Can anyone explain the logic of SUV vehicles?

[h_m_boro]

I needed an SUV to tow a horse trailer (2t towing capacity). But owning one, 30-35mpg, expensive repairs.......hated it.

Was very happy to get rid. Very happy indeed.

Mind, really liked the Qashqai we had. Not too big, comfy, great to drive. Each to their own.

Personally can't see the point of owning a Discovery, Q7 etc and never leaving suburbia. But then again I'm not really ars*d with cars so.....

 

[SmallTown]

We live in rural North Yorkshire. I used to drive Defenders. The higher driving position is a major positive when driving on country lanes with tall hedges. It gives a massive advantage to see cars coming from a good distance away round corners. I now drive a Freelander 2 I do not class it and an SUV as it's not sporty.

Fair. If I lived somewhere rural AWD would be a must it just surprises me that people thank all SUV are off roaders.

 

[SmallTown]

I needed an SUV to tow a horse trailer (2t towing capacity). But owning one, 30-35mpg, expensive repairs.......hated it.

Was very happy to get rid. Very happy indeed.

Mind, really liked the Qashqui we had. Not too big, comfy, great to drive. Each to their own.

Personally can't see the point of owning a Discovery, Q7 etc and never leaving suburbia. But then again I'm not really ars*d with cars so.....

Not being funny but why do you need an SUV to tow a horse trailer?

 

[Anton_Berg]

There is a picture of a medieval walled town in Tuscany. Families used to build towers on their houses to dominate their neighbourhood. The neighbours would respond by building taller towers, until you ended up with a forest of towers and it was clearly self-defeating.
There is a similar logic with SUVs.

 

[Priv]

Not being funny but why do you need an SUV to tow a horse trailer?

Generally SUVs have a higher towing capacity than the non SUV equivalent. An empty twin horse trailer can weigh between 1 and 1.4 tonnes. A horses average weight exc ponies is around 550kg. So if you want to tow a horse and a pony you really need a minimum 2.2 tonne towing capacity if you have large horses maybe 2.5. Some of the mondeos could tow 2.2 most large saloons and hatchbacks are limited to 1.8tonne.

Often the tracks and roads in and out of equestrian yards are bumpy and uneven and ground clearance can be an issue with a saloon or hatchback, I bottomed out my last car, a golf estate a few times when travelling to watch the wife or daughter compete, also 4x4 / awd comes in handy if parking in muddy fields.

 

[Chutney]

Got no idea if mine is an SUV or not - 2016 Honda CR-V. I like it because there's plenty of space for the family and a big boot, but to be honest the kids are in the process of flying the nest now, so the next one will likely be much smaller. I still resent their stupid infant presence forcing me to get rid of the A2 all those years ago.

That said, SUV or not, mine was the only car I saw making it out of the quagmire at BlueDot this year, so not entirely useless off road...

 

[mercury_redstone7]

Mine is a company car Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, I use it for taking kit to different sites when needed. I didnt like it when they first gave me it as a temporary measure until my new car was delivered (covid), but I love it now tbh. Im due a new SUV to be delivered this month.
I think they are really good. It beats a horse- cart and a winch

 

[hobblewobble]

If space is the reason instead of image(the real reason for suv's) you could do no better than a Berlingo i have had one and it's the only car i said goodbye to with a sadness i haven't forgotten.

 

[The Ruthsayer]

Dynamically flawed. Not as bad as a standard SUV due to a lower centre of gravity but an equivalent saloon will be better. Lighter, more efficient, better handling

I will let the engineers know it’s dynamically flawed. I’m sure they will be grateful. I did look at the nearest equivalent non-SUV, but it didn’t provide a higher driving position that helps visibility in the wet (of which we have plenty), nor was it the right height for transporting aged )in-law) P’s around. Weight difference was minimal, around 5% from memory.
Edit: should have stated that I need AWD as on the top of a hill in rural North Yorks and do a lot of camping.

 

[atypical_boro]

We have a RAV4 hybrid. When we get a new car we look at the boot capacity of all the cars within our budget at the time, and choose the one with the biggest.

What doesn’t make sense about Wagatha Christie?

 

[h_m_boro]

Generally SUVs have a higher towing capacity than the non SUV equivalent. An empty twin horse trailer can weigh between 1 and 1.4 tonnes. A horses average weight exc ponies is around 550kg. So if you want to tow a horse and a pony you really need a minimum 2.2 tonne towing capacity if you have large horses maybe 2.5. Some of the mondeos could tow 2.2 most large saloons and hatchbacks are limited to 1.8tonne.

