So, is it just me who thinks SUVs are pointless?

I thought I was in the minority for loathing SUVs. It's nice to know I'm not alone.

The worst thing about SUVs is that since the trend started more and more pedestrians are killed in road accidents, so the argument "SUVs are safe" is just a drivers perspective.

SUVs killed my car of choice - the minivan. Minivan allows for similarly high riding position but is waaaaayy more practical with the removable seats, flat floor and overall spaciousness and configurability - things I often need for work. And they still are more fuel efficient than SUVs. All this SUV madness just means I have less and less reasonable cars to choose from.

As someone who daily drives an mx-5 it’s infuriating having absolutely no visibility in comparison to these huge cars that everyone now buys.

Another point: people are generally scared of driving, sadly, often to an unreasonable degree. Sitting higher up reduces the sense of speed as you are farther away from moving objects, making you feel like the speed you are doing is safer than it is. Sadly this has the effect of making people drive more dangerously, and things can quickly get out of their control.

I don’t own an SUV nor will I ever. I am a fan of tiny cars - they offer much better versatility in terms of driving & parking in the city and the only time I feel crowded is when there are SUV’s around me. I love that I do find parking spots on the streets much, much easier now! (Mini Cooper SE owner)

I've been driving the same honda accord for nine years and it went from feeling like an averagely sized car in comparison to traffic to feeling like it's going to get run over monster truck style by a gmc yukon every time I drive to the grocery store

The funny thing I noticed is that while they are supposed to be capable of offroading... a hatchback can do it arguably better without it being a sort of rally bred package like a Yaris GR for example. The only thing I dread is that in the future rally will be dominated by SUVs and that is a future I don't want to live...

every time I see a new SUV gets announced, I cry in anger as a Car mechanic, these are the worst to work on and most experiences I had in my ford dealership (Germany) were a pain in the ass most of the time.

I love small hatchback cars, park anywhere, practical, fun.

Been considering this for years. The best explanations I've come across: -Parents dont want to bend over to buckle up their spawn -Oldies dont want to bend their knees/hips -Women/short guys who want to feel tall They're basically just over-sized hatchbacks that people progress to when they run out of room.

Finally, someone else who shares my opinion. You forgot to mention the heightened risk for literally everyone outside of the SUV-drivers car when it comes to accidents. More weight also means more severe injuries, except for the person inside the SUV. I hear the argument a lot that people want a safe car, but choosing an SUV just because of that is moronic and egoistical.

you're doing god's work. I only wish more people would realize how unnecessary and even worse off SUVs truly are in most cases

My wife said she preferred SUV’s for their greater visibility as you’re higher up until 1. I bought her a roadster and she was able to enjoy a spirited drive down typical country roads without feeling seasick, 2. She scraped it trying to negotiate a narrow underground car park. Now she agrees with me that they’re not all people make them out to be. I think for many people it’s a status or style choice, and not one a true “driver” would make. We have since traded our SUV in for a 5 dr sport back style EV.

I enjoy watching SUV'S roll over in dash cam videos. Something that wouldn't happen to sedans, wagons or hatches in most situations.

Great video, I really really don't like SUVs for the reasons you mentioned. They represent so many things wrong in society - greed, feelings over facts, not caring for the environment, bad traffic and parking in cities, danger to pedestrians. I hope it's mostly a boomer greed thing and 'normal' practical cars like estates and minivans will return.

SUVs are seen as providing everything : room, lifestyle, 'design', security, and 'sport'. Most of it is an illusion, but people seem OK with making a compromise on prices and fuel economy for the added clout. Even though I fail to see anything that would attract a living being other than molluscs to a fourth gen RAV4, except the fact that maybe it's a bit tougher than the others?

Where I'm from, I believe the SUV appeal comes from our crumbling infrastructure, and poor driving education---especially here in the Midwest U.S. (A.K.A. The Salt Belt). Many consumers here likely go for the SUVs believing they are safer and can handle the unnecessary beatings from the poor infrastructure because they're bigger....while in turn making it less safe for others in smaller and lower vehicles.

