Once you go SUV/Crossover can you ever go back?

Atlantic Dawn

I'm toying with the idea of getting a SUV or crossover type car next, driven a couple on a rental basis and like the high driving position for both viewing height and also ease to get in and out of. If I purchased one could I ever to back to driving a low down standard car again? Anyone got experience?

If you have any respect for yourself at all you wont buy one!

vectra

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I'm toying with the idea of getting a SUV or crossover type car next, driven a couple on a rental basis and like the high driving position for both viewing height and also ease to get in and out of. If I purchased one could I ever to back to driving a low down standard car again? Anyone got experience?

I am in the same train of thought at the moment.

Atlantic Dawn

BrownFinger wrote: »

If you have any respect for yourself at all you wont buy one!

It won't be something like Nissan Juke/Qashqai, more like Lexus RX 400h, Porsche Cayenne territory. €5k-€10k ish budget.

whippet

The wife got a Skoda Kodiaq last year and I thought I’d hate it .. but I’ve grown quite attached to it when I do drive it. But my next car won’t be in that segment

denismc

Can't say I get the whole fixation for crossovers at all.
They cost 10% more than a similar sized hatchback and have poorer handling and fuel consumption.
They seem to have taken over from people carriers as the mummies car of choice.

Eric Cartman

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

It won't be something like Nissan Juke/Qashqai, more like Lexus RX 400h, Porsche Cayenne territory. €5k-€10k ish budget.

ohh right then, yeah , the 400h is a very dissapointing car as a drivers car, no feedback whatsoever , however the cayenne/q7/discovery/x5 all lovely cars and quite cheap to buy.

people in pretend 4x4s look like tools (especially in the snow when they don't realise its a hatchback on stilts) but a lot of the mid to large size SUV's are quite nice as daily drivers.

Atlantic Dawn

Eric Cartman wrote: »

ohh right then, yeah , the 400h is a very dissapointing car as a drivers car, no feedback whatsoever , however the cayenne/q7/discovery/x5 all lovely cars and quite cheap to buy.

people in pretend 4x4s look like tools (especially in the snow when they don't realise its a hatchback on stilts) but a lot of the mid to large size SUV's are quite nice as daily drivers.

Yes cabin in 400h looks kind of poorly setup, particularly centre console and multi function steering wheel. Cayenne seems to be a complete gamble going on reviews, good and absolute rubbish reviews coming through.

Eric Cartman

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Yes cabin in 400h looks kind of poorly setup, particularly centre console and multi function steering wheel. Cayenne seems to be a complete gamble going on reviews, good and absolute rubbish reviews coming through.

the Touareg is an easier to live with diesel cayenne too, quite comfy and the V6 Diesel is a nice engine, those are also quite cheap.

Atlantic Dawn

Eric Cartman wrote: »

the Touareg is an easier to live with diesel cayenne too, quite comfy and the V6 Diesel is a nice engine, those are also quite cheap.

Yes leaning towards petrol, mpg not an issue for me as use so low.

Eric Cartman

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Yes leaning towards petrol, mpg not an issue for me as use so low.

yeah I think you won't find much here but a cayenne (preferably turbo) would be my pick.

_Brian

Yea, we’ve a Tiguan and a Kuga, sitting back down into a saloon car feels like your getting into a kids go cart.

I’ve a bad back injury so can’t do any journey at all in a saloon car.

sunnysoutheast

Of the cars mentioned I'd suggest trying to get a q7. I know a couple of people with older versions still going strong. Or an x5. But they eat very expensive rear tyres. My uncle had two.

Not sure if there'll be many petrol cars around.

Good luck!

Eric Cartman

how did I completely forget about this, perfect for you sir : https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-x5-4-8is-5-seater-crew-cab/19477507

X5 4.8is , petrol, lovely V8 in it and the magic of cheap tax, what more could a man want.

Del2005

Eric Cartman wrote: »

people in pretend 4x4s look like tools (especially in the snow when they don't realise its a hatchback on stilts) but a lot of the mid to large size SUV's are quite nice as daily drivers.

