I firmly believe that everyone should be allowed to spend their hard earned however they wish. Be it alcohol, fags, gambling, cannabis or even prostitution (should they ever be legalised).
So this in no way denigrates my local neighbours, within a quarter mile, who choose to run a Land Cruiser, 2 Freelanders, 2 Disco's, an Evoque, a Rav 4, 3 CRV's, an X Trail, 2 Kugas, a Santa Fe, a RR, X3 and a Suzuki thing. Strangely no X5s. All within 4 years old. And living within one mile of my local market town.
The only working one, which actually tows, is my friends S plate Legacy estate with over 250k on the clock.
Strange how living in the 'country', albeit in a residential area, probably changes one's vehicle buying habits. Just an observation.
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In our wee street, 2 Merc MLs, a Tuareg, 3 Qashqais ( one is ours ), 2 Audi Q5s, a Volvo XC90, a BMW X5 and a Range Rover. Nearest thing to a hill for miles are the speed humps.
Maybe that's it of course. Speed humps and potholes...
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>> Maybe that's it of course. Speed humps and potholes...
>>
It will be part of my next car choice, I intend to keep my 50 year old fillings as long as possible.
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Oh I forgot the Nissan Murano too.
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But what is an SUV? What is an MPV?
To many , like the car hating brigade, the SUV are petrol burning big cumbersome things that are a menace to society, but does that fit the bill for a 1.5dci 2WD Qashqai for instance?
many of these SUVs probably have less of a footprint than traditional alternatives like a Focus estate, Insignia etc.
I prefer the high up seated position, I prefer driving with my left foot flat on the floor or the footrest, with my knee in an almost right angle. I like versatility of being able to fold down seats and fit a bike in the back. I like a wee bit of extra ground clearance especially with some of the speed bumps I see.
Long live the SUV and MPV!
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>> Long live the SUV and MPV!
And, er, the Ford Transit?
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I've just walked that way and forgotten the XC90, previously a Mazda CX5. And a third Freelander.
Another two working 4Wds though...an 03 Ford Twin Cab with sheep trailer attached (and sheep within) and a huge Navarra thing, twin cab with canopy, used by a builder.
Personally, in an ideal world, a nice Q5 and an MX5 with folding tin top would suit me perfectly. Sadly Im getting too old for an Elise, and a Boxster would continually worry me in case of large repair bills, even if I had lots of disposable. Must be the Tyke in me.
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>>Navarra thing, twin cab with canopy, used by a builder
Can he fix it?
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>> I prefer the high up seated position, I prefer driving with my left foot flat
>> on the floor or the footrest, with my knee in an almost right angle. I
>> like versatility of being able to fold down seats and fit a bike in the
>> back. I like a wee bit of extra ground clearance especially with some of the
>> speed bumps I see.
>>
>> Long live the SUV and MPV!
>>
Exactly. Once you've driven a SUV or MPV, many people find 'normal' cars cramped, compromised and uncomfortable.
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Now y'see, I'm almost the opposite there. I don't mind the elevated driving position if I'm just tootling about locally at low speeds and on short journeys but if I've got to spend the day in the car I want to feel like I'm sitting in a comfortable arm chair and not on top of a wobbly bar stool.
For me, SUVs are great for your day off but if you've got some serious driving to do give me a proper car any day.
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>> Now y'see, I'm almost the opposite there. I don't mind the elevated driving position if
>> I'm just tootling about locally at low speeds and on short journeys but if I've
>> got to spend the day in the car I want to feel like I'm sitting
>> in a comfortable arm chair and not on top of a wobbly bar stool.
You need the right one. The chairs in the Squashy feel a bit like perches to me too.
I dare say I could manage with your wagon though.
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Not many here, there's our Outlander, a CRV round the corner and a Cashcow along the road, thats about it for the immediate vicinity.
Northants doesn't have a large presence which is quite surprising really considering the dreadful state of the urban roads in particular, repeatedly dug up by cable or pipe layers and patched up by Bodgit & Scarper.
My MB indy has often mentioned that much of his work is now repairing suspension damage.
Both me and my lad have replaced hard sprung warm mini hatches with softer sprung vehicles, the hard ride wasn't the only reason but getting rid saw a sigh of relief and neither of us would buy something so hard riding again, similarly i won't be going back to less than 55 aspect tyres if i can help it.