I've noticed traffic light rollovers are increasing with the average ride height increase, be it SUV's or 4WD's. Someone doesn't give way, slight nudge, and over they go!

Love love love this video!!! I saw an article last week that said 80% of new car sales in America are SUV's, crossovers and trucks. Truly sad. I'll NEVER buy an SUV.

I absolutely agree with you. Big, ugly, over-powered gas-guzzlers. Give me a diesel Golf, and I'll be a happy man. And if every car on the road is an SUV, there's no benefit at all from an elevated driving position. I will say, getting in and out of my Audi S4 at my age is getting harder, but so is climbing up into my Hino truck. Some people say safety is a big reason for buying an SUV, but that's only if you hit a small hatchback. They are not as safe if you hit another, maybe bigger, SUV, and they do not handle as well as a sedan or wagon. So they are not as safe.

I like small sedan cars. but living in a place where the roads are not as good, having the clearance to go over holes, bumps, and less than ideal roads is the reason why people in my country choose them over anything else.

I just bought my first SUV/crossover/whatever and for me it was primarily 2 things. 1: I ended up with a 110lb dog and my Mazda 3 hatchback wasn't really cutting it. 2: My back problems finally got bad enough that it could be difficult for me to repeatedly get in and out of a low car. Got a CX-50 and I've been pleased with the change.

I envy the results they got. I recently drove across america and saw about 3 wagons/estates. Theres a decent amount of hatchbacks but nothing close to the number of SUVs. These stats are lovely.

SUV's make my soul hurt! 😂😂😂

We have one SUV because we live in an area where it snows alot therefore the extra ground clearance and 4x4 mean you can go to work without shoveling the driveway or wait for the ploughs to clean the road. Also handy to go on steep forest roads, I only wish it had low range gearbox.

"I have a big family i need to buy an SUV" -Literally everyone who can fit three children in the back of a Super mini/Small hatchback.

Finally someone who understands it!

Why is it that in this age where we have the highest standard of car safety we are having the greatest of accidents and only agreeing to having the largest affordable cars available? There are more highways being built now more than ever before, is there really any need for off-road concern? Did people not manage it in the past?

I agree with you completely as I don’t have or want an SUV, but I kinda see their appeal at least in my city (Jakarta, Indonesia). Some of our roads are really bad (including big speed bumps) and we have seasonal flooding, as such, the ride height of an SUV kinda make sense. On top of that, people here have big families and haul loads of stuff but very few manufacturers produces estates/station wagons (currently, Mazda 6 is the only good and reasonably priced estate - please cmiiw if anyone knows). I drive a BMW G20 and I love it. But can’t deny i get a bit annoyed every time I drove over bad roads/big speed bumps and hit the side of my undercarriage or have to turn around if I can’t get through shallow flooding 😅

What a rant! And I wholeheartedly agree. On the other hand, it made buying a rational car much more affordable.

I live in sudan, our roads make all SUVs suffer, although most of of us drive a small compacts and sedans because of very high car prices

There's a good reason Nissans model sounds like Cashcow! 😂

In the United States it’s an arms race. When full size trucks are still the top sellers, people want to buy a bigger vehicle (SUV) to feel safer in the event they ever get into a collision with a 2.5 ton Ford F-150.

This video convinced my partner to get a Mini Cooper instead of a T-Roc so thank you 😂

wagons are: •Cheeper •Lighter •Faster (and sportier) •Sleeker •Bigger inside •Better on fuel •Better looking •Cooler (imo) •easier to drive •less bad for the enviornment •E •T •C But nooo I'll take an evoke 🙄

