How big is too big...
Discussion
It's not hatred or jealousy at all. I just don't know why you would choose one lol
Issues:
They don't have the interior space for the exterior size.
They aren't great offroad because 99% of the time they have road tyres or aren't 4wd.
They aren't as safe as a car due to the height/weight.
They aren't as refined as a car i.e.. S class vs RR.
They aren't safe for pedestrians due to the high grill and blindspots.
They aren't very good to drive either.
Advantages:
You sit high which is nice so people can't see in.
You feel the kids are safe away from prying eyes.
You can bounce off the kerbs without fear of smashing wheels up.
They look better than an MPV or a Focus and make you feel baller.
Issues:
They don't have the interior space for the exterior size.
They aren't great offroad because 99% of the time they have road tyres or aren't 4wd.
They aren't as safe as a car due to the height/weight.
They aren't as refined as a car i.e.. S class vs RR.
They aren't safe for pedestrians due to the high grill and blindspots.
They aren't very good to drive either.
Advantages:
You sit high which is nice so people can't see in.
You feel the kids are safe away from prying eyes.
You can bounce off the kerbs without fear of smashing wheels up.
They look better than an MPV or a Focus and make you feel baller.
Pappyjohn said:
It's not hatred or jealousy at all. I just don't know why you would choose one lol
Issues:
They don't have the interior space for the exterior size.
They aren't great offroad because 99% of the time they have road tyres or aren't 4wd.
They aren't as safe as a car due to the height/weight.
They aren't as refined as a car i.e.. S class vs RR.
They aren't safe for pedestrians due to the high grill and blindspots.
They aren't very good to drive either.
Advantages:
You sit high which is nice so people can't see in.
You feel the kids are safe away from prying eyes.
You can bounce off the kerbs without fear of smashing wheels up.
They look better than an MPV or a Focus and make you feel baller.
Carries a generally bitter tone though. Issues:
They don't have the interior space for the exterior size.
They aren't great offroad because 99% of the time they have road tyres or aren't 4wd.
They aren't as safe as a car due to the height/weight.
They aren't as refined as a car i.e.. S class vs RR.
They aren't safe for pedestrians due to the high grill and blindspots.
They aren't very good to drive either.
Advantages:
You sit high which is nice so people can't see in.
You feel the kids are safe away from prying eyes.
You can bounce off the kerbs without fear of smashing wheels up.
They look better than an MPV or a Focus and make you feel baller.
DonkeyApple said:
Pappyjohn said:
It's not hatred or jealousy at all. I just don't know why you would choose one lol
Issues:
They don't have the interior space for the exterior size.
They aren't great offroad because 99% of the time they have road tyres or aren't 4wd.
They aren't as safe as a car due to the height/weight.
They aren't as refined as a car i.e.. S class vs RR.
They aren't safe for pedestrians due to the high grill and blindspots.
They aren't very good to drive either.
Advantages:
You sit high which is nice so people can't see in.
You feel the kids are safe away from prying eyes.
You can bounce off the kerbs without fear of smashing wheels up.
They look better than an MPV or a Focus and make you feel baller.
Carries a generally bitter tone though. Issues:
They don't have the interior space for the exterior size.
They aren't great offroad because 99% of the time they have road tyres or aren't 4wd.
They aren't as safe as a car due to the height/weight.
They aren't as refined as a car i.e.. S class vs RR.
They aren't safe for pedestrians due to the high grill and blindspots.
They aren't very good to drive either.
Advantages:
You sit high which is nice so people can't see in.
You feel the kids are safe away from prying eyes.
You can bounce off the kerbs without fear of smashing wheels up.
They look better than an MPV or a Focus and make you feel baller.
I can't be bitter about cars; I may as well be bitter about a fridge or a telly lolSlow said:
It doesn’t have to be a regular 700 mile trip. Once a year to visit relatives is enough to justify it. Same with the muddy field when trying to leave a wet Glastonbury or your camp site with caravan.
Just because you see them outside a school doesn’t mean they don’t do anything else with the car.
I don't get why you would want to buy a car that can do anything you would ever require from one even if that means it is compromised for where you use it 99% of the time. Just because you see them outside a school doesn’t mean they don’t do anything else with the car.
The idea of buying a 4X4 because 'the Glastonbury field might be wet this year if we decide to go' seems an excuse to justify something you know you don't need.
If you buy one simply because you like it and it makes you feel special, then that's fine. But much of the time the justifications people come up for them are just plain odd.
Edited by JmatthewB on Friday 25th June 12:22
Pappyjohn said:
Yep agree that the massive SUV is great for cruising in like any big car (I'd have an S class over an SUV for that), but the average Range Rover owner isn't doing 700 mile trips or trekking down muddy fields; they are usually clogging up the roads outside skools causing traffic carnage.
But an S Class would clog it up just as much....?BobsPigeon said:
Fair point, I'm not bashing as much as confused. An RS6 is a rather special supercar not an everyday car for supermarkets and school runs. I just wonder what the limit is and what the market will demand in the future, people are certainly not getting any smaller.
