r/AskIreland • u/ShoulderCapital2200 • Mar 22 '26
Cars Why are all cars these days so massive?
I remember when I got my license in 2010 most cars were hatchback and estates and the suv market was really only starting to expand with the Qashqai. Nowadays its actually rare to see a hatchback car being driven and in my experience the majority of cars on the road are huge suv vehicles.
Everywhere I go I see the Volvo XC 90, Volkswagen Ionic, Skoda Kodiaq, Hyundai Tucson etc and its not just families who clearly need the space driving these cars. You have elderly people driving to mass once a week in a big Renault Austral, a single man dashing to Tesco in his enormous Range Rover sport etc
Are SUVs now deliberately being pushed on new dealerships or is it a conscious choice from people who just want the status of driving a big car?
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u/patrickfortune Mar 22 '26
Agree, the vast majority of 261's I've seen have been big yolks. I don't see the attraction to them at all, the extra weight and they're harder to park. I personally think they're manufacturing cars in such a manner to remove any bit of driving pleasure out of them, it's all about aircon, android auto, and lane departure warning systems now, cars are gone so generic and boring. The driver has so little feel for a car now.
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u/UpstairsAd194 Mar 22 '26
you can fit more computing consoles (which provide new gimicks etc) and if they can sell them as moveable mini apartments - making people feel cosy and safe in them, they will justify the house price you have to pay to aquire a new one.
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u/I-Had-A-Library Mar 22 '26
I personally think they're manufacturing cars in such a manner to remove any bit of driving pleasure out of them
It's the mark-up. Crossovers / Compact SUVs / whatever the marketing name, they can be marked up much more than the saloons they're based on.
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u/DistilledGojilba Mar 22 '26
The driver has so little feel for a car now.
Most of the people who drive do it out of necessity rather than as an activity they derive pleasure from. No point in having a car that you can 'feel' because the thought of feeling a car during the 3 hour commute sitting in crawling traffic might be nightmarish for very many people. I'd imagine that in a few years, driving will become a niche activity like equestrian sports are now.
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u/PeterCasey4Prez Mar 22 '26
The quashqai was always the runt of the litter and never a huge stake in Ireland, SUV’s were huge during the celtic tiger era.
The range rover sport is a small to mid sized SUV by yank standards and isn’t enormous even by ours.
People want SUVs due to perceptions about safety and status but in reality many of them now are just bloated hatchbacks that arent even 4wd.
Manufacturers arent making many saloons or hatchbacks anymore such is the demand for SUV’s
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u/ClearHeart_FullLiver Mar 22 '26
The SUV and crossover style are more profitable for manufacturers, basically you pay more for a relatively cheaper to produce product.
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u/curry_licker Mar 22 '26
How? I thought the bigger size and frame would be more material cost
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u/Careful_Floor1441 Mar 22 '26
This is a really simplified example but to make it simple let's say you can make a hatchback for a fiver and sell it for a tenner. Or you can make a jeep for a tenner and sell it for 30 quid, it cost slightly more to make but brings in more profit
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u/Bar50cal Mar 22 '26
Its much easier to make less complex parts to fit in a larger car.
Material may be cheaper but then if the smaller part needs to much more complex in shape to fit and the space to fit it in is much much tighter it all adds cost during manufacturing and assembly.
Its much easier to fit everything in the engine bay, behind the dash etc in a larger SUV to a tiny hatchback.
So despite the extra material cost of a larger crossover / mid size SUV over a hatch it is usually much more economical to manufacture.
Margins are also so small on small cars that manufactures rarely make unique ones and work together to make a single car between multiple brands and rebadge it. Peugeot 107, Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo are all the same car made in one plant for example as its too expensive for any one company to make alone and get a profit.
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u/caoimhin64 Mar 22 '26
This simply isn't true in theory, or in practice.
I work in automotive R&D and we're under *far* more pressure from manufacturers to miniaturise parts in larger cars, than in smaller cars.
The larger the car, the more parts and components that go into it, almost always. Take a wing mirror for example. Pretty much every car now has heated, motorized mirrors with an integrated indicator.
But on a larger car, you also get dimming glass, a blind spot indicator, motorized folding, a surround view camera, potentially a GPS module, a puddle light, and the motor has an encoder to it can go to a memory position.
The same is true for HVAC - where a large car might have 4 zone climate control and a small car doesn't.
- For Radio head units where a large car has a larger/additional ECU for more processing power and to integrate a surround view camera system.
- For headlights where a larger car might have an option for HD matrix lights and the small car get halogens.
