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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Why does everyone need a massive car these days?

289 replies

Britishsummertime22 · 02/03/2025 11:22

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

OP posts:
Aworldofmyown · 02/03/2025 18:15

I bloody love my Range Rover and won't be apologising for it. 😁

Soontobe60 · 02/03/2025 18:20

Well for one, they manage the potholes far better than a smaller car! I’ve had a few cars, from a Toyota Aygo, to a VW Tiguan and all sizes in between. I feel safer, can see better, can for my grandchildren in easier and just enjoy driving bigger cars. I choose to spend my money on a bigger car instead of lots of other things, I don’t look down on drivers of smaller cars (unless you're talking literally). Inverted snobbery is a poor look.

Redpeach · 02/03/2025 18:31

EvilNextDoor · 02/03/2025 17:28

We own 3 cars..

2 x SUV’s and one sports car

Reasons I like my SUV (which I can drive/park)

Big enough for the kids/dogs all the shite they need. (try getting 4 people, 2 dogs and camping stuff in a polo)

I live rurally - the roads around here are absolutely terrible, the potholes are massive and in parts increasingly dangerous the air suspension on the car is definitely worth it.

Again the roads are un gritted in the winter, one of the sets of crossroads is an ice rink when it freezes - without 4x4 and the AWD we’d be screwed to get home and to work kids to school etc - admittedly this winter it’s not been too bad but when it was -10/12 it was a life saver.

I like it - own all 3 cars outright (we did have them on HP at some point) and I enjoy driving them 🤷‍♀️

I don’t have to justify myself to anyone about the cars I drive..and don’t give a shit what other drive either

Edited to I have my HGV license 🤣 so if I can’t drive an SUV I shouldn’t be on the road

Edited

Except that whole post was about you justifying yourself

MyBigFatGreekSalad · 02/03/2025 18:48

Whenever I see someone driving a white Range Rover I always imagine they have a crushed velvet sofa and live laugh love sign above it🤣

Flatulence · 02/03/2025 18:59

Phineyj · 02/03/2025 16:14

I think it's also the weight of the electric batteries damaging the road.

Absolutely this.
The weight of a vehicle makes a huge difference to how safe it is to other road users (stopping distances; weight on impact) and the damage it does to the road in terms of potholes. Both these enormous SUVs AND a lot of electric vehicles are incredibly heavy when compared to a tradition family hatchback or saloon - thus causing promotionally more damage to the roads.
The only difference is the road space and height, which makes many SUVs significantly less safe to other road users and indeed their own occupants. VED (aka 'road tax') needs an overhaul to look at weight and dimensions as well as emissions.

All heavy vehicles are a problem as our roads weren't designed to cope with constant use from such heavy cars. I'm sympathetic to the various reasons people choose either an electric vehicle and/or a large vehicle. But the elephant in the room is that for a huge variety of reasons (emissions, finite natural resources, space, wear and tear on roads and the cost to society - financial and health) private vehicle ownership is not sustainable in the long term for the majority of people in developed countries.

theriseandfallofFranklinSaint · 02/03/2025 19:11

Why does everyone need a massive car these days?

They don't. I like a bigger car so I bought one.

MikeRafone · 02/03/2025 19:35

I'd much prefer something smaller for town driving but I wouldn't get the pram in the boot.

I can get a double donkey in the boot of my VW up, what pram have you got?

SlaveToAGoldenRetriever · 02/03/2025 19:47

I switched from a 4x4 to a small hatchback (Audi A1) last year. Main reason for doing it was so that I could share with 20yo DD and avoid the cost of being a 2 car household. We also moved to the city and I didn’t feel I needed a big car anymore - very short commute, no horses to look after these days, no longer doing lifts for teens etc!

When the lease is up on this car I will definitely be going back to something bigger and taller. I’ve hated having a small car - rubbish boot space for DDog, any passengers in the back are squished like sardines, far too low for someone like me with back problems, difficult to get elderly DM in/out of and my view of the road isn’t as good. Sorry eco warriors!!

HÆLTHEPAIN · 02/03/2025 19:49

I have a Ford Kuga. Big enough to get my mobility scooter in the boot and high enough for me to get in without too much effort and pain.