RS6 is just a fast everyday car for the school run/ supermarket.I went from e46 M3 to M6 Gran Coupe, and sold it after about a year as (among other things) it really was more of a pain to park and generally thread along than I'd anticipated. I found myself considering the journey before deciding whether I'd take the M6 or my OH's A3 (what would the roads be like, where could I park). It actually didn't fit in the station parking spaces (length or width), and that's before considering who might park hard up against it.
Now in a Cayman (which is I think almost exactly the same size as the e46 M3) and am much happier driving it anywhere. Not exactly apples to apples as a proposition but in size terms it is really refreshing to be able to just bung it down a road or in a space without worrying whether there'll be space!
I'd happily have something bigger for long journeys as there's no denying the M6 was a nicer place to be for that sort of trip, but where I live in the UK it really was too big. Not something I'd ever considered before.
Now in a Cayman (which is I think almost exactly the same size as the e46 M3) and am much happier driving it anywhere. Not exactly apples to apples as a proposition but in size terms it is really refreshing to be able to just bung it down a road or in a space without worrying whether there'll be space!
I'd happily have something bigger for long journeys as there's no denying the M6 was a nicer place to be for that sort of trip, but where I live in the UK it really was too big. Not something I'd ever considered before.
CABC said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
I guess some people can't drive big cars. I like the fact people also say "people don't NEED a big car......" well.... So? They may just WANT one. Is that an issue? Should we all live in terraced housing or high rise flats because we don't NEED a detached house?
there is a problem, imo, with many an suv being driven 1.5m away from the kerb. in city side streets this causes one way flow when two way flow is possible. suv drivers seem less able to judge their car's actual width.so, other people's choices are slowing my journey.
I'm no fan of pseudo SUVs (ie looks, low profile tyres, 2wd), and I have suffered the wrath of fellow PHers in the past for being a bit sneery on the subject of image vs capability.
However, if you do go to Glastonbury once a year and accept the higher fuel consumption and other (perceived or real) disadvantages the rest of the time, then why not have something that has genuine CAPABILITY.
I prefer permanent 4wd for enhanced security in the wet or in winter on roads (ie hitting standing water at NSL), which is a personal choice born from years of driving fwd and rwd and just liking the "feel" of permanent, mechanical 4wd.
2-3 times a year I go mildly off road but I'd probably be just as well off in a small fwd hatch, but it is nice to have the capability. I'm going to choose a new car soon and it will be a new Scooby Outback vs a new Defender. The Defender is utter capability overkill, but it will boil down to how both drive and their perceived security on tarmac. I suspect the Outback will feel the better road car but I'll wait to see. What will never be in the mix is a high up, high c of g, 2wd SUV, no matter how low the pcp is....
Happy to pay for capability, even if I don't need it 99% of the time because when it is that 1% then I will definitely need it!
However, if you do go to Glastonbury once a year and accept the higher fuel consumption and other (perceived or real) disadvantages the rest of the time, then why not have something that has genuine CAPABILITY.
I prefer permanent 4wd for enhanced security in the wet or in winter on roads (ie hitting standing water at NSL), which is a personal choice born from years of driving fwd and rwd and just liking the "feel" of permanent, mechanical 4wd.
2-3 times a year I go mildly off road but I'd probably be just as well off in a small fwd hatch, but it is nice to have the capability. I'm going to choose a new car soon and it will be a new Scooby Outback vs a new Defender. The Defender is utter capability overkill, but it will boil down to how both drive and their perceived security on tarmac. I suspect the Outback will feel the better road car but I'll wait to see. What will never be in the mix is a high up, high c of g, 2wd SUV, no matter how low the pcp is....
Happy to pay for capability, even if I don't need it 99% of the time because when it is that 1% then I will definitely need it!
Edited by TVRBRZ on Friday 25th June 12:54
AC43 said:
Width is the killer in London, much more so than length.
For one to one encounters, absolutely but length plays a very integral role in increasing overall congestion. The problem is fundamentally caused by all modern cars though as everything is at least 20cm wider than it was meaning on a street with parked cars and two cars passing we've lost nearly a metre of road space. It's that loss of space that highlights the number of drivers of all types of cars who aren't particularly good at judging widths or staying on their side.
People like to think that it's all the fault of the few in taller cars but the reality is absolutely everyone in a modern car is to blame.
London would benefit enormously from a congestion policy that instead of focusing on the emissions of a set of ever decreasing number of older cars would focus more robustly on footprint and emissions in general. Decreasing the average vehicle size would achieve far more to aid congestion as flow rates would increase dramatically.
Linking VED to footprint for ICE across the country would have huge benefits for everyone. As would offering therapy on the NHS to help people overcome their fear and confusion re vehicle height.
I’d get a big estate or MPV if I needed the space. Tried BMW X5, Mercedes V Class, VW Touran, Skoda Octavia Estate, Vauxhall Zafira when I needed more capacity for a UK holiday to Scotland / Wales. The V Class was by far the best. I hated the feeling of the X5 because it was too high. Every SUV I’ve sat in felt wrong to me, at least on UK roads.
