SUVs - Whats the point?
Discussion
kambites said:
The market has also got itself into this odd state where if you want a nice seven seater you have little choice because no-one is building "premium" full sized MPVs whereas the market is flooded with big luxury SUVs.
Throw in your PH login.... Yellow card for mentioning an MPV, red card for bemoaning the lack of choice in MPVs
This reminds me... Another reason for having a super-tall "full fat" SUV is the amazing all-round view you get, particularly useful in the following situations:
Approaching a roundabout.
I can actually see what's coming from the right, as my eyeline is above the bushes on the central reservation.
In slow/fast/slow/fast traffic on the motorway.
As I can see many cars ahead, I can moderate my speed accordingly. None of that brake, go, brake, go malarkey. Also, most large SUVs have automatic gearboxes, so no dead clutch leg, either (not a problem for powerfully built PHers, I will concede).
When pulling out of a side turning (line of cars parked all the way along the road).
This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
There are other practical benefits, too...
Negotiating tight corners (mainly to avoid buses).
As we know, local streets are not generally designed for buses, but they need to serve the community, so we're stuck with them. Around my way, the easiest way to avoid being wiped out is to cut the odd corner (at low speed, of course). Bumping up the kerb in a large SUV is no problem. Doing the same in a car with low profile tyres and diamond-cut alloys is much more of an issue.
Speed bumps, potholes, and generally crap roads.
As previously mentioned by other posters, big SUVs laugh in the face of such things. I always felt like I was breaking something expensive when driving on crappy roads in the Merc.
Lugging things about.
Whether it be luggage, purchases from Ikea, stuff for the charity shop, crap for the dump, or helping a mate move house, you can't beat a large SUV with the back seats down. As if by magic, it becomes a van! And for those times when shifting the family around is a priority, whack the seats back up, and you have a high-rise limo.
Retrieving your car once conditions have changed.
Picture the scene. Your son is taking part in a rugby tournament. You arrive, and park in a field (with hundreds of other cars). It absolutely chucks it down with rain. Tournament over, you now need to get out of said field, which has a slightly uphill exit. It is at this point you nod sagely at your inspired decision to buy a large SUV. This happens to me more often than I would like.
And the main, overriding, most compelling point of all?
I'd always promised myself a Range Rover (We're talking wanting one for the last 15 years).
Approaching a roundabout.
I can actually see what's coming from the right, as my eyeline is above the bushes on the central reservation.
In slow/fast/slow/fast traffic on the motorway.
As I can see many cars ahead, I can moderate my speed accordingly. None of that brake, go, brake, go malarkey. Also, most large SUVs have automatic gearboxes, so no dead clutch leg, either (not a problem for powerfully built PHers, I will concede).
When pulling out of a side turning (line of cars parked all the way along the road).
This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
There are other practical benefits, too...
Negotiating tight corners (mainly to avoid buses).
As we know, local streets are not generally designed for buses, but they need to serve the community, so we're stuck with them. Around my way, the easiest way to avoid being wiped out is to cut the odd corner (at low speed, of course). Bumping up the kerb in a large SUV is no problem. Doing the same in a car with low profile tyres and diamond-cut alloys is much more of an issue.
Speed bumps, potholes, and generally crap roads.
As previously mentioned by other posters, big SUVs laugh in the face of such things. I always felt like I was breaking something expensive when driving on crappy roads in the Merc.
Lugging things about.
Whether it be luggage, purchases from Ikea, stuff for the charity shop, crap for the dump, or helping a mate move house, you can't beat a large SUV with the back seats down. As if by magic, it becomes a van! And for those times when shifting the family around is a priority, whack the seats back up, and you have a high-rise limo.
Retrieving your car once conditions have changed.
Picture the scene. Your son is taking part in a rugby tournament. You arrive, and park in a field (with hundreds of other cars). It absolutely chucks it down with rain. Tournament over, you now need to get out of said field, which has a slightly uphill exit. It is at this point you nod sagely at your inspired decision to buy a large SUV. This happens to me more often than I would like.