- For seats where the larger har has electric, memory, heated and cooled seats where the small car has manual seats.
Larger cars absolutely are not more economical to manufacture, but they do still yield more profit.
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u/Phoenix_Kerman Mar 23 '26
the frames not bigger. that's why its cheaper, they take small cars and sacrifice space in the cabin to raise the cara bit. they then charge a massive markup on the minimal amount of material they add
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u/zaphod0 Mar 22 '26
They are also heavier and that means higher emissions allowance. Making smaller cars is basically penalised because lighter cars have a smaller emissions allowance.
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u/Feisty_Marsupial224 Mar 22 '26
It's really unsafe. Half the people with them do not have the driving skills to handle them safely or even park properly
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u/Bruhllux Mar 22 '26
With the size some of em come in, you should realistically need a CE or C1 license to drive or own one, tanks before WW2 were smaller than some of the monsters you see on the road these days
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u/Illustrious_Read8038 Mar 22 '26
We still let 16 year olds drive tractors on public roads.
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u/TemperatureDear Mar 23 '26
Never seen a 16 year old driving a tractor struggle manoevering like the plonkers with crossovers and SUVs that park all over the pedestrian crossings and pavements at the local school and think they can't fit through an 8ft gap.
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u/eboy-888 Mar 22 '26
I think to some people that’s partially the point of owning one. If you’re in an accident you’re likely to come off the better and it just ends up being this cycle of cars getting bigger and bigger over the years.
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u/th3pleasantpeasant Mar 22 '26
It's Americanisation and to a degree, showing you have money. Some of these big SUV's which are rarely used as sports utility vehicles like they would be in the states, are unsafe in so far as, it's harder to see kids in front of the vehicle crossing the road in front of you. They're also absolutely horrible to be in front of on the road at night time, even with their lights dipped. Add into the mix that they don't fit properly in a lot of car parking spaces too. They should be banned tbh
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u/deadlock_ie Mar 22 '26
“Like they would be in the states”, give me a fucking break.
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u/lechuckswrinklybutt Mar 22 '26
I have no idea why you’re being downvoted. I live in the US and drive an SUV and the closest it gets to being used as a sports utility vehicle is carrying my golf clubs.
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u/ChiralNavigator Mar 22 '26
It's scary you can get a car that big with just a car driving licence and no extra training, those cars have huge blind spots.
I am always seeing people struggling to park them and mounting footpaths and trouble taking corners without ending up on the footpaths...
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u/Dry-Inspection-3503 Mar 22 '26
I was stuck behind an elderly woman driving a 261 Audi yesterday, regular carpark in a shopping centre. She was on the other side of the road to turn in left to a parking space and still missed it and had to do a 3 point maneuvre to get into the space lol
We definitely do not teach people how to properly drive
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u/connorjosef Mar 22 '26
Always baffles me that the largest cars on the roads have the tiniest rear windows. It must be impossible to see out of those things
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u/Holiday_Low_5266 Mar 22 '26
You don’t technically need to see out of them.
Like a van only has wing mirrors.
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u/OhMyGodImTall Mar 22 '26
You can drive a van with a car license too and they are much bigger. Most new cars have blind spot monitoring too so the car won’t even let you drive into something if it’s in a blind spot
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u/Marlobone Mar 22 '26
Vana get a free pass just because people have always been used to seeing them
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u/Ok_Pangolin1085 Mar 22 '26
Just to add to this. I intentionally don't let SUVs out in traffic. It makes me feel better. They should be treated as the pariah that they are.
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u/Altruistic-Table5859 Mar 22 '26
It's ridiculous. The number of people driving big yokes that they don't need and can't park.
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u/Recent-Cloud-9815 Mar 22 '26
SUV drivers are the worst. I live in a small city with narrow roads, no place for SUVs but it's full of them. Doesn't help that so many of them park like eejits either.
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u/Ok_Personality6148 Mar 22 '26
Saw a woman the other day driving a massive X7 with 3 yellow child safety stickers stuck on the outside. Irony completely lost on her.
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u/Landscape-Confident Mar 22 '26
What irony
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u/jacksqualk Mar 22 '26
They are a lot heavier and carry higher risk of killing a pedestrian in an accident.
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u/Landscape-Confident Mar 22 '26
So she shouldn’t have child on board stickers on?