Bakedpotatoes · 02/03/2025 19:53

I have a small car, 2 kids in big car seats and a dog. My car is perfect, gets me from a to b and excellent safety ratings. I can park easily and you can get lots of stuff in the car if it doesn't fit in the boot.

I have never leased cars because I like to own my stuff, with kids and a dog, I fear I would damage the car and end up with massive premiums, although I'm not sure if that's even a thing - don't know enough about it to be honest.

I had a courtesy car a few months ago and they gave me a SUV type thing and I hated it. I hated that it was automatic, it was so boring to drive, it was hard to park, people seemed to get angry at you for no reason.

Lolarowan · 02/03/2025 20:00

Borracha · 02/03/2025 11:26

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.

I can assure you right now, a Jeep Wrangler does not look cool 🤣

Ketryne · 02/03/2025 20:00

MikeRafone · 02/03/2025 19:35

I'd much prefer something smaller for town driving but I wouldn't get the pram in the boot.

I can get a double donkey in the boot of my VW up, what pram have you got?

It's an iCandy with a carry cot attachment, but I also have a dog that has to go in there too, and god forbid we should want to go on holiday and put a suitcase in there too.

We only have the one car, if we had a second it would be smaller.

And like I said in my post, I'd only consider a Kia Niro to be medium sized.

countingthedays945 · 03/03/2025 00:04

They like to keep up with the Jones'. Most of them bought by people that live in tiny box houses too and end up parking them in inconvenient places.

We have a tiny Mazda 2 and it serves us absolutely fine.

namechangetheworld · 03/03/2025 00:16

remaininghopeful23 · 02/03/2025 13:04

Don't drive a range rover size car but a small SUV. Previously drove a small car and got into a minor bump.. the thing literally crumbled. With roads getting more dangerous by the day, a bigger more robust car has made me feel safer.

Same. I had a Micra when my eldest was born and started noticing SO many reports of Micras getting smashed to bits in crashes with other, bigger cars, which were coming out practically unscathed. We got a small SUV instead, and I feel much safer, plus I could actually fit the pram in the boot without removing the wheels every time. It's definitely not a status thing, we're not 'car' people in the slightest, and I'm looking forward to getting something small again when the kids and their associated paraphernalia no longer need driving about.

countingthedays945 · 03/03/2025 01:20

@namechangetheworld well that's skewed logic if ever I've heard it!

The roads are getting more dangerous ( because people are driving bigger cars that they can't actually manoeuvre) so I will get a bigger car too!

allfurcoatnoknickers · 03/03/2025 02:11

As a city dweller who hasn't driven in years, this thread is fascinating to me. How does school drop-off in a car even work?!

SlaveToAGoldenRetriever · 03/03/2025 02:27

allfurcoatnoknickers · 03/03/2025 02:11

As a city dweller who hasn't driven in years, this thread is fascinating to me. How does school drop-off in a car even work?!

Park car, let child out. How else would it work? 🤨

Mamathebest · 03/03/2025 02:37

I've only ever heard all this stuff about SUVs on MN. There is a general abundance of poor drivers on the road. Lots in small cars, big cars and everything in between. If you drive dangerously and awful in a SUV, then you're not going to be an excellent driver in a fiat 500 either. A shit driver is a shit driver.

Realistically, how would you fit 3 small children and two adults (with massive car seats and a double buggy) in a small car? Safely? Today I had to deal with a driver in a Golf that was breaking to 5mph on a 30 every 2 minutes for no reason. Plenty of awful drivers.

Anyways, I'm incredibly short and I find it so much easier to see the road in an SUV than a small low car. Which is a lot safer then having to double up on pillows to see above the car. Couldn't care less why/what others drive. I just hope they can actually drive.

MikeRafone · 03/03/2025 02:40

Ketryne · 02/03/2025 20:00

It's an iCandy with a carry cot attachment, but I also have a dog that has to go in there too, and god forbid we should want to go on holiday and put a suitcase in there too.

We only have the one car, if we had a second it would be smaller.

And like I said in my post, I'd only consider a Kia Niro to be medium sized.

weve been on holiday in the VW, pushchair, suitcases and car seats with 2 under 2. The dog went to the MILs for the week

Mamathebest · 03/03/2025 02:41

It should be easier to manoeuvre a new SUV due to all the driver assistance & tech available. If you can't manoeuvre with all those aids, then you shouldn't be driving anything at all.

