# Are SUVs living up to their name ?



## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

There are plenty of people who want a sports car but can't afford one so is it the more SUVs the merrier? When the sports utility vehicle was invented some people thought it was more to do with their lifestyle than their ability to drive one. So does sticking a large engine in to an SUV make it a sports car? We now have the Jaguar F- pace in which Jaguar claims it's a true sports SUV, so can an SUV defy physics by proving that high sided ' SUVs ' can actually handle like a true sports car? Or is it an image thing?


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## chris.t (Jan 18, 2014)

Soul boy 68 said:


> There are plenty of people who want a sports car but can't afford one so is it the more SUVs the merrier? When the sports utility vehicle was invented some people thought it was more to do with their lifestyle than their ability to drive one. So does sticking a large engine in to an SUV make it a sports car? We now have the Jaguar F- pace in which Jaguar claims it's a true sports SUV, so can an SUV defy physics by proving that high sided ' SUVs ' can actually handle like a true sports car? Or is it an image thing?


I have to say my x5 handles great and will give some of the hot hatches and sports cars a surprise in the twisties, granted its not a sports car and i dont pretend it to be so either, but for what it is does ok


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## Guitarjon (Jul 13, 2012)

Im not sure they are sporty enough to be called a sports car. People tend to buy them because of their size but actually, many are quite small inside. I see a lot of families and the likes in thinks like jukes and quashqis. No idea whether they are a good car but i know theybare no sports car. 

Do range rovers class as SUVs? If so Id say the SUVs at the upper end of the market such as range rovers, q7s, x5s etc are probably good enough to be sporty. 

I know a few q7s, range rovers and even touregs have felt nice and sporty to drive. I've put touregs in that list as I drove one the other day. Not a car I really liked or thought about before but then I drove it with the 20 TDI with 7 speed DSG box and it was bloody awesome. I didn't expect that sort of performance. The last car I drove like it (freelander) was horrific and I expected a similar ride from that.


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## Techgeek (Jun 7, 2007)

Our old x5 sport handled really well, surprisingly nimble, but the ride suffered for it, it was a crashy thing, not really worth it imo the extra comfort of the x trail made it liveable, whereas the x5 was unbearable after a while, mind you looking at some of the spastically lowered stuff some people drive and dont seem to mind there must be a market for spinal damage.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

chris.t said:


> I have to say my x5 handles great and will give some of the hot hatches and sports cars a surprise in the twisties, granted its not a sports car and i dont pretend it to be so either, but for what it is does ok


Can back you up on this, my uncle changed to the RR Sport and passed his X5 down to my cousin who has since upgraded to a later 1st gen, Seems a very sure footed car.


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

My parents had a Mazda CX5 on test drive and I thought it drove very well.


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

Let's be honest, most SUV'S are just jacked up versions of the family hatch there based on, they are, largely, no more practical either.
They are merely a fashion statement, a family hatch on steroids that overly protective school run mums can feels safer dropping off little tarquin and jemima off in.

SUV's remind me of that old fast show sketch with the character that always said "I'm considerably richer than you"


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

I had a top spec BMW X1 with the twin turbo engine that would give most things a run for their money. Wife has a merc GLA now, she hates driving in winter and the 4 wheel drive gives her piece of mind she ain't gonna get stuck somewhere if it snows as it does once every 5 years. Unless you need a big 4x4 then one of the newer smaller models is good, guess I don't quite get those versions that are only 2wd but like a 4wd surely that's just fashion.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Soul boy 68 said:


> There are plenty of people who want a sports car but can't afford one so is it the more SUVs the merrier? When the sports utility vehicle was invented some people thought it was more to do with their lifestyle than their ability to drive one. So does sticking a large engine in to an SUV make it a sports car? We now have the Jaguar F- pace in which Jaguar claims it's a true sports SUV, so can an SUV defy physics by proving that high sided ' SUVs ' can actually handle like a true sports car? Or is it an image thing?


A SUV has nothing to do with a sport car, not even close.
Most people buy SUV's for a totally different reason, hence the name Sports Utility Vehicle.
A SUV is designed to take you to places where normal cars, not to mention pure bred sports cars cannot go.
The "SUV" term is defined as "a large vehicle that is designed to be used on rough surfaces but that is often used on city roads or highways."The "SUV" acronym "is still used to describe nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance."
I think the remark "that people buy a SUV because they cannot afford a so called sport car" is pretentious and doesn't even touch the side why people buy a SUV.
Many people buy a SUV or a Cross-over because they like the higher seating position, need the ground clearance, or just like the look.
For my occupation and hobbies a pure bred sport car would not fulfill, and would be a constant annoyance.
I enjoy the raised diving position, the ability and the space my SUV gives me, and would not go back to any so called sport car.
There are different type of cars for different kind of people / usage, and people buy cars because they like them, not because they cannot afford something else.
There is no point to buy a Porsche 911 if you have 3 growing up kids, or a Ferrari if you have a young baby (where do you leave the pram?)
There is no point to buy a convertible, if you have to used it daily and have to do a school run in Autumn with the roof closed steamed up and massive blind spots, also your kids will enjoy to sit in the dark cramped interior in the back.
That is why people choose cars, and yes after years of sport cars, convertible's etc. I am a converted SUV enjoyer!


