SUVs

[Grant V]

It seems that there a few folk here who have an appreciation for these 'sheds' - as referred to by someone on the forum.

I don't like them and I can write pages of rant why I dislike them. However, I am genuinely intrigued to understand why people like SUVs.

Unless you're towing a horse box, or live and on a farm with crappy rural roads, I don't get it. Most of the gargantuan SUVs around where I live are driven by petite blond trophy wives where their closest experience to nature is the salad section in Marks & Spencer, and their off-roading experience is negotiating the speed humps in the parking lot.

I promise not to judge, but what motivates your decision to drive a SUV?

 

[rockits]

In our case we live in a lane off a lane that the main lane is often flooded after heavy sequential periods of rain. I sometimes use either the wife's or my SUV for some jobs in the garden. Also for the kids to have a drive & some fun in the garden.

Lastly safety which I am a big believer in. I want my family to be as safe as the can. I don't want to destroy the planet but until better options exist this is the now. I will buy a new shape XC90 T8 when prices drops bit.

 

[MrMickS]

I don't get the safety bit. Sure an SUV is going to come out best in a collision with a smaller car but I'd rather have my family avoid the accident in the first place. I'd rather they were in smaller cars that have better braking and are more manoeuvrable. A few years ago old TG did a stopping distance test with a 1960's era car, a 911, and a Disco. They were going on about the stopping distances printed in the highway code. The 911 stopped ridiculously quickly, the Disco took the same distance as the 1960's car. It was quite sobering to see.

The running joke about why Volvo drivers were so bad was based partly on the perception that if you were in an accident in a Volvo you were likely to get out well. I get the impression that a lot of SUV drivers have this same attitude. I think that this impression of being safe impacts how people drive. Of course as more people buy SUVs this will just normalise and its only the people driving normal sized cars that will suffer.

That said I would buy an SUV if I needed one. I've said before that we are looking to move at some point to somewhere more rural. If we find that the weather impacts us over a winter such that an SUV would help I'd look to get one. I wouldn't buy one just to potter around in as a daily driver though. Still I drive the Ghibli as a daily, which is a little excessive, so who am I to talk?

 

[Wack61]

Men SUV = important
Women SUV they feel safer because they're sitting higher so have a better view of the road

 

[highlander]

No, I don't get them either. I keep thinking it needs to be my next daily, since the Alfa beginning to show and feel her age, to allow me to trailer marci to shows saving at least 500 miles a show but then when I drive a hired one (jeep, Mitsubishi etc which the council seems fond of forcing on me) it feels like I'm driving a space hopper, not nice. But then even though I live in the highlands I don't live up a track so if I did, maybe necessity would win out.
Re. The crash safety Q, there are so many on the road you would be just as likely to hit another SUV as a smaller car now in a crash I reckon!

 

[JonW]

Our family car is a Range Rover Sport, and before that we had a Discovery.

Both were bought because they have the option of 7 seats, which is really useful (and sometime essential) when picking up kids with friends, etc.

Having said that, I also think the Range Rover is an incredibly comfortable, luxurious, nice car, and to be honest it is fabulous to drive. As such, even if we only needed 5 seats, I think it competes blooming well with the other options out there.

It's also true that my wife, and the kids, like the elevated driving position and view of the road, and they feel safe in the car...

 

[Keano]

My wife likes the height and driving position, carrying capacity for 3 kids with associated school kit and sports gear - not trivial, space so the Kids are not arguing and can ignore each other in peace. The safety aspect is important but the stopping distance is a good point as my wife did lose a stopping race with a New Disco last year and it was terminal for the older Merc but there are now smaller SUVs that may perform better.
I like it for carrying bikes and trips to the dump. I go Off-road in fields once a year which is about the only time it gets a real run out as a 4x4

 

[davy83]

i was given a land cruiser as a company car, so i am not sure i am a supporter, but the reasons it makes sense out here is we have many many speed bumps and nothing runs over a speed bump like a land cruiser, same goes for huge potholes. It is reasonably competent on loose sand and so i can access oil field sites which are long distances from tarred roads. I can go tear about in the sand dunes at the weekends and occasionally on my way home from work i take the scenic route!! While the LC and the 3200 are both cars, the LC not the same thing as the Maserati, its some thing else. Neither of them really make sense!

