Why do people hate on SUV drivers?

AndrewJRenko · 06-04-2021 9:11pm

liamog wrote: »

The only comparable one to the Irish market was the Tucson, which has a 1m blind spot with a driver who's 5'4. vs a 35cm blind spot on the Corolla.

I wonder do NCAP include something along these lines in the EuroNCAP rating, they do seem to put a high value on pedestrian safety measure.

What's the visibility like out the front of a Ford Ranger?

liamog · 06-04-2021 9:30pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

What's the visibility like out the front of a Ford Ranger?

Isn't the Ranger a light commercial vehicle?
I'm not sure we should be condemning people purchasing SUVs based on sight lines on a different class of vehicle.

BnB · 06-04-2021 10:10pm

.anon. wrote: »

As a bus driver, I detest the things and I think they should be banned from urban areas. In addition to the fact that the larger ones take up far too much space on the roads, I've found that people who drive them often seem oblivious to what's going on around them. The high-up driving position is irrelevant when you feel so comfortable, safe and detached from your surroundings that you can't be bothered looking beyond the end of your own bonnet. I actually watch out for them now and find myself taking preemptive action to mitigate against their stupidity. Turning left at one particular signal-controlled t-junction, I indicate later than I normally would and position the bus in a certain way that makes it blatantly obvious that I'm absolutely not at a bus stop and should not be overtaken. This is because I've had seen so many idiots (always in SUVs) overtake me and find themselves trapped on the wrong side of the road, with nowhere to go, thus blocking the entire junction.

I've lost count of the number of times I've had them drive at me on narrow roads, expecting the bus to somehow be able to get out of their way. I recently had one guy in a Range Rover demand that I reverse a 11.5 metre bus because he didn't want to mount a pavement. Had he been reading the road properly, he'd have been able to back off slightly when he saw the bus approaching - which would have meant we could pass each other safely and without drama. Instead, there was an eight minute stand-off and huge tailbacks both ways. Entitlement and obliviousness make for a dangerous combination.

Ha ha. That's brilliant.

Nothing to do with actual SUV vehicles at all. Apart from the fact that they are apparently taking up too much space on the roads, the rest of it is the same clichéd clobber that has been droned out about BMW drivers.... Van drivers.... Bus drivers.... Cyclists.... etc etc by chipontheahoulder merchants time and time again.

Ubbquittious · 06-04-2021 10:16pm

SUV hate originated during the George W. Bush era in the Statesian world. They were predominantly associated with WASPs and that group of society had a lot of haters already, the upsurge in popularity of SUVs gave those haters something extra to latch onto. The haters justified their hate with environmental reasons but really they couldn't stand that somebody had a bigger car than them.

SUV hate like many other things then made its way across the Atlantic.

NickNickleby · 06-04-2021 10:49pm

Ah, I just hate SUV's because I associate them with large rear passenger doors, Child seats and careless dings to my car. And I know its difficult for parents trying to get kids in or out of a car and dings are therefore inevitable.

AndrewJRenko · 06-04-2021 11:09pm

liamog wrote: »

Isn't the Ranger a light commercial vehicle?
I'm not sure we should be condemning people purchasing SUVs based on sight lines on a different class of vehicle.

Same market as the F150 shown in the diagram - not unusual at all to see these around south Dublin with remarkably pristine cargo areas.

markpb · 06-04-2021 11:09pm

NickNickleby wrote: »

I know its difficult for parents trying to get kids in or out of a car and dings are therefore inevitable.

My kids don’t open the doors of the car themselves when there’s a car parked beside ours. They know to open them carefully but kids are kids and will forget.

NickNickleby · 06-04-2021 11:21pm

markpb wrote: »

My kids don’t open the doors of the car themselves when there’s a car parked beside ours. They know to open them carefully but kids are kids and will forget.

Indeed, but sometimes the door will spring away from them under its own power, and then its :eek::eek::eek:, and the look of horror on their little faces . It has happened to me while I'm actually sitting in the car, but in most cases a mimed apology follows, which I wave away with a smile. I'd certainly never ever try to make a child feel bad over something so trivial. Most people don't set out to deliberately damage your car. Those that don't care, don't apologise, and probably wouldn't take an admonishment too well.

So where I can, I park well away.

.anon. · 06-04-2021 11:37pm

BnB wrote: »

Ha ha. That's brilliant.

Nothing to do with actual SUV vehicles at all. Apart from the fact that they are apparently taking up too much space on the roads, the rest of it is the same clichéd clobber that has been droned out about BMW drivers.... Van drivers.... Bus drivers.... Cyclists.... etc etc by chipontheahoulder merchants time and time again.

