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 hear you OP! I drive a 'little' car - it has 4 doors and I can fit 3 adults in the back if necessary (now the kids have grown it's not very often) I love it. I love the free tax, I love that despite being nearly 9 years old I get 60 mpg on my daily commute. I will be gutted when I have to get rid of it. I also hate the people who have these large cars and can't park them, think you are jealous because you haven't got one/can't afford one (I can, I choose not to) I like being able to slip my car into a space that is only 6 ft long. Many of these narky posts are from people who simply cannot justify having one so get defensive. Many of whom I suggest may be eco warriors - a bit like the XR protestors. I think they should have larger car space in car parks for them, as far from the shops as possible, and leave the small spaces to those who can a. park properly and b. aren't compensating for other issues in their life. ducks

I live in Zone 2 London, and people drive massive cars that they never take beyond the neighboring borough, let alone off-road, or on a mountain. They are way over-specced (and priced) for what people want of them.

Two meeting in a road with cars parked on both sides causes gridlock, where two normal cars would get past each other.

The higher position of the headlights (and the ludicrous brightness for cars that never go beyond streets with lighting) is dazzling.

The power of marketing.

OP I get you. Same problem where I live in London. The people driving them, mostly mums at DCs school can't park them, the roads around the school are very narrow single lanes so they are stuck in jams constantly.

I've got a tiny car so no problems parking and I can easily turn around in very little space and go home from school in the opposite direction to the traffic jam.

Why make life harder for yourself by buying a car you can't park and which is way too big to drive down the roads in our area.

I see so many range rovers, it's ridiculous, we are in zone 3, no farms or countryside for a long way. What they need is a compact city car not a tank!

We have a 4x4. We live in a rural area and the windy hilly roads are often covered in slurry. In the winter decent tyres are necessary to drive on ice - my old car used to slip very easily. I would not have one if I lived somewhere suburban. Having said that, I also appreciate the upright position. I have back problems and simply cannot cope with the estate cars in which your knees are higher than your bottom and your back leans away from the steering wheel.

I have a 4x4 Kuga { hence username }.
I do a lot of driving and do a lot of car boots so the space in the boot when seats are down is fabulous.
And love the fact that I dont need to worry when snow lands. And have never had a problem parking. But I do get what you are saying I have watched people in 4x4s trying to park and it`s entertaining to say the least especially when they give up and drive off.
I also like being high up especially on motorways and it makes me feel safer.

We are rural, DH is a large animal vet. We get snow occasionally. We do not have SUVs because they are mostly meh to drive, heavy on brakes, tyres and transmission bits and much less fuel efficient.

We manage with heavy duty springs on his car to cope with the kit (And accept more frequent replacements than standard), winter tyres on his each winter and carry chains.

My car is a 4wd estate (legacy) and has all season tyres - he could swap to this if really bad weather. My previous car did get stuck once, until I got chains on, as I ran out of bravery and ground clearance and then reversed into a snowdrift - DH has never got stuck beyond needing a shovel for a minute or 2 (also in his winter kit).

The worst thing about other people in SUVs is the height wrecks visibility pulling out of parking spaces, and if once pulls next to you at a junction you can't see until they have gone, unlike when a normal height car pulls in.

I have a Vw touran. With three teenage kids it's the most comfortable way of transporting us all around.

Room in the boot for my dog
High driving position
Feels safer
Can get the kids to school if it snows
Can get out of the cul de sac at all if it snows or is icy
I like it

Bought mine cash too - and it’s also a “certain German brand”

I live in the middle of nowhere and I'm sure you would agree I need one if you saw where.

But, I recently changed it and was staggered at the dealers. 40 used crossovers in car park, only three had 4wd. So actually most look like 4 X 4 but are not.

1. I live in the country
2. I have bad knees so the driving position suits me better
3. Enables me to look over my neighbours garden wall for oncoming traffic when pulling out of my drive.

@ShivD we do. My husband often needs to travel last minute for work/we do it just for fun as a family (we’ll be in London for example and decide to drove further down to bath or whatever and spend the night). Mind you my husband’s car has a tiny boot (you could only fit one hand luggage suitcase in there) and he manages fine.

I’ve got one cos I’ve had a bad back in the past and lifting child seats and kids out of low down cars ain’t fun

I know a lot of people with slipped discs who fuck their backs worse lifting kids out of low seats

@Barbarara
"As far as I know the only 5 seater that can fit 3 car seats in the back is the Skoda Octavia."

Nope. I've just bought an Octavia and it has many advantages but you can't fit 3 car seats in the back (I don't need to). However, there are 5 seater cars that do, eg Citroen C4 Picasso.

@OtraCosaMariposa

A Touran is a MPV, no? A classic people mover. Like a C4 Picasso etc.

