Rise of the UK 'SUV'
Discussion
gizlaroc said:
It is Pistonheads, it is about all things car.
You can own a 4x4 and a sports car you know.
I'm not sure it at all possible. How can you be a driving god one moment and a slayer of bunnies the next?You can own a 4x4 and a sports car you know.
Why would someone with an immensely fast sports car also drive a slow but comfortable 4x4? It's madness.
But what if they also had a Barry BMW hatchback on top!!!!! The mind boggles as to the insanity.
lrs777 said:
so it seems to me the choice of an SUV is more for comfort and plodding along?
I thought this was Pistonheads borne out of rorty fast cars? Certainly you don't see a whole load of SUV's at the show?
I suppose when you go to an amusement park some want 5 g's and multiple rides - others would be happy to sit and have a nice quiet cup of tea... At least the Defender boys get out there are tear it up off road..
People can have more than one car..I thought this was Pistonheads borne out of rorty fast cars? Certainly you don't see a whole load of SUV's at the show?
I suppose when you go to an amusement park some want 5 g's and multiple rides - others would be happy to sit and have a nice quiet cup of tea... At least the Defender boys get out there are tear it up off road..
I have the D3, and a kitcar with my dad.
One does the daily driving duties, towing trailers, being a van, a 7 seat mpv, a proper off roader etc etc.
If i want to go fast, i have a 180bhp, westfield/caterham style car. No driver aids, no creature comforts bar a windscreen, simply and light weight. They make most other sports cars look fat and overweight with overly large engines to compensate..
So depending on what car i drive, i'm either a slow arrogant w
ker who has no grasp of my car's size and drive it with the grace of a drunk oil tanker captain, or i drive a purpose made sports car and none of the above is true.
A.J.M said:
People can have more than one car..
I have the D3, and a kitcar with my dad.
One does the daily driving duties, towing trailers, being a van, a 7 seat mpv, a proper off roader etc etc.
If i want to go fast, i have a 180bhp, westfield/caterham style car. No driver aids, no creature comforts bar a windscreen, simply and light weight. They make most other sports cars look fat and overweight with overly large engines to compensate..
So depending on what car i drive, i'm either a slow arrogant wker who has no grasp of my car's size and drive it with the grace of a drunk oil tanker captain, or i drive a purpose made sports car and none of the above is true.
I think that is called Bi-Polar? (just kidding) Thank god you've got a proper tool to compensate though. I think if you added a wee car for daily driving you could be given a clean bill of health!I have the D3, and a kitcar with my dad.
One does the daily driving duties, towing trailers, being a van, a 7 seat mpv, a proper off roader etc etc.
If i want to go fast, i have a 180bhp, westfield/caterham style car. No driver aids, no creature comforts bar a windscreen, simply and light weight. They make most other sports cars look fat and overweight with overly large engines to compensate..
So depending on what car i drive, i'm either a slow arrogant w
ker who has no grasp of my car's size and drive it with the grace of a drunk oil tanker captain, or i drive a purpose made sports car and none of the above is true.I'm interested as you seem much less likely to throw insults, is the reason you have the Disco for a genuine need of offroad ability? Doesn't it seem like driving a bus after the car? Wouldn't one of the "allroad" style Estates do the same and be much more enjoyable every day?
lrs777 said:
I think that is called Bi-Polar? (just kidding) Thank god you've got a proper tool to compensate though. I think if you added a wee car for daily driving you could be given a clean bill of health!
I'm interested as you seem much less likely to throw insults, is the reason you have the Disco for a genuine need of offroad ability? Doesn't it seem like driving a bus after the car? Wouldn't one of the "allroad" style Estates do the same and be much more enjoyable every day?
Just out of interest, have you actually driven a large 4x4?.I'm interested as you seem much less likely to throw insults, is the reason you have the Disco for a genuine need of offroad ability? Doesn't it seem like driving a bus after the car? Wouldn't one of the "allroad" style Estates do the same and be much more enjoyable every day?