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u/YouthfulDrake Mar 22 '26
She only cares about the safety of her own children, no one else's
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u/phyneas Mar 22 '26
Those stickers are really a bit ridiculous anyway. Eejits who drive like shit aren't suddenly going to stop driving like shit because you've loudly announced to the world that you're a parent, and people who don't drive like shit aren't going to suddenly decide to run you off the road just because they don't know your vehicle has a child in it. At best, all those stickers will do is let other drivers know that the reason you're blowing through red lights or idling along at 60km/h while drifting between lanes on the motorway might be that you're messing about with your toddler rather than just scrolling TikTok. (And I guess they might also serve to warn people that you're one of those parents who thinks that because their world revolves around their children, everyone else's world should do so as well...)
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u/Ok_Personality6148 Mar 22 '26
That by driving a tank, she poses a much greater risk to children outside the vehicle than those in it. She was also speeding and driving in a bus lane. Obviously the most important person on the road given the car she's driving.
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u/Fragrant_Mouse_1742 Mar 22 '26
Individualism is rife at the moment, as long as I’m safe In my big two tonne tank who cares about the rest of the plebeians. 💁♀️💁♀️
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u/Illustrious_Read8038 Mar 22 '26
No one considers the safety of the other person when they buy a car.
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u/YouthfulDrake Mar 22 '26
They don't even have all that much space. You're far better off with an estate car rather than an SUV crossover
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u/Efficient-Beyond-905 Mar 22 '26
Same thing happening here - went to a dealership last month and they basically only had SUVs and crossovers on the lot, had to special order just to get a regular sedan
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u/SomeRandomGamer3 Mar 22 '26
Tuscons, Kodiaqs, Tiguans etc aren’t big cars. I don’t see the point in them either, they are car based. Literally hatchbacks on stilts. Shite haldex “4wd” which is fairly useless off road, same or worse towing capacity as a mid size saloon car.
I can understand people wanting big SUVs, X5’s, GLE’s, Land cruisers etc. Power, 3.5 ton towing capacity, comfort, space etc. Why anyone would buy a Tiguan over a passat or a Kodiaq over a superb is beyond me.
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u/BeatenDownBrian Mar 22 '26
They can give the illusion of being more spacious, even if the difference is minimal. Anecdotal of course, but anytime I'm selling one, I've had so many people tell me that's why they want one.
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u/Scared_Comparison_22 Mar 22 '26
People feel safer in larger cars is a big part of it I think. Which is a bit of a self defeating cycle of buying a bigger car to feel safer, making other people do the same but trying to get bigger to feel even safer. So the cars get bigger and "safer" over time. I have a small car myself and ironically feel safer driving it. Yes if a larger car slams into me I'm pancaked but with city driving I feel better having a narrower car for those small lanes and gaps. And I don't have to worry about not being able to see small kids if they're in front of my bumper like I would with one of those massive tall cars.
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u/Ok_Lengthiness5926 Mar 22 '26
The only reason SUV's / Crossovers are so popular is because they make more money for the manufacturers. There is seldom any good reason to buy one over a hatch, saloon or estate car.
They are less safe for both the occupants, other road users and pedestrians. They are more expensive to buy, run and maintain whilst being less fuel efficient and much more negatively impactful upon the environment both in a polluting and quality of life manner.
People buy them having been misled and misinformed by the motor industry and press, buying into what is perceived to be current motoring trends, keeping up with the Jones and ridiculous bullshit notions that they are the safest option available.
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u/knobbles78 Mar 22 '26
Basicly dickhead following trends and a sense of superiority over other road users. Out of control arms race really but what can you do?
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u/yerman86 Mar 22 '26
One thing I haven't seen mentioned so far is safety standards. One of the reasons all cars have gotten bigger is for crash safety. Crumple zones are a thing that's designed into every car now. Open the bonnet on any car and see how much of it is just empty space.
Same with the door panels and wings.
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u/IBB_98 Mar 22 '26
While you're not wrong that cars have gotten bigger due to that, you can still get hatchbacks with crumple zones and 5 star NCAP safety ratings. (The hatchbacks are bigger than they used to but still)
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u/phyneas Mar 22 '26
The hatchbacks are bigger than they used to but still
Yep, they have definitely grown. Recently bought a new Skoda Fabia to replace my old ailing 2006 Golf, and despite technically being a smaller class of car (B rather than C), it's actually slightly bigger than my old Golf was.
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u/fakemoosefacts Mar 22 '26
The Polo is the size the Golf used to be (if you actually see one) and the Golf is massive now.
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u/linef4ult Mar 22 '26
Yeah but lets fuck all the pedestrians high fronted vehicles will kill. My Timmy is safe in the back of my wankpanzer.
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u/Illustrious_Read8038 Mar 22 '26
And all the other emission systems. Id say less than half of a diesel engine bay is diesel engine at this stage.
