Why do people drive unnecessarily large cars?

I drive a large Audi why because i like them and at the moment its handy for getting my wheelchair bound father to and from hospitals and i can certainly handle them. Ok the newer carparks are a lot smaller compared to the ones built back in the 90s. Also have full licence (B EB C1 C EC D1 ED1 )driving trucks since 23 years of age.

To answer the question raised by the OP, some people like to travel in style. If you can afford a flashy SUV, by all means drive one. Since when should anyone have an authority on what size is or isn't necessary?

Any time I encounter one as a pedestrian, it doesn't phase me at all. If I were cycling, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't change my sentiment. It's about being observant and street smart. Forgoing these very important adult traits is irresponsible.

Just because pedestrians and cyclists are more fragile road users should not absolve them of being observant. Sadly, many posters conflate irresponsibilty with vulnerability. The other day on the bus, I saw two absolute goons barging onto the road with prams in tow into the path of the bus without a cursory glance. Vulnerable? No. Irresponsible and stupid? Yes.

The whole argument about vehicle weight, height etcetera comes off as road user Napoleon syndrome. Unlike vans and trucks, SUVs have front and back windows which should be sufficient enough to be able to able to make out what is in front of them. Alas, a complete lack of common sense prevails.

And what about vans, trucks, buses, arctic lorries? , All the issues you mentioned didn't happen with those no?

or; TLDR; someone looking at me from a car, with a steering wheel view of the world (which is so glaringly common in this thread) was probably looking at me thinking 'what is that lunatic cyclist doing weaving like a madman? or staying that far behind from the car in front?', not realising i was doing it to avoid being seriously injured by them. when cyclists are street smart, motorists start whingeing 'they think they own the road'.

Listen each to their own but there seems to be to be a bit of a persecution complex going on in the sentiments being expressed above.

Did the AGS ever pull you in to see why you were acting like someone who had lost their mind following smoking a bit too much weed?

What is an SUV in Ireland anyway? Tuscon and Kodiak are popular but they are just cars.

Hmmmmm

But surely it doesn't matter? If you are in fear of your safety/life while cycling behind a tall car you would be petrified out of your fair skin cycling behind a double decker bus?

I get it though, you dont like SUVs or tall cars (I don't either, have never owned or driven one) but the hyperbolic stuff about fearing for you life and whingeing motorists are a bit difficult to take seriously.

By the way why would you find it unusual to get a predominantly steering wheel view perspective on a motoring forum?

Etymology

From Hausfrau (“housewife”) +‎ -en- +‎ Panzer (“tank”).

There's a reason people treat busses different to a tall car. And maybe I'm different to most drivers but I can't understand the point that people are less likely to assume the space behind a bus is unoccupied compared to an SUV. What does that even mean?

It's actually smaller than it's sister car the Skoda Superb. Height makes it look big but that's about it. We don't have many true SUV's here, just added height.

Where are you pulling that reasoning from

Are you suggesting that drivers will assume that there is nothing behind a tall car and with their eyes closed blindly pull out and mow down the cyclist that's drafting on the tall car rear bumper?

And for some unfathomable reason won't do the say madness when faced with a van, bus, truck, trailer, mpv, etc, etc??

Greyed out plates are as much of a sneaky way to make your reg harder to read as a "fashion" trend. Under low light and grey skies the reg is next to invisible.

It's a fair bet people who go for these are not careful drivers. In Australia I've seen flash cars with vanity plates made up with long sequences of 6s, 8s and 9s done deliberately to make them harder to read.