I am a Land Cruiser owner in Australia who has owned cars and 4 wheel drives since the 1970’s. An average “family” size saloon car back then (like a Holden Kingswood or Ford Falcon) was exactly what most people wanted. Fairly simple, so the owner could maintain them, had good cargo space, could tow a caravan or trailer, and were quite good on rough country roads, and had a largish straight six, or smallish V-8 engine that were well liked. Then over the years that category of car became lower to the ground so could not be driven off road, became too complex, were too lightweight for a good sized trailer or caravan, and started incorporating uninspiring engines like V-6 and largish 4’s and started incorporating unpopular technologies like the dreaded start/stop, or CVT. These technologies had a reputation for being reliable only in the first few years of car life, but the reality is that the average car is 12 years old, an age where things like a CVT becomes a potentially expensive liability. So the move to the larger SUV. It might also have problematic technologies, but at least you can tow a good size trailer or caravan, and you can drive off paved surfaces without damaging the floor of the car. And not a CVT in sight. Larger, more enjoyable engines, like my V-8 diesel, and dramatically more comfortable ride on long journeys. Five to 10 hours in a small car is very tiring, but 10+ hours in the Land Cruiser is comfortable. The suspension is so much more comfortable than those harsh “sport tuned” suspensions on small cars, and it is easy to get in and out of the vehicle, and once out the door closes with a satisfying sound of solid build, while doors on small cars close with a tinny sound that screams cheap and lack of sold materials. I have a large bull bar where my big driving lights, and 2-way radio aerial are mounted and many people have brackets for fishing rods and such things. Family sized cars of 50 years could easily accomodate these sorts of things, but the rounded plastic front ends of most small cars are lousy for adding the practical things like that. The problem with modern saloon cars is they moved away from the practical needs of average car buyers. Hatchbacks suit young people without families, but the average family needs to use a vehicle to go camping and other family recreation, need to be able to tow rubbish to the tip, trailers for recreational vehicles, caravans, etc. and need to go off road at least sometimes. And as we get older, we like the comfort of a vehicle high enough to get in and out of easily, and suspension appropriate for long journeys. A saloon car of 50 years ago was a cost effective choice that could do most things passably well. The current saloon cars do not. That is why most people don’t want to buy them. They are built to meet emissions standards but to do so they ignored basic driver needs. As a result, an SUV is more than what most people need, but there is no alternative because the smaller cars are not good enough to do what the average family needs to do, or wants in a car. Also not mentioned is seating numbers. A saloon car of 50 years ago was a six-seater. Modern saloon cars are only five-seaters. That is not enough seats. My family size made buying a seven seat vehicle a significant part of the buying choice. I am at the age where there are grandchildren plus parents, plus us two. A five seat vehicle is simply out of consideration. Meanwhile hatchbacks do well for those who prefer a smaller car for the practical reason that you can lay down the seats to carry larger items. Just like SUV’s, it is the practical uses we put cars to that dictates actual buyer choices. Reviewers who tout modern “features” and styling rarely get it that we buy cars for far more ordinary things than the number of speakers or color choices, or miles per gallon. We are more interested in fitting all the grandkids in, or what it feels like at highway speed with a caravan, or whether or not we can drive through the creek to get to a camping spot.

I am one of the few that actually need and frequently use the offroad capabilities of my SUV, and it hurts my soul to see people with SUVs or even pickup trucks that never saw more action than a parking lot ramp

Busted London for the first time last month (stayed for 5 days) and noticed some surprising things from someone coming from the states. I saw one Subaru which over here is one of the most common cars it seems like and saw only two pickup trucks which is impossible to do unless you close your eyes. Absolutely love these videos the effort and humor that goes into these is why I’m here on KZfaq!

I own SUV because of bad roads in the neighborhood: big clearance & 4x4 drive rules, but I hate it for the big expenses for maintenance.

Bought a hatchback for the practicality of any SUVs minus all the heavyweights. Easier to maintain my hatchback than many bulky, extra heavy, tall SUVs.

My mom bought an SUV. I warned her it wouldn't be worth it, and she should just get a hatchback. She proceeded to be surprised when a CRV has no more trunk space than a Fit. Huh, weeeird.

I never understood it either.. From what I asked others, they “feel safer” even though they don’t look into actual safety numbers/ crash results. Even then, as you pointed out with the moose test, they typically can’t handle as well thus also making them less safe in a pinch.

We considered swapping our mpv for a suv, but didn't because of the premium. My parents prefer them because of "you don't sit on the ground", most of the time you have 3 full size seats in the second row and we also almost bottomed out on some montain roads with our S-Max since we like going to places. We couldn't really afford both, so that's why we considered a "more versatile" platform. Idk i'm still an estate guy myself (and the S-Max is nice for an mpv too)..