There are very few real 4x4s left, nearly all are just saloon cars on stilts.

colm_mcm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

how did I completely forget about this, perfect for you sir : https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-x5-4-8is-5-seater-crew-cab/19477507

X5 4.8is , petrol, lovely V8 in it and the magic of cheap tax, what more could a man want.

7 owners, crewcab, not sketchy at all!

Eric Cartman

colm_mcm wrote: »

7 owners, crewcab, not sketchy at all!

its less suspicious on cars that at 1809 a year to tax, likely done for back tax arrears but worth a look.

colm_mcm

The crewcab declaration would have been more than suspect too.

bazz26

Merc G-Wagon for what it's worth.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Land rover defender

Do it right or not at all

byte

_Brian wrote: »

Yea, we’ve a Tiguan and a Kuga, sitting back down into a saloon car feels like your getting into a kids go cart.

I’ve a bad back injury so can’t do any journey at all in a saloon car.

Out of curiosity, how do you find the Tiguan for comfort on longish journeys and for getting in/out of?

My back is really knackered, thanks to a condition I have, so looking to change from the Optima we have currently to something a bit higher. The Tiguan has caught my attention, seems to be a few about.

Cookie_Monster

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I'm toying with the idea of getting a SUV or crossover type car next, driven a couple on a rental basis and like the high driving position for both viewing height and also ease to get in and out of. If I purchased one could I ever to back to driving a low down standard car again? Anyone got experience?

Yep, bought one, hated it, sold it, lost $10k and buying a proper low to the ground sports car again.

They're big, heavier, rolly and the high driving position has basically no plus points for me. If you need the space buy a wagon, if you need the seats buy a people carrier...
I hate SUVs and wish the trend would just go ahead and die so manufacturers can get back to building proper cars.

Del2005

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I hate SUVs and wish the trend would just go ahead and die so manufacturers can get back to building proper cars.

You are in a tiny minority. Ford are even stopping car production in the States as they can't shift the cars they have, bit like the old diesels parked in fields in Germany the Yanks have loads of cars parked up because no one wants them.

bodonnell

Changed from Tucson to new Civic petrol earlier this year, don't have any regrets

livingthedream

Yup,

I had an X5 for a number of years which I loved, really comfy, never got stuck in the ice and snow etc...

Got rid of it in the end as despite doing most of the maintenance myself, the cost of road tax and tyres and 30mpg just became too much to bear...

Back in a 5 series again and the savings in the above are pretty much paying for the purchase!

~LTD

mossym

Drove a big ford expedition v8 for 5 years in the states. Wife has a q5 now which drive all the time . Depsite all that I wouldn't be bothered with one for Irish roads , just not needed, and far less fun to drive than a car. Unless you have a hobby that needs either space or proper 4wd they are a waste of time

biko

I'm on my 3rd SUV now, not looking back

Cookie_Monster

Del2005 wrote: »

You are in a tiny minority. Ford are even stopping car production in the States as they can't shift the cars they have, bit like the old diesels parked in fields in Germany the Yanks have loads of cars parked up because no one wants them.

I know, mores the pity. :-(

_Brian

byte wrote: »

Out of curiosity, how do you find the Tiguan for comfort on longish journeys and for getting in/out of?

My back is really knackered, thanks to a condition I have, so looking to change from the Optima we have currently to something a bit higher. The Tiguan has caught my attention, seems to be a few about.

It’s great, comfortable seated position, I’ve driven to the south of France without problem. The only reason we went for the Kuga was the better boot space.

ednwireland

have a tiguan in the house and always glad to get back in my octavia, just dont like the position, slight extra body roll doesnt help either.

pete4130

I've driven old Landcruiser 75 series with 2-3" lifts, Hilux in work, Navara's, L200's and my current car is a Toyota Fortuner (7 seater hilux based SUV).

I always love the feeling of getting back into a regular car with good handling, better acceleration and less body roll in corners.

creedp

pete4130 wrote: »

I've driven old Landcruiser 75 series with 2-3" lifts, Hilux in work, Navara's, L200's and my current car is a Toyota Fortuner (7 seater hilux based SUV).

I always love the feeling of getting back into a regular car with good handling, better acceleration and less body roll in corners.