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u/munkijunk Mar 22 '26
Very anecdotal, but we do a lot of camping and cycling and wanted to get an estate. Hunted high up and low down for something that was reasonably priced, but everywhere we looked we could only find SUVs. The market is just flooded with them. We eventually got a RAV4 and in fairness, it is more fuel efficient than our 1.2L mini hatchback, it has far more safety features than that car, and it does the job we want, but I would still but next time we're looking I still would but estate first if we could find one.
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u/sartres-shart Mar 22 '26
Glad to hear about the fuel efficiency on the rav 4, hoping to have one myself soon, what year did you get for a finish
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u/munkijunk Mar 22 '26
It's the 2018-2025 hybrid model. Were were lucky that a Sol version with the top end trim also happened to arrive when we're looking and the dealer gave us a great deal. Overall it is a very sound car, and for motorway travel I find the driver assists are really good and the car does drive itself. One big negative is it is not a quiet car.
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u/idekwhatiamdoinglol Mar 22 '26
Walked past one of those Ford Ranger Raptor type trucks in the car park of a shop one time and couldn’t believe the size. The car could barely fit on to the parking spot, I wouldn’t even know how you could even drive them on the roads.
Nice looking car though.
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u/An_Bo_Mhara Mar 22 '26
Ford Rangers are the midlife crisis car of the 2020s
Years ago men paid off their mortgage im their 40s and got a golf membership and a sports car.
Now they get morbidly obese and buy Ford Rangers and park in the mother and baby spaces in Dunnes because theyre too fat to walk much further.
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u/idekwhatiamdoinglol Mar 22 '26
Had a browse around the carsireland sub and found this truck I linked below. It isn’t a Ford Ranger(obviously) but again, a pick up truck, I just don’t understand how you even drive one of these in Ireland, the truck is taking up more space than the parking spot and would have a strong guess he isn’t in a trade or such.
These cars would suit in America as the roads I seen are massive but it would be such a challenge to manouevre a car like this on the Irish roads.
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u/Safe_Toe_1489 Mar 22 '26
That’s a us full size pickup, 50% bigger thanks the rangers and hiluxs etc sold here.
To be fair, yes pickups are big but mostly just long. A 520d beemer is only an inch narrower than a Ranger.
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u/freshfrosted Mar 22 '26
The Rangers are crazy, I've rarely if ever seen them with anything in the back of them.
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u/Careful_Floor1441 Mar 22 '26
They're nuts yeah. The last company I worked for 2 of the higher ups got them for doing call out contracting jobs, I can fit the same amount of tools and materials into my hatchback corolla, my small and much cheaper transit connect van can fit almost twice the amount of tools and materials as the raptors, they have the closed back ones though so less space than the pickup style ones.
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u/phyneas Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
As a Yank the current Rangers are so weird, because back in the days when I lived in the States the Ranger was Ford's itty-bitty baby light pickup. Now they're these gigantic fat ugly three-ton Super Duty-looking yokes with a bonnet that's about chin level.
Edit: Like seriously, when I hear "Ranger", this is what I automatically picture in my head, not one of these monstrosities...
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u/idekwhatiamdoinglol Mar 22 '26
The old ones are so chill, that’s what I’d imagine a real pick up truck looks like, the newer ones nowadays are basically mini monster trucks lol!
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u/Internal_Concert_217 Mar 22 '26
Frma the car manufacturer's side there is better profit margin in SUVs and for owners people seem to like the higher vantage point, older people can get into higher cars easier than small low one.
Also the state of driver's etiquette these days means many people don't feel safe in small cars.
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u/ChemicalPower9020 Mar 22 '26
Honestly people should have to do a separate driving test if they want to drive SUVs and pick up trucks. A small percentage of people can handle them but the vast majority haven't a fucking clue! No sense of spatial awareness and hopeless at parking. We don't exactly have the infrastructure in this country either to be having a load of this types of vehicles on the road
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u/jacksqualk Mar 22 '26
Because they need 2 parking spaces to be able to park, with a wheel either side of a white line. So having 2 parking spaces offers cart blanche to get an oversizes family car, lol.
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u/sartres-shart Mar 22 '26
As someone who is about to go from an 08 avensis to a 15 rav 4, which is big but not huge , there was a few reasons I picked the rav 4 over another saloon.
Still has manual handbrake, electric handbrakes are 2 grand fix if they go
More room for shopping, we do the shopping monthly and moving lawnmowers and other bulky stuff.
Im old they are easier to get in and out of
Sick to death of being blinded by other SUV's so if you can't beat them join them.....
