Driving a larger car for the first time
Discussion
Glosphil said:
Majorslow said:
Op is going about it all in the right way.
OP are you doing IAM or RoSPA advanced driving lessons? If not for about £80 and I believe less if a new driver and under 21 cheaper still! Your "observed" drives would be free then and a test at the end of it.
I have had a "large" car since 1999 (V70 Volvo) That died recently and both me and the wife like a bigger car so it has been replaced by a Volvo S80 which feels bigger still.
I found our old V70 easier to reverse than our smaller cars, with better all round viz.
Parking them in car parks is a pain as they eat up the room both sides and stick out a bit, so expect some twit to scuff your bumpers.
Bigger cars make life easier too in that you have more versatility. Go to the dump, go out posh, get suitcases in easily more comfortable on a long run.
On narrow roads they are not so much fun, but plan ahead, if you see road is narrowing, slow or stop where it is wider for other vehicle to get past. If they then hit you it is their fault as you gave way, stationary, so what could you do? Remember where passing places are as you may have to reverse up to one.
sometimes you find the bigger you are the more likely someone may give way to you....but don't count on it!
I also have an MX5 and found my V70 easier to manoeuvre!! (just didn't corner as good!)
I miss my V70 as today couldn't get my lawn mower in the S80 to take to repair shop!
Stay for a car/estate not an SUV they are just bigger yet have less space in them.
IAM course is £175 not £80. However, many local groups have special deals for young drivers, eg, my local group (Gloucestershire) has a number of the IAM course FOC for under 26s.OP are you doing IAM or RoSPA advanced driving lessons? If not for about £80 and I believe less if a new driver and under 21 cheaper still! Your "observed" drives would be free then and a test at the end of it.
I have had a "large" car since 1999 (V70 Volvo) That died recently and both me and the wife like a bigger car so it has been replaced by a Volvo S80 which feels bigger still.
I found our old V70 easier to reverse than our smaller cars, with better all round viz.
Parking them in car parks is a pain as they eat up the room both sides and stick out a bit, so expect some twit to scuff your bumpers.
Bigger cars make life easier too in that you have more versatility. Go to the dump, go out posh, get suitcases in easily more comfortable on a long run.
On narrow roads they are not so much fun, but plan ahead, if you see road is narrowing, slow or stop where it is wider for other vehicle to get past. If they then hit you it is their fault as you gave way, stationary, so what could you do? Remember where passing places are as you may have to reverse up to one.
sometimes you find the bigger you are the more likely someone may give way to you....but don't count on it!
I also have an MX5 and found my V70 easier to manoeuvre!! (just didn't corner as good!)
I miss my V70 as today couldn't get my lawn mower in the S80 to take to repair shop!
Stay for a car/estate not an SUV they are just bigger yet have less space in them.
I went from a Golf R to a BMW 840i Gran Coupé which is the same footprint on-road as a full-fat Range Rover at just over 5m long and a touch under 2m wide. In daily driving it's not really an issue even though the 840i GC misses out on the Active Rear Steering feature found on all other 8-series and which apparently makes it feel even more manoeuvrable. There have been a couple of occasions where the width has been a problem.
First time was when I went to leave a car park and found it was this (you drive out toward where the picture is taken):
The exit was only 25cm wider than the car but with the length of it and the turn it was impossible to make without grazing an alloy. It would've been doable it the part of the kerb by the 'T' of 'EXIT' was opened up more; there's no reason for it to be curved as much as it is.
I also never bother with width restrictors like this:
They're only around 7cm wider than the car and as good a driver as I think I am, I'm pretty certain I don't think I can place the car with just 3.5cm either side of the alloys to play with. To be honest I'd have had second thoughts in the Golf, let alone the 8-series. I think those width restrictions are stupid anyway, no matter what car you drive.
First time was when I went to leave a car park and found it was this (you drive out toward where the picture is taken):
The exit was only 25cm wider than the car but with the length of it and the turn it was impossible to make without grazing an alloy. It would've been doable it the part of the kerb by the 'T' of 'EXIT' was opened up more; there's no reason for it to be curved as much as it is.
