Why do people hate on SUV drivers?

amacca

ofcork wrote: »

BBC did a show on suv in london a few years back,brought a woman out to an off road course in her discovery she hadnt a
clue about hill descent assist or anything!!

Well of course not iys just a motorised pram and status symbol to those types of customers

Surprised they dont encrust the bodywork with swarovski crystals for them

Bringing someone who had a clue or even logic and a quick learner doesnt make for nearly as good TV as your standard fish out of water scenario.

AndrewJRenko

Is it called a crossover when it crosses over on top of another vehicle?

https://twitter.com/SarahJ_Berry/status/1380483909876658181?s=19

BnB

magicbastarder wrote: »

just picking up on this point; it's been made several times in the thread that what someone else chooses to drive is none of anyone else's business.

well, if people feel that way, don't take your large chunk of private property out in public. you've bought a vehicle almost by definition to be used on shared public property, so i'd argue it's *not* the same as judging you on what coffee you drink.

to pick up your led zeppelin analogy; if you choose to listen to zep out loud in public, you kinda *have* made it my business.

I'm not saying that people do not have a right to make assumptions on people based on what they drive (or wear or eat etc). Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm just saying that (in my opinion) their opinions are wrong.

People are trying to justify disliking a massive group of people just because they have followed a fashion trend and bought a vehicle that they don't like. It's the very same as saying that all BMW drivers are d*ckheads, all people with beards are twats etc etc

BnB

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, a lot of the extra environmental impact will be due to extra height due to increased air resistance; so if a car has a similar body shape to a 'true' SUV, this is a relevant point, no?

Ahhhh I don't think it's that big of a difference. I'm not going to try and argue that there's no difference but most of the "SUVs" that you see on the road in Ireland will be doing 40+ MPG and some will even push it to 50. They're not exactly horrendous figures.

Either way, most of the BS on this thread is not about any remotely reasonable facts. It is just gross generalisations around driver behavior.

For the record, I'm a hardcore saloon man myself. Wife has a Tiguan but it doesn't float my boat at all.

Natterjack from Kerry

whisky_galore wrote: »

The poor man's SUV. All fur coat, no knickers. Stripped down Paddy-spec too.

The article below explains SUV man quite well.
Paddy-spec is the same syndrome. Paddy doesnt see value in paying for equipment that wont be conspicuous to others, so prefers to see his money on display as size or badge. Whats the point in heated seats if people cant see that I have them, he thinks. Much better to get something that is bigger and, not only that, butputs me higher up than other people into the bargain.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/apr/08/gorilla-beat-chest-signal-size-avoid-fight-with-rival-researchers-say

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

beauf wrote: »

That people overtake and then slow down, just means they are bad drivers. It in no way negates the fact that seeing more is better than seeing less. Or that people are allowed to over take. Even if it annoys you so much.

If you are being plagued by people over taking so much that is such a sore point with you. Don't shoot the messenger but perhaps the common variable there is you.

Personally I've never had a problem with trying to overtake SUVs because in my experience they don't tend to be driven slowly. Which is ironic because they are one of the least suitable vehicles for high speed driving.

There's another post is mine you missed

I was referring to driving bigger vehicle like vans, trucks and buses, and I would definitely be doing the speed limit, if not a bit more.

So when I'm moving along with traffic in front of me, I still get these clowns trying to get around me

When there's nothing in front of me and I'm just over the speed limit there are people still trying to get around me. And when they do they slow down again !

I've had no problem over taken them back again either regardless what I'm driving, it can be done safely and that's fine. But these these people are only getting around be to have a look out their window at the road ahead, whereas if they just stayed back further they would achieve that anyway , but I dunno what it is people just have a gripe with trucks etc in front of them that they have to get around them and in front

colm_mcm

This thread is a car crash.

alias no.9

colm_mcm wrote: »

This thread is a car crash.

It rolled in the elk test

Pussyhands

The One Doctor wrote: »

They're big, heavy and if you're hit by one you'll be worse off. They're also not very spacious for the size and tend to be driven by people who think VAG make great cars.

You're thinking of jeeps and animals of things like range rovers...

The common SUV, Tuscons etc. are just cars sitting higher. A tucson is lighter than a passat.

beauf

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

There's another post is mine you missed

I was referring to driving bigger vehicle like vans, trucks and buses, and I would definitely be doing the speed limit, if not a bit more.

So when I'm moving along with traffic in front of me, I still get these clowns trying to get around me

When there's nothing in front of me and I'm just over the speed limit there are people still trying to get around me. And when they do they slow down again !

I've had no problem over taken them back again either regardless what I'm driving, it can be done safely and that's fine. But these these people are only getting around be to have a look out their window at the road ahead, whereas if they just stayed back further they would achieve that anyway , but I dunno what it is people just have a gripe with trucks etc in front of them that they have to get around them and in front

Kinda traditional to drive by looking at the road ahead.

They overtake you, you overtake them. Bit of a pattern to this and there's two of you in it doing the same thing. That's what's drawing you together.

Generally trucks and buses are slower than other other traffic and on motorways have slower limits. Why wouldn't people want to overtake slow traffic.

