Do you actually want to drive a crossover / SUV?

[SB1500]

Everything you've said is spot on.

Of course more expensive sports wellington SUVs with adaptive suspension do both...but these do feel slightly like the answer to question no one asked.

And the reality is, as you say, most people don't really care too much and will buy it / use it.

It's a shame though because all of the choice of cars these are replacing (the likes of the usual B-segment stuff, C-segment stuff and even the big saloons in the D-segment - all of which came in affordable, everyday variants / brands / models) are now pretty much removed in favour of crossovers / SUVs that drive like big people carriers that the B, C and D segment consumer spent the start of this millennium especially avoiding.

I still very much feel it's a matter of... manufacturers taking away choice and consumers only being able to buy what's left (crossovers) as opposed to.... nobody bought the B/C/D cars and as a result, they had no choice but to take them off sale.

One thing I admire about Stellantis is they seem committed to the commercial success that is the B segment (208, Corsa, C3, new Panda etc..). I used to admire the German brands for sticking to their big saloons, which have one of the strongest followings I can see amongst any car brand / group of car fanatics... but even they are throwing in the towel now if Audi is anything to go buy. I highly doubt people stopped buying those.. more, it won't suit the EV plans they have going forward and removing the choice is the only way to stimulate demand for other models :-(

 

[sandeel999]

I love all those big suv's, cos once they have spent 5 minutes trying to park it in a space that's adequate and drive off after giving up, I can stick the panda in no problem while they are heading to the car park to pay.

 

[StevenRB45]

Well...

Due to the rental car company not having any party buses in stock for a work trip today (See Mercedes V-Class) We got a Volvo XC90 B5 hybrid.

Now at the start of the day I was quite looking forward to it as if you were to create a list of cars to travel for 6 hours 6 up I'd have put this very high on the list.

End of the the day...the C3 was a welcome relief. Mainly due to the seats had a numb back side after 2 hours... however the ride quality was also surprisingly crunchy even at high speed it hit expansion joints hard low speed it just bobbled about on its 20 inch wheels. Of course those massive wheels also meant the road noise didn't pipe down.

It also had an extreme drink problem...slow witted auto box and an engine that sounded like distant mooing after dropping 3 cogs with the grace of a learner.

62 grand..it was nice had 4 zone climate and hardon kardon audio etc..but kinda failed at what you'd think would be it's main reason for existence.

It was alright...but disappointing is the word given it's not like expecting it to cruise better at 70 than a C3 is a high bar. Made 3 of our number get out walking like John Wayne..

 

[spidermania]

and thirstier for energy.

That's a myth, it's why they've gone to using turbo's in just about all petrol SUV's. It's burns the fuel more efficiently, why drive a sedan when you can pile the whole family in with gear go on holiday, have good ground clearance, a commanding view of the road ahead and yet get good gas mileage.
It's simply a no brainer.

The problem in the U.K. the roads were never design for anything bigger than a horse or a bicycle and now you have the zealots going around and committing vandalism to the vehicles. The trust fund kids and the older generational benefit scroungers with the hyped up mental illness disability, the new and improved bad back scam.

In America we shoot on sight anyone attempting to deflate tires or impede traffic movement. We will not tolerate these hooligans and they know it !

 

[vexorg]

I love all those big suv's, cos once they have spent 5 minutes trying to park it in a space that's adequate and drive off after giving up

We had a Sedona for years, no issue, even the works vans and navaras are no issues in car parks, maybe the issue is not the car...

 

[sandeel999]

had a Sedona for years, no issue, even the works vans and navaras are no issues in car parks, maybe the issue is not the car.

I was talking about spaces on roads, which vary in size, not car parks, if you can't park in a car park you shouldn't be driving.
I live on a road used by many shop/cafe workers to avoid the car parks charges, most turn up in huge suv's and spend ages trying to get into spaces before driving off,
Almost all the people who live and park on this road have vehicles with multiple minor knocks on them or broken wing mirrors.
Some poor chaps bmw z4 was hit so hard few weeks ago they wrote it off.

 

[SB1500]

myth, it's why they've gone to using turbo's in just about all petrol SUV's. It's burns the fuel more efficiently

Yeah… in lab testing under ideal unrealistic conditions.

In reality… these turbo engines (‘eco’ turbo engines, not fun turbo engines) they tend to be under sized for the car (1.0 in a Focus… 1.6 in an Avensis - a European Camry Toyota) - with bit turbos slapped on to make them relatively swift.

The problem is to get the car moving, even gently, the turbo is needed and because of that the cars are less efficient than bigger, naturally aspirated engines would be in real world conditions.

And the strain of turbo over dependence also makes reliability much worse in the medium to long term versus a naturally aspirated, or adequately sized turbo’d engine

This has been experience of many in Europe because of Euro 5 emissions in both petrol and diesels this last decade. There’s a reason these engines have gone away.

 

[bugsymike]

We had a Sedona for years, no issue, even the works vans and navaras are no issues in car parks, maybe the issue is not the car...

Tend to agree with you, it's not the vehicle, more the "nut loose behind the steering wheel!"
As we used to say "Couldn't drive a stick up a cows behind!!

 

[StevenRB45]

The Volvo had a very impressive set of parking sensors and fully live "drone cam" view that appeared on the screen at low speed.

To crash it you'd need to be stupid pretty much..

However none of this helps when it physically won't really fit on to the road or into a parking bay.

 

[SB1500]

The Volvo had a very impressive set of parking sensors and fully live "drone cam" view that appeared on the screen at low speed.

Whatever happened to Volvo's promise that 'nobody will be killed in or seriously injured in a new Volvo from the year 2020' - who else remembers reading that?

Edit: I suppose Geely (CCP owners) are probably taking a 'Tiananmen Square' approach, where people are being killed in new Volvo's, but they just act like it never happened?! hahaha