Very impressed with the sure footedness of full time 4WD, what they lose in performance (if anything) they make up for in effortless grip without a hint of wheelspin whatever the weather.
Gave the Outy her head on the fairly empty evening open roads the other night, first time i've really pushed her on long fast bends its faster than i thought it was now i'm used to it, suspension sometimes seems a little too hard for comfort but i found out why its so, no roll no deviation from steered route very pleased.
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Apart from my Vitara, I think there's only one other SUV in our road of about 30 houses. That's next door's 09 Freeloader.......no towbar and essential wear for his daily trip to the local Morrisons for a single bag of shopping....half a mile round trip and easily walkable !
Son borrows it now and again to impress some girl he's been sh....sorry, stepping out with.
Reminds me of the guy across the road, now moved. He used to use the car to go to the local convenience shop, 150 yds. You can see it from here ! Still a good mate, though, now living in Bulgaria.
Ted
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Only one in our road, an X5. It belongs to the Pressure Washer family opposite; when Mr PW came over to collect a parcel that had been delivered to us, it was the furthest I'd ever seen any of them walk. Miss FW goes to Beestling Major's school, 600m away, and is driven there every morning. She's 12 and is already approximating her mother's doughy shape. Sad.
Why so few in a hyper-affluent Southeast town? Well, plenty in the town, especially around the schools at chucking-out time, but up here the four- and five-bedroom houses are mostly occupied by couples and even singletons, living off the fat of their freak company pensions. Those that buy new cars seem to like Priuses.
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2 SUVs in my road of 14 houses. There's my Dacia Duster, then the lad next door has a Nissan Juke but he works for Nissan and changes his cars more frequently than his underpants! He plans to have a Leaf next time.
I love my SUV. It looks good, the Duster doesn't have the dumpy looks of most SUVs. The seat height is just right so that I can slide into it, lower seats hurt my back these days. Elderly relatives really appreciate this ease of access. I like the upright driving position. Potholes and speed bumps it takes in it's stride. It has a wide track so it easily straddles those speed cushions in the middle of the traffic lane.
The load area with the seats folded is enormous, great for trips to the tip when I'm clearing the garden.
We get quite a lot of snow away from the coast, here in the North East, so I've chosen 4WD and it does get used.
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Seen 3 or 4 Dusters locally - certainly has a degree of presence on the road: not big and aggressive like an X5, or as soft as a CRV. Doesn't appear to be trying to hard to impress.
I think stylistically they are a success.
(Think "Poor man's Forester"... although I think the Forester's looks since 2008 have just merged in with all the other lifestyle 4x4s despite their capability)
Last edited by: Lygonos on Fri 10 May 13 at 08:40
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In our old fen location every other house seemed to have a 4WD or people carrier... but at least with the design of mostly older rural houses they were parked down the side or rear and visually absorbed by the space in that area.
In the cul-de-sac we've moved to with 15 houses we are lucky there is currently just one SUV and that's next door where we can't see it from our place.
In the past I've voiced the opinion that works vans ruin the look of a street and SUvs can have a similar effect with the current trend for open plan frontages.
And don't get me started about the guy on the corner who's had the whole front pitch of his previously attractive house roof covered with ghastly solar panels.
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I don't suppose you'd be too impressed by my caravan in the garden then?
At least the 'SUV' (which I refer to curiously as 'a car') is hidden by it at the moment.
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>>>I don't suppose you'd be too impressed by my caravan in the garden then?
I think we did the caravan thing when I was moaning about works vans... I know I made Pat grumble.
Hmmm let's think... caravan on the front lawn, large SUV on the drive, works van half on the path outside and solar panels on the roof... I'd need therapy.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Fri 10 May 13 at 09:53
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I haven't time to grumble again or I would do:)
...I'll just hope your neighbours all move.
Pat
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>>>...I'll just hope your neighbours all move.
What so we get the caravan crew in?
Interestingly in the 10yr old estate where my folks live there is some sort of covenant so you can't even have a caravan on your drive. Seems it is still enforceable as one was chucked off just last week by legal means.
Saved the folks getting out their hoods and torches again.
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No, so they all come allocated with a works van as a perk.
Pat
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>>Interestingly in the 10yr old estate where my folks live there is some sort of covenant so you can't even have a caravan on your drive. Seems it is still enforceable as one was chucked off just last week by legal means.