 

[Contigo]

I stupidly took the GTS yesterday and sat nav ended sending it down some of the worst back lanes in Britain, it was only then that I thought these lanes are made for SUV's etc.... Or is it the SUV's which cause the potholes in the first place?

 

[hoyin]

I think it is the height as well. So for parents you don't have to bend down to get the kids out. They are at a higher position.

I don't however get the idea that an SUV has more luggage space. Every SUV I have been in has less space compared to a normal saloon. Well apart from maybe a LWB Disco or similar. But things like a RAV 4 are ridiculously small.


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[Steve GS]

What's not to understand I used to have a ford ranger although not an SUV but same size and seats five. It was very comfortable and was great for work in all weather. Now when some muppet decided to run a read light at speed into the side of me I believe this truck saved my life and probably the lady in the car next to me. And I think some of them look good the driving vue is great. As for stopping distance run by the three amigos we'll take that with a pinch of salt like there jokes.

 

[Ewan]

A modern Rangie is an incredibly comfortable, luxurious and spacious vehicle to travel in. The quality is superb, as is the ride. And it'll go virtually anywhere. Equally at home at the farm or the Opera or the rugby or the supermarket - anywhere. I wouldn't be without one (in fact, we currently have two).

But equally, I still like having a 2 seat sports car as well. And a pick-up. And a 4 door saloon. And a 4 seat coupe. Etc.

But if I could only have 2 cars out of my collection, the big Rangie would definitely be one of them.

 

[conaero]

I have one an love it. For an every day runaround they are hard to beat.

The kids and the stuff that comes with them is easily catered for. The higher position is nice and the most important thing is that is at the other end of the spectrum to what I drive for passion so every time I get in the Maserati or Alfa they instantly feel special without even starting the engine.

Fashions change and nothing stays the same for ever. Given the choice of strong selling SUV's or electric self drive vehicles, Ill stick with the SUV's for now.

 

[dem maser]

i must admit if it wasnt for a company car id buy an SUV next for my commuting with Thalia.

I prefer my BMW than most SUVs but generally the higher you are the better it is with a family and for practicality

 

[SPX]

I promise not to judge, but what motivates your decision to drive a SUV?

The same could be levelled at a powerful car; who needs more than 200bhp unless you're on a track? Why would anyone buy a Maserati when there are far more sensible options out there?

I've owned numerous 4x4's and have done such for two main reasons - easier getting young children in and out and also the ride height makes driving so much more relaxed, especially on the motorway.

(And yes, they all saw their fair share of off-road action)

 

[mjheathcote]

The problem with big SUV's is that they are not rewarding to drive, including the latest RR's.
Doing a continental trip in a latest model RR (full fat £100k), and a new VW Caravelle (yes basically a van), on the same continental trip, the VW was better to drive, really!

 

[Wack61]

The problem with big SUV's is that they are not rewarding to drive, including the latest RR's.
Doing a continental trip in a latest model RR (full fat £100k), and a new VW Caravelle (yes basically a van), on the same continental trip, the VW was better to drive, really!

The service engineer at work got a 60th anniversary combi as a van/ company car , its very nice inside

I asked him how it drove, great apart from all the VW nuts flashing their lights and wanting to look in it at the services

He is a bit of a miserable git though

 

[zagatoes30]

We originally were virtually given an old RR primarily as I had a number of towing trips planned, during this time Mrs Z started to use it primarily as she found it easier to lift out disabled son into to it. When it blew up we bought an L322 for the same reason and this proved to be a great workhorse. Carried all the family ****, bikes, dog etc. in comfort, it never gets phased by any conditions, the height often means you see things earlier, nothing every argues with it. Now we have a 1800kg 25ft roadblocker as well it is even more useful, tows without you even knowing its there. I have towed the roadblocker with a large VW Van and it moves around in a way the RR never does.

We are currently planning to replace and I have looked at some softer alternatives like the ML, VW Touareg etc which are a bit smaller, lower and more car like and they will certainly do the job but ultimately I think we will get another Range Rover of maybe a Discovery

 

[allandwf]

Mrs allandwf used an ML55 as a daily for 2 1/2 years. She got in and it was like " Ger orrrrf MY road" !!

 

[safrane]

...getting kids in and out... If this is such an issue why have we not redesigned the world around this?...I mean house furniture is still basicly the same and humans have seemed to cope ok with that.