Why do people drive big cars they can’t manage?

[HulinSings]

I’ve lost count of the number of (usually women in hubby’s RR) driving big cars that they simply cannot park or simply manoeuvre.

Is this just an issue by me or does anyone else encounter this on a daily basis?

Surely the need to be seen in a ‘brand’ isn’t worth the hassle driving one of these cars must bring..Insta has a lot to answer for

I need a car to fit six adult-sized people, plus a wheelchair.

I much prefer small hatchbacks but short of strapping people to a roof rack, it just doesn’t have the space I need.

I’m another one who has no shame in admitting I’m shit at parking. I can drive in OK but I’m terrible at reversing and 99% of the time I wouldn’t even bother attempting to parallel park.

I did actually parallel park on my very quiet street the other day and no one was more surprised than me when it only took three attempts.

I only learnt how to drive when I left London and moved to a semi-rural location. I was perfectly happy not driving. When I learnt, I only did my automatic licence so I don’t even drive with gears 😂🤷‍♀️

I have shit spatial awareness and I had to learn to drive barefoot as I had sensory difficulties with the pedals.

I am under no illusions that I’m up for any kind of driving trophy 😂😂

Are you always this jealous and bitter? Plenty of shabby driving from people in shitty cars too.

You’ve lost me…I earn my own money and don’t need my DH to fund my lifestyle - each to their own though.

To be fair, as someone who drives a huge 4x4 (not a range rover though) this does actually give me the rage too.

I have a huge 4x4 for a reason, equestrian/farm life and lots of towing! BUT I can park and manoeuvre my car, with or without a trailer on the back, through the eye of a needle or into a tight spot quickly and efficiently.

Women already get a bad name as poor drivers/being shit at parking - WHY are these women giving more fuel to the fire 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ just learn to fucking drive them or don't drive them!

But women who drive RRs do???

Yeah that's what I don't understand. My OH has an outlander which is much bigger than mine but it's so easy to park etc with screens sensors etc

Honestly! It’s like they went to the same school as OP.

Idiots.

The assumption that you know the marital and financial status of women you don’t know but judge on your own prejudices is mental.

What should we assume about you I wonder? Shit car, shit job but my god she can drive? In which case, well done you for being morally superior.

Amazing.

Such anger for a Sunday…cheer up love! 😘

Probably Max Verstappens driving instructor.

Ageist much?

This is all interesting OP because in my experience it's exactly the opposite - maybe it partly depends where people live? In my experience it tends to be drivers in small cars who are nervous, poor and slow at manoeuvring, leaving massive gaps necessitating many point turns in car parks.

I had my driving assessed by my employer some years ago as my role involved driving to different venues. The examiner assessed my driving as "Excellent" at the end of the test, and said, " I knew you'd be a good driver as soon as I saw you were driving a Land Rover". So I think his experience kind of tallied with mine? 🤷‍♀️

Great line, nicely delivered. 👏

Does anyone else remember a documentary about minimalist composer Michael Nyman, who wrote a piece of music that got used for a car advert. (Can't remember the name of the piece. Or the brand.) At some point the advertising peeps were raving to Michael about how perfect it was for their speshul cars. Michael helpfully said he couldn't actually drive. Great mic-drop moment.

I was waiting for an ageist comment, but I stand by it entirely. So many nervous, slow, worried drivers around here who are elderly.

That was me laughing at you in RR trying to reverse in the Exeter John Lewis carpark.

My fav spot though was the aggressive gesturing carried out in the Tesla charging zone in Gun Wharf when driver 1 parked but then couldn't get out because driver 2 nipped in and parked too close then driver 2 had to also pull forward because his passenger couldn't get out, then reversed back and stayed in the car whilst passenger set up the charger.

All while other EVs prowled the car park asking if they were leaving.

But they are normal in the USA.