If someone's not going to do any offroading, in what way is a 4x4 better than a people carrier? Genuine question - I've nothing against 4x4s. But having been in the back of a few, I'd just have thought that people carriers would be roomier, faster, more economical and better handling. And cheaper.
Randy Winkman said:
If someone's not going to do any offroading, in what way is a 4x4 better than a people carrier? Genuine question - I've nothing against 4x4s. But having been in the back of a few, I'd just have thought that people carriers would be roomier, faster, more economical and better handling. And cheaper.
I had a Fiat Ulysee previously, the Fiat was a very good and spacious car but it was getting a bit old and high in miles so I decided that I wanted something newer and a bit more comfortable. I did not set out to buy an SUV, I just could not find a people carrier that met my requirements that I had any desire to own so it came down to a choice between an XC90 and a Discovery and the Volvo won.Walter Sobchak said:
Just out of interest, have you actually driven a large 4x4?.
I drove a Patrol and a Disco once both terrible. Bit like driving a transit.Drove a RAV4 and that was actually not too bad to drive but I felt so self conscious in it and was convinced I could see people muttering expletives. I knew then I would never own one. There's always another choice. I know they are very different now but you cannot escape the high centre of gravity and high unsprung weight and high kerb weight. More than anything though it's the looks, and the seating position I dislike. I prefer to be low to the ground.
I have driven a Disco off road and there it was really rather good. Also drove a Land cruiser on a sand island - no way any other vehicle would have cut it.
There is a right tool for the job for sure. 99% of the time though in the UK any SUV is the wrong tool. More worrying though is the trend for the styling becoming the norm - eg Cashcow sales are unbelieveable. The more people have them the more acceptable they become and maybe one day "normal" cars will be few and far between. I dread that day.
Seeing a genuine 4x4 pulling a trailer or a caravan doesn't offend me. That's their choice. Seeing people driving Jukes thinking they've bought something unique cool and appealing is different.
Randy Winkman said:
If someone's not going to do any offroading, in what way is a 4x4 better than a people carrier? Genuine question - I've nothing against 4x4s. But having been in the back of a few, I'd just have thought that people carriers would be roomier, faster, more economical and better handling. And cheaper.
It's mainly about needs. I wanted something I didn't have to bend down in to get the bairn in. I also wanted something with 4 wheel drive. Other requirements to name a few were driving position and a little bit of power.
I don't care about mpg.
lrs777 said:
There is a right tool for the job for sure.
Ah…a car as a tool. A means to an end. Transport for a specific function. Commuting. Going to the shops. It's just a car etc…get the 'sensible' one etc….I don't buy cars just as tools. My decision process is quite different. I like sporty cars - I sometimes like the sensation of speed, how they look, feel, drive. So I have a Porsche. It can go faster than I'll ever take it so I paid a premium for something I'll not use. Still wanted it. So got it.
I like 4x4's. I like that they can go off-road. I go on safari's as often as I can - Zimbabwe and Kruger all booked next year - and so do use 4x4's in their proper context. But here in Blighty? Nah, don't bother with the off-roading scene here so, technically, don't need one. But I like 4x4's. For what they can potentially do. So I have one.
Between them, my car's can be used as transportation tools to satisfy my every need. That doesn't mean they were purchased to perform a simple travel from A to B role as efficiently and economically as possible: they were purchased because I fancied them and find them more interesting than the alternatives. Estates do nothing for me. A standard saloon with winter tyres might carry me around just fine in the colder months but, well, meh. A 4x4? Yeah! That's what I want! Will I use it off-road? Unlikely. Do I care? Not a jot! Happy to have all the compromises it brings to the table in exchange for what it 'could' do if I wanted it to.
Each to their own! You buy what floats your boat and I'll buy what gets me revved up!
I do miss my GTO sometimes but I drive the wife's MR2 for all my shortish journeys and that's good fun.
However, when it's both of us plus dog, shopping or luggage or a long journey, I've never had a more comfortable car than the Jeep. And, yes, as others have said I don't have to panic when I come across water deeper than 4".
