Just stop buying new SUVs...

[Fridakahlofan]

Unless you REALLY need one. I live 1/4 mile down a muddy track and I do not have one.

In the Times today:
SUVs 'were responsible for all of the growth in oil demand, of 3.3 million barrels a day, from passenger cars between 2010 and 2018, with total fuel consumption from other types of car falling slightly'

Surely soon it will be shameful to own one!

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/soaring-demand-for-suvs-exacerbates-climate-crisis-kbpj5mpzg

[Howmanychildrentoomanychildren]

@QuestionableMouse yes true it's a trailer. But it's also a box. And I put my horse in it. = Horsebox.
I would call a lorry a horse lorry.
Maybe it's regional.

[QuestionableMouse]

See I'd call a trailer a trailer but a horse box a lorry. Gotta love language eh? 😂

[nornironrock]

Yawn.

We live in a free market. When people make money, they can choose what to do with it, within the law. If they want to buy a 4x4 with an ICE that's their choice. Personally, I'd buy one with an electric motor - if I was going to buy one at all. And that would be my choice to make.

It really is irritating how much time and effort people spend being critical of others choices. SUVs, meat eating, number of children, use of plastic. These things will not change overnight. but they will change, as society changes. But then, I'm sure people will still make choices @Fridakahlofan will purse lips at and not approve of.

Rant over. Thanks for persevering till the end!!!

[dontalltalkatonce]

What Streetwise said. Don't let them, don't buy one. LOL @ it's being 'shameful'. In real life no one gives a fuck.

[CallarMorvern]

I can never comprehend the lumping together of all SUVs on here. I get that the huge diesel burners are uneconomical and a bit obnoxious (unless really needed). But your average smaller SUV is no different to your average family car.
I'm not an SUV owner, I have a 15yr old diesel estate, it has a DPF and is reasonably economical, but will be far worse for the environment than your average mid sized SUV. As for Qashqais and their ilk, they are hardly status symbols, I've only seen them used by families and older couples. My dad has a SangYong, which would probably fall under the SUV banner on here, it does 50+ to the gallon.

[Greatnorthwoods]

Why do you need a SUV when you live in a town? The massive cars piss me off.

If I didn’t have a SUV I we would probably have to live closer to a town, and have to integrate with society which would be crap.

[RhinoskinhaveI]

The end game in this arms race is that everyone drives a tank☹️

[RhinoskinhaveI]

We live in a free market
We may feel as if we do but ultimately all markets are regulated.

[SonjaMorgan]

Thanks op, we were looking at getting a car in the next few weeks and have been looking a fuel efficient SUVs. But I now you've said this we not buy one and I will let the DH get that Mustang he has had his eye on.

[BuntyCollocks]

I’ve preordered a hybrid rav4, so it’s not a gas guzzler. But I actually couldn’t give a tuppeny fuck what people think of it, or me for buying it. It’s lovely, the first new car we’ve had, and will (hopefully) be ferrying me around to women and their babies for many years to come.

[Missillusioned]

I have a 2 litre large estate car. The mpg is better than previous older, smaller vehicles but I'm sure some of the SUVs out there are more economical. I didn't buy an SUV because I'm not keen on them, but I don't think I'm more virtuous for not having one?

Are large estate cars also evil then? I bought mine because sometimes I need to carry luggage plus 4 adults or carry camping stuff.

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

If people hadn't popped along to "justify themselves " this thread would literally be pointless. Unless those of you fascinated by the lives of others actually just wanted an echo chamber.

Still wondering why certain cars are a status symbol and swanning off on holidays isn't

[Nearlyalmost50]

Cars have got bigger and bigger. Of course it's a trend. Trying to park now is a nightmare with all the ginormous super-fat cars in the car park. Why are people trying to pretend it's not a 'thing' and justified by their muddy field lifestyle? (might apply to a few, not to most). I drove one recently as a courtesy car and it was horrid, huge for absolutely no point at all. I think people like being literally higher than others and looking down on them!

[Purpleartichoke]

Where I live, go to the park on a weekday and you will see an entire parking lot of suvs. School pickup is almost exclusively suvs. In most families the mom drives an suv and the dad has a 4 door sedan. There is definitely no social stigma for owning a big vehicle.