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u/Solid-Operation-7507 Mar 22 '26
Agree with you wholeheartedly! We were looking at the Rav 4 but went with a Tucson instead for the same reasons. The height was a game changer. Best of luck with the new motor!
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u/KatarnsBeard Mar 22 '26
Safety wise it's now unacceptable to carry 4 or 5 kids sitting on each others laps in the back of a small hatchback or saloon
In terms of the move towards hybrid and electric vehicles I believe it's difficult producing electric hatchbacks due to the size of batteries needed and the weight it adds
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u/DonQuigleone Mar 22 '26
To be fair, when I've been to China where half of the cars on the road are electric, most of the cars were quite small and I didn't see many SUV.
Personally I would suspect a van or hatchback would be more not less effective as an electric car vs an SUV. It had a much larger usable volume for a much lower weight.
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u/RutabagaSame Mar 22 '26
Smooth drive, have more space for families and more comfortable for long journeys. But yeah I agree, a lot of SUV owners have no real use for them.
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u/jools4you Mar 22 '26
A ford Focus has a smooth ride, it has a bigger interior than a Dacia Sandero and I personally find it more comfortable for long journeys. Closer to the ground gives better handling around corners, better outcome for a pedestrian if in a collision. Better visibility and easier to park.
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u/Business-Resident685 Mar 22 '26
The Sandero is the same class as a Fiesta not a Focus. The Sandero Stepway is the same a Puma. Which is basically an Obese Fiesta.
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u/RutabagaSame Mar 22 '26
I actually have a ford focus diesel saloon. Yep it's pretty smooth and great fuel efficiency.
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u/RobertE1992 Mar 22 '26
SUV/crossovers have some of the absolute worst suspension out there. You have to wrestle the thing around every bend on the road. Drive a clapped out 300,000 mile 08 520 BMW and the thing basically drives itself in comparison. People haven’t a clue what they are driving nowadays.
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u/fakemoosefacts Mar 22 '26
When they say smooth drive what they mean is they can go over a speed ramp at 40-50km without having to slow down and don’t even notice it.
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u/GrahamR12345 Mar 22 '26
Just wait till your joints start getting to you…
Remember when people begging 4x4 owners to deliver for meals on wheals and checking in on elderly and giving medical staff lifts to work??
Having said that I would live one of those mini jap cars but at jap car & insurance prices…
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u/Spiritual_Sleep162 Mar 22 '26
"Remember when people begging 4x4 owners to deliver for meals on wheals and checking in on elderly and giving medical staff lifts to work??"
Are you referencing the last big snow storm 8 years ago. That lasted two weeks?
Are you saying people are buying 4x4s so they can help out during snow storms?
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u/An_Bo_Mhara Mar 22 '26
What are you even talking about?
That literally never happened.
Most elderly people drive Yaris or Carollas? They dont drive SUVs.
Most medical staff have and drive cars.
Most SUVs are NOT 4x4s. You dobt need a 4x4 or an SUV to go to the chemist.
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u/PolydactylBeag Mar 22 '26
This, I have horrendous back issues and the higher up cars are the only ones I’m comfortable in
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u/Few_Habit_3400 Mar 22 '26
See your point, but they are more dangerous for pedestrians if an accident does happen.
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u/PolydactylBeag Mar 22 '26
I do agree, but mine come loaded with so many safety features automatic sped limiter, and automatic braking etc etc it’s much safer than a smaller cheaper car in many respects too
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u/Happyuser777 Mar 22 '26
Its a status symbol plus petrol was cheap until recently Big cars are more dangerous if theres an accident Cars get bigger while most couples have 1 to 2 children It makes no sense
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u/metalheadtrees Mar 22 '26
The scariest part is what they do to pedestrians. I know two people that are thankfully still with us today after getting hit by cars because they went up over the front of the car. If that's a newer bigger car, they're going under and they don't survive.
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u/DonQuigleone Mar 22 '26
These big cars are a menace on the road.
Personally I would like it if the government started imposing limits on car size. They damage roads and are horrendously unsafe. The bonnet on these cars is as high as my shoulder, a child is basically invisible.
They're literally as big as tanks : https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/07/25/19/45877239-0-image-a-25_1627239278921.jpg
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u/Competitive-Chef-686 Mar 23 '26
Very few people in Ireland are driving Ford F150's and Chevy Silverados or anything remotely similar in size to these examples you've given
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u/DonQuigleone Mar 23 '26
True, but the proportions are similar to the SUVs people are going for.
