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 agree, I hate them as I live in a city and they take up so much space on the narrow, busy, roads and block light when parked on the street. Most homes around me are Victorian and have no off-street parking so it's an especially bizarre and antisocial choice. I'm all for spending one's money however one likes, but to me driving one in a built up area us as antisocial as buying a massive sound system and playing it at night in a block of flats.

It's ironic how many people say the larger vehicle makes them feel safer when the roads in general would be safer with far fewer large and heavy vehicles on them.

I do agree there's a gap in the market for larger hatchbacks and estates. And I get that for people in some areas and with certain interests they're a practical choice. But for most, it's just a status symbol.

As long as they don’t complain about the number of potholes their vastly overweight vehicles cause…

Agree @Ginmonkeyagain in the 90s and Onwards my Astra, focus and Mondeo have coped perfectly fine with rutted tracks to friends houses, driving across fields and flooded roads. All they’ve needed is winter tyres to cope with snow too.

It’s not just a case of ‘bad’ parking - it’s also case of too many car park spaces not really being wide enough for these mega-beasts. Add on a percentage of clueless parkers, and esp. around here that includes people who take a fortnight to reverse into a space and hold everybody else up in the process! 🤬 - and it’s no wonder people get pissed off.

Some 12yrs olds are very tall these days, would they still need a child seat while 4ft10 grandma doesn't?

Just moved from my lovely little 1 series BMW to a Volvo v60 estate to fit the kids who are now pushing 6 feet tall and the floofer who now has to reside in the boot as the kids argue over space

No, it's 12 or 135cm/4'5", whichever comes first.

Yes when you weren’t required by law to put children in car seats which take up a seat.

Because not everybody has the same needs or budget. Get over yourself.

I went to Tesco yesterday, in my mini. So many huge cars, parked on or over the bay lines. I parked in 2, could barely get out and then noticed car seats in the back, so moved my car twice

I don’t have an issue with big cars. I do have an issue with parking bay sizes being based on 1960s dimensions. We have a place in the US. Now, there’s lots about the US that’s rubbish, but parking spaces is not one of them.

@pinkyredrose to be fair, it's actually 135cm or 12 years old - whichever comes first. But that doesn't mean many families won't have at least 2 enormous car seats for a long time.

This is just nonsense. Lease buying isn’t for you, fine. But amongst people who do buy new cars, (because they want them, and can afford them)- it’s a legitimate and very common way to buy them.

acting like poor people do it to seem richer because that’s all that matters to them is not only flawed, but rude and makes people who say such things look bitter and petty.

4ft 10 grandma would be safer in a booster too. As would anyone under about 5ft 3 really.
But it's not just about height, it's skeletal maturity and body proportions. A gangly legged 12yo the belt might not fit correctly.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

I have just swapped a mini for a new Defender. I love the mini but the roads around me have been flooded for the best part of six months and won’t be fixed any time soon.

Please don’t assume that because people don’t drive massive, fuck-off cars, it means they can’t afford them!

The other problem is that even if thr drivers of big cars can park properly, they're still taking up a lot of space in the bay. So when I park my little car and another one parks the other side, I'm still struggling to open my door and get in or out. Luckily I'm slim, so I can kind of slide in. But it's bloody annoying when I'm parked right in the middle of the bay and should have ample room.

Last time I checked we were supposedly living in a free country. I choose to have a large car and I know how to drive and park it exceptionally well so what's the issue? Are we all supposed to be in fiat 500s for you?

then obviously, please don’t assume those who do drive big expensive cars can’t afford them either (as was the point of my posts)

I agree. We've often had an estate car and I was really surprised recently when we tried to buy a new one. Basically nothing other than a Skoda was a "traditional" style estate car. It's all about bulky wide cars but even those mostly have tiny boot spaces when you take into account the wheel arches which often reduce the width. You have to go to biggest in range to get the same kind of boot space that you used to get in the estate version of an average sized car. We used to have a Ford Escort Estate (1977 I think) and it was enormous at the back with the back seats down - a huge wide open space.

There's one hell of a difference between a range rover and a fiat 500. Dozens of other cars sized between your extremes.

I have a Fiat 500 as the roads around where I live are about 8 feet wide with cars parked down one side. A Range Rover would get stuck so you never see them. Thank god as I hate the damn things.

@pinkyredrose - my 12 year old is 5'11" 🤣

Car parking space sizes and those who take a while to park are not down to car sizes.

If car sizes dictated space sizes, there would be no issue.

The issue fundamentally is about driver incompetence at being able to drive and park, irrespective of vehicle size.

We live in a free market economy - people buy SUVs do so because they can/want to.

Hating on them is not a good look when the issue is drivers who cant drive, even in small cars.

Frankly we need more SUVs, if only to drive the eco whack jobs insane and provide free entertainment!

I always find they breathe down my neck when I’m doing the speed limit or close to the speed limit - the road I use most is a country road with a few straights but a lot of tight corners where you do have to slow down, and hills, and not many passing places. There’s one long straight where I do go 60, and if things are coming the other way, there’s usually one right up my backside, sidling in and out to see about passing, then the second it gets a chance it’s off, and out of sight. That happens often. Also on our town bypass there’s a section where it has 2 lanes on one side and one on the other, and the speed limit is still 60 along the but as soon as it goes to the 2 lanes, one of those massive vehicles always barges past me going well over 60. They don’t seem to have working indicators either.