Irrelevant characteristics for many people in so called SUVs / Crossovers

fancy pigeon

They have their uses, but are not used the way they were intended most of the time. Instead of carrying welding equipment, they're carrying shopping. Towing plant trailers becomes towing a dog box. Driving across a field becomes parking on someones lawn which qualifies as off roading in their eyes. All of the latter mentioned is easily achieved in a normal hatch!

I don't grasp why someone would want something that's never going to be used for what it's meant for, just to keep up with the Jonses/be in fashion and all that modern bullsh*t

Or am I missing something?

mossym

biko wrote: »

I'm on my 3rd SUV now, not looking back

Given the amount of them you see with dents in the back that seems to be a common problem

Gregor Samsa

denismc wrote: »

They seem to have taken over from people carriers as the mummies car of choice.

And with good reason. People like the high driving position and the fact that you don't have to bend down to strap kids in, yet their not too big if you don't need the extra seats or space of a PC. The spec are usually family friendly too. There's plenty of people for whom handling is completely unimportant in terms of criteria. Great cornering isn't going to make the school run in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic with 3 screaming kids in the back any easier.

I can see the attraction for the target demographic.

Gregor Samsa

fancy pigeon wrote: »

They have their uses, but are not used the way they were intended most of the time. Instead of carrying welding equipment, they're carrying shopping. Towing plant trailers becomes towing a dog box. Driving across a field becomes parking on someones lawn which qualifies as off roading in their eyes. All of the latter mentioned is easily achieved in a normal hatch!

I don't grasp why someone would want something that's never going to be used for what it's meant for, just to keep up with the Jonses/be in fashion and all that modern bullsh*t

Or am I missing something?

Eh, I don't think the Qashqai and the like are intended for any of those heavy duty things! They're exactly for carrying kids, shopping and dogs.

fancy pigeon

phutyle wrote: »

Eh, I don't think the Qashqai and the like are intended for any of those heavy duty things! They're exactly for carrying kids, shopping and dogs.

My fault, should have said the likes of a Sorrento sized SUV, not the Kumquat type crossover

vectra

fancy pigeon wrote: »

They have their uses, but are not used the way they were intended most of the time. Instead of carrying welding equipment, they're carrying shopping. Towing plant trailers becomes towing a dog box. Driving across a field becomes parking on someones lawn which qualifies as off roading in their eyes. All of the latter mentioned is easily achieved in a normal hatch!

I don't grasp why someone would want something that's never going to be used for what it's meant for, just to keep up with the Jonses/be in fashion and all that modern bullsh*t

Or am I missing something?

You are indeed.
People with mobility issues can find them much easier to get in and out of, while also finding them to have a much more comfortable driving position.

Ginger83

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I'm toying with the idea of getting a SUV or crossover type car next, driven a couple on a rental basis and like the high driving position for both viewing height and also ease to get in and out of. If I purchased one could I ever to back to driving a low down standard car again? Anyone got experience?

Mostly driven by ma's doing school runs that believe they are twice as wide as they are and that can't park them.

Jeeps are for farmers.

Zubeneschamali

vectra wrote: »

People with mobility issues can find them much easier to get in and out of, while also finding them to have a much more comfortable driving position.

The Tucson is Ireland's best selling car. There cannot be that many people with mobility issues - it's a fashion.

The MPV, far more practical unless you actually pull loads or cross fields, is now unfashionable - Peugeots new 3008 and 5008 MPVs are disguised as SUVs for this reason.

_Kaiser_

I had a Q7 for a week at one stage while my own A6 was getting bits done... it was like driving a tank.

At first I thought I'd hate it. You even have to climb into the thing FFS but I got very used to the driving position and better visibility very quickly. It wasn't quite as high spec as my own car, but good enough which helped as well. The fuel bill of running one of those as a daily though! :eek:

I was a bit conflicted handing it back when my own was ready, but I don't think I'd buy one unless I was doing a lot less mileage and still had something else as well.

ELM327

If you're looking at a large SUV and MPG is not a factor then I can't understand why a V10 Touareg is not being considered.

heroics

My wife changed from a 1 series to an x1. Tbh it’s great. Loads of space. Easy to load/unload. Easier to put the kids into the back compared to my 5 series. I can see why families go for the suv/crossovers. We both detest the look of the mpvs.