To be fair: The range of SUVs is a bit too big too make just one category from it. It reaches from compact cars on stilts all the way up to 8 seaters with a boot the size of an original fiat 500. If separated each size might have their own justification. The Huge SUVs are, in my opinion, a replacement for minivans just with a lot more prestige, power and intimidating aestetics. Small and mid size SUVs replace compact or mid size cars with higher entry, better visibility and allegedly more safety. Also for the beginning of Electrification SUVs were the best choice. Obviously because those are the cars that sell the most but also because in the early stages they had to use ICE platforms, and it's easier to implement the battery pack in the floor, when the Car looks like an SUV. Point in case: The EQC has a ground clearance of 142mm vs the GLC having 245 mm.

I think a lot of people who aren't interested in cars just want something as a utility. A lot of space, big boot, can drive up a path or down a dirt track if needed and I think possibly the biggest appeal is the appearance of safety. The average person does not give a second thought about driving dynamics so they won't care what they're missing out on. Plus it's a cycle in fashion, estates might even be all the rage in 10 years, sure aren't they really popular in Germany?

I've got a turbo Subaru Forester 2002 and it's absolutely awesome. It's heaps of fun on the windy roads and is incredible for driving in soft sand. I use it for access to surf spots in my region (New Zealand) I can't stand the feeling of having to park and walk or not being able to go somewhere because it's 4wd access only. I think a lot of people do over do it though, AWD cars with a bit of clearance can get you 98% of the places you'd ever want to go. I think other less populated countries a 4wd might be a bit more essential when you are looking for access to rural undeveloped spots

I have kids and drive a Nissan Rogue SUV. I sat on the back seat of many, many, many sedans, station wagons and SUVs before buying the Rogue. And I bought the Rogue because the back seat is a million times more comfortable in terms of head room and leg room than any sedan or lower car I tried. That works great for kids in car seats of for elderly parents, and I have both.

Hey, i am waiting for mine to arrive (11 months, thanks chip shortage) and i can tell you why. 1. It is a leased car and it is actually cheaper for me than buying the estate variant (significantly cheaper) because of the residual value. 2. I always drove estates. I do need a car with some room in it (family guy and all) and an SUV is simply more practical. 3. I do go of the beaten track from time to time and while i do not need 4x4 (and i didn't get one. I got a compact front wheel drive) i do want the additional ride height. 4. Everyone else are driving one and i am just sick of getting blinded on the road from taller vehicles headlamps......

I've asked a lot of people the same question, and the answers I got fell into 2 categories: 1) Prestige 2) Saftey, apparently, they feel like when they're higher up they don't get harmed as much

Last year my mum told me she had bought a Mitsubishi Eclipse and me getting dead excited I went and waited for her to come to my house so I could have a look only to realise that what came round the corner was a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Right so I live in Sri Lanka and the roads here well, they aren't the best so many people prefer buying something like a Toyota Land Cruiser because they are Big, high off the ground and last a reaaaaaly long time and honestly I don't see a clear reason other than that. That being said I am a MASSIVE fan of SUVs. Pls don't hate me

Love this video. More videos on things Callum hates please.

This channel is still criminally underrated

maybe some has said this but the editor is on point with providing proper clips

In Australia, we have station wagons made with alu-min-ium... Just so you know. 😬

That marketing argument at the end is where the hype from SUV really come from. Advertisement made SUV into a status symbol. It's not just a car you are buying. You are showing to everyone that YOU have the biggest one (what i'm referring to here is up to reader's discretion). And it's what drives the sale of SUV rather than more traditional car. In the middle of a climate crisis, the fact that marketing was able to convince everyone to get a bigger, heavier car is astonishing.

People like the feeling of space and height in the cabin. Can’t tell people they’re wrong just coz it differs with one’s own tastes.