They make a lot more sense on US roads. Feel much more at home when the roads are so straight and wide, huge parking spaces and valet parking everywhere. You get to enjoy the space and not feel the compromises as much. Punting a X5 down a country road, you feel the compromise of its ride height all the time. No thanks. Not for me.
They make a lot more sense on US roads. Feel much more at home when the roads are so straight and wide, huge parking spaces and valet parking everywhere. You get to enjoy the space and not feel the compromises as much. Punting a X5 down a country road, you feel the compromise of its ride height all the time. No thanks. Not for me.
Why did this get all about SUVs?
Q5 width...1893mm
A4 width...1847mm
Q5 length...4663mm
A4 length...4762mm
1997 A4 width... 1735mm
2021 A3 saloon...1793mm
ALL cars have got bigger and are now the size as the class above from 20 years ago. Eventually they will outsize their target market, and the manufacturer will introduce smaller models to fill the gap, as they phase out the now too-large cars. We saw with the Ford Ka, Audi A1 etc.
But they are all still smaller than buses and lorries, and they get about just fine. We just need some bigger parking spots, as more of us now like to run about in the larger cars.
Q5 width...1893mm
A4 width...1847mm
Q5 length...4663mm
A4 length...4762mm
1997 A4 width... 1735mm
2021 A3 saloon...1793mm
ALL cars have got bigger and are now the size as the class above from 20 years ago. Eventually they will outsize their target market, and the manufacturer will introduce smaller models to fill the gap, as they phase out the now too-large cars. We saw with the Ford Ka, Audi A1 etc.
But they are all still smaller than buses and lorries, and they get about just fine. We just need some bigger parking spots, as more of us now like to run about in the larger cars.
Edited by Cloudy147 on Friday 25th June 19:34
Of course bigger parking spots are the answer so we may as well just slab over a bit more then we did before and keep on doing that with our ever bigger houses and cars. It's an effing nightmare and isn't the answer. Why can't people see this especially those with children to inherit what we leave them?
My supermarket made the slots bigger a few years ago and now they're not big enough.
My supermarket made the slots bigger a few years ago and now they're not big enough.
bcr5784 said:
Boosted LS1 said:
My supermarket made the slots bigger a few years ago and now they're not big enough.
And I won't live to see the day when most B roads are a couple feet wider.Car's wont get any wider than 80-81 inches (Minus mirrors)
This has historically been the largest that car's have reached such as the traditional american full-sized category
Interestingly this is also the same width as large SUV's and Van's today.
Lets look at some comparisons.
1972 Ford Gran Torino
Width: 79.3 in
1980 Chevrolet Caprice Estate
Width: 79.3 in
1998 Ford Crown Victoria (Police car)
Width:78.2 in
2007 Chevrolet Suburban
Width: 79.1 in
2012 Range Rover
Width: 78.1 in
2015 Ford F150
Width: 79.9 in
2018 Audi A6
Width: 74.3 in
2020 Ford Transit
Width: 80.8
80 inches seems to be the magic number
A bus is around 99 Inches wide
Maximum width allowed in the UK is 100.4 inches
This has historically been the largest that car's have reached such as the traditional american full-sized category
Interestingly this is also the same width as large SUV's and Van's today.
Lets look at some comparisons.
1972 Ford Gran Torino
Width: 79.3 in
1980 Chevrolet Caprice Estate
Width: 79.3 in
1998 Ford Crown Victoria (Police car)
Width:78.2 in
2007 Chevrolet Suburban
Width: 79.1 in
2012 Range Rover
Width: 78.1 in
2015 Ford F150
Width: 79.9 in
2018 Audi A6
Width: 74.3 in
2020 Ford Transit
Width: 80.8
80 inches seems to be the magic number
A bus is around 99 Inches wide
Maximum width allowed in the UK is 100.4 inches
Edited by skyrover on Friday 25th June 20:50
skyrover said:
Car's wont get any wider than 80-81 inches (Minus mirrors)
Maximum width allowed in the UK is 100.4 inches
Maximum width USED to be 6' 6" (78") .... Even big vans were limited to 7' 6"Maximum width allowed in the UK is 100.4 inches
Edited by skyrover on Friday 25th June 20:50
Edited by bcr5784 on Friday 25th June 21:09
bcr5784 said:
skyrover said:
Car's wont get any wider than 80-81 inches (Minus mirrors)
Maximum width allowed in the UK is 100.4 inches
Maximum width USED to be 6' 6" (78") .... Even big vans were limited to 7' 6"Maximum width allowed in the UK is 100.4 inches
Edited by skyrover on Friday 25th June 20:50
]
skyrover said:
How long ago was that? The UK has had a width limit over 98 Inches since at least the 1980's
That was for HGVs not ordinary cars and vans. For a very long time many American RVs were illegal because they were over 7' 6". Not sure when the rules changed - but it was certainly beyond the 80s. It was a consideration for me until at least 2000.Edited by bcr5784 on Friday 25th June 21:35
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