I also never bother with width restrictors like this:
They're only around 7cm wider than the car and as good a driver as I think I am, I'm pretty certain I don't think I can place the car with just 3.5cm either side of the alloys to play with. To be honest I'd have had second thoughts in the Golf, let alone the 8-series. I think those width restrictions are stupid anyway, no matter what car you drive.
The Civic feels quite large in that the turning circle is woeful (And it is 6"8 with mirrors if I remember correctly!)
The Jag feels large in that it's very long, so you find yourself dealing with the swing a little more.
In other words, cars can feel large in many different ways (IMO), Some of which not as simple as their footprint alone - I went for a ride in a Taycan with 4WS, and from the outside it was gargantuan, but would take tight carpark manuvers like a Yaris.
That being said, Width doesn't pose too much of a problem on country roads - You need to bear it in mind, and you'll find different roads suit narrower cars better, but equally, is an extra inch or two on the car the factor that means you plow on at 60 rather than slow appropriately?
Once you've got a grasp of the dimensions and turning circles you can usually suprise people with where you can make the car fit - Does take a strong awareness of the width though.
The Jag feels large in that it's very long, so you find yourself dealing with the swing a little more.
In other words, cars can feel large in many different ways (IMO), Some of which not as simple as their footprint alone - I went for a ride in a Taycan with 4WS, and from the outside it was gargantuan, but would take tight carpark manuvers like a Yaris.
That being said, Width doesn't pose too much of a problem on country roads - You need to bear it in mind, and you'll find different roads suit narrower cars better, but equally, is an extra inch or two on the car the factor that means you plow on at 60 rather than slow appropriately?
Once you've got a grasp of the dimensions and turning circles you can usually suprise people with where you can make the car fit - Does take a strong awareness of the width though.
Edited by Haltamer on Saturday 13th August 01:52
DriveForFun said:
I’m a novice driver, but enjoy driving, though have only ever driven small cars on the public roads. I’m looking at changing vehicles again. Have had mostly hot hatches and an MX-5, looking at the same old small cars but can’t help thinking if I was to consider something bigger there’d be far more choice. I’m just a bit nervous about driving a larger car.
For those with experience: is size ever a problem? Do you ever have to consider your vehicles size and find it restrictive, or is it really a non-issue? Not talking huge vehicles, just something like a modern saloon or SUV.
I’m not on about parking and such, more about width on country lanes, which is where I do the vast majority of my driving.
Often on a B road I will pass a vehicle coming the other way and think I was OK because I have a small car. If I was in a larger vehicle, surely my left hand side tyres would be driving over the broken road surface and the other crap often found along the edge of a typical country lane.
I’m also wondering about positioning - I’ve done a couple of advanced lessons and often it’s recommended that the car is positioned in a certain way depending on the situation. In a wider car, I can’t really see there being much room for movement within your lane as a lot of larger vehicles are as wide as the lane?
Any comments are welcome. Apologies if this is a silly question.
Thanks.
You’ll get used to it pretty quickly. Just take care with parking as you may misjudge the dimensions of the car.For those with experience: is size ever a problem? Do you ever have to consider your vehicles size and find it restrictive, or is it really a non-issue? Not talking huge vehicles, just something like a modern saloon or SUV.
I’m not on about parking and such, more about width on country lanes, which is where I do the vast majority of my driving.
Often on a B road I will pass a vehicle coming the other way and think I was OK because I have a small car. If I was in a larger vehicle, surely my left hand side tyres would be driving over the broken road surface and the other crap often found along the edge of a typical country lane.
I’m also wondering about positioning - I’ve done a couple of advanced lessons and often it’s recommended that the car is positioned in a certain way depending on the situation. In a wider car, I can’t really see there being much room for movement within your lane as a lot of larger vehicles are as wide as the lane?
Any comments are welcome. Apologies if this is a silly question.
Thanks.
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