It's everything to do with the vehicles, and (based on daily experiences) the disproportionate amount of idiots who own them. And they literally take up too much space on the roads and in parking spaces, partly because of their unnecessary extra width, but also because of their owners' lack of spacial awareness.

liamog · 07-04-2021 12:35am

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Same market as the F150 shown in the diagram - not unusual at all to see these around south Dublin with remarkably pristine cargo areas.

The F150 is also not an SUV, seems the problem is people buying commercial vehicles and then using them to ferry their family around. By all means I'm not trying to defend them as family vehicles, but let's at least condemn the people in the right group.

If you look at the stats for last year people are buying Tucsons Tiguans, Konas, C-Hrs and Qashqais. These are basically tall hatchbacks and not truck based SUVs like your illustration from the US.

Alias G · 07-04-2021 4:20am

Hoboo wrote: »

If you're hit by a bicycle at 40km it causes less damage than a car.

Should we all just walk?

Where feasible, yes

Tyrone212 · 07-04-2021 4:42am

Probably because they use such terms as "hate on"

NSAman · 07-04-2021 5:02am

<=====wafts by in a Range Rover......(feels eyes boring into his soul)

punisher5112 · 07-04-2021 6:42am

Wannabe SUV drivers are the worst.... It ain't an SUV and they don't understand how to actually drive, it's that simple.

AndrewJRenko · 07-04-2021 6:49am

liamog wrote: »

The F150 is also not an SUV, seems the problem is people buying commercial vehicles and then using them to ferry their family around. By all means I'm not trying to defend them as family vehicles, but let's at least condemn the people in the right group.

If you look at the stats for last year people are buying Tucsons Tiguans, Konas, C-Hrs and Qashqais. These are basically tall hatchbacks and not truck based SUVs like your illustration from the US.

The Tucson is one of those tested for visibility in the US.

I wonder how long before we follow France's lead of taxing very large vehicles out of existence.

https://twitter.com/Marcusdstewart/status/1379645778323505152?s=19

Interesting perspective from the UK too

https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/07/stereotype-of-chelsea-tractor-reflects-reality-of-urban-suv-sales-says-report?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other&__twitter_impression=true

punisher5112 · 07-04-2021 6:52am

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The Tucson is one of those tested for visibility in the US.

I wonder how long before we follow France's lead of taxing very large vehicles out of existence.

https://twitter.com/Marcusdstewart/status/1379645778323505152?s=19

Price tag of over €155k new for an X7, I honestly don't think they care as it will deprecate like a stone in water, also they can afford this or a top of the range luxury EV but at what cost to the environment...

Ev will only be clean when tech improves and using renewable energy to charge but one huge issue is the mining for the precious metals needed for the batteries.....

magicbastarder · 07-04-2021 9:42am

FWIW:

City drivers 'should think twice' before buying SUVs
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56647128

AndrewJRenko · 07-04-2021 9:50am

magicbastarder wrote: »

FWIW:

City drivers 'should think twice' before buying SUVs
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56647128

Interesting diagram in that article

magicbastarder · 07-04-2021 9:53am

there's not a hope in hell a GLS is 1.96m wide.
my octavia is over 2m wide IIRC - i suspect the 1.96m does not include the wing mirrors (a common trick).

magicbastarder · 07-04-2021 9:56am

anyway, it's the height i have an issue with. you'd need to be about 6'5" to see over that merc, and many other similar vehicles (range rovers, XC90s).
i've pulled up beside some in traffic, and my eyeline is pretty much on a par with the door handles on them.

it makes it more dangerous for other road users (pedestrians, cyclists etc.) when they can't actually see over traffic.

magicbastarder · 07-04-2021 10:02am

cheers; and the funny thing is the graphic above states the original mini width *with* mirrors, and the GLS width *without*.

the GLS is 76cm wider than the original mini. i know it's not a fair comparison, but that's actually greater than half the width of the mini (mirrors included)

liamog · 07-04-2021 10:05am

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The Tucson is one of those tested for visibility in the US.

Yes, and as I stated in the response to your original post the sightlines were significantly better than the examples you keep using to illustrate your point.

liamog wrote: »

The only comparable one to the Irish market was the Tucson, which has a 1m blind spot with a driver who's 5'4. vs a 35cm blind spot on the Corolla.

liamog · 07-04-2021 10:17am

magicbastarder wrote: »

cheers; and the funny thing is the graphic above states the original mini width *with* mirrors, and the GLS width *without*.