Often the tracks and roads in and out of equestrian yards are bumpy and uneven and ground clearance can be an issue with a saloon or hatchback, I bottomed out my last car, a golf estate a few times when travelling to watch the wife or daughter compete, also 4x4 / awd comes in handy if parking in muddy fields.

Absolutely bang on. Couldn't have explained better myself.

Seen a few cars (2WD) stuck in the mud trying to leave a show after it has been p*ssing down all day......never happened to us thankfully.

 

[MickaelDebevePhenomenal]

They're for crap and nervous drivers who want the illusion of feeling safe in a bigger vehicle aren't they?

The wife has a SUV I have a Hyundai i30.

When doing the school run in the Hyundai after I've dropped the little un, I have to move In to the right hand lane past about 10 cars blocking the left hand lane. I cannot see the road where the left hand lane is accessible again for the parked cars, so often leads to a situation where the lane becomes blocked.

If I'm in the SUV, because of the higher driving position, i can see the exit so don't have to enter the road until my exit is clear. It is undeniable that a SUV offers a better vantage point when comparing like for like and certainly in that aspect, is safer.

 

[Malaguena]

That may be a good point.

Or indeed it may not be

On a different matter, I see Expo is doing his usual trick of dropping a possibly contentious post and then disappearing - still, if he gets a kick out of it in his sad little life, then no harm done I suppose

 

[ThePrisoner]

When they go on sale I am buying two Tesla Cyber Trucks. Be mad not to.

Tanktastic

 

[Littlejimmy]

See also massive ******* pick-up trucks driven by people who live in towns and don't work on farms, etc. Why? I had a pick up or SUV behind me (in my Golf) last night for a few miles and his LED headlights were blinding me in my wing mirrors and even my rear view on night setting was struggling.

 

[SmallTown]

Generally SUVs have a higher towing capacity than the non SUV equivalent. An empty twin horse trailer can weigh between 1 and 1.4 tonnes. A horses average weight exc ponies is around 550kg. So if you want to tow a horse and a pony you really need a minimum 2.2 tonne towing capacity if you have large horses maybe 2.5. Some of the mondeos could tow 2.2 most large saloons and hatchbacks are limited to 1.8tonne.

Often the tracks and roads in and out of equestrian yards are bumpy and uneven and ground clearance can be an issue with a saloon or hatchback, I bottomed out my last car, a golf estate a few times when travelling to watch the wife or daughter compete, also 4x4 / awd comes in handy if parking in muddy fields.

Again you're getting SUV confused with AWD aren't you? I see this a lot. People thinking having a tall car means it's an off roader. I've had plenty of saloons with good towing capapcity

 

[SmallTown]

When they go on sale I am buying two Tesla Cyber Trucks. Be mad not to.

Tanktastic

Ha. I have one on order. It'll never come to the UK though

 

[SmallTown]

The wife has a SUV I have a Hyundai i30.

When doing the school run in the Hyundai after I've dropped the little un, I have to move In to the right hand lane past about 10 cars blocking the left hand lane. I cannot see the road where the left hand lane is accessible again for the parked cars, so often leads to a situation where the lane becomes blocked.

If I'm in the SUV, because of the higher driving position, i can see the exit so don't have to enter the road until my exit is clear. It is undeniable that a SUV offers a better vantage point when comparing like for like and certainly in that aspect, is safer.

That makes no sense if even one car in the left hand lane is also an SUV. Which sadly these days it pro ably will be. I understand the country lane thing, just. Bit for urban roads and motorways no one needs a higher driving position

 

[SmallTown]

I will let the engineers know it’s dynamically flawed. I’m sure they will be grateful. I did look at the nearest equivalent non-SUV, but it didn’t provide a higher driving position that helps visibility in the wet (of which we have plenty), nor was it the right height for transporting aged )in-law) P’s around. Weight difference was minimal, around 5% from memory.
Edit: should have stated that I need AWD as on the top of a hill in rural North Yorks and do a lot of camping.

Why do you need a higher driving potion becasie it's raining? Huh?

And yes, dynamically flawed. You don't need to be an engineer to understand that something with a higher weight and higher centre of gravity won't handle as well

 

[The Ruthsayer]

Ok, so you accept my other reasons. Good. Being a little higher reduces the amount of spray and associated crap that gets onto the windscreen. It helps me to see better, especially at night (and no, I don’t need a sight test).
As for being flawed, perhaps ‘sub-optimal’ might be a more accurate adjective? And even that depends on what you want to do with the car. Personally, I drive in a very sensible manner, so being 160mm taller than the nearest equivalent estate isn’t an issue for me.