I understood that covenants were practically unenforceable.
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>> >>Interestingly in the 10yr old estate where my folks live there is some sort of
>> covenant so you can't even have a caravan on your drive. Seems it is still
>> enforceable as one was chucked off just last week by legal means.
>>
>> I understood that covenants were practically unenforceable.
I think the freeholder can enforce them. In practise as most of us are freeholders we can choose not to, but if you are a leaseholder it may be different.
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>> >>Interestingly in the 10yr old estate where my folks live there is some sort of
>> covenant so you can't even have a caravan on your drive. Seems it is still
>> enforceable as one was chucked off just last week by legal means.
>>
>> I understood that covenants were practically unenforceable.
>>
We lived in such a cul-de-sac. Briefly. The day we moved in the busy-body old bint opposite regaled all the rules to us (no vans, no caravans) and turned our nose up at our cats. But then this was Weybridge!
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>> >>>I don't suppose you'd be too impressed by my caravan in the garden then?
>>
>> I think we did the caravan thing when I was moaning about works vans... I
>> know I made Pat grumble.
>>
>> Hmmm let's think... caravan on the front lawn, large SUV on the drive, works van
>> half on the path outside and solar panels on the roof... I'd need therapy.
At least you're not a covert snob there FL, its all out there in the open ;)
Have a word with UKIP, pretty sure they add banning them all to their manifesto to grab a couple more votes.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 10 May 13 at 10:03
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>>>At least you're not a covert snob there FL, its all out there in the open ;)
Ahh now anyone who thinks it's about snobbery has me all wrong... it's about keeping a tidy looking area and not intruding on the amenity of others.
Snobbery doesn't come into it with a "worthless" Alfa and 7yr old C3 on the front!
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Nothing wrong with my new Honda CR-V EX iDTEC. It drives like a car and the seats are immensely comfortable. The urban fuel consumption is about the same as the Accord Tourer iCTDI, 38.7 mpg. So it's no gas guzzler. I used to get 54 mpg from the Accord fully laden - mainly wine - on the autoroute. It will be interesting to see what I get from the CR-V.
My only quibble is the amount of technology built in. I still haven't got to grips with it all yet. The basic handbook contains 426 pages, and the Sat Nav and Audio Handbook has 236 pages.
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Not all SUVs IMO are great at handling rutted roads and speed bumps. My Santa Fe has a fairly firm suspension (Hyundai beefed them up after criticisms of the previous model by "sporty" European drivers apparently) with 107XL, 60 profile tyres. You certainly feel the bumps and if you take a speed bump at any speed over 20mph you know it. So I don't and in that regard the humps do their job. I've been overtaken several times by drivers who don't like my 25 to 20 to 25 mph style when they can hit the humps at 30 plus - Mercs seem particularly skilled at it. This is on a road that goes past a Junior School!
Our 9 year old Passat also has 60 profile tyres and rides over them and any poor surfaces supremely well in comparison. Both cars are good on motorway runs with the comfier Santa Fe being a bit quieter with less road and wind noise which pleasantly surprised me given its size, shape and suspension/tyre set up.
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>> But what is an SUV? What is an MPV?
>>
SUV = 4X4 tractor.
MPV = Van with windows.
SUV for me next.
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>>SUV for me next.
You wont regret it sub man ;)
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>> >>SUV for me next.
>>
>> You wont regret it sub man ;)
>>
I didn't realise you had to be sub human to own one, should suit me fine, :-)
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My favourite hobby horse. I feel the shadow of an aquatic mammal with a bristly moustache upon me as I steel myself to engage in the topic.
As I sat stationary in a traffic jam yesterday afternoon, many yards from the red lights I needed to pass, I was asked by my bored children to put some music on. So I reached for my phone and connected it to the aux in. Whilst doing this, the cars in front moved ahead a few yards due to a glimmer of green light at the junction, but knowing the road as I do I knew I wouldn't get anywhere near the lights, let alone cross them, so decided to take the couple of extra seconds to choose an album before moving off.
As I did this, a huge blast of car horn emanated from behind, much to the alarm of the children. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed the suspicion - a black Lexus SUV, piloted by a minuscule bit of mutton dressed as lamb, staring through the wheel and her oversized sunglasses in to the cabin of my car. Guildford plates - a minor surprise as I was expecting some tortured, incomprehensible "cherished number" with black screws in funny places. Vive la stereotype, though. A cheery wave of thanks, completion of the music related task, and we were on our way, all of 15 yards to the back of the car in front.