I had a 2019 Mazda3. Top trim, 2.5 non-turbo (there wasn't one) and front wheel drive. Next year I switched to CX-30 turbo because of more power, not much of price difference against Mazda3 turbo, slightly quieter with the thicker tires, and the higher ground clearance allows me to get in / out of gas station with out scratching the front bumper. Also the cornering wasn't compromised either. I was very happy to make the change.

The same people that are advocates for climate change are the same ones driving SUVs

You said it! "stepping into the car rather than stepping down". This is the bggest issue I have with cars and small hatchbacks, you can damage yourself especially for older people. I get blinded by headlights from front and rear with small cars because you sit so low. Because in Australia there's a lot of SUV's this happens all the time. My daughters car is a small hatchback, mine is a 4wd ute.

That vid saved my lunch, I was out of salt. loved it ahah ♡

My mom has a crossover because she says the extra ride height makes her less motion sick and it has extra luggage space. We just went on a road trip with more luggage than ever in the trunk of my dads Camry, and she was less motion sick than normal.

I have a 2010 Nissan Rogue, gets almost the same mileage as my Chevy Cruse, doesn't get stuck in 1/2 inch of snow like the cruse, and has more room for my 3 children. I occasionally deliver for the Amazon Flex program, far easier to work out of the Rogue. The cruse is more fun and responsive on dry pavement and good roads but feels cramped and small compared to the rogue and yes they are the same length overall, with more useful space in the rogue.

The new all-wheel-drive sienna is more useful than any SUV change my mind

Im so thankful for you saying publically what has been my Opinion for years!

I could not bring myself to purchase a SUV so I bought a Subaru Outback. They call it a SUV here in the states, but it's a station wagon to me, and has more cargo space than most SUV's that was in the same price range.

People are getting older and older and it's easier to step into a car. That's my explanation. A convertible SUV has no explanation what so ever, though...

I am from India. I am trading my saloon for a mini suv. But our mini suvs are just frugal saloons on suv form factor. My last car got major issues with suspension , and suffered ride quality due to poor quality of roads in my area. It seems logical in india to buy a frugal suv rather that buying a hatchback or a saloon.

I’m in the US and we do have an SUV for camping, exploration (back country dirt roads+++) and as a work truck (home projects mostly), but we don’t drive it that much. My wife drives a mid-size estate and I have a 3 door hatch. We drive these most of the time, locally and for on-road trips.

In Canada, SUVs are popular for because... 1. They're comfortable for long distance driving and on unfinished or damaged road surfaces. 2. The rapidly aging population have an easier time getting into a compact SUV then an equivalent compact car. 3. For the average Canadian driver an SUV can handle the snow and other winter driving conditions better than a car. Mostly due to ride height over 1-2feet of snow. However, as a millennial, the reason I bought a Nissan Pathfinder was for two reasons: 1. It has seven seats (i have three kids all in booster seats) 2. Minivans are too expensive and not as nice.

Always hated the auto manufacturer rhetoric that SUVs are simply what people want, as if carmakers have zero influence on the market or the minds of car buyers. Toyota and Subaru came out with a nice cheap sports car, and it's sold like hotcakes. But I doubt the profit margin was as impressive as it could have been, if they'd teamed up to make an SUV instead.

Just bought a Subaru Legacy. Sedan. Four doors. Works beautifully for my needs. All my grandchildren are over 21 and own their own cars. So I don’t need a ginormous people carrier to drive around by myself. Besides, the Legacy is sporty enough for me in my dotage. I did sports cars in my younger days; Lotus Elan, Jensen Healy, Austin Healy 100-4, even a tricked out Datsun 510 sedan. The Subaru will most likely be the last vehicle I shall ever own, so I want reliability and a modicum of comfort. It gives me both 😎.

Thankfully I use my 04 x5 only for what it made for, proud to say I don't daily drive it, I don't have it lowered either, I use it for road trims, camp, heavy north east NYC / Jersey snow days, off-road upstate, haul serious weight, towing, beach days as well. And it has been reliable for 18 years! M54B30TU ftw

We had a Subaru Outback and changed to a Toyota Kluger. 3 kids, all under 15. Ability to 7 seat if needed. Large space for summer holidays. It’s the family car, and having that helps keep me in a sports/performance car (WRX).