[onanothertrain]

People feel they need to justify having one because it seems like there's one of these boring threads every week. Why do people feel they need to attack someone else's choice.

[CallarMorvern]

Why do you need a SUV when you live in a town? The massive cars piss me off

But not all SUVs are massive? I genuinely don't get this. Only the huge ones don't fit in a standard car park, but that can apply to any huge car too. An SUV just has higher ground clearance and some (not all) have 4x4. They are just normal family cars. My OHs car is 4x4, large, old and not economical, but it's an estate car not an SUV.
Are these threads written by the type of people, that only drive a few miles a week and not on a motorway and think anything bigger than a smart car is terrifyingly big?

[JassyRadlett]

The massive cars piss me off.

Yes, this is how I feel about estates, particularly in areas with only on-street parking. Same width and so much longer than the average smaller SUVs you get around here. My heart sinks when I see a new family move into the street with one of their giant boats. Parking is already like Tetris so over-long cars fuck it up for everyone.

[backinthebox]

Does anyone want to buy my large SUV? I used to use it for towing a horse trailer - it was a big trailer so I needed a big heavy car. But I have a lorry now and don't need the big car any more. Can't find anyone to buy it though, and I'm not about to let it go for about £3k less than it's worth to a dealer to get rid and buy a smaller car.

On the subject of smaller cars, I DO need 4wd as we live up a big hill which frequently becomes impassable in snow, and then once you are up the hill we live down a track in a forest. My husband ably demonstrates every time it snows that you cannot get off the drive (on a hill) in snow without 4wd by sliding his car off the drive and into the ditch. So I've looked at fuel consumption of 4wd cars like an Audi A4 awd or a Subaru, and they are far thirstier on the fuel than a smaller SUV like a Kia Sportage or a VW Tiguan. So even though I don't need an SUV, I'll end up with one bizarrely because they are more fuel efficient than the alternative.

[theoriginalmadambee]

Trouble is these threads ooze jealousy and eco superiority, so goady you can't help respond.

Found a great substitute for - shudder - cars.

[Nearlyalmost50]

People feel they need to justify having one because it seems like there's one of these boring threads every week. Why do people feel they need to attack someone else's choice

Because the OP just posted research that shows that SUV's have eliminated the gains from reduced emissions from electric cars. It's a climate change issue- but obviously people don't actually even want to do something simple like have an ordinary sized car with fewer emissions.

On here, everyone has a 15 year old one or a hybrid so is morally ok, back in the real world...

[VardySheWrote]

Still wondering why certain cars are a status symbol and swanning off on holidays isn't

because most people go on holiday to enjoy themselves, whilst they get a show-off car to be seen in it.

[bestbefore]

Have you ever been to America? You think SUVs are bad here...
Have a look at this www.chevrolet.com/suvs/tahoe
Does about 20 mpg - UK Ford Kuga does loads better than that....
I honestly think it's like pissing in the wind to change habits here - unless the US changes nothing will change

[PBo83]

If people hadn't popped along to "justify themselves " this thread would literally be pointless. Unless those of you fascinated by the lives of others actually just wanted an echo chamber.

There are a number of threads like this that pop up (on a whole range of topics). In these cases, the OP doesn't want a discussion, they want an echo chamber of self-righteousness and a pat on the back for being so virtuous.

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

But Nearly you don't know anything else about the lives of these car owners do know diddly about what they do/don't to reduce their personal carbon footprint. There are so many things we have control over which have all been linked to harm to the planet -

Having kids
Owning pets
Flying

I guess we see a thread like this most weeks, it's Slag Off SUV Drivers this week.

He who lives without sin case the first stone, or something along those lines? I'll take a telling off about my car choice from that poster thanks

[PlanDeRaccordement]

It’s not as black and white or as easy to judge as your OP implies.

I agree. There are many possible reasons why SUVs caused growth in oil consumption. Could be families in rural areas who need them. Could be increase in local farmers who need them. Could be increase in NHS small ambulances to provide better healthcare in rural areas like the highlands of Scotland.

It is not certain that the increase is 100% SAHPs driving 200m on a school run.