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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To irrationally resent SUVs ?

408 replies

SavoirFlair · 30/01/2023 09:09

For those who have impossibly avoided the term, I’m talking about “fake 4x4s.”

A car that would have been a hatchback a dozen years ago, but is now wider, higher up, with fake 4x4 styling (flared wheel arches, roof rails, big plastic moulding).

I can’t stand them.

As someone who has owned two generations of Range Rovers when we lived off a track a mile or so from the main road, I realise people are free to lob back at me. but those cars had a purpose. We wanted to be comfortable; but we absolutely needed the traction and clearance that vehicle gave us.

Does anyone need what a Grandland X offers? A Mokka? (Jesus save me from that awful car. Worst on sale today - just buy a Corsa and stop being previous). Who needs a Sportage or a Qashqai? (the hallmarks of the aspiring, when years ago a Focus or a Golf would have done just fine).

The worst offenders for me are actually the so called luxury ones. BMW X5 is an abomination - can’t do anything off road, is massively wide on road, and two mums at our school park terribly with them and block the road for the other direction.

And that’s the thing - a large segment of folk who own them, can’t drive them properly. I go to the hospital car park twice weekly with my DD. If someone is careless (often are) and parks close to or on the white line… renders the next space completely useless. Which when hunting for the one or two spaces available for my vulnerable DD, can be infuriating.

We don’t need these things, but I get people love them for

• being “high up” (still doesn’t make the drivers any better at driving)

• Being “high up” to load DCs and allow elderly parents to get in and out without bending back

• some of them have a big boot

Ok, but my answer to all these three is..

an MPV. Cars like the Ford Galaxy, S Max, Touran, Alhambra - all high up seating, easy to get in and out of, massive boots.

But no.. the truth is fashion. Why buy a Corsa when you have a jacked up version. Why buy a 5 series when you can have an X5 and dominate the school run.

Meanwhile the greater fuel consumption, the materials cost to make the thing …

AIBU to irrationally hate these stupid wide massive things?

OP posts:
19lottie82 · 01/02/2023 14:23

to all the people complaining that a big car is bad for the environment……. You know what the absolute worst thing you can do for the planet, by a country mile is, don’t you?

having a child. An SUV doesn’t even make a dent in comparison.

Londongent · 01/02/2023 14:23

A Qashqai is pretty much the same width and length as a Focus, very slightly bigger than a Golf. Comparable fuel consumption. Seem like the only issue you have is the height. People prefer a higher ride.

OneTC · 01/02/2023 14:23

6'2 sorry you can see maths is my strong point 😅

Rummikub · 01/02/2023 14:24

SavoirFlair · 30/01/2023 09:09

For those who have impossibly avoided the term, I’m talking about “fake 4x4s.”

A car that would have been a hatchback a dozen years ago, but is now wider, higher up, with fake 4x4 styling (flared wheel arches, roof rails, big plastic moulding).

I can’t stand them.

As someone who has owned two generations of Range Rovers when we lived off a track a mile or so from the main road, I realise people are free to lob back at me. but those cars had a purpose. We wanted to be comfortable; but we absolutely needed the traction and clearance that vehicle gave us.

Does anyone need what a Grandland X offers? A Mokka? (Jesus save me from that awful car. Worst on sale today - just buy a Corsa and stop being previous). Who needs a Sportage or a Qashqai? (the hallmarks of the aspiring, when years ago a Focus or a Golf would have done just fine).

The worst offenders for me are actually the so called luxury ones. BMW X5 is an abomination - can’t do anything off road, is massively wide on road, and two mums at our school park terribly with them and block the road for the other direction.

And that’s the thing - a large segment of folk who own them, can’t drive them properly. I go to the hospital car park twice weekly with my DD. If someone is careless (often are) and parks close to or on the white line… renders the next space completely useless. Which when hunting for the one or two spaces available for my vulnerable DD, can be infuriating.

We don’t need these things, but I get people love them for

• being “high up” (still doesn’t make the drivers any better at driving)

• Being “high up” to load DCs and allow elderly parents to get in and out without bending back

• some of them have a big boot

Ok, but my answer to all these three is..

an MPV. Cars like the Ford Galaxy, S Max, Touran, Alhambra - all high up seating, easy to get in and out of, massive boots.

But no.. the truth is fashion. Why buy a Corsa when you have a jacked up version. Why buy a 5 series when you can have an X5 and dominate the school run.

Meanwhile the greater fuel consumption, the materials cost to make the thing …

AIBU to irrationally hate these stupid wide massive things?

Completely agree with you.

I dislike them intensely too.

Plus add in dazzling headlights at my head height in my fiesta.

JassyRadlett · 01/02/2023 16:07

OneTC · 01/02/2023 14:20

6 5 includes the mirrors. Yours is the arch to arch. Mirrors are still a consideration to the functional width of a car in car parks and narrow lanes. Your offside mirror can be subtracted normally but 5'10" plus 4" for the driver side mirror is still 6'1"

Noticing cars are getting bigger is not a question of perception it's just a fact.

www.directlinegroup.co.uk/en/news/brand-news/2018/wide-load--most-popular-car-models-increase-in-width-by-17-per-c.html

Show quote history

Ah ok. In a thread where every other discussion of measurement has used standard car measurements, you'll understand why I was confused. I get it now, it wasn't like for like with the rest of the discussion.

Noticing cars are getting bigger is not a question of perception it's just a fact.

Not sure anyone's suggested otherwise.

OneTC · 01/02/2023 19:10

What's the point in not talking about the practical width though? I get that that's what everyone was talking about. Just seems a bit remiss when they're actually (normally) wider than that figure. And that we're talking about them on roads, not catalogues.

You can't drive a fiesta through a 5'10" garage door, you can't pass 2 fiestas through a gap that's 11'8" wide (that's meant to be double sorry if it's not I genuinely can't count) because they're more than 6' wide in practical terms.

bellamountain · 01/02/2023 19:44

In many European countries, the estate car still rules. BMW, Audi, Mercedes estate models imo are far more attractive / sporty looking than their SUV counterparts and handle a lot better.

LadyofLaundry88 · 06/10/2023 16:30

Couldn’t agree more with this. Old post but was looking for people who’ve had experience with Ford galaxies (our next car consideration when DC 3 arrives and we’ll have 3 under 5 all needing car seats). We live off road and the lane is potholed but Skoda is fine. I find the amount of space that these cars take up so offensive. Being in a normal car, you get dazzled during winter by the SUV led absurdly bright headlights. They’re a PLAGUE on our roads 😂😂

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