Interestingly one of the reasons for driving a SUV is better visibility especially in traffic and of the road ahead. But of course if everyone is driving a SUV that's null and void... Maybe we can get an extra tall SUV. ...

Louis Friend

I drive a coupe and the Mrs drives an SUV.

I have to say that the SUV has a much better driving position for the human body.

It’s obviously healthier to sit like you’re on a dining room chair rather then bent into a ‘C’ with your legs sticking out horizontally.

Surely that’s why long distance truck drivers sit like that?

beauf

Doesn't matter what you think of SUVs anyway. They are here to stay. For a long time yet.

beauf

Louis Friend wrote: »

I drive a coupe and the Mrs drives an SUV.

I have to say that the SUV has a much better driving position for the human body.

It’s obviously healthier to sit like you’re on a dining room chair rather then bent into a ‘C’ with your legs sticking out horizontally.

Surely that’s why long distance truck drivers sit like that?

I think you get used to either. Some of the best seats I've had were sports seats. Though I like an upright position also.

It's also about packaging and function. You get less seats in a space if they are reclined. But also you get a lower CG with reclined seats. Which is why you set seats low in a sports car.

.anon.

liamog wrote: »

There wasn't the same hate for minivans when they were popular, despite being pretty much the same height.

For all their ugliness - and some of them were brutal - they had a utilitarian quality about them. Most modern SUVs serve no practical purpose whatsoever. They're just big for the sheer hell of it.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote:

So when I'm moving along with traffic in front of me, I still get these clowns trying to get around me

I notice this a lot when driving buses. As a courtesy, when pulling away from a bus stop on a busy road, I always allow the first two or three cars to pass before forcing my way out. Chances are, they had decided to pass me before I even indicated to pull out, so I think it's only fair not to impede them. What happens with the fourth car is always an interesting exercise in identifying the different types of people you encounter on the roads.

The first type will back off immediately, make it obvious that they're letting the bus out, flash the lights, etc. In addition to having good manners, they're the sensible ones - they know they'll be able to pass me at the next bus stop anyway, so they're not 'losing' anything by yielding. The really good drivers, the ones who know how to read the road ahead of them, won't even have to touch their brakes. They're making everyone's life easy, including their own.

The second type will chance their arm, accelerate and then back off when it's obvious that I'm not looking for their 'permission' to move on. They'll usually overtake me as I'm pulling into the next bus stop. Apart from a bit of unnecessary acceleration and harsher-than-necessary braking, they too have lost nothing.

The third type - and these are usually people in Range Rovers and other high-end SUVs - see buses as nothing more than obstacles that they have to get in front of. It doesn't matter how far back they were when the bus indicated and started to emerge, or what's coming towards them on the other side... that bus (and all the peasants on it) simply should not be in front of them. They're not going to back off until they realise that they have a straight choice between braking heavily and crashing. Which results in lots of horn-blasting, swearing, fist-waving and pointless drama that they could so easily have avoided.

liamog

.anon. wrote: »

For all their ugliness - and some of them were brutal - they had a utilitarian quality about them. Most modern SUVs serve no practical purpose whatsoever. They're just big for the sheer hell of it.

I think the most common emotion towards minivan drivers was pity, people didn't hate the drivers, they just felt sorry for them

.anon.

liamog wrote: »

I think the most common emotion towards minivan drivers was pity, people didn't hate the drivers, they just felt sorry for them

People like that probably have the last laugh because they (clearly) don't care what their car looks like, or what car spotters think of it, as long as it does what they want it to do.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

beauf wrote: »

Kinda traditional to drive by looking at the road ahead.

They overtake you, you overtake them. Bit of a pattern to this and there's two of you in it doing the same thing. That's what's drawing you together.

Generally trucks and buses are slower than other other traffic and on motorways have slower limits. Why wouldn't people want to overtake slow traffic.

Interestingly one of the reasons for driving a SUV is better visibility especially in traffic and of the road ahead. But of course if everyone is driving a SUV that's null and void... Maybe we can get an extra tall SUV. ...

The pattern been that I'm driving with an electronic limiter either at 90kmh or 100kmh and drive on that most of the time

The pattern there is while I'm at a solid speed constantly on the limiter without change , the clown that has over taken has slowed down enough to Warrent me to overtake again and to do that safely means they would've slowed down considerably.

High up driving position may be nicer but with that logic why doesn't everybody get a high up SUV ? Sure by that rationale , nobody will be able to see any road ahead.

Like I say , get it out of your head trying to drive to the road 2 miles ahead, focus on the vehicle in front of you, and if you think it's dangerous driving behind a SUV, van ,truck or bus then you need to reconsider your driving style.

Personally, I've no interest in what people drive on the roads, from nissan micra to a range rover, it's their choice and that's it really.

beauf

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

...The pattern there is while I'm at a solid speed constantly on the limiter without change , the clown that has over taken has slowed down...

This is because they've got into the habit of of just following the car in front and not reading the road. So once in front they have nothing to follow.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

Like I say , get it out of your head trying to drive to the road 2 miles ahead, focus on the vehicle in front of you,...