And the main, overriding, most compelling point of all?
I'd always promised myself a Range Rover (We're talking wanting one for the last 15 years).
Ares said:
kambites said:
The market has also got itself into this odd state where if you want a nice seven seater you have little choice because no-one is building "premium" full sized MPVs whereas the market is flooded with big luxury SUVs.
Throw in your PH login.... Yellow card for mentioning an MPV, red card for bemoaning the lack of choice in MPVsMorganP104 said:
When pulling out of a side turning (line of cars parked all the way along the road).
This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
What if the street is lined with SUVs? This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
hyphen said:
Ares said:
kambites said:
The market has also got itself into this odd state where if you want a nice seven seater you have little choice because no-one is building "premium" full sized MPVs whereas the market is flooded with big luxury SUVs.
Throw in your PH login.... Yellow card for mentioning an MPV, red card for bemoaning the lack of choice in MPVsBut aside from that. Nothing says 'Beige' and "I've given up on life" more than buying an MPV.
Rawwr said:
MorganP104 said:
When pulling out of a side turning (line of cars parked all the way along the road).
This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
What if the street is lined with SUVs? This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
Rawwr said:
MorganP104 said:
When pulling out of a side turning (line of cars parked all the way along the road).
This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
What if the street is lined with SUVs? This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
Rawwr said:
Hoofy said:
nickfrog said:
I am not sure what you mean by inevitable and incorrect response, sorry. Could you clarify ?
He means "so many people moved into the gap in front that I ended up reversing back to where I started from" or something similar. I used to (and still do, a bit) have a hatred of faux-by-fauxs. And yet I now own one - a Hyundai Tucson.
The reason is - we needed a car that was :
1) Not as long/unwieldy as an estate, which my wife didn't enjoy driving.
2) Could take two large dogs in the boot.
3) Practical to use with a very large extended rear-facing child seat.
Number 3 was a killer. Extended rear-facing seats (up to 4 years) are HUGE. While they physically fit in the back of most cars, the front passenger seat has to be so far forward that it's unusable.
We nearly got an Infiniti Q30 but the front seat would have been unusable. We also considered a Focus and a couple of others, but again they just didn't work with the child seat + a front passenger.
We found that the raised/upright sitting position of SUVs suited it well. Because your legs go down, rather than forwards, you don't need so much space in front of you.
I (6'0) still can't comfortably sit in front of the child seat, but my wife can, and if she needs to drive then I can sit behind her, so problem solved!
The reason is - we needed a car that was :
1) Not as long/unwieldy as an estate, which my wife didn't enjoy driving.
2) Could take two large dogs in the boot.
3) Practical to use with a very large extended rear-facing child seat.
Number 3 was a killer. Extended rear-facing seats (up to 4 years) are HUGE. While they physically fit in the back of most cars, the front passenger seat has to be so far forward that it's unusable.
We nearly got an Infiniti Q30 but the front seat would have been unusable. We also considered a Focus and a couple of others, but again they just didn't work with the child seat + a front passenger.
We found that the raised/upright sitting position of SUVs suited it well. Because your legs go down, rather than forwards, you don't need so much space in front of you.
I (6'0) still can't comfortably sit in front of the child seat, but my wife can, and if she needs to drive then I can sit behind her, so problem solved!
MorganP104 said:
This reminds me... Another reason for having a super-tall "full fat" SUV is the amazing all-round view you get, particularly useful in the following situations:
Approaching a roundabout.
I can actually see what's coming from the right, as my eyeline is above the bushes on the central reservation.
Minor benefit outweighed by the sportier car handling better around the roundabout. Approaching a roundabout.
I can actually see what's coming from the right, as my eyeline is above the bushes on the central reservation.
Also those bushes/barriers are put there purposefully- safety research shows that doing this forces you to slow and so safer. Once everyone has suv's they may well raise them.
