Oversized cars...

[ThirdWay]

... by which I mean big 4x4s and the like.

Why do people buy them? Do they need to shift a lot of wardrobes around or what?

[ThirdWay]

I'm glad you mentioned the parking situation, snorvey.

At my local supermarket car park, the larger disabled spaces are full of these big cars. But I see the owners come sprinting out like Usain Bolt and no way are they disabled!

I feel they are sticking two fingers up to the disabled, the environment, and everything basically.

[rgifford]

At my local supermarket car park, the larger disabled spaces are full of these big cars. But I see the owners come sprinting out like Usain Bolt and no way are they disabled!

I feel they are sticking two fingers up to the disabled, the environment, and everything basically.

Check the dashboard. You will probably find that most of them have a blue badge displayed. Whether the blue badge belongs to the person who has got out of the car is another matter of course.

[Redmires]

This was discussed on Radio 4 World at One today. As well as the rise of 4x4's etc, normal family cars are getting bigger. The new Golf for example being a lot longer and wider than the original. Some cars are 1 foot wider than they were 15-20 years ago.

On a plus point, I parked in a relatively new car park in Sheffield centre at the weekend and all the spaces were super wide - at least as wide as normal disabled spaces. It could be the start of a new trend.

[jfgw]

Perceived safety - certainly when 'taking the kids to school'?

Probably, yes; the perceived safety of driving something that takes longer to stop than a smaller vehicle with a lower centre of gravity. Couple this with the fact that other parents have the same idea so any improved safety provided by the bigger car is offset by the fact that the car one crashes into is also much bigger than it needs to be.

Julian F. G. W.

[Clavain]

Today saw http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38048793 referring to NCP starting to look at larger spaces again, hopefully a continuing reversal in the trend for ever smaller spaces.

Noticed recently local Sainsburys - Plymouth have converted 2 rows to a "wider" spec. Having acquired a 2dr with stupidly long doors i find this very handy indeed.

[Alaric]

As well as the rise of 4x4's etc, normal family cars are getting bigger.

One of the biggest family cars used to be the range of Volvo estates. Alongside contemporary 4x4s, they can almost look like a Mini. Original Minis almost look like toys.

[bungeejumper]

Sainsburys - Plymouth have converted 2 rows to a "wider" spec. Having acquired a 2dr with stupidly long doors i find this very handy indeed.

Been there, felt the pain. The wife's old two door Polo (2001) seemed like a good idea at the time, but the doors were like something off an aircraft hangar, much too big, and it could be a bit of a handful opening them in any kind of wind if you weren't going to bash the car next door. (Especially since the door pillars were so far back that even just getting your seatbelt on and off was a neck-twisting exercise.) Her 4 door Golf is much easier to handle in a tight space.

Maybe sliding doors on cars aren't such a bad idea after all?

BJ

[poundcoin]

Nothing more stressful than sitting in your car reading (whilst SWMBO) mooches round the store and then cringing as wide doored cars zoom in and out next to you .

If it's a little old person with a stick.... some seem to have no concept of space and throw the door open as wide as it will go . Nightmare !

[bungeejumper]

If it's a little old person with a stick.... some seem to have no concept of space and throw the door open as wide as it will go . Nightmare !

With a bit of luck and longevity, we'll all be a little old person with a stick some day. But your point's well taken. Some of these people date from the years when cars were built from 12 gauge mild steel, so that you could ram them with a jackhammer and they wouldn't show the dents. [smiley face] Maybe we really should enforce Agila-style sliding doors on the wrinklies? [/smiley face]

Probably the worst door-dent I ever got was from a tatty old London black cab. I parked next to it with some trepidation, cursing myself for even having doubted the owner's parking ability. Just get over it, I said to myself, and go and do your shopping, it's sure to be all right. When I got back the cab was gone and I had a £400 repair bill for the massive dent. I bloody kicked myself for weeks.

BJ

[rgifford]

Some of these people date from the years when cars were built from 12 gauge mild steel, so that you could ram them with a jackhammer and they wouldn't show the dents.

But they would rust to the point of disintegration within 5 years

[Dod1010]

On the general subject of oversized cars, I am not sure of the definition. I have a nice little Audi Q5. Even if I could afford it I would never buy a Q7 as I think they look like a tank. The Q5 has permanent four wheel drive and is extremely comfortable with good visibility. It clings to the road in any conditions in which I have driven it. That is why I own it and I do not think it qualifies as oversized. I admit I do not need it, I could get by with a Renault Megane I guess but I just like it.

Near where I live we have lots of Range Rovers and the like (usually with personalised plates) People have them because they can and want to make a statement, certainly not because they need them. I simply do not care, good luck to them.

[88V8]

4X4s.. we have one. 11'10" long and 4'10" wide. What size is your car?
It sits high. We like high. See over the hedges and the jams.

We have another car 13'0" long and 5'1" wide. OK slightly cheating, it's a two-seater.
And the third, 5.2" wide, 12'2" long. Four seater.

Modern cars are ridiculously wide. Like most of their owners.
And laden with superfluous gadgets.
And overweight.
Parking spaces should be made smaller. and in addition to the RFL relating to engine size, it should relate to road footprint.

Just as well I'm not in charge.

Also just as well for my halo that I sold our 1970 Silver Shadow. No chance of losing that in the Waitrose car park - either the boot or bonnet were visible at all times.

V8

[DrFfybes]

Parking spaces should be made smaller. and in addition to the RFL relating to engine size, it should relate to road footprint.