GreenTeaLikesMe · 03/03/2025 03:29

I’ve said this before but the UK needs to decide which way to go on transport.

If you want a society where people drive almost everywhere and everyone has as big a car as they like, then fine. But you need to be prepared to do what America, Canada, Australia etc. did in the 20th century and rebuild your cities around cars (which involves knocking down most lovely old buildings, creating rather charmless ugly cities that are full of enormous car parks and great big roads, and accepting that cities will need get much, much bigger, meaning that loads of green fields will need to get concreted over).

Or: if you want a society that preserves more of its lovely old buildings, has charming city centers and preserves its remaining countryside by keeping its cities compact, you can do that instead, BUT it means accepting that you need to density cities and build upwards, shift massively towards public transport, walking and biking, and restrict cars - both reducing car usage in cities, and pushing people firmly towards smaller cars unless they live in rural areas.

The UK is trying to cram ever-growing numbers of car journeys by ever-growing numbers of drivers in ever-more massive, heavy, space-hogging, road-crushing vehicles….into cities that have never been designed around car use in the first place. The result is parking turf wars, road congestion that is getting worse each year, and road surfaces that are pockmarked with holes and falling to pieces, because you have got way too much car grinding away on way too little road space.

One way or the other, seriously. Hard choices and trade offs need to be accepted here.

Loafbeginsat60 · 03/03/2025 03:37

We have a defender and a Range Rover.

The defender tows our livestock box, various trailers and gets filled with all manner of stuff for the farm and DH's work. It is a nightmare to park in a normal car park because it's so wide so I don't tend to take it anywhere too towny

The RR is my car - I drive this so I can get out during the winter - very often snowed in, plus it's safe for me and the kids and I like a bit of luxury. It's easier to park in town but we hardly ever go there as it's an hour away.

I recently had to take the defender to a big city as dh was in hospital and I happened to be driving it when he took ill. Trying to park it in a multi story wasn't easy and made me think if we lived somewhere more urban, I would definitely get a wee car!

I don't think these cars are suitable or needed for town life.

taxguru · 03/03/2025 05:59

GreenTeaLikesMe · 03/03/2025 03:29

I’ve said this before but the UK needs to decide which way to go on transport.

If you want a society where people drive almost everywhere and everyone has as big a car as they like, then fine. But you need to be prepared to do what America, Canada, Australia etc. did in the 20th century and rebuild your cities around cars (which involves knocking down most lovely old buildings, creating rather charmless ugly cities that are full of enormous car parks and great big roads, and accepting that cities will need get much, much bigger, meaning that loads of green fields will need to get concreted over).

Or: if you want a society that preserves more of its lovely old buildings, has charming city centers and preserves its remaining countryside by keeping its cities compact, you can do that instead, BUT it means accepting that you need to density cities and build upwards, shift massively towards public transport, walking and biking, and restrict cars - both reducing car usage in cities, and pushing people firmly towards smaller cars unless they live in rural areas.

The UK is trying to cram ever-growing numbers of car journeys by ever-growing numbers of drivers in ever-more massive, heavy, space-hogging, road-crushing vehicles….into cities that have never been designed around car use in the first place. The result is parking turf wars, road congestion that is getting worse each year, and road surfaces that are pockmarked with holes and falling to pieces, because you have got way too much car grinding away on way too little road space.

One way or the other, seriously. Hard choices and trade offs need to be accepted here.

I agree, but everyone wants it to be someone else who gives up their cars, not them as they have special reasons to keep theirs! It’s the usual hypocracy. Like however wants higher taxes for better public services, but for others to pay, not themselves.

Lovelysummerdays · 03/03/2025 06:24

SlaveToAGoldenRetriever · 03/03/2025 02:27

Park car, let child out. How else would it work? 🤨

I don’t even park tbh. Just stop for a couple of seconds and children leap out of the car.

Digdongdoo · 03/03/2025 09:07

MikeRafone · 03/03/2025 02:40

weve been on holiday in the VW, pushchair, suitcases and car seats with 2 under 2. The dog went to the MILs for the week

2 car seats, suitcases plural and a pushchair? In a VW Up? No you did not.

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