Honestly I hate SUV’s. I took my bmw to the dealership and they gave me an x5 as a loner car. I hated it with every cell in my body, I returned it and asked them to give me something small. They gave me a 2 series grand coupe and I hated it as well. Honestly I hate all new cars, their steering sucks and the ones with good steering, they’re out of my price range.

After 6 times having driven estates (Ford Focus Wagon, last 2 ones a 1.6 automatic) I switched to a Lexus RX 450 hybrid. Excellent seats and for someone with back problems very easy to get in and out. It's a pimped Toyota, which means in my case about he same maintenance costs, same fuel consumption and same road tax (due to the hybrid drive train) as my Ford Focus 1.6 wagon automatic I drove before. As a bonus I have now a Mark Levinson stereo system and the ability to look further up the road to see what is happening, which is very handy in busy Dutch traffic. Lastly, the silence of this car and the hybrid system have turned me into a very relaxed and easy going driver wich leads to stres free drives and no fatigue whatsoever after a very long journey.

The problem with a hatchback vs. an SUV is the fact that the SUV IS ALWAYS BLASTING ITS HEADLIGHTS IN MY HATCH LOVING EYES!!!

A Crossover SUV makes a lot of sense on developing countries, where even high traffic roads are poorly maintained, full of holes and speedbumps. That's the main reason they are so popular in Brazil right now. In Western Europe and Eastern Asia, where the roads are usually much better, i agree it makes a lot less sense

I had a RAV4 for one year and it was very practical, but being a car guy I got bored of it pretty quickly and ended up getting a MX5 and never looked back. I should point out that I bought a SUV so I could go off road every so often - mostly on gravel and the beach - but found that the tradeoff in handling wasnt worth it especially when I was spending 99.99% of my time on decent paved roads. I will be getting a family car next year for the misses and will most likely get a Mazda 6 Wagon, which handles so much better then a SUV and has most of the same practicalities.

SUV owner and lover here! Reasons - I live in New Orleans, land of floods and potholes. If that little street flooding I am driving through turns out to be much deeper than I thought, an SUV will drive right through. A sedan will be flooded out. Also, the bottom of my car doesn't scrape when I hit a hidden pothole. I also find it easier to load and unload the kids from carseats in an SUV. Bending over to buckle them in all the time can grow old fast. It might not seem like a big deal, but when you are talking about years of daily buckling (and remember, Americans tend to drive a LOT more in a day than Europeans, and we have a lot of stops), it adds up. Comfort matters in a car, and ease of loading kids is a big part of that comfort. Americans also have bigger families, and often need that third row seating (and don't want the shame of a minivan to get it). Even with two kids, I carpool with other kids. When I'm not, I can lay the third row down and fit two kids bikes in the back plus weekend sports equipment. I just can't do that with a sedan.

Nice vid, very enlightening! Bloody hate the things

Most of them have a false believe "the bigger it is the better it is". Most of the SUV owners don't buy these cars for driving pleasure or off roading! They feel they are the boss on the road and that's what motivates a lot of them to buy SUVs! I was shocked how slow Nissan Qashqai was when I drove one as a rent car!

Well an SUV usually have a third row which is handy sometimes and SUVs are viewed as safer than hatchbacks

Another reason of rational buyers could be resale value. Because of the high demand some SUVs have incredible value retention, while station wagons and hatchbacks are no longer sought after on the second hand market. That will has to come to an end eventually though as the older the vehicles get the more buyers desire low running costs - a field where SUVs are not competitive at all. And of course there's an adverse effect after a while - if everybody will drive an SUV nobody will want them anymore. Same happened to sports cars - especially roadsters: they had awful resale value, people stopped buying them and since so few of them were sold cars like the Abarth 124 or Alpine A110 are keeping their value suprsingly well.