MorganP104 said:
In slow/fast/slow/fast traffic on the motorway.
As I can see many cars ahead, I can moderate my speed accordingly. None of that brake, go, brake, go malarkey. Also, most large SUVs have automatic gearboxes, so no dead clutch leg, either (not a problem for powerfully built PHers, I will concede).
Not sure what you mean, I keep my distance in an automatic non-suv. I don't brake, go, brake. And you tend to spot the idiot in the queue who does this and adjust accordingly. As I can see many cars ahead, I can moderate my speed accordingly. None of that brake, go, brake, go malarkey. Also, most large SUVs have automatic gearboxes, so no dead clutch leg, either (not a problem for powerfully built PHers, I will concede).
Also what happens when everyone has SUV's and you no longer have the benefit of seeing many cars ahead.
MorganP104 said:
When pulling out of a side turning (line of cars parked all the way along the road).
This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
A benefit but in reality the chances of it causing a crash is minimal, but its one of those nice to haves- my auto-lights come on in underground car parks.This happens to me every day. In my previous car (Merc Coupe), I couldn't see what was coming from my left, so I would need to edge out. All it would take to cause an accident would be someone who's not had their morning coffee ploughing into the driver edging out. In the current car, I can see above the line of parked cars, affording me a view of what's coming.
Again when all car's are suvs, this benefit will be gone- like in many chelsea tractor streets which are non-stop suvs.
MorganP104 said:
Negotiating tight corners (mainly to avoid buses).
As we know, local streets are not generally designed for buses, but they need to serve the community, so we're stuck with them. Around my way, the easiest way to avoid being wiped out is to cut the odd corner (at low speed, of course). Bumping up the kerb in a large SUV is no problem. Doing the same in a car with low profile tyres and diamond-cut alloys is much more of an issue.
Getting a wider vehicle , and then mounting the kerb as it is too wide? As we know, local streets are not generally designed for buses, but they need to serve the community, so we're stuck with them. Around my way, the easiest way to avoid being wiped out is to cut the odd corner (at low speed, of course). Bumping up the kerb in a large SUV is no problem. Doing the same in a car with low profile tyres and diamond-cut alloys is much more of an issue.
MorganP104 said:
Speed bumps, potholes, and generally crap roads.
As previously mentioned by other posters, big SUVs laugh in the face of such things. I always felt like I was breaking something expensive when driving on crappy roads in the Merc.
When all cars are suvs, traffic calming will change to suit. They are already minimising steep humps due to Ambulance concerns. As previously mentioned by other posters, big SUVs laugh in the face of such things. I always felt like I was breaking something expensive when driving on crappy roads in the Merc.
MorganP104 said:
Lugging things about.
Whether it be luggage, purchases from Ikea, stuff for the charity shop, crap for the dump, or helping a mate move house, you can't beat a large SUV with the back seats down. As if by magic, it becomes a van! And for those times when shifting the family around is a priority, whack the seats back up, and you have a high-rise limo.
Yes you can 'beat a large SUV', Mpv's estate vans all have lower floors, so you are not lifting that heavy things so high. And how are you going to get a large item onto the roof bars on your own?Whether it be luggage, purchases from Ikea, stuff for the charity shop, crap for the dump, or helping a mate move house, you can't beat a large SUV with the back seats down. As if by magic, it becomes a van! And for those times when shifting the family around is a priority, whack the seats back up, and you have a high-rise limo.
MorganP104 said:
Retrieving your car once conditions have changed.
Picture the scene. Your son is taking part in a rugby tournament. You arrive, and park in a field (with hundreds of other cars). It absolutely chucks it down with rain. Tournament over, you now need to get out of said field, which has a slightly uphill exit. It is at this point you nod sagely at your inspired decision to buy a large SUV. This happens to me more often than I would like.