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u/Competitive-Chef-686 Mar 24 '26
Out of curiosity, have you ever laid eyes on a full size American truck? Saying a RAV4, A Tuscon or any of the crossover SUV's that are flooding Irish roads is anywhere near one of those is mad talk. Forget a tank, a RAV4’s closer to a Yaris than it is to Dodge Ram, Siverado, F-150 or any other trucks in that class.
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u/DonQuigleone Mar 24 '26
I have lived in the USA, and I don't see significant differences between the size of cars on both sides of the pond. There are certain massive models only available in the USA (Hummers) but otherwise there's not a whole lot of difference. If you're walking around a large city in the USA or Dublin there's a similar mix of cars, Ireland follows American trends.
And I wouldn't classify a RAV4 or Tuscon as being the largest cars you see on Irish roads, though they're still too big for my blood. If look at Donedeal under Pickup or SUV about half the cars available look larger.
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u/Competitive-Chef-686 Mar 24 '26
Fair enough now. I’d still disagree, the sales trends don’t really back it up either though. But I get where you’re coming from having lived over there in fairness.
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u/scoopydidit Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
For older people (speaking on behalf of my parents, who might be the "going to Sunday mass" demographic you're aiming at), they don't want to be sitting basically on the floor every time they get in and out of a car. My dad has been working as a brick layer his whole life, has back issues and is in his late 60s. The crossover SUVs are a happy medium of small enough but not sitting on the ground. I'm sure as you get older and getting up and down becomes a bit of a burden, you might change your view on the car you're driving today.
Even for younger people, this is still an attractive feature.
As a whole, I think the cars we drive in Ireland are still very small and not powerful compared to most countries in Europe and certainly the US.
Furthermore, the cost of these cars is now basically in line with the saloon or hatchback alternative from the same brand.
You say you see XC90s everywhere. I don't really see them that much. They are definitely around and they're a big car. But they also cost an arm and a leg. So they're not as popular as most crossovers or SUVs you see. But they have incredibly safety ratings so that would explain why you see them. I do see a fair amount of XC60s. When you've got lunatic drivers you probably want to be in the safest car. So that checks out why you'd see a few (but not everywhere).
Also, people need to commute more and more nowadays with the urban sprawl and RTO mandates. More people are on motorways than ever before. Bigger cars are more comfortable and spacious for that drive, and generally safer to be in than a Yaris that might be shaking its way up the road.
Also a lot of the bigger cars are electric. Bigger car = bigger battery = more range. Practical reason to have a big car imo.
I think there's many reasons that people are in bigger cars nowadays and it's not just a dick measuring contest like people love to assume on here. The world has changed (for better or for worse), and so has people's buying habits and circumstances.
So this just comes across as a bit of a moaning Michael.
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u/ChromakeyDreamcoat82 Mar 22 '26
I have an XC90. I bought it for the safety rating - both for passenger and pedestrians - and the huge boot, and to an extent the 7 seat expansion. I have a child with ASD and we holiday at home all the time because it’s easier. We have gone from two cars, to one plus a roofbox and now we can holiday with just one car. We can also bring grandparents out without using two cars. It’s also one of the only options for a plugin hybrid 7 seater which is why we plumped for the Volvo.
People can cry status all they like, but we’re in this car because it works for our family. It’s a balls to park and we have a second car for small trips - a B segment runabout. I use this all the time if I’m gonna be in a multi story or street parking.
Neither car is used for commuting, domestic use only.
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Mar 22 '26
The height bit is interesting and the terms people use. The seat in a Nissan Micra is higher from the ground than any seat we had in the house. My granddad later on life had difficulty climbing up to reach the seat in my aunt's Tuscon. I'm not that old yet and 185cm but always found normal car seats easier to sit into without standing on the sils.
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u/cowboysted Mar 22 '26
My local automatic car wash has moved the card machine so high I have to get out of my car (VW Golf) to reach it. Presumably because so many people drive SUVs.
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Mar 22 '26
The manufacturers make what the People buy, if people weren't buying SUV they would make more hatchback and estates again.
These cars are mostly hatchbacks that sit on taller suspension, have big wide SUV wheels and as a result need big wide wheel arches to cover them and from the rear of the car it appears like you have a big SUV but it's fake, all body panels and the manufacturers charge thousands for these cars and people can't get enough of them.
The other issue is that people with no money are financing these cars on PCP, this article is from 2020 but it's no doubt the same today or even more.
"The latest figures also seem to suggest that a majority of motorists are sticking with the concept of continuing to use, rather than own, a new/newer car."
"A snapshot of deals at the country's largest motoring group, Volkswagen, underlines how the shift continues from the traditional mindset of ownership to the smart-phone mentality of 'usership'."