VED isn't anything to do with engine size though, it is to do with how well the manufacturers can set the car up to pass the emissions test. Ford's 2.0L Mondeo Hybrid is zero rated but their 1.0L Grand C-max costs £30.

The proposal to charge £310 for cars costing over £40k is stupid though, it means someone buying a fully electric BMW i3 or a Tesla or a Mitsubishi PHEV would pay 15 times the VED for a Hyundai I20 Diesel.

Average annual mileage is now about 10k, average MPG these days about 50mpg? So, 900 litres of fuel per year. Average VED apparently about £160, so just scrap it and stick 15p/L on fuel, get rid of the irritating continuous system and save several million a year on the collection and administration systems. MrsF's VED for her car was about £150 less than her fuel bill this year

[oldtimer]

I'll confess - I have a 4x4 which my other half calls "The Tank".
But he is the one who directs me down slippery steep muddy narrow roads which look as if they are about to lead to a farmyard (and sometimes do where the road continues out the other side just as muddy and yuky).
And it's much easier to reverse than the saloon car which I stupidly once bought some years ago thinking we weren't walking up mountains any more. And I have to do a lot of reversing around here as the passing places are infrequent on narrow country roads.

So when on the rare occasions we visit a supermarket, I'm the one struggling out of the high door, flinging it wide open so I can manoeuvre myself out. Mine's the one with all the mud...

[moorfield]

An unashamed Disco owner. Piece of cake to park with sensors and the rear camera

[BT63]

Those perceived 'safer' high-bodied SUV/4x4 vehicles roll over very easily if they try to take evasive action or if they are hit from the side or clipped on their sides by another vehicle. Rollovers can be very nasty for the occupants.
The big beasts, as a result of their sheer size, are probably more likely to be involved in an accident in the first place due to their size, weight and reduced manoeuvrability. Expensive to run, too, due to their bulk and their need for bigger engines to shift that bulk.

About six months ago, in a car park, an SUV that I was following went past a side spur with a space, stopped sharply, quickly put it in reverse and shot backwards at a keen speed. He crashed into the front of my car while I was stopped, causing considerable damage to my lights, grille etc.
The driver claimed that his high rear window and wide-spaced door mirrors meant he had a huge blind spot and simply couldn't see me. Good job there wasn't a child or family behind him. Fortunately I captured it all on dashcam.

[sg31]

I'm glad you mentioned the parking situation, snorvey.

At my local supermarket car park, the larger disabled spaces are full of these big cars. But I see the owners come sprinting out like Usain Bolt and no way are they disabled!

I feel they are sticking two fingers up to the disabled, the environment, and everything basically.

I'm one of those people who is no way disabled and boy did I get grief every week. What you may not realise is that it may not be the driver who is disabled. In my case I was as fit as a fiddle, sadly MIL isn't, she was 88 and had a blue badge.

My wife and I would take MIL to the supermarket, I'd whip round and do our shopping then go back to the car and sit and read while the wife pottered round the supermarket with MIL. It could take them an hour longer than I took.

Regularly I would get verbal abuse, threats of violence and on one occasion a crowd of about a dozen people swearing at me.

Why didn't I explain the situation? People don't want to listen, say a word and they would flip. In the end I stopped even trying.

I've seen mothers with babies park in disabled spaces with never a word said. They aren't supposed to but they do.

It's a strange world.

[stooz]

1)Those perceived 'safer' high-bodied SUV/4x4 vehicles roll over very easily if they try to take evasive action

2) The big beasts, as a result of their sheer size, are probably more likely to be involved in an accident in the first place due to their size, weight and reduced manoeuvrability.

3 ) Expensive to run, too, due to their bulk and their need for bigger engines to shift that bulk.

Sorry, but I have to take you up on those points. They are not correct I am afraid to tell you.

1) They don't roll. there was a much publicised case of a car that did. But I have taken a volvo xc90 around milbrook proving ground at high speeds, through faked rain, tight bends the lot. They skid a little, the traction control handles it well, and they corner far better than anyone should be trying to.
I have driven many other SUV's and they are all pretty much the same. traction is lower, they don't have sports tyres. But body roll is not an issue.

2) not really likely. The higher position increases visbility. As for reduced manoeuvrability; afraid not. The current lot are at least very easy to chuck around

3) Take a test drive in the newest 1.6 Honda CR-V for an example. CO2 emissions of just 119g/km. very nimble, very capable

[stooz]

... by which I mean big 4x4s and the like.
Why do people buy them? Do they need to shift a lot of wardrobes around or what?

I have a 4x4 currently - Ive always tended to own a big car in the family. Sometimes I do shift wardrobes. Okay, its not every day. Bu what happens when its THAT day? rent one? no thanks.
There are enough of those days to justify needing a car that just does the lot without changing,hiring or failing.

here is some from this year;

mower off for a service (although I did manage to get it in a Skoda citigo the other week..)
6 new doors from B&Q
8 bags of grass to the tip a few times a year (that blinking mower)
school run - only parking left is up a kerb onto a grass verge that a normal car won't get about on
holiday trip to france
road trip to france to fill the boot with cheap wine
road trip to france to go skiing (fit skiis in, drive around in thick snow for a week)
a few trips to ikea..

My rental bill would be a bit high by now..
It does get to do a bit of light 4x4, especially most winters in a few days of snow. limited I know - but it does it without issue when many stay at home.

Its a personal choice that suits my driving, but it shouldn't be frowned upon, or stereo typed. I do appreciate there are plenty - especially in big towns, that seem at least to be fashion over purpose, but even then, the quality ride and fitting off the top models is most superb, and reason enough to buy.