Sigh. At least it wasn't in front of me I suppose, obscuring my view of the jam ahead and the traffic lights.
Forage away for juicy scraps on the sea floor, Manatee.
;-)
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Our close of 13 houses splits into two parts.
Seven detached houses around the head of the cul de sac of which only two have changed hands since being bought new in 1998. Around there we’ve one SUV, a Lexus Hybrid plus if they count as MPV a Galaxy and our Berlingo.
The six semis on the way in have more transient population as several are let and the others tend to be seen as starter homes. There’s one Navarra down there which seems to be used in the building trade. All the rest are standardish cars.
One household has a brace of hydrid Toyotas . Used to be two Prius now one plus a Yaris.
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You know what, I think the close we live in (36 houses) hasn't got a single SUV anywhere. I'll have a check tonight. The long avenue we are located off, however, has a few. A couple of Discoveries, there's a CRV too and an XC90. Thinking about it, that's a pretty low count. There's not a single caravan I can think of, either.
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>>In the past I've voiced the opinion that works vans ruin the look of a street and SUvs can have a similar effect with the current trend for open plan frontages.<<
There's nothing wrong with having a smart, medium sized SUV on show at the front of your property. A bit like having a Waitrose nearby, it adds value.
It's wheelie bins you have to worry about.
;)
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In surrey our wheelie bins are 4x4
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>> Forage away for juicy scraps on the sea floor, Manatee.
Looks like a ham bush to me.
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''As I did this, a huge blast of car horn emanated from behind, much to the alarm of the children.''
AV whatever car she drove the person in question would be just as bad, an idiot is an idiot, you can paint them doctor them disguise them and decorate them and they'll still be an idiot.
Those who push and shove to fill every yard must live a very strange stressed life, anyone would think they were going to miss the light change, what after another twelve sequences.
Good job she's not behind me in the lorry, she's have a heart failure if she could see the 3 or 4 car lengths likely to be fresh air stationary like that with nowhere to go.
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>>''As I did this, a huge blast of car horn emanated from behind, much to the alarm of the children.''
I've been known to step out of the car, approach them and ask if anything's wrong. They're usually too close to swing round me and the car behind's similarly close. One grossly overweight driver went purple with apoplexy. I felt guilty about possibly giving him a heart attack.
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Just walked around our road and realised that there is only 1 SUV - a Kuga bought by my mate for his Mrs a couple of xmas's back (not pleased with it - loads of warranty work)
40 odd houses and quite a mix of metal - I would estimate that 50% are under 3 years old. Several C and E class, couple of 5 series, multiple Passats and Golfs and a spread of MPVs
Interestingly no Mondeos, and from memory I don't recall any in the other immediate roads.
We have a covenant with lots of restrictions. My mate with the Kuga has a caravan and keeps it on his drive, but he (as most of the houses in this road) has 6' high gates so to be fair you can only just see it sticking up slightly so I guess its no bothered anyone enough
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I react to people who hoot at me in queues like that by filling up the gaps in front of me (whilst lights are red/or I can't get to green in time) by driving as SLOWLY as possible.. Since I have an automatic, that is 2mph on zero throttle.
Drives them mad... and if they come and remonstrate, I thanks them for warning me that my car is faulty and I am listening to hear the fault......
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I am looking forward to driving the Citroen Grand Picasso the vieuw and comfortable seats did it for me.
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Bearing in mind we live in an isolated area with one close neighb and a couple more within a 1/4 of a mile,
there is a Freelander over the way, farmer Brian drives a sluggard of a diesel Grand Cherokee,
and some old dog has just bought a red Sub.
:}
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We live close to farmland Dog .The farmer has some electronic stuff on the land waking every body up with loud bangs .I feel like banging his head.I wouldn't mind if he was growing hemp .;)
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Some farmland areas can be a tad noisy Dutchie (and smelly!) all's well around here though (at the moment)
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I grew up in a small village surrounded by farms Dog .Not a life for me everybody to their own.
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I growd up in a city Dutchie. Not a life for me everybuddy to their own :)
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SUVs. Too many to shake a stick at! - Runfer D'Hills
