for people as individuals that will solve a hell of a lot of problems. It’s not an easy nut to crack, even in a densely-populated small country like the UK.

It is a very tough nut to crack, everyone wants to have the amount and type of vehicles which are most convenient for them ....but no one wants gridlock
Gridlock is very inconvenient

I drove up the M1 and M6 and back this week. I’d say 2/3 of the vehicles were lorries and vans. Why not campaign for most freight to go by rail; and take all that off the roads? Many accidents involving bikes seem to be with lorries in London at least?

To clarify I am talking about vehicles in general ....it is inefficient to lug 2 tons of metal around with you wherever you go

I can’t fit my work stuff in a small car. My job is mobile. So I have a 1700kg SUV which is used for work, PTA shopping etc. I do about 15000 miles a year in it, get 30-35mpg, often have to drive one end of the country to the other (so poor electric ranges aren’t any good). Have had it from new, 9 years ago and will run it until it dies.

Car 2 is a 1300kg fun car that does about 15-18mpg. Only do around 5000 miles a year in that one. She’s 15 years old though.

I’m sure the higher fuel output is offset by not replacing cars very often. We tend to buy one every 10 years or so.

And car 3 is DH’s. He does most of the school runs and local journeys. It’s just a ton and does around 70 to the gallon. He clocks up about 10000 miles a year. That car is 3 years old.

So it’s not as simple or straightforward as SUVS = bad/selfish.

**I'm horrified that emissions wouldn't even enter someone's head when buying a new vehicle. Even if you weigh it all up and go for a high emissions vehicle anyway, how can it not even enter your head as a fleeting thought?

We're all being pushed to consider our environmental impact more. I can't do a long journey in my car without the environmental impact occurring to me at least once.**

Why would it, cost and features are what matter to us.
Features being comfort, so space, heated seats, connectivity, dual air con and heating.
What can it tow/power, boot space and seats.
Safety things like cameras, air bags and sensors for auto braking, how close things are, all that.
It wasnt even worth researching emissions to us as it wouldnt impact what car we chose.

Long car trips are our life being rural.
If i based my travel on environment id never leave my house as we rural and just getting dd to the bus stop is 40km a day, I wont send her to a sub par school in this town just cos i could walk there. We have 2 holidays coming up, again environment wasnt a factor when deciding transport, getting there for best price and the way we want was the factor.
I wont miss events cos we in a different state, have no public transport or its many hours drive away cos environmentally its better to not go

Which is worse for the environment out traveling on the roads and emitting exhaust, four small vehicles that seat two each, or one large vehicle that seats eight?

YY to the observation about lorries and vans.

@squeekums

Why would it, cost and features are what matters to us

That's fine, but not everyone feels the same way as you do.

And for those of us who feel environmental impact is important, we're not telling you that you have to think it's important too.

What I do worry about is why you'd think that all the features you list, can't be found in a more environmentally friendly format of car.

"And for those of us who feel environmental impact is important, we're not telling you that you have to think it's important too."

Speak for yourself. I think that everyone should at least consider emissions and fuel efficiency. I understand that it's not going to be top or even high priority for everyone. But to not even consider it is shocking.

@AnotherEmma

Well said and I agree with you

I'm just conscious that some (not yourself) in the eco lobby has an unfortunate habit of hectoring people, which is the worst form of argument. I admire the urgency, but not the rhetoric or tools to convince people.

I have a new Landrover Discovery. I live in the country and need a 4x4 in the snow. Also i have 3 teenage boys who have enormous cricket bags in summer. The safety features are second to none - 16 airbags, all sorts of gizmos that ensure you don't crash, like keeping the same distance form the car in front at all times, not allowing you to veer off to the side on a motorway (the steering wheel gently moves you back) and all sorts of other things like this. Main reason though is its a Commercial vehicle that we can buy though our company and i don't have to pay ££££ in company car tax every month.

Also i have 3 teenage boys who have enormous cricket bags in summer.

Surely that is personal use, and has to be declared as a benefit in kind?