Wibbs

beauf wrote: »

I think you get used to either. Some of the best seats I've had were sports seats. Though I like an upright position also.

I prefer a more reclined position myself and don't care for the more van like and SUV sitting up position, but like you say it's very much down to the packaging. The comfort and quality of the seats, pedal, steering wheel(even gear shifter in a manual) positions. I've sat in cars that were upright that were more comfortable than other cars with more reclined positions.

.anon. wrote: »

The first type will back off immediately, make it obvious that they're letting the bus out, flash the lights, etc. In addition to having good manners, they're the sensible ones - they know they'll be able to pass me at the next bus stop anyway, so they're not 'losing' anything by yielding.

I'd pretty much always let a bus out. They're driving for a living so there's no need for me to add to their workload. I feel the same about trucks too. Plus they're bigger than me. Plus when I think back over 30+ years of driving :eek: Off the top of my head I can think of three actual emergency occasions where the minutes counted and on both, well, lets just say I didn't spare the horses. Otherwise? What's the bloody rush? Don;t get me wrong, I enjoy some "spirited" driving every so often, but I reserve that for twisting country roads with a clear line of sight. That sorta thing is way out of line on roads with bus stops, foot paths and SUV school runs.

forumdedum

I don't hate SUV drivers

kirving

magicbastarder wrote: »

my favourite is the phrase 'mild hybrid'.
there's nothing hybrid about it, it's just an automatic stop/start system.

I had a car with a mild hybrid system. Could drive up to 1km on the battery alone, but the real advantage was that the diesel engine didn't have to work as hard to accelerate the car away from the line. Was quite efficient around town as a result.

magicbastarder

i had understood that in a mild hybrid, by defintion, it can't drive on the battery alone?

beauf

Does a 1km range really work that well. That's interesting...

alias no.9

magicbastarder wrote: »

i had understood that in a mild hybrid, by defintion, it can't drive on the battery alone?

Mild hybrid typically refers to a 48v combined starter / generator intended to assist acceleration and recover kinetic energy. The Honda IMA setup in the Insight/Civic etc... could never drive on battery power alone but predates the notion of a mild hybrid.

Pretty sure the original Insight launched before the Prius so not being able to drive on battery power alone has been a thing in Hybrids for as long as Hybrids have existed.

sebdavis

kirving wrote: »

I had a car with a mild hybrid system. Could drive up to 1km on the battery alone, but the real advantage was that the diesel engine didn't have to work as hard to accelerate the car away from the line. Was quite efficient around town as a result.

Mild hybrid cannot drive on battery only.

"Like full hybrids, mild hybrids use an electric motor alongside a combustion engine, but the two power sources can’t be used independently of one another. Instead, the small electric motor is used solely to assist the engine. Typically the cheapest way into hybrid ownership, mild hybrids offer a simpler powertrain with modest power and efficiency gains."

What car had you got with mild hybrid?

Strumms

I wouldn’t dislike a person based on what type of vehicle they drive...

I DO dislike people based on HOW they drive whatever vehicle they are in...if they are a safe and courteous BMW X5 driver, brilliant...an unsafe and discourteous Ford Focus driver.. unsatisfactory... you got my hate, and visa versa.

colm_mcm

sebdavis wrote: »

Mild hybrid cannot drive on battery only.

"Like full hybrids, mild hybrids use an electric motor alongside a combustion engine, but the two power sources can’t be used independently of one another. Instead, the small electric motor is used solely to assist the engine. Typically the cheapest way into hybrid ownership, mild hybrids offer a simpler powertrain with modest power and efficiency gains."

What car had you got with mild hybrid?

Merc E300 diesel hybrid I believe.

kirving

beauf wrote: »

Does a 1km range really work that well. That's interesting...

E300 Estate yep. In practice, MHEV was better than I expected tbh.

Made a significant difference if you drove with a light foot in city traffic. In overcomes the inertia of moving off (up to 20kph) far more effecienly than an ICE.


Have been driving a Transit all day today around Dublin city centre. I totally understand the appeal of the high driving position, but my god it's a pig in the city centre and car parks. (I have a new found sympathy for van drivers!)

At a set budget, I'd be taking a 5 series estate over an X3 for load lugging and long journeys. The disadvantages of SUV's outweigh the advantages in my opinion anyway. For loading too, the low boot lip in an estate is a godsend.

Thelonious Monk

I don't have a problem with them really existing but why do people think they need such big vehicles if they live in Clontarf and Sandymount etc? They just take up far too much space in already crowded areas and for me they should be taxed into oblivion. Waste of energy.

Louis Friend

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I don't have a problem with them really existing but why do people think they need such big vehicles if they live in Clontarf and Sandymount etc? They just take up far too much space in already crowded areas and for me they should be taxed into oblivion. Waste of energy.

It’s the space...the ability to transport your kids and your parents at the same time. The ability to facilitate playdates. The feeling of safety that you get from a big car and the higher driving position. The ability to comfortably go away in Ireland and bring what you want.