Big cars becoming a problem?
Discussion
I know cars are getting bigger but while walking to work this morning I wondered how much bigger they can get before becoming a problem?
One long road i walk down, theres a guy with a couple of 'older' cars and in their day were family cars and alongside the modern cars they look tiny.
Now i know with safety in mind and our desire for more toys and tech cars have to get bigger but where is the limit?
Its almost comical to see a road of terrace houses with (larger) cars sticking out the drive due to length and only just fitting width ways in.
These are regular sized drives/houses and as for getting some in garages, forget it. You may just squeeze it in but try opening the door and getting out.
Likewise, our roads were made years ago and some cars are almost as wide as a lane now.
Just an observation this morning.
One long road i walk down, theres a guy with a couple of 'older' cars and in their day were family cars and alongside the modern cars they look tiny.
Now i know with safety in mind and our desire for more toys and tech cars have to get bigger but where is the limit?
Its almost comical to see a road of terrace houses with (larger) cars sticking out the drive due to length and only just fitting width ways in.
These are regular sized drives/houses and as for getting some in garages, forget it. You may just squeeze it in but try opening the door and getting out.
Likewise, our roads were made years ago and some cars are almost as wide as a lane now.
Just an observation this morning.
robinessex said:
It's quite a shock to an original mini in amongst traffic these days. It just looks to small to take 4 adults. And you realise what an achievement it was. Still the most iconic car ever in my opinion.
I always feel tiny in mine. Great though. Cars are getting a big too big now though, even my Scooby feels like a tank.
I was thinking about this the other day. With cars getting bigger and the average age of drivers going up as people live longer, how long before these tiny old people (well old people shrink!) can't actually drive a modern car?
I see people daily that seem to be viewing the road through the gap between the steering wheel and dash!
I see people daily that seem to be viewing the road through the gap between the steering wheel and dash!
Agreed. I don't understand the thirst for big cars. It's particularly prevalent here in London where you get a lot of status cars. How they manage to park all these old beaten up old S-Class Mercs amazes me.
In some respects it's even worse out of town. Unless you happen to live in the Scottish Highlands the chances are the only roads quiet enough to hoon around on are rural B-roads with barely enough width to get a white line down the middle. These can still be driven enthusiastically without being too reckless if you're in a small sports car or a hot hatch, but even a compact sports saloon can feel a little wide if you suddenly find a tractor heading towards you.
In some respects it's even worse out of town. Unless you happen to live in the Scottish Highlands the chances are the only roads quiet enough to hoon around on are rural B-roads with barely enough width to get a white line down the middle. These can still be driven enthusiastically without being too reckless if you're in a small sports car or a hot hatch, but even a compact sports saloon can feel a little wide if you suddenly find a tractor heading towards you.
MrFrodo said:
Agreed. I don't understand the thirst for big cars.
I can.In a money's-no-object scenario I were buying a car for my girlfriend and our baby daughter I would want something armour-plated for her to drive around in.
This isn't because I like big cars - it's because fashion has dictated that cars are massive. You don't even need to spend much to end up in one of these metal battering-rams either - you can buy a crappy SUV from the likes of Vauxhall or the various Korean companies.
It's logical that a bigger car = safer. Currently my girlfriend drives a Kia Picanto for christs' sake!
If the motoring population favour bigger cars and one day the worst happens - one of these behomoths collides with you or a loved one's sensible-sized-non-status-symbol car - you're knackered. The odds are stacked against you if you drive a small car around an increasing population of idiots in 2.5 ton SUVs...
Lets not mention multi story carparks!
2 other examples from last week...
Audi Q7 parked on double yellows as obviously too big for the few empty spaces left with cars either side of available spaces.
Well know road to me has cars parked up one side of it and years ago was easy for cars in both directions. Now its still possible but tighter.
5 series BMW can't wait and comes down then finds theres not enough room. Ends up grinding the kerb (ouch!) and kisses wing mirrors.
2 other examples from last week...
Audi Q7 parked on double yellows as obviously too big for the few empty spaces left with cars either side of available spaces.
Well know road to me has cars parked up one side of it and years ago was easy for cars in both directions. Now its still possible but tighter.
5 series BMW can't wait and comes down then finds theres not enough room. Ends up grinding the kerb (ouch!) and kisses wing mirrors.
>>It's quite a shock to an original mini in amongst traffic these days. It just looks to small to take 4 adults. And you realise what an achievement it was.<<
How about the 1960s Fiat 500? Fits four people with no problem. I am always interested to see how many there are still in the streets of Monaco, where space is at a premium and most people (I assume) can afford to buy whatever they fancy.
How about the 1960s Fiat 500? Fits four people with no problem. I am always interested to see how many there are still in the streets of Monaco, where space is at a premium and most people (I assume) can afford to buy whatever they fancy.
C.A.R. said:
I can.
In a money's-no-object scenario I were buying a car for my girlfriend and our baby daughter I would want something armour-plated for her to drive around in.
This isn't because I like big cars - it's because fashion has dictated that cars are massive. You don't even need to spend much to end up in one of these metal battering-rams either - you can buy a crappy SUV from the likes of Vauxhall or the various Korean companies.
