I have identifed a "type" who drive 4x4s in London, wondered if it was accurate...

[CountessDracula]

I live in SW London, home of the tossy 4x4s that never see a hill or any mud.

It seems to me that these cars are often driven by teeny weeny pinstick women who are married to big rugby player type men. I think it follows that if you are an ickle bickle lollipop of a woman and you are attracted to a huge manly bear of a man that you like to be pwotected by your big man and so you feel the need for the same type of pwotection from your car.

Do you think I am right?

I mean, usually people are attracted to their own physical shape etc aren't they?

Here endeth the poisson psychology.

ah TC my sister lives in Chiswick and has a Rav4 but STILL grumbles about 4x4 drivers!

I do class Rav4s differently to the really massive Cayennes/X5s etc. - a Rav4 is really quite a sensible size

hmmm

will have to look more closely at one and deliver verdict

imo it's more to do with the attitude some people who drive them have. ignoring road rules, no indicating, edging forwards on roundabouts, pushing into traffic and parking the blinkin things, and totally ignoring you when you try to abuse them

RAV4 is certainly one of the smaller beasts.

I think part of the thing is also how crap some of the 4X4s are driven. In an ickle car you can get away with staying a few feet from the parked cars as you drive past IYSWIM. In something nearly 7 foot wide keeping that kind of berth means any oncoming driver hates your friggin' guts. If you want a small truck, maybe a small truck licence / test should be sat ?

So, TC... do you drive well or like a dumb lollipop ?

thin (skinny)blonde with big diamond rings cheap primark clothes and tacky fake handbags!

xposts, SouthEast... we're in synch !

hub you have totally hit the nail on the head
much easier to disguise crap driving in a smaller car.

I could probably quite happily live in a LandCruiser - it's about the size of my living room

Cd - have no idea what model it is! Something more expensive than all the cars I ever bought added together is all I know!

I have a friend who drives a decomissioned taxi .. she just piles her kids in the back .. throws in a buggy and off she goes

she is the height of french chic .. and I think she's fab

(a london black cab of course)

black cab sounds fab - can you get them cheap second hand - am worried about getting a buggy in my ford KA!

Well the GT is about £300k
the 911 from about £60k

so a BIG difference!

We have often thought of getting an old black cab but am worried would get people jumping in all the time!

Actually was somewhere in between seond hand (about 12 months) cost more than their new convertible jag did so I would guess aroung £120k?

God that all sounds terrible - they're really very nice people - sure they give loads and loads to charity

I'm going to look at it this eveing now so i can report back to CD about exactly how poncy my lovely sister really is!

I don't have a prob with that, nice little car, doesn't hog the road etc...

It's these MONSTER cars I hate

they had a fantastic programme on bbc1 a few weeks back (can't remember what it was called) about a family who wanted a 4x4 and this programme was trying to convince them not to.

Statistically they

1. Guzzle more fuel
2. Are hellishly dangerous for pedestrians in an accident
3. and are no more safe than 'normal' cars

but the family still got one because they felt 'it looked good'!!

We have loads round here (also nr Twickenham, perhaps there is a theme ) almost all driven by dolled up ladies. What I can't understand is why they bothered getting them when it's clear they have difficulty doing things like parking or reversing (esp on narrow streets and there are a lot of them round here). The mind boggles.

what do those of you who have large familes and dogs buy? Are estate cars more fuel efficent?

If we assume they're not all twats (which I know is a stupid assumption, but bear with me...) then they are being bought for another reason... If it is not because they are safer / handle better / are more economical / have lower depreciation / servicing costs etc. (which of course they don't) the sole reason they are being bought is for image, which, in the owner's eyes, must be cool / sexy / powerful / whatever. Therefore it is everyone else's job to look at these people and mouth "twat"

Estate cars are typically lighter and more fuel efficient and less damaging to pedestrians in crashes.

The discussion can be made more complex by reference to the new 4X4 hybrids which are somewhat more green.

Interestingly, if we all lived in the US, the thread would probably be v. different as there is a massive 4X4 / utility vehicle ownership rate.

Additionally, as more people buy into the 'need' for one, others feel 'small' and less safe on the road and then aspire to own one of the beasts so they are 'as big' as everyone else and 'as safe' in a crash...

ooh chelsea tractors are going to be charged £25 per day congestion charge

agree with hub

it behoves us all to shout 'twat' at all 4 x 4 drivers in London

or even 'twonk' (which I prefer but don't understand)