Why does everyone need a massive car these days?

[Britishsummertime22]

Tesco this morning. Full of people who don't know how to drive or park their fuck off range rovers.

I drive a Jeep Wrangler. It’s very durable with 3 messy kids. We go off roading and camping so it’s perfect for that. And it’s chunky enough to make me feel safe when I’m driving on the motorway every day. I got rear ended by an articulated lorry and although the car spent a week in the garage, the spare tyre mounted on the back took the brunt of the force, keeping me and my kids safe.

Bonus points for the fact it looks cool, and I love taking the roof off when the weather is good.

Can’t speak for anyone else but I regularly have to stick a gazebo, table, chairs and several large boxes in ours plus the kids.

Oh I so agree with you, OP! Especially in old towns with narrow streets, but in any urban space really.

Road-wise they’re rubbish both in cities and on tiny countryside lanes so they feel like a car for the suburbs. Where you hardly need an SUV.

I think if you’re going to drive one you should have to pass your driving test in one. People witter in about keeping themselves safe without a thought to how safe other road users, pedestrians, cyclists are around those who drive badly in them.

It's not "need" is it? It's "want". With a big side order of "I feel safer".

Despite the posters who'll come on and say they need to carry everything but the kitchen sink.

I mean, tradesmen "need" vans until they work in Central London at which point a Stanley branded backpack suffices...

Lots of my colleagues "need" to drive to work. I see them stressing to park as I walk the 5 mins from the station.

We are a lazy lazy lot!

I have a bigger car (not Range Rover sized!), have three kids with additional needs so bought it on the bases that need a big boot for things. I’m looking at going back to a hatchback as soon as it’s financially viable though. Sick of worrying about parking in smaller spaces - whilst I can get between lines, many people with bigger cars can’t seem to park at all. What I’ve found worse is how people in big cars cannot turn right on to the road for the life of them. The amount of times a huge car has nearly clipped me turning out is unbelievable!

To be fair manufacturers are not making enough traditional estates available and cars are becoming obese like their passengers.

I drive an old Polo. It's much bigger than the one I owned in the 90s. I bet a new one would be bigger still.

Volvo have discontinued their estates and hatchbacks altogether. I read that they're no longer lucrative as they make up such a small % of today's market.

Well, we we need one so that our disabled child has enough space to avoid cramping up on journeys longer than 15 minutes, and so we have boot space for a wheelchair.

I drive a Kuga - so a little bigger than a standard hatch, but not so big as a range rover (I did previously drive a pickup though, so I'm good at parking large vehicles)

I have it because I drive to holidays and needed a decent boot, because having driven the pickup, I like being up a little bit higher, and because I have 2 tween boys who aren't going to be getting any smaller (and neither are their friends) and it has a bit more room than my old golf (and a lot more room than the polo before that)

Also, I watched some crash test videos recently, and when my kids start driving they will not be in little cars like I was at 20 - those things left no-one alive. They'll be in a normal sized car where the passenger compartments stay whole - even if I have to borrow money to make it happen.

We have a Mazda CX 5 and we fill the boot every weekend with things for football training.

It's still odd

Many of the things mentioned happened also a few decades ago - with smaller cars

Massive families? I have four kids and live rurally so often car pool. I drive a seven seater van. It all folds down to a bed in the back so brilliant for wild camping, tip runs and ikea trips. I get my shopping delivered so rarely clutter up car parks though.

We have a medium SUV. Car seats take up a lot of room in the back for 2 DC plus pram and other baby and kid things in the boot. Yes we could make do with a smaller car but this makes life easier and we can afford it so why not?

If you can find me a nice little car that is capable of safely towing, can reliably off-road, get through the villages ford happily and can fit the 4 kids and/or 4 dogs in then please let me know as I would consider downsizing.
But that said… I’ve paid for it. I like it. It’s mine. It suits me. Perhaps I just don’t really want a little car either?

Need the high position for my back issues.

We didn’t “need” one. We wanted one, so we bought it. Top of the range fcuk off Range Rover.

We also don’t need a £3M house. We wanted one, so we bought it.

This. Practical.

They’re just available “these days”

8 seater Landrover Defender here.

It's precisely because it's a big 'fuck off' car that I drive it.

Can't ever imagine myself being so invested in what total strangers drive to get irate about it - strange and sad.

It’s comfier in a big one. I think over the years things have got more comfortable and physically easier, we’ve developed higher expectations. I used to drive a polo and it was a right squeeze. Now I drive a much larger vehicle and there is lots of space.

Me in my little car getting bullied by yummy mummies on the school run in their big f*off vehicles so I'm considering one myself so I can bully them back

I have a large car but I live rurally and regularly have multiple children and dogs in. I don't drive it in the city. I too think there should be a test to drive them; lots of colleagues have them at work and struggle to park them; there are often emails going out where someone's has been scratched or dented as they can't park it in a bay without hitting someone!

All cars are bigger these days. They are loaded with crumple zones, air bags etc.
People choose SUVs because they like them and/ or they suit their lifestyle.

Personally I go with the motto, ‘if I can’t park it, don’t drive it) , but truth is cars have grown faster than car parks.

That said we changed our SUV for an estate car -to accommodate dogs - we had very few to pick from.

But they’re just so ugly.