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Certain ones can handle and go well. You will pay big for them though.

Cayenne Turbo, RR Sport SVR, X6M etc.

They will post sports car lap times but will never feel like a true sports car: Porsche Boxster, Jag F Type, BMW Z4 will always feel better when things get twisty.

We chose an SUV for the Mrs because it goes well, has lots of space for the kids and she wasn't keen on a Mercedes Estate, she thought an estate would be too old man for her.


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## baxlin (Oct 8, 2007)

Saw a young mum driving a 4x4 off road on Friday. Well it was part off-road, as in two wheels up on the pavement outside a school.........


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## m4rkymark (Aug 17, 2014)

Andyg_TSi said:


> They are merely a fashion statement, a family hatch on steroids that overly protective school run mums can feels safer dropping off little tarquin and jemima off in.


Are pure sports cars not a fashion statement as well? Maybe the guys who drive them think Ive got lots of money, I am trying to relive my youth, I've got a small dick... Or maybe that's what everyone else thinks


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Our SUV doesn't do the school run, I drop the kids in my Pink C1 Airscape.....daddy cool NOT.


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

m4rkymark said:


> Are pure sports cars not a fashion statement as well? Maybe the guys who drive them think Ive got lots of money, I am trying to relive my youth, I've got a small dick... Or maybe that's what everyone else thinks


What's wrong with having a decent estate car over an SUV, just as practical (if not more practical) just as comfortable etc.

If you got the money, you could even have a BMW M5 touring or a Mercedes E63 AMG estate......which will be more 'sports' than an SUV and you'll still get you golf clubs/ski's/dogs in the back etc


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## lofty (Jun 19, 2007)

I'm not sure why people are anti SUV, its just another form of transport, a Juke is probably smaller than a 3 series saloon, the extra height doesn't take up room on the road so i dont see a problem. Most drivers really dont give a hoot if it doesn't go around corners like a Lotus Elise, they are mostly driven at 30mph in built up areas. So whats wrong with having a SUV over an estate? If thats what people want then why stop them. I dont have a SUV but if i wanted one I'd get one, I wouldn't buy a 5 series touring if i really wanted a X5. You just need to drive in America to see the way our market is heading, in 10/15 years time I'd bet they will be the most popular type of car on our roads.


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## LSherratt (Dec 27, 2011)

The trouble is, most large estates are bigger and more practical than any SUV or large 4x4 on the market (with the exception of a double cab truck). Take my example, my 9-5 estate is faster, more comfortable, nicer to drive and more importantly, you can get more in the boot than a discovery. As we found out when a customer of mine came to my farm in his discovery to pick up some crates. I could still tow a 1.8tonne load as well if I wanted, just not up a muddy field but how many people do that anyway?


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## lofty (Jun 19, 2007)

There's no denying that in a lot of cases an estate will out perform a SUV, but if that's not what you want to buy or drive, then what's the point spending what can amount to tens of thousands of pounds on something that you don't want. My wife for one really dislikes estates, primarily on looks, but she'd happily have a SUV. Judging by the amount of SUV's Vs Estates you see on the roads I'm sure there are thousand just like her.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

I also don't get why people are anti suv's. They seem to deal with uneven road surfaces far more smoothly than an estate would, which makes them a lot more suitable for certain areas.

Also the x5 m50d is a lovely place to be inside.

G wagons are just an entirely different league to any estate car I'm aware of.


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## Rayaan (Jun 1, 2014)

Andyg_TSi said:


> What's wrong with having a decent estate car over an SUV, just as practical (if not more practical) just as comfortable etc.
> 
> If you got the money, you could even have a BMW M5 touring or a Mercedes E63 AMG estate......which will be more 'sports' than an SUV and you'll still get you golf clubs/ski's/dogs in the back etc


Motorways!

I drive a lot on the motorway - my main car is an SUV. Gives a much better view of what's going on in the road IMO.

Also, Im OCD about stone chips, Ive always had less on SUV's than on cars 

I also don't like the way estates look and frankly I find it a PITA to drive cars due to high kerbs in parking lots, scraping low bumpers on bumps etc. Don't have to worry about that **** in an SUV. Also, Ive had no trouble with SUV's in the winter on standard summer tyres. If I take my wife's car out (RWD) it struggles, even on winters.