It's logical that a bigger car = safer. Currently my girlfriend drives a Kia Picanto for christs' sake!
If the motoring population favour bigger cars and one day the worst happens - one of these behomoths collides with you or a loved one's sensible-sized-non-status-symbol car - you're knackered. The odds are stacked against you if you drive a small car around an increasing population of idiots in 2.5 ton SUVs...
I agree with you there and when we had our first kid, bought a Disco 3 as felt safer and higher up in it.In a money's-no-object scenario I were buying a car for my girlfriend and our baby daughter I would want something armour-plated for her to drive around in.
This isn't because I like big cars - it's because fashion has dictated that cars are massive. You don't even need to spend much to end up in one of these metal battering-rams either - you can buy a crappy SUV from the likes of Vauxhall or the various Korean companies.
It's logical that a bigger car = safer. Currently my girlfriend drives a Kia Picanto for christs' sake!
If the motoring population favour bigger cars and one day the worst happens - one of these behomoths collides with you or a loved one's sensible-sized-non-status-symbol car - you're knackered. The odds are stacked against you if you drive a small car around an increasing population of idiots in 2.5 ton SUVs...
That said, it was a nightmare doing family things as it was just to damn big to park the thing.
Yes, it would just about fit into some bays but getting the rear doors open and trying to get a baby seat out was impossible.
My missus hated that car (all £35k of it) because of its bulk and bought herself a older £2k used Golf and was far happier.
I think it's been an awful long time since any of the major manufacturers designed a car with the UK market at the forefront of their thinking (apart from a few cabrios! 
)
We're just going to have to get used to it. Very few people park their cars in their garages these days, so the tight squeeze getting in and out there is no longer an issue for most new car customers.
I wonder how many of them refer to any "Will it fit in your garage?" road-test measurements prior to purchasing? <0.1% I would imagine.
)We're just going to have to get used to it. Very few people park their cars in their garages these days, so the tight squeeze getting in and out there is no longer an issue for most new car customers.
I wonder how many of them refer to any "Will it fit in your garage?" road-test measurements prior to purchasing? <0.1% I would imagine.
Re-reading my post sounds more like a rant on SUVs rather than cars in general.
My dad no longer bothers parking the Insignia in the garage as it's too much of a faff! Front and rear parking sensors and folding mirrors help, but the car is basically just too damn big. He's getting old now and it's not exactly easy for him (not being a contortionist) to get out of the car door when it's in the garage....
I love my 306 because it's so damn easy to park. People had a go at me for getting a 3-door (cos they look better) but the reality is that I've never had a problem getting out of it in a car park because the whole car is 'normal-sized' so I have plenty of room either side...
My dad no longer bothers parking the Insignia in the garage as it's too much of a faff! Front and rear parking sensors and folding mirrors help, but the car is basically just too damn big. He's getting old now and it's not exactly easy for him (not being a contortionist) to get out of the car door when it's in the garage....
I love my 306 because it's so damn easy to park. People had a go at me for getting a 3-door (cos they look better) but the reality is that I've never had a problem getting out of it in a car park because the whole car is 'normal-sized' so I have plenty of room either side...
stabilio said:
I know cars are getting bigger but while walking to work this morning I wondered how much bigger they can get before becoming a problem?
One long road i walk down, theres a guy with a couple of 'older' cars and in their day were family cars and alongside the modern cars they look tiny.
Now i know with safety in mind and our desire for more toys and tech cars have to get bigger but where is the limit?
Its almost comical to see a road of terrace houses with (larger) cars sticking out the drive due to length and only just fitting width ways in.
These are regular sized drives/houses and as for getting some in garages, forget it. You may just squeeze it in but try opening the door and getting out.
Likewise, our roads were made years ago and some cars are almost as wide as a lane now.
Just an observation this morning.
I don't think it's the cars. It's more the fact of having unrealistic parking spaces, drives and garages.One long road i walk down, theres a guy with a couple of 'older' cars and in their day were family cars and alongside the modern cars they look tiny.
Now i know with safety in mind and our desire for more toys and tech cars have to get bigger but where is the limit?
Its almost comical to see a road of terrace houses with (larger) cars sticking out the drive due to length and only just fitting width ways in.
These are regular sized drives/houses and as for getting some in garages, forget it. You may just squeeze it in but try opening the door and getting out.
Likewise, our roads were made years ago and some cars are almost as wide as a lane now.
Just an observation this morning.
Sure some cars are bigger today, but I think you'd be amazed how they aren't compared to some others.
Such as...
A family car from 37 years ago
But is a Ford Focus really any bigger today? (I know the Focus is a hatch, but large hatches have replaced the saloon of old)
Not too mention there have always been big cars:
robinessex said:
It's quite a shock to an original mini in amongst traffic these days. It just looks to small to take 4 adults. And you realise what an achievement it was. Still the most iconic car ever in my opinion.
Yes, but it was small even in its day, rather than being an example of an "average" 4 adult vehicle.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff