Comment by me_me_me

7 years ago

SUVs are the minivans of rich suburban soccer mums.

I really hate that trend as most of time people driving it have no idea what they are doing + have no need for that capacity.

They are often called housewife tanks in Germany.

but now we're putting people in the position where if you're not driving SUV and you're in a collision with an SUV you come off worse. so your option to remain safe is to buy an SUV so that if you hit/get hit another SUV or you hit/gethit another vehicle you end up in a better position

  • I don’t think that’s true and it’s possible to design small cars to fare well. I had an old Saab 9-3 that was t-boned by a Chevy Avalanche at about 40 mph.

    Both vehicles were totaled. My passengers had some lacerations from shattered glass. The avalanche people were taken away in an ambulance. I was fine.

    Small cars can be designed quite robustly to withstand these huge trucks hitting them. Not all though.

    I think the current tesla sedans do quite well with large vehicle impact testing.

    • It’s not so much about the design than the impression. Lots of people don’t like driving and would rather a bigger car because they feel unsafe next to those other giant cars. Nothing to do with actual danger, just perception.

      1 reply →

    • Modern safety features certainly help, but ultimately physics is still physics.

      There can also be serious problems when modern vehicles have collisions with older vehicles that don't have those safety features, for similar reasons.

  • The downside is that an SUV flips over without any effort. Especially with the high greenhouses and unavoidable sunroofs nowadays. I've seen SUVs flip over just from being rear-ended.

  • Notice how one of the first marketing points of this new monstrosity is "passenger safety". Because the safety of the passengers in a vehicle the size of a truck with the performance of a sports car is really important. Given the poor standard of driver training it's going to be suicide to drive smaller car soon, let alone be on a bicycle or walking.

  • speaking of weight

    over/under 2.5t on weight of that tesla cyberwart?

    • Definitely over. A claimed 500mi range on the upper model with three large motors is a LOT more copper, steel, and lipo cells than the X.

> have no need for that capacity

If I'm forking out 40K+ on a car I'm going to make sure it's at least useful for 2-3 vacations per year with the kids. That currently requires about 900L of boot space (stroller, 3 big duffels, a few boxes with supplies, toys, etc)

>people driving it have no idea what they are doing + have no need for that capacity.

Presumptuous to assume the operators of these vehicles don’t have the need for the capacity. My next door neighbor has 3 kids that fit in 3 car seats she carts them around all day not to mention their accessories and shopping and I always thought she needed a bigger vehicle. SUVs fare better in a collision with a smaller car, when it comes to protecting your kids you are better off riding in a tank.

  • Get a MiniVan (called a people carrier in the UK) if you need the capacity, not an SUV. Better MPG, less likely to flip over, similar or greater capacity.

    • And sliding doors, which are one of the best inventions ever when it comes to getting kids in and out of the car in tight spaces and garages.

  • SUVs fare better in a collision with a smaller car, when it comes to protecting your kids you are better off riding in a tank.

    Unless the other party was driving a bigger tank in response to everyone else's tanks.

    An arms race where vehicles get heavier and heavier isn't really in anyone's interests over the long run.

  • SUVs have a dreadful record for safety. They feel safe, because they're so big, but they really aren't more safe than smaller vehicles.

  • >3 kids that fit in 3 car seats

    Would all fit in a compact

    • Car seats are massive and I’m pretty sure they’re deliberately designed so that few models will fit three to a row. They certainly don’t fit in my compact or my crossover. Putting them in my compact also requires me to drive with my chest on the steering wheel.