To just drive the car?

[Brmmbrmmm]

First off I know IABU but just need a few strangers on mumsnet to confirm this for me 🤣

DP and I are trying to save money as we spend too much and never save any. We both had separate cars when we got together, he has a work van too. I drive mine to work during the week, he uses his work van during the week and we use his car at weekends for day trips (I have 2 dc) mostly as its bigger, more comfortable and he is the better/more confident driver.

I suggested we should just have one car between us and the most logical thing is to keep his car as its newer, nicer and he is still paying it off. Mine is reliable but old and much smaller.

Trouble is I am only used to driving smaller cars and the thought of driving his worries me a little. My work car park is tiny and I'd worry about parking it and I just feel anxious about driving it. I have never driven a 'bigger' car.

We'd save plenty of money so how do I suck it up and just get on with driving it!?

Go practice. Go out and practice driving it then practice parking and reverse parking at the supermarket.

Look at the cars in your work car park. There will be cars of that size. If they can do it, so can you.

Don't overthink it!
I went from driving a little Ford Ka to one of the biggest 4x4's there is and I hadn't even been passed that long either!
Just give yourself space and take it slow whilst you get to grips with it and you'll be fine.
Pick the further away, emptier parking spaces and take your time. Good Luck!

If it’s a newish and decent car it should have parking sensors and maybe a rear view camera? These make parking pretty easy. Just practice a few times, you’ll soon be confident.

Can you go to an empty car park to practice getting in and out of spaces?

I went from a tiny seat mii to a big seat ateca. You'll be fine just pay attention. The problem is if you forget you're driving a bigger car and just see a gap and think you can fit through. You dont park your little car without looking so you'll be able to see how much space you have with your big car and you cant exactly crash while you're watching where you're going.

Bigger cars are easier to drive for some reason. Probably because they're higher up. You just need to get a feel for it and a sense of spacial awareness. My driving instructors car was like driving a boat. It was long bulky and handled like the Titanic. I could parallel park that thing like a boss. Then when I passed I got a tiny little car with hardly any boot and I could not park it for toffee. Took ages. You just need to develop a sense of how big it is in relation to other objects but that's easier the higher the seats are. The point I'm taking forever to get to is that you will be fine. Bit of practice and you will wonder what you were worried about.

I was in a similar dilemma a year ago. We upsized from our little hatchback to a much bigger car as our little car wasn’t big enough. I was really worried about driving it, parking it etc. A year on I laugh that I was ever worried. Just practise, take your time etc. If anything I prefer it, much higher up, better visibility etc.

Just drive the thing and use your eyes to judge how big the car is vs the spaces you are trying to drive the car through as you would do normally.

Agree with others don't over think it.

I've always had small cars (think Ford KA, Fiat 500 kind of size) but on occasion I've had a much bigger courtesy or hire car and it's a bit daunting to start with but once you're going it's not actually that much different. In fact I LOVED a Ford Kuga SUV I once had to drive some visiting clients around in, so much so I'd have gone out and bought one if I had the money!

How big is big? Is it designed to fit in a normal parking space? If so, use that fact as reassurance. If not, your job will be to find end spaces.

I felt like this OP about bigger cars. Wouldn’t drive anything bigger than a fiesta! My husband bought me a Land Rover BEFORE I passed my test and I found it surprisingly easy to drive (still terrified though!).

I loved driving it though so actually took my driving test in it and passed. I did feel like a “bit of an idiot” turning up for my driving test in a big 4x4 but the examiner barely noticed.

I’ve not been driving long and still worry about tight spaces. It just takes LOTS of practice. As you are already a seasoned driver, you should find it easier.

I went from a KA to an estate.

It's fine, you just need a bit of practice.

If you want to practice go to a supermarket car park after it’s closed on a Sunday (if they close where you are). You can practice parking without worrying about other cars.

You'll get used to it. I go between the suv and the tiny wee city car. Usually goes by which car is at the front of the drive. We both rotate wfh and my work car park is tiny and very narrow and I can get both cars parked fine. As others have said, go out and drive it

My DH has a Ford ranger for work.

I now love driving it. I can reverse park it too now you just need to practice

It's just down to hours of practice. Got rid of my little honda jazz and kept DH's tank/Skoda Octavia. Luckily it has parking sensors but I've just had to get used to it.

Add sensors to DH car if it doesn't have them already.

Thank you all for the reassurance it's just mind over matter I think!
It does have parking sensors so that would be a bonus lol, practice seems to be the way to go. I hate reverse parking at the best of times but with sensors what can go wrong? 🤣

Practice: when it's not busy, drive to an empty car park.

Driving big cars is often easier than smaller cars. Just practice it, you'll be fine.

I’ve a similar problem but my dh car is an automatic and far too technical, so I do not try to drive it. Sympathies OP