So a large non 4x4 suv ok will be ok then? Picture the scene. Your son is taking part in a rugby tournament. You arrive, and park in a field (with hundreds of other cars). It absolutely chucks it down with rain. Tournament over, you now need to get out of said field, which has a slightly uphill exit. It is at this point you nod sagely at your inspired decision to buy a large SUV. This happens to me more often than I would like.
And no other non-suv 4x4 will possibly be good enough?
Funny how the mini-coaches that take the kids to the match always get back fine.
Edited by hyphen on Monday 12th June 15:43
Biggest advantage I can offer in favour of an SUV is getting small kids in and out. It's a lot easier to lift and strap them into a taller car than it is a lower car where you have to bend down a lot to do so - especially when it's a baby and seat together or when the kids start to get heavy. I know a few ladies, my wife included, who have put their backs out doing this.
Ares said:
hyphen said:
Ares said:
kambites said:
The market has also got itself into this odd state where if you want a nice seven seater you have little choice because no-one is building "premium" full sized MPVs whereas the market is flooded with big luxury SUVs.
Throw in your PH login.... Yellow card for mentioning an MPV, red card for bemoaning the lack of choice in MPVsBut aside from that. Nothing says 'Beige' and "I've given up on life" more than buying an MPV.
I couldn't care less what a car "says", personally.
nickfrog said:
Rawwr said:
Hoofy said:
nickfrog said:
I am not sure what you mean by inevitable and incorrect response, sorry. Could you clarify ?
He means "so many people moved into the gap in front that I ended up reversing back to where I started from" or something similar. And if on the M25 then usually lane 1 is the quickest anyway, even with a larger gap than that.
My other half will only buy 4x4 SUV's despite never going off road. She prefers the high driving position and perceived safety (we have 2 kids, one of which is still a baby.) I've always had a negative view on them and didn't really see the need over a good estate car. Truth is, I'm a total convert. We have an XC90 which sits alongside my less practical car. We've often had all seven seats filled, the boot is massive and is often filled with 6 foot plus flat packs and bits of furniture.
I'm also starting to prefer the looks of a good SUV over an estate car. We could get by without one but family life is easier with ours. Her mother has just bought an X5 which I took on a run the other day. Less seats but very practical and it was actually nice to drive and very comfortable. Unlike ours, hers does actually see some trickier Yorkshire roads in winter so while it'll never get used as a full off roader, its all weather ability is useful.
I'm also starting to prefer the looks of a good SUV over an estate car. We could get by without one but family life is easier with ours. Her mother has just bought an X5 which I took on a run the other day. Less seats but very practical and it was actually nice to drive and very comfortable. Unlike ours, hers does actually see some trickier Yorkshire roads in winter so while it'll never get used as a full off roader, its all weather ability is useful.
I have owned 3x different X3's, a Jeep Cherokee, a Kia Sorento and a Ford Explorer (with the 5.0!).
Ground clearance for crap roads, dirt roads, etc.
More upright seating position, higher entry point, makes getting in and out 10x easier.
Interior HEIGHT, I cannot get our dog crate in a hatch or estate, fits in the back of the X3 without issue.
See above, same with bikes
Those are the main reasons I choose SUV's for our family vehicle, then I have something smaller and sporty as my daily driver.
Ground clearance for crap roads, dirt roads, etc.
More upright seating position, higher entry point, makes getting in and out 10x easier.
Interior HEIGHT, I cannot get our dog crate in a hatch or estate, fits in the back of the X3 without issue.
See above, same with bikes
Those are the main reasons I choose SUV's for our family vehicle, then I have something smaller and sporty as my daily driver.
GetCarter said:
I go off road in it most days.
Next.
This, most days I'm up some farm track, forest road, moorland etc. Maybe more than 80% of the time an estate with decent tyres would do the job. Not sure about the longevity of the suspension but there you are. The rest of the time the ground clearance wouldn't be sufficient or very close to grounding exhaust, sump etc.Next.
It does get driven in town, but what's the alternative? Have two vehicles and keep swapping over? That wouldn't give folks the opportunity to whine would it.
As above, next.
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