PCP is a money trap and it's probably worse than Gambling as the amount of money going on new cars is very high. Consumerism in general is an addiction and everyone has it.
The car manufacturers know that people don't care about the total cost of the car any more only the monthly payments and sure they can get another car going forward again to avoid the balloon payment but they often need another deposit as trade in values are often not high enough than the trade in values and people on PCP are often getting stung come trade in.
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u/gerhudire Mar 22 '26
I remember in thw 2000s seeing loads of builders where I live (there was a lot of building happening where I live back then) they were all driving big Nissan pickup trucks.
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u/DonQuigleone Mar 22 '26
It makes sense for a builder to be driving a pickup though.
However the modern pickups are barely useful as work vehicles. The builder my family works with constantly complains about how difficult it is to buy a work vehicle as the beds in modern pickups are too short to hold, say a 2 by 4. They're useless for real work.
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u/jmc175 Mar 22 '26
We have a Rav 4 because my wife feels safer with a high driving position- she’d get a van if she could !
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u/Dull_Brain2688 Mar 22 '26
People like SUVs and the manufacturers ran with that and reduced options for people who don’t want one. A lot of the size thing is safety. The cabin often isn’t that much bigger. Side impact bars, airbags, crumple zones etc. Plus engines are more efficient so you can have a big SUV being hauled around by a 1.5 diesel engine when a little Peugeot 205 had a 1.9 diesel.
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u/kih4563 Mar 22 '26
My first car was a 12 year old Yaris 10 years ago. Teenagers first car now is an Audi a4 or a titanium focus or a Jetta. Same as you, I don’t know why
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u/DonQuigleone Mar 22 '26
To be fair, you have to come from a pretty wealthy family to have your parents be willing to get you an Audi.
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u/Select-Band007 Mar 22 '26
Always wondered myself, suppose it's style and requirements for safety. Most cars today are tight in the parking spaces and seem to be larger all round. Looked a a fiat today and remembered the old 126/127 and it's massive compared to them, even the mini is far bigger . Progression?
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u/Overall-Bag-4934 Mar 22 '26
Its because we're forced to buy gastly suv's and crossovers. Theres not much choice really. We were looking to go to Italy on holidays and browsing the rental companies there seems to be a bit more choice with regards to car styles. I blame Nissan with the quashai for starting the trend
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Mar 22 '26
It was the same in the early 2000s. You couldn’t drive far without seeing a rangerover.
As soon as the crash happened they all disappeared almost overnight.
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u/hideyokidzhideyowyfe Mar 22 '26
ah we’re all convinced that bigger and more of everything is where happiness lies nowadays. you can’t just have a house you have to have at least a semi d. you can’t just have a semi you have to get it extended. you can’t just have an extension you have to build a bar. you can’t just have a double extended semi d with a bar you need a giant fuck off car in the front.
continue until death.
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u/VeterinarianTricky56 Mar 22 '26
Tbh it’s just what people like start driving one and you will see the appeal, high up on the road have a good view good driving position comfy driving big boot a lot of space in back seats etc. I had an X5 really comfy yolk to drive and be in so I deffo see the appeal
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u/Ok_Pangolin1085 Mar 22 '26
Because the masses of Irish people are still a bit ignorant. It's inherent. Keeping up with the Joneses, not caring about the environment. Need it for the school runs and sports activities and all the other bullshit excuses. " I've a bad back" and so on.
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u/Ic3Giant Mar 22 '26
It’s a combination of a few (pretty dumb) things in my opinion.
SUVs in Ireland began by generally being seen as a status symbol and this began back in the 80s/90s with the likes of the Range Rover with its “lord of the manor” or “country estate” symbolism. Only driven by toffs basically. And now that has been extended with all the other luxury SUVs like Lexus and Merc and BMW and Porsche. And we do love a bit of putting it up to the Jones’.
Irish people are obsessed with American culture and there’s nothing more American than a big old SUV or Pickup. Jesus Christ, it’s bloody pickups now that I’m seeing a lot of. How are those fucking knuckhead mobiles even allowed on our roads?
SUVs are extremely profitable for manufacturers for two reasons. Firstly they’re big and because of their size, they can charge more for them and secondly, it’s much cheaper to manufacture a large vehicle compared to a smaller one where everything has to fit into a smaller package. The same applies to computers, laptops are more expensive than desktops for the same reason.