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## m2srt (Oct 5, 2012)

I have Cerebral Palsy so a SUV is far easier for me to get in and out of. It also compensates for my incredibly small *****!


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

RP and black200, quit bickering on the thread please, i have already cleaned this thread up once, i didn't do that so you could carry on did I.

Last warning, in fact both keep away from the thread please.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Shaun said:


> RP and black200, quit bickering on the thread please, i have already cleaned this thread up once, i didn't do that so you could carry on did I.
> 
> Last warning Last warning, in fact both keep away from the thread please..


Thanks for stepping in Shaun, been playing catch up on this, this thread shouldn't be getting personal. Don't know why it's getting like this, is about SUV's and it should not be provoking this kind of points scoring.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

SUVs are also much easier to put kids in and out. Although the last gen X5 is a right stretch as the body flared out quite a lot.

If you want a high up seating position for the kids it's either an SUV or people carrier. I think the SUV market is better catered for in this respect and that's why you see lots on school runs.


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## Pittsy (Jun 14, 2014)

I hate SUV's after today:lol:


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Shaun said:


> RP and black200, quit bickering on the thread please, i have already cleaned this thread up once, i didn't do that so you could carry on did I.
> 
> Last warning, in fact both keep away from the thread please.


Any comments they make that are derogrity will be deleated.


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## andy665 (Nov 1, 2005)

sUVs are a triumph of marketing over common sense

In the vast majority of cases an estate car will provide everyting that an SUV can offer for less money with greater comfort, better performance and economy, superior driving dynamics and invariably more space.

Compare the luggage space of an A4 Avant to a Q5, a Golf estate to a Tiguan - I guarantee the estate will have more luggage space

There is no SUV on sale that can outhandle or outperform a similarly sized / powered estate car

To sacrifice all of that for the "benefit" of a higher driving position is not a sacrifice I would make

The marketing of SUVs has been superb - most manufacturers want customers buying them as the profit margins are significantly higher than other models - the public has fallen for the line that they "need" an SUV when in fact they do not need one at all


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## m2srt (Oct 5, 2012)

andy665 said:


> sUVs are a triumph of marketing over common sense
> 
> In the vast majority of cases an estate car will provide everyting that an SUV can offer for less money with greater comfort, better performance and economy, superior driving dynamics and invariably more space.
> 
> ...


I can assure you that I NEED an SUV as getting into a conventional car is becoming increasingly more difficult for me.


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

^^As mentioned the specific requirements needed for every individual differ, having had a people carrier type that higher seated position once experienced is harder to ignore. The bigger SUV are now affordable for a reasonable price in the second hand market I have been looking for some time now. 

That is the success of marketing providing you with something you never knew you wanted, that cost depreciation the benefit of future owners, a standard car like sitting on a skateboard now.

Good luck with your own requirements, John Tht.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

My late dad needed an SUV as he battled a muscle wasting condition called inclusion body myopathy for a number of years. This meant that his mobility became restricted and he was unable to bend or raise himself easily from a seated position. The elevated driving position provided a solution for him when his only difficulty with driving was getting out of a normal car. 

Cooks


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

andy665 said:


> sUVs are a triumph of marketing over common sense
> 
> In the vast majority of cases an estate car will provide everyting that an SUV can offer for less money with greater comfort, better performance and economy, superior driving dynamics and invariably more space.
> 
> ...


100% agree.

The point I was trying to make more eloquently explained :thumb:

I'm not completely anti SUV or 4x4, if you live in the countryside and your life involves a lot of off roading, fine. Get a range rover or something that fits your lifestyle

It's the Chelsea tractor brigade that sometimes do my fruit in :lol:


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

I wasn't aware SUVs were meant to actually be sporty, I just thought that it was the whole 'lifestyle' thing,. Skiing, extreme sports, putting the dog in the back etc All the sh!t 99% of SUV drivers don't actually do haha

It's seems they have managed to make high riding vehicles able to handle that bit better than days of old but there is no way on earth they'd out handle a hot hatch or sports car. 

I own a Twingo 133 and it would out handle my CLS AMG in a series of bends all day long and that's not even a tall car. 

They're not terrible by old standard but physics is still physics!


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## Peugeot (Apr 19, 2014)

It's seems people think SUVs are new but Everything Old Is New Again
http://4wheeldrive.about.com/cs/historysuvs4wds/a/aa012601a.htm


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Many SUVs are a nice place to sit. Very big, comfy and plenty of space.

The more space you have, the more rubbish you fill it with. I don't mean kids with that statement. 

They are too big and cumbersome for living in a city. There is too many lanes and roads too small for them to be sensible up here. 

Parking spaces are too tight with how big they are and it's laughable watching them struggle around tight multistorey car parks. 

I'd not really describe them as sporty. It's a hard thing to do to defy physics with things so high, big and heavy.


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

Must admit going from a Rav 4 to a Golf GTD and doing lots of motorway miles, you do get alot more visibility and awareness of what's ahead. 

I was sat behind a Discovery today and it braked sharply without warning. I feel sure if I was in the Rav I would of seen the car infront through the discovery braking to give me more notice of slowing traffic.

That for me would be the only advantage


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## m2srt (Oct 5, 2012)

I have an Audi Q7 on order and really it's all the car you could ever wish for. Big, comfy and quite quick in a straight line! It's also relatively economical. Yes it corners like a boat and depreciation is too scary to think about but for my requirements it's perfect.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Kerr said:


> Many SUVs are a nice place to sit. Very big, comfy and plenty of space.
> 
> The more space you have, the more rubbish you fill it with. I don't mean kids with that statement.
> 
> ...


They work very well in cities. People can either drive or not.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

I always assumed the S in SUV was referring to people using them to carry push bikes / surf boards / golf gear and get you up the bumpy golf course road etc.

I don't think it refers to a big coupie jeeps pretending to drive like an MX5?!?


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## Cy-Zuki (Feb 9, 2015)

I have just this thread from start to finish ( minus deleted posts ) if you take away the discussion over the unfortunate use of word " Sport" there is little real controversy. If you want load carrying ability, you buy an estate. If you want slightly higher ground clearance for bad roads or lanes you buy an SUV if you want speed you buy an appropriate car and so on.

We had an X Trail and live where roads are poor to bad, I only wanted improved ground clearance as I have a dedicated off roader. The X Trail also taught me to love the higher seating position, both for ease of getting in and out as well as visibility. We just sold the X Trail and bought a Golf. The Golf is a great car but both my wife and I REALLY miss the XTrail.

Horses for courses I say. People have been a bit quick to give their opinion and failed to appreciate other people have other needs.


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## m500dpp (Feb 17, 2006)

I've always been anti 4x4 as so many are just driven to and from school with the lame excuse that its safer for the kids. We had a Discovery TD5 only because we needed to tow a horse trailer, and now have an 2004 X trail because the stables are down a narrow and badly rutted lane and we need to be able to get there in all weathers. I wouldnt want a newer X Trail (too many gizmos to go wrong) or a Discovery 3 or 4 (Same but worse). 4x4s have moved too far away from utility to luxury for my preference As for Sports, I will use our Boxster or MX5!


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

B17BLG said:


> That for me would be the only advantage


I've got a cunning plan........car persiscopes. Who's in? :lol::lol:


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## Kriminal (Jan 11, 2007)

m500dpp said:


> *I've always been anti 4x4 as so many are just driven to and from school with the lame excuse that its safer for the kids.* We had a Discovery TD5 only because we needed to tow a horse trailer, and now have an 2004 X trail because the stables are down a narrow and badly rutted lane and we need to be able to get there in all weathers. I wouldnt want a newer X Trail (too many gizmos to go wrong) or a Discovery 3 or 4 (Same but worse). 4x4s have moved too far away from utility to luxury for my preference As for Sports, I will use our Boxster or MX5!


^ I'm with m55dpp on that, for sure. Just to add to it though, I also feel that as soon as you stick the school run person behind the wheel they begin driving like the stereotypical white van man - mine's bigger than your car, so I'm having right of way.

On the other side of the coin, I'm all for the practicality of getting in and out off 'em; especially for people with disabilities, or simple old joints struggling in the elderly.

My Dad had a people carrier, and loved it for the exact reason of getting in and out - I think the SUV is a nice option to have if you still want the height, but something better looking.


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

m500dpp said:


> I've always been anti 4x4 as so many are just driven to and from school with the lame excuse that its safer for the kids!


I agree with this too.

It also breeds the 'herd' mentality. One mum turns up in a big 4×4 at school because it's 'safer' so everyone else tries to get on the 4x4 bandwagon, because if they're gonna be involved in an accident against a 4x4.....they'd rather be in a 4x4 instead of a family hatch.........and round and round we go


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## ivor (Sep 24, 2008)

I have a Range Rover vogue I got mine for a few reasons 
1) it snows heavily up here from time to time and I have a back access to the property with ruts 

2) when my friends visit from down south we can all fit in one car instead of taking two (that's three adults two kids plus assorted luggage) 

3) I can drive it and park it in a normal sized space in a multi story the only difference is the nose sticks out slightly further than most cars 

4)it relaxing and comfortable to drive 

I think a lot of hate is given towards SUVs due to people who drive them and have no idea how to park or they can't judge the size correctly and appear to aim at other drivers whether intentional or not bearing in mind I also have a mini to drive as well so get to see both side of the coin and yes there are people who seem to think that they can intimidate others into getting out the way by tailgating but those sort of people would do it no matter what car they drive


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