I drove up the M1 and M6 and back this week. I’d say 2/3 of the vehicles were lorries and vans. Why not campaign for most freight to go by rail; and take all that off the roads? Many accidents involving bikes seem to be with lorries in London at least

Don't disagree with at all. But the hauliers' lobby is massively influential in this country. It will never happen. You would still need a lot of smaller vans to distribute from the rail centres, but it would certainly be better and safer on the motorways. Some of the lorries are ridiculously large these days. Seems to be a theme here actually. Big cars and big lorries!

Apart from the small minority who do actually need the 4WD capability, I think of these drivers as showing off or thinking they are superior in some way. Right or wrong, that's the impression I have.

Er yes, MontStMichel and i do pay Benefit in Kind tax on it and my also my fuel card. Not that my personal tax affairs are any of your business.

I actually agree somewhat with the OP and I often drive our Mitsubishi L200 (pick up truck) it's a works vehicle but doubles as a family car as can easily fit two bulky stage 1 car seats and an older child in the middle, we use it a lot for towing and it does go off-road regularly and we also live in the middle of nowhere and I work as a home carer so it's handy in bad weather for my work and I believe we are justified in having it.
That being said both my DH and I can drive and park it properly (first learnt to drive in a tractor then a transit van so this is small by comparison).
I've seen many other with SUVs, rather then obvious 4x4s struggle to park in large spaces and must admit they often drive around in the middle of the road. We live near a farm on a tiny windy road and a lot of the nearby houses also have 4x4s and we have no issues with meeting them, but there are two who recently moved here from a town and they are terrors, they come racing around corners and will NEVER reverse even if they are only a few meters from a passing place and you have to reverse around a blind corner and quite a distance to get to one.
Someone in a huge SUV that didn't look like it had ever seen mud blocked me into a parking space by parking about 2 ft from the line in their parking space the other day and another SUV without 4x4 drove into my parents garden last winter as they didn't think they had to go slow because their car 'doesn't struggle in the snow' didn't really help with stopping it though.

But we've also had 3 'normal' cars that we know of reverse into the pick ups towbar and seen many cases of shitty driving so I don't really think the type of car is to blame just that it makes people feel indestructible so perhaps more careless while driving. But think there's plenty crappy drivers out there in all types of vehicles in all honesty

What I do worry about is why you'd think that all the features you list, can't be found in a more environmentally friendly format of car

You can't for our price range, we would be looking well over 100g. Especially as most are European cars and to have them serviced and fixed in Aus is expensive alongside their huge cost to buy. 2nd hand wasn't an option for DP. Plus for towing and off road a diesel 4x4 is best option.
We payed 64g for ours with everything and more and have many places that reasonably priced to get serviced.

I think that everyone should at least consider emissions and fuel efficiency. I understand that it's not going to be top or even high priority for everyone. But to not even consider it is shocking.
fuel efficiency is why went diesel, along with power. Cheaper to run long term and better for towing the boat and caravan.
But again the environment wasn't a consideration. Our needs in a car were

My DH has a Kuga Vignali. I feel much safer in his car than my one (fiesta). I’m going on his insurance when the snow comes as it’ll be safer as it’s 4 wheel drive. It’s the reason he bought it and it looks nice.

Apart from the small minority who do actually need the 4WD capability, I think of these drivers as showing off or thinking they are superior in some way. Right or wrong, that's the impression I have.

Most of the cars you’re sneering at probably aren’t even 4WD versions.

I don't understand why people drive around in these things either, unless you live in rural areas. They look ridiculous being driven around in towns, and in our area its mostly older people without young kids that have them (and can't drive or park them for shit). Me and DH call them Emmerdale tanks 😂

For city dwellers a bus or a bicycle's probably your best bet.

"2nd hand wasn't an option for DP."

I'm not even going to bother asking why.
You clearly don't give a flying fuck about the environment.

Selfish pricks like squeekums are why there needs to be severe financial disincentives to buying big silly fuel guzzling cars.

For city dwellers a bus or a bicycle's probably your best bet

It really depends on what part of a city you live in and what time constraints you have. It wouldn’t be a feasible option for me.