However, when it's both of us plus dog, shopping or luggage or a long journey, I've never had a more comfortable car than the Jeep. And, yes, as others have said I don't have to panic when I come across water deeper than 4".
Obviously there is a distinction to be made between a proper 4x4 and a soft roader (or "faux by four", as I like to call them 
).
As far as soft-roaders (e.g Audi Q models, BMW X5, Nissan X-trail, Toyota Rav4) go, I see them as the kind of vehicle you would drive if you lived in a remote place with poor-quality roads / harsh winters, needed a little extra ground clearance over a normal AWD car such as an Audi A6 Quattro but had no need to actually go off road. If you live in suburbia, being honest either a normal hatch or MPV make more sense 99% of the time...but, and here's the thing...it's your choice. - Some people just find them nicer to drive than (or won't be seen in) an MPV or prefer the driving experience to a standard car.
"Proper 4x4s", such as the Land Cruiser, Range Rover (including the Sport) or even Cayenne actually can do the business off-road. - I think it's a massive shame that many are ruined by being fitted with huge wheels, road tyres and bodykits and are never put through their paces off the tarmac (I would love to save a Range Rover the indignity of being a celebrity trinket
). If these are being used, even some of the time, properly (that includes for towing etc.), the criticism levelled at them is unjustified IMO and I think it's very telling how the whingers are always glad to see one when their village floods / they get snowed in during the winter.
However, I don't think anyone here is arguing that when you see a BMW X6 with huge wheels (that hamper it's off-road ability) being driven aggressively in town, you're justified in thinking "knob".
).As far as soft-roaders (e.g Audi Q models, BMW X5, Nissan X-trail, Toyota Rav4) go, I see them as the kind of vehicle you would drive if you lived in a remote place with poor-quality roads / harsh winters, needed a little extra ground clearance over a normal AWD car such as an Audi A6 Quattro but had no need to actually go off road. If you live in suburbia, being honest either a normal hatch or MPV make more sense 99% of the time...but, and here's the thing...it's your choice. - Some people just find them nicer to drive than (or won't be seen in) an MPV or prefer the driving experience to a standard car.
"Proper 4x4s", such as the Land Cruiser, Range Rover (including the Sport) or even Cayenne actually can do the business off-road. - I think it's a massive shame that many are ruined by being fitted with huge wheels, road tyres and bodykits and are never put through their paces off the tarmac (I would love to save a Range Rover the indignity of being a celebrity trinket
). If these are being used, even some of the time, properly (that includes for towing etc.), the criticism levelled at them is unjustified IMO and I think it's very telling how the whingers are always glad to see one when their village floods / they get snowed in during the winter. However, I don't think anyone here is arguing that when you see a BMW X6 with huge wheels (that hamper it's off-road ability) being driven aggressively in town, you're justified in thinking "knob".
driverrob said:
I do miss my GTO sometimes but I drive the wife's MR2 for all my shortish journeys and that's good fun.
However, when it's both of us plus dog, shopping or luggage or a long journey, I've never had a more comfortable car than the Jeep. And, yes, as others have said I don't have to panic when I come across water deeper than 4".
i drove through 12" of water in a mini when I was 18. No problem. Just open the doors to let the water out and dry out the dizzy.However, when it's both of us plus dog, shopping or luggage or a long journey, I've never had a more comfortable car than the Jeep. And, yes, as others have said I don't have to panic when I come across water deeper than 4".
driverrob said:
I do miss my GTO sometimes but I drive the wife's MR2 for all my shortish journeys and that's good fun.
However, when it's both of us plus dog, shopping or luggage or a long journey, I've never had a more comfortable car than the Jeep. And, yes, as others have said I don't have to panic when I come across water deeper than 4".
What about when you disappear down the man hole that has had its cover lifted off by the water, or are 4be4's immune to hitting hidden objects submerged by flood water? However, when it's both of us plus dog, shopping or luggage or a long journey, I've never had a more comfortable car than the Jeep. And, yes, as others have said I don't have to panic when I come across water deeper than 4".
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