Lots of smaller "compact" style cars in the US too these days. I presume people are meaning the big pick up trucks and 4x4 style vehicles, which are pretty common. But a lot of them are tradesmen's vans, farm wagons, etc. You tend not to see the huge ones in the city centres, but they're all over the more rural areas. But outside the cities, the US is geared up for larger vehicles, i.e. wider roads, bigger car parks with wider spaces, etc.

You get entertained by watching people struggle to park? Pretty dull life then.

Hello bad parker here with a big car 🙋‍♀️ (not a RR)!

I’m excellent at driving, if I say so myself, I’ll drive miles anywhere, but am completely terrible with parking. Got a much bigger car than I am used to last October, but am part exchanging it for a much smaller car in 4 weeks, just waiting for it to arrive at the dealer.

I realised once I bought it that I’d bitten off more than I could chew, yes I went for a couple of test drives but I thought I would get used to it!

It’s got all the bells and whistles and gizmos with parking sensors and cameras galore, but no, it’s not for me. Have to say I did see a woman park a very big car in a very small car space last week - I was envious of her!

@HulinSings I agree OP.

People who drive massive cars when their annual mileage is only 7k - 8k a year, and they only use their car for commuting to work, going to the supermarket, or doing the school run, reminds me of the novice golfers who show up to a golf course with a new £1000 set of golf clubs. Everyone sees those people, and they laugh. Just as they laugh at casual drivers who can't manoevure massive overpriced cars.

Buy a large car if your job involves moving a lot of heavy, bulky objects. Or if you're someone who drives for a living or commutes more than 20k miles a year, then perhaps it makes sense to have a comfortable car.

If your car is just a means to get to your job, go to the supermarket, or do the school run, then your place is in an A segment or B segment car.

If you're a casual driver who can't manoevure a massive SUV, then everyone is looking at you and they are laughing.

Genuine question. How do you know who is who? You see a woman/man on their own in a RR at the supermarket. How can you possibly know what they do with that car the rest of the time? They might have 3 kids, 5 dogs and drive 70k miles per year for work? You wouldn’t know that?

Hate to break it to you “love” but some of us earn our own money, don’t need DH to fund our lifestyle and also choose to buy a RR. Cash, not finance. This appears to be shocking to you, but I assure you, it is absolutely possible 😘

@Whenim63 You don't need a Range Rover for SUV for 3 kids. Obviously you will be aware that 30 years ago, very few people drove SUVs, and yet everyone was able to get around fine in moderate-sized sedans.

To answer your question in terms of being able to know who is who, OP already covered this in their original post; you can tell who is a novice driver from their driving style.

Signs of novice drivers (or poor driving) include:

1. Difficulty manoevuring or parking a large vehicle.
2. Poor lane discipline.
3. Not adhering to road signs and road markings.
4. Exceeding the speed limit.
5. Driving aggressively, or road rage.
6. Not showing consideration for other road users, particularly vulnerable road users.
7. Engine idling.
8. Using a phone while driving or while the engine is running.

There’s never any real reason for having a giant SUV/RR. I grew up in a family of multiple kids and we had one of those long estate cars. It was great, could get loads in it. People like SUVs because they like being high up, but yeah, so many of them a) can’t manoeuvre them and b) think they can just barrel straight at you and you will have to give way no matter what.
It’s scary how massive cars are getting. My car was a mid size hatchback but it’s really old now so looks tiny next to newer versions. My car is so old it has a tape deck but at least I can park the fucker.

I said 3 kids, 5 dogs and drives 70k miles per year for work. No way anyone can tell that from how someone parks a car. Nor does how anyone parks a car tell you anything about your long (and frankly, slightly obsessive) list? You honestly believe that someone who drives an suv and is shit at parking also the exceeds the speed limit or uses the phone whilst driving? Based on what exactly?

Car manufacturers design with their most profitable markets in mind. Not UK requirements.

It surprises me that people buy /lease such impractical vehicles. Some must come to regret their choice as they struggle to park it in a standard parking space, or experience anxiety every time they meet other vehicles in narrow country lanes.