I have no issues with big cars per se. Not everyone's lifestyle will be catered for by a Toyota Aygo or a Volkswagen Up.

It's just these excessively wide cars that manufacturers are coming out with, that are SUVs styled to be chunky - wide flared wheel arches, serious width and length, but more of a reverse Tardis inside.

Lots of us have kids who aren’t grown though Ijustwanttoretire. I’d love a cheap, nippy runaround but I can’t safely fit my 5 year old, 4 year old and 8 month old in one safely.
We spent months choosing our current car as we really didn’t want a monstrous beast, but no smaller cars were practical for our current circumstances. As soon as my children are old enough to not have car seats we’ll be back in a small car!

Do the pristine SUVs ever go slightly off road like they're designed to> Of course not, it's us in our little city car (which has driven round the highlands and loads of other parts of the countryside no bother) that gets shoved into the hedgerow while they position thesemslevs in the centre of the lane. As for ever reversing back to the parking space they're close to - no chance!

^This (Cornish resident here).

Although, I think part of the problem is a lack of other vehicles that fulfil the criteria that PPs have mentioned- multiple seats, fit a lot in, can tow etc. I would never buy a SUV, can't stand the things, they're massively impractical for our tiny lanes, yet it took months to find a small 5 seater van with rear windows that fit my requirements. Surprisingly difficult to find a multi purpose vehicle that isn't a SUV or a Citroen nowadays.

Although actually I think ours is an MPV.

@moobar

Exactly this!

I was stunned to discover how many Qashqais are actually 2wd only - it's the majority! Same again for the Kias, the Vauxhalls etc.

I sort of assumed they'd have the functionality but boy was I wrong.

We've got a RR but it's a godsend in winter as we live rurally and it's around 5 miles to main gritted roads. We often end up collecting staff for work in it too. In the summer however, it's pure luxury.

However watching some of the yummy mummies at the village school trying to park their chelsea tractors is the highlight of my morning coming back from walking the dogs! They virtually park themselves so I have no idea what the furious yanking the wheel from side to side actually does................

*@BogglesGoggles

@Blueoasis what size is your engine though? Under 2L and you’ll be relying on other people to move out of your way when coming on etc. I do a lot of motorway driving, I’ve driven little cars myself. Less than 200 hp (usually around 2L) is just selfish.

It's a 1.9 tdi 12 year old car. It's an old thing, and yet I regularly and very easily over take 4x4s, sports cars, small cars, motorbikes etc even a ferrari once. I drive on country roads, single track roads and dual carriageways all in one day, and sometimes several seasons. It manages them all and is on perfect working condition. The only thing it can't do is tow.

My previous cars were older 1.4 engines, and again I overtook everything. Only on some steep hills did they struggle a bit, but you know what you do? You drop a gear and it goes faster. Very easy. Same area, dual carriage ways, bumpy single track roads, nothing was a problem. Even driven a 1.2l car and it still does it all easily.

Put snow tyres on any car and I'll get it through snow easily (except rear wheel drive, they are just death traps). I refuse to buy them for here.

You don't need over 2l for anything. It just makes the job easier.

We have a Mazda CX5, so nowhere near as big as a Discovery.

1. We could afford it with all the bells and whistles.
2. We wanted something safer and more visible after a lorry wrote off our last car while the kids were in it.
3. It's comfortable for the regular 6+ hour journeys we do.
4. It's reliable in winter on slippy hills.

Depends on where you live. Where I live is a very typically upper middle class suburb approx 4.5km from the centre of the city so there is absolutely no reason to have one unless your job or hobby requires it - a neighbours husband goes fishing to remote areas.

However they are everywhere - land rovers, porsche 4 by 4, jaguar 4 by 4s....

I am actually mortified for the people who drive them. I imagine they feel it makes them look affluent. when it just makes them look like Coleen Rooney

Haha the people I know with suvs (who don't really require them for towing etc) seem to be sure that the rest of us are jealous. We have a people carrier due to number of dc and I drive a Ford Ka. Dh wishes he could have the ka as it's so nippy/easy to park, but it's not practical as I have to park on the road for work. I get head tilt sympathy for my ka from the delusional snobs. I could afford and suv but don't have the desire.

My parents got one a few years ago because they were snowed in in their rural village. It's already knackered, breaks down every 5 minutes and it hasn't snowed where they live ever since.

@GinDaddy I couldn't believe it.

The showroom had the new Suzuki for example. Not huge, might have done the job, I quote, we cannot get it in 4wd. WTF

Yes, absolutely same with Nissan.

The dealer said look for 4wd above wheel trim. I now find myself doing this in supermarket car parks, hardly any actually are.