How do you prevent parking dents on a Q7?
How do you prevent parking dents on a Q7?
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Discussion

fronty

Original Poster:

33 posts

109 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2017
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Thinking about getting a Q7, seen a lovely example in my local stealership but quite surprised how big they are in real life. This is making me wonder what you can do to prevent parking dents. All my previous cars have suffered from multiple dints all down the sides from inconsiderate idiots in Sainsburys car park banging their doors into my pride and joy.

If I buy this on PCP then I'll be worried that when it comes to hand it back they'll sting me for all the dents down the sides

What do you do? Just suck it up, park in the disabled bays, take up two spaces or what?

PenelopaPitstop

2,490 posts

163 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2017
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Park at the end of the car park and walk to the shop, go outside of peak-times, order shopping online, etc. It's not that difficult to avoid dents.

Turn7

25,753 posts

251 months

Patch1875

5,063 posts

162 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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PenelopaPitstop said:
Park at the end of the car park and walk to the shop, go outside of peak-times, order shopping online, etc. It's not that difficult to avoid dents.
Someone will still decide to park right next to you.

PenelopaPitstop

2,490 posts

163 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
quotequote all
So far I avoided any dents (touch wood). I always park as far away as possible from other cars and have been doing it for years. Also don't go to supermarkets in car unless I know there will be plenty of spaces. I usually walk or order online. Also sometimes park beside nice, undamaged cars assuming owners will treat their cars ok. It's best to avoid parking beside bangers.

stuartmmcfc

8,775 posts

222 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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Put some spinners on it and tint the windows.
People will assume you’re a bad ass and avoid?

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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Buy a smaller car so the people next to you can get out theirs more easily wink

catso

16,526 posts

297 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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Don't go to the supermarket in it. I send the Wife in her car... wink

mcg_

1,454 posts

122 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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The same way you avoid getting parking dents in any other car

alorotom

12,788 posts

217 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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fronty said:
Thinking about getting a Q7, seen a lovely example in my local stealership but quite surprised how big they are in real life. This is making me wonder what you can do to prevent parking dents. All my previous cars have suffered from multiple dints all down the sides from inconsiderate idiots in Sainsburys car park banging their doors into my pride and joy.

If I buy this on PCP then I'll be worried that when it comes to hand it back they'll sting me for all the dents down the sides

What do you do? Just suck it up, park in the disabled bays, take up two spaces or what?
you cant its a nightmare - mines been dinged numerous times through this - although I do also believe some people just dont like it due to its size/imposition on the road

I have had issues of having to climb back into the car via the boot as people have parked on either side of me and as the Q7 is the full width of a normal parking bay (a wheel on each white line) which is a pain and even moreso when in a suit.

solutions are simple of parking out of the way and choosing carparks to use and avoid.

Mammasaid

5,616 posts

127 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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Simple, fit side steps that are proud of the doors, then when another person opens their door the side steps take the knock, not your paintwork.


alock

4,566 posts

241 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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fronty said:
What do you do? Just suck it up, park in the disabled bays, take up two spaces or what?
I wrote this on another thread:

alock said:
A standard parking space for cars in the UK has been 4.8m by 2.4m for many years. Many car parks have been designed to this specification.

A Q7 is over 5m long so will overhang standard spaces.

A Q7 is 1968mm wide without mirrors. If you park next to another one in a car park and both park perfectly in the middle of your space, there is 432mm between the cars to open your doors.

A Q7 is 2212mm wide with mirrors. If you park next to another one in a car park and both park perfectly in the middle of your space, there is 188mm between the mirrors to walk between.
A car of this size will get hit more than a narrower car. I would also worry about the mirrors. How many handbags will get drag over the mirror or along the side of the car as people walk between them?

fronty

Original Poster:

33 posts

109 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
quotequote all
Mammasaid said:
Simple, fit side steps that are proud of the doors, then when another person opens their door the side steps take the knock, not your paintwork.
I was going to spec up the running boards anyway as I think they make the car look more purposeful and will help the kids and my mum get in and out of the thing, but do they really have the effect of protecting the paintwork? I would have thought they were too low to stop a door from dinging?

fronty

Original Poster:

33 posts

109 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
quotequote all
alock said:
A car of this size will get hit more than a narrower car. I would also worry about the mirrors. How many handbags will get drag over the mirror or along the side of the car as people walk between them?
This is exactly what I'm worried about. It's my local Sainsburys and the swimming pool where this is going to be a problem as the spaces are very tight. I might just have to take the wifes car instead, (a very nice new Golf that we just got a 6.5K discount on thanks to diesel scrappage and carwow discount!) :-)

Stickyfinger

8,429 posts

135 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
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Sell it and get a Cactus.....it comes bubble wrapped

fronty

Original Poster:

33 posts

109 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
quotequote all
alorotom said:
you cant its a nightmare - mines been dinged numerous times through this - although I do also believe some people just dont like it due to its size/imposition on the road

I have had issues of having to climb back into the car via the boot as people have parked on either side of me and as the Q7 is the full width of a normal parking bay (a wheel on each white line) which is a pain and even moreso when in a suit.
Oh great, I look forward to that then when I'm visiting clients and have to clamber in and out of the boot! I'll look like a right tit, although I expect some people will think that anyway if I'm in a Q7!

fronty

Original Poster:

33 posts

109 months

Wednesday 4th October 2017
quotequote all
Stickyfinger said:
Sell it and get a Cactus.....it comes bubble wrapped

blueg33

46,725 posts

254 months

Thursday 5th October 2017
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d a Q7 as loan car for a couple of weeks and rapidly concluded that it was too big to use in Britains towns. It became annoying very quickly driving down streets with parked car on either side, trying to fit it in any town centre multi-storey. It was a relief to go back to the A6.

In my view if you have to park it in a town, forget about it and buy something else. If you live in the country and need to use it as a 4x4 workhorse then buy something else too.

I really struggled to see what the car was for apart from brashly advertising that you have a top end Audi

Mammasaid

5,616 posts

127 months

Thursday 5th October 2017
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fronty said:
Mammasaid said:
Simple, fit side steps that are proud of the doors, then when another person opens their door the side steps take the knock, not your paintwork.
I was going to spec up the running boards anyway as I think they make the car look more purposeful and will help the kids and my mum get in and out of the thing, but do they really have the effect of protecting the paintwork? I would have thought they were too low to stop a door from dinging?
It depends on how high they are obviously, however if you get a 4x4 , they're usually higher up than normal cars, but I'm not sure on how high Chelsea Tractors are.....eek

fronty

Original Poster:

33 posts

109 months

Thursday 5th October 2017
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
d a Q7 as loan car for a couple of weeks and rapidly concluded that it was too big to use in Britains towns. It became annoying very quickly driving down streets with parked car on either side, trying to fit it in any town centre multi-storey. It was a relief to go back to the A6.
This is great insight, thanks!

Fortunately I don't do much in-town driving, it's mainly motorways and cross-country A roads, my nearest town is Basingstoke and if I can get into Festival Place they have over-sized spaces - the problem is if it's full and then have to park in one of the surface car parks, they are a nightmare even in my R36. I think we may just have to plan our trips a bit better and use the wife's car a bit more if we are heading into town.

I was looking at the Mercedes GLS too, but I popped into Brooklands last week to have a nosey and they are truly huge! Was a bit put off by the interior, felt and looked really dated, whereas the Q7 was in a different league. :-)