The Mini is a great example of why cars have become bigger. We've introduced numerous safety measures to protect both the occupants of the vehicle and
vulnerable road users. You have layers of crumple zones surrounding the vehicle which are designed to deform in the event of collision.

Ironically most of the things that people claim are problematic are driven by improvements in pedestrian safety, the blunt front end and high bonnet are designed to sweep a pedestrian on to the bonnet which will then deform and prevent injuries. Similarly the bumpers are more malleable and designed to deform at much lower speed impacts, it's all about absorb energy into the car instead of transferring it into the pedestrian and bouncing them onto the road.

jmayo · 07-04-2021 10:18am

Pythagorean wrote: »

If you've ever been on a twisty narrow road with a load of blind bends, and met one of these monsters barrelling round a blind bend at speed, nearly wiping you out in the process, I think you could be forgiven for hating the driver.

No no the worst are the ones, often the townies and city types out for drive in country, that refuse to adequately pull into the side lest they scratch that shiny suv/crossover.

Also can never fathom where suv begins and crossover ends?

And why the fook would someone buy something like a Santa Fe with two wheel drive?
I just don't get it.

Also some eejit in a X5 or even the supposed offroad kings the Land Rover range thinking they can go proper offroad or drive well in snow/ice with low profile massive tyres.

punisher5112 wrote: »

Price tag of over €155k new for an X7, I honestly don't think they care as it will deprecate like a stone in water, also they can afford this or a top of the range luxury EV but at what cost to the environment...

Ev will only be clean when tech improves and using renewable energy to charge but one huge issue is the mining for the precious metals needed for the batteries.....

Everytime I hear the mantra about going electric I wonder how we generate all that electricity.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Interesting diagram in that article

All you have to do is even look at say the original Fiesta and the modern one.
The modern one is probably bigger than the original Escort.

Cars have gotten bigger and you can even notice the bigger models from the likes of Peugeot, Renault, Opel, Toyota, Nissan, Honda have all disappeared.
And what was once the mid car range now also covers what was once the large model.
Also all the high tech luxuries that were in the large model range are now even in the smallest model in the range.

magicbastarder · 07-04-2021 10:20am

liamog wrote: »

The Mini is a great example of why cars have become bigger.

true, but people are not really complaining (i think) of why the new mini is considerably larger than the classic one. i do agree that comparing any car to the classic 'as small as a car can get' car is going to make any other car look large, though.

KaneToad · 07-04-2021 10:35am

Most people buy SUV for the elevated driving position & ease of getting in/out. Most people don't care about the handling, the responsiveness, the number of wheels driven by the engine...etc...

Indeed, most people don't really care about cars beyond what colour it is and how many things in the cabin are electrically powered.

Car enthusiasts are in the minority.

liamog · 07-04-2021 10:58am

Indeed KaneToad, that's why what we are really seeing sell here are the crossover type vehicles, which are essentially a tall hatchback.
Most of the SUV pushback is against the so called Chelsea Tractors, it's the large SUVs such as Range Rovers that are inappropriate on suburban roads, not cars like the C-HR and Tiguan.
Unfortunately they all get lumped into the same SUV category when campaigners try to use sales date to make a point.

07-04-2021 11:13am

liamog wrote: »

Indeed KaneToad, that's why what we are really seeing sell here are the crossover type vehicles, which are essentially a tall hatchback.
Most of the SUV pushback is against the so called Chelsea Tractors, it's the large SUVs such as Range Rovers that are inappropriate on suburban roads, not cars like the C-HR and Tiguan.
Unfortunately they all get lumped into the same SUV category when campaigners try to use sales date to make a point.

I must say I absolutely love my C-HR from the point of view of driving position, outstanding fuel consumption, and its agile handling on winding country roads. Drawback is major lack of acceleration and it feels the speed bumps. Feels very reassuring to drive.

garv123 · 07-04-2021 11:19am

I love looking down on everyone in my L200, including all the "SUVs" ye're referring to

:D;)

irish_goat · 07-04-2021 11:25am

I drove my wife's Audi Q5 for the first time yesterday. She has it as she got it cheap off her dad, does a lot of driving in wintery weather over mountains and will occasionally tow a horsebox. I didn't agree with the need for it but sure it's her choice. Back driving my Seat Leon today and I honestly felt more comfortable.

I don't hate SUV drivers in particular but I find they are more likely to take up 2 parking spaces and far more likely to veer into the opposite driving lane, particularly when taking corners. As alluded to in this thread, I think they tend to be bought by infrequent or inexperienced drivers.

Why do people hate on SUV drivers?

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