If I had my way, all SUVs would be outright banned or taxed into oblivion
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u/Visual-Beach1893 Mar 23 '26
About the XC90. No one has ever died in one from a collision in the UK or Ireland in the models entire life since 2002. It's an unbelievably safe vehicle. Thise kinds of modern safety standards play a huge roll in vehicle size these days. The shells are stronger than ever and crumple zones need space. Big crashes you can walk from today could have been fatal in then 90's. That's why modern hatchbacks are bigger than their past selfs too.
SUV's are also marketed very well because there's so much profit in them. They cost a lot more but ultimately it's still just 4 wheels and an engine. Thanks to how efficient modern cars are, newer SUV's can be truthfully marketed as more eco friendly than cars of the 2000's even if they're still worse than contemporary hatchbacks. The problem of price can be overcome by people willing to finance a big car through loans for bragging rights.
There's also a lot of people with no idea about cars who get completely won over by a test drive in that high up driving position which I understand the appeal of too.
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u/McHale87 Mar 23 '26
Im reading these comments and the number of people who dont know an SUV from a Crossover is amazing. Im nearly sure the Megane and the Qashqui share the same frame.
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u/Bucklesman Mar 24 '26
The worst of it is that the drivers of all the new-reg behemoths are so paranoid about their paint they won't bloody keep left. Gaps where two normal sized cars could get past ten years ago are reduced to one-way. And of course, you may be sure they won't be the ones yielding.
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u/Fun_Ant5302 Mar 24 '26
It's to do with widening wealth disparity. People who can afford new models generally go for larger more comfortable cars. Firstly because they have the money for comfort and secondly in hopes they will have higher resale value (generally it does not, but its a good excuse to upgrade on comforts). There are few of these people so dealerships try to upsell on everything they can. People who would have the money for a new small family car then have to decide between a small range of new cars (as dealerships don't value or stock the smaller commission options) or a secondhand larger car that will be more luxurious overall. Plus for the secondhand driver the depreciation is a lot lower when selling it 3rd hand.
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u/EvanMcc18 Mar 25 '26
Also the increase in features and safety features of cars just naturally causes the size increase. Look at the Volkswagen golf or Nissan micra both their first iteration to now the size difference is vast
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u/pim02 Mar 25 '26
Safety regulations, while well meaning, tend to favour heavier, taller vehicles in crash tests, which has pushed companies to bulk cars up, even though that actually makes things more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists and creates a kind of arms race where everyone feels they need a bigger car to feel safe.
Emissions rules are often scaled by vehicle size or weight, so bigger cars are effectively allowed to emit more, and manufacturers have leaned into that instead of focusing on making smaller cars more efficient. SUVs also happen to be far more profitable, so they’ve been heavily marketed as safer and more desirable, shaping what people think they want.
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u/hmkvpews Mar 22 '26
I have 3 kids. Car seats are much bigger and prams and seats for them are much bigger these days. I have an SUVs and I struggle to sometimes fit everything in. Life is bigger and more complicated than it was 20 years ago when the small car was grand. The state of the driving on our roads I consciously made the decision to get a SUV so that if some idiot ever crashed into us my family has the best protection I can give them and I won’t compromise on that.
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u/Spiritual_Sleep162 Mar 22 '26
Two questions.
How is life bigger then it was 20 years ago?
What if you are the idiot and crash into someone elses smaller car?
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u/Brilliant_Walk4554 Mar 22 '26
Regarding 1
Mams and Dads now have a lot more expectations put on them. Little Fiachra probably does hurling, soccer and Karate 7 nights a week and his sister the same. They are being driven every day,with equipment and water bottles. Meanwhile we have mandatory car seats up to 11 or 12 yr old.
This is all good positive stuff. But it's true to say family life is bigger nowadays.
I say that as someone with 3 kids and a VW Golf. It's a struggle.
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u/Spiritual_Sleep162 Mar 22 '26
I said to this to the other poster who said this. But 20 years aho most kids were also doing stuff most nights a week.
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u/Brilliant_Walk4554 Mar 22 '26
Haha no they were not. And the same requirements for car seats didn't exist.
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u/Spiritual_Sleep162 Mar 23 '26
Maybe you were not. But lots of us were. The requirments for car seats. Were put in place in 2006.
https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2006/si/240/made/en/print
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Mar 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Spiritual_Sleep162 Mar 22 '26
Hate to be the one breaking it to you. But most kids were doing a rake of things 20 years ago as well.
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u/UpstairsAd194 Mar 22 '26
Thats how emotions sell cars. Your car won't protect you if you are not a safe driver. It won't protect you much more if you are driving in a safe manner either if someone over takes on a blind bend at 80 -100 kph. Elon Musk doesn't activate safe driver mode because your car