That all being said I love getting back in to the 5 series.

ShadowHearth

I have no issues with actual suvs. You need or want one, off you go. These fake cross over yolks that are just hatchbacks on stills are the ones that grind my gears.

They take a perfectly balanced hatchback and make it floaty, less stable with worse mpg, body rolling ****. There are so many of them on the roads and it really makes life more difficult for people in normal cars. They are massive and block so much line of sight when you try to over take or get out of junction if one sits next to you.

I wish this would be a temporary fashion thing, but I am afraid its going to stick. Even worse thing is, that even if I dont want to buy one, manufacturers abandoning other car segments for these fake suvs. So eventually its going to be like with diesel cars in Ireland: you only buy diesels, why would we bring petrols?! Well maybe a good chunk of people dont want the diesel and want petrol, but all of you selling only diesels, so not much choice.

Rant mode off:

Op, test drive one, buy one, drive it for long period of time. Then decide for yourself if you can go back. No one can decide or give you advice what will you want aftet few years.

josip

ednwireland wrote: »

have a tiguan in the house and always glad to get back in my octavia, just dont like the position, slight extra body roll doesnt help either.

Jesus, the Tiguan must be quare bad.
Our Octavia rolls around bends worse than Neymar.
The rear suspension in the previous gen Octavia was way better.

vectra

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The Tucson is Ireland's best selling car. There cannot be that many people with mobility issues - it's a fashion.

The MPV, far more practical unless you actually pull loads or cross fields, is now unfashionable - Peugeots new 3008 and 5008 MPVs are disguised as SUVs for this reason.

I never said there were that many with mobility issues
I was giving a reason why people would buy one

As for MPV's :eek:
Yuck.

Zubeneschamali

vectra wrote: »

I never said there were that many with mobility issues
I was giving a reason why people would buy one

A much more common reason is that SUVs are cool and MPVs are yuckie.

For someone who doesn't need an MPV or an SUV, an actual car is better in every way, but no-one said fashion has to make sense.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Del2005 wrote: »

There are very few real 4x4s left, nearly all are just saloon cars on stilts.

And of the 4x4's that are out there, most are useless in 4x4 mode and no better (and sometimes worse) than a FWD car with winter tyres.

The only 4x4 or AWD cars that I would consider are Subaru and Audi. None of the rest really cut it in that territory.

Eric Cartman

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

And of the 4x4's that are out there, most are useless in 4x4 mode and no better (and sometimes worse) than a FWD car with winter tyres.

The only 4x4 or AWD cars that I would consider are Subaru and Audi. None of the rest really cut it in that territory.

well a real 4x4 (low range box, centre front and rear diff's , propper ground clearance) is the job all the time . The Discovery , Full size Range Rover, Landcruiser, Pajero are the only real 4x4 vehicles left you can buy new.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I can't really speak to going back to a car but I spent a decent wad (for me) on a Sorento recently and after a few months and more than a few thousand miles I've zero regrets....... the SUVness in the handling department is more than compensated for by a decent AWD system unless you drive like an absolute spanner IMO.

I wouldn't have been buying anything overly fancy as a car admittedly but I also wouldn't have been tempted into a two wheel drive SUV thing either.

In response to the fashion thing........... I buy what I want & what I like if my budget allows

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

And of the 4x4's that are out there, most are useless in 4x4 mode and no better (and sometimes worse) than a FWD car with winter tyres. ........................

Anything with an intelligent AWD system offers advantages over a winter tyre clad FWD car in many situations. Cornering for example.

_Brian

SUV is just another motoring segment, I can’t see what all the fuss is about really.
Some people need them, some like the higher driving position and some just like the way they look, same could be said about hatchback or estate cars really.
I don’t think anyone is under the illusion their suv will equate to a full size Land Rover with diff lock and low range box but they have their place as much as any other segment.

We tow our caravan and I tow trailers weekly for work, I’d also be out in the fields at home with a trailer so the awd Tiguan is handy but has its limits, the Kuga tows the caravan with ease over long journeys that I would find impossibly uncomfortable with a saloon car