I live near Seattle where it's pretty wet for a good 60% of the year and places are quite hilly. 4wd is a welcome in such driving conditions. Washington state also has a lot of skiing destinations and hiking trails, and by law you will need a snow chain to drive to some places during the winter unless you get a 4wd, and some trailheads are at the end of gravel roads. So for a young professional who enjoys going outdoors like me, a small 4wd crossover gets me to everywhere I need to go all year round, is easy enough to parallel park downtown, and gives me the peace of mind when I'm driving uphill in the snow or in other less ideal conditions, with the only sacrifice being a few mpg. It's a good jack of all trades type of car if you do occasionally go off road or in the snow, but if you don't do that, then by all means get a hatchback!

I had a 2004 Pajero for 15 years and mostly loved it, but it was horrible on tight twisty roads as it made you travel sick. However I carry a lot of tools and need to move timber, so I swapped it for a 2017 Highlander Ltd. The Highlander drives better, and has as much space in the back as the Pajero, but it is difficult to see and judge the vehicles footprint. In fact I scrapped the nearside last year coming out of a multi-story car park. It's much wide than you think it is. It also has an enormous A pillar coupled with a wing mirror that blocks your view on tight bends and corners. I once had to swerve because I'd cut the corner thinking nothing was coming the other way, when a car suddenly appeared from behind the A-pillar and wing mirror. The all round visibility camera helps at times, but most of the time you can't see the screen because of glare. All in all I wish I'd got another Pajero. That car has been to the top of fairly serious mountains here in NZ, and driven the Molesworth and Rainbow roads multiple times. The Highlander has all the disadvantages of a big SUV, but I can't take it off-road. I should probably have got a station wagon / estate care, and probably will sell the Highlander.

I loathe SUVs too..Theres only a small handful that are actually nice

I think a big part of it your missing is people will buy a big suv even if they have only two kids knowing they will not need the extra space. They do it because they know they will be safer in a crash in a big suv vs a small sedan or hatchback. This becomes more true the more big cars are on the road. It’s like a self fulfilling prophecy.

I love feeling lower to the ground in my Legacy. It's nice going into turns and not feeling like I'm a wind gust away from rolling over. And it just feels "sportier" being lower

X5 E53 3.0i owner here it was originally a gift for my brother who decided he didn't want it and now I'm using it not as a daily but for getting engines/transmissions and other stuff to and from work 289,000 miles on the clock and all it's really needed aside from regular servicing is a mass airflow meter and a crank position sensor but basically the split tail gate you get from an x5 that you wouldn't get on a e39 estate means that there isn't any risk of the forklift fucking up the hatch when loading anything on and the height is useful in traffic and avoiding most obstacles on the road since there's too many lifted pavement queens in florida that just sit uselessly in the left most lanes. It's never put a foot wrong perfect size for 4 Rottweilers particularly on vet visits and it's been one half of my two car solution with a 07 350z which I may or may not have taken the passenger seat out of.

SUV in city is like SMART off-road

We had a perfectly serviceable 328d wagon and my better half exchanged it for an x3. I was appalled at the time. She has repented her choice, but is stuck with it for now. I bought an early 90s 3 series wagon. Light, revvy, great mileage. I am in heaven.

here in the philippines roads are so fcking small yet suvs and pickups are everywhere

All these FWD "SUVs" should be named "bulky useless hatchbacks".

SUV visibility debunked: -Being larger, suvs often have thicker pillars and thus larger blindspots. -being higher, suvs often provide worse depth perception, vehicle placement, and speed perception (srsly there are studies look it up) -visibility is determined by the line drawn from the eyes to the edges of each window. The regions swept out by these lines are the visibility zones. Thus, the vehicle being higher raises that line higher from the ground and by pythagorean theorem extends the region which cannot be seen. Thus, raising a car reduces visibility. The increase in visibility is actually from raising the seating position relative to the beltline of the car, which would point the line from the eyes to the window further downward, thus expanding the field of view.

i`d rather drive a Multipla instead of SUV ;D

For night driving, theres an arms race between your head height, and the height of other cars headlights.

I have a bad back and the Renault Kadjar and Peugeot 5008/3008 are perfect for me to get into and out of easily. I have had all three, the 3008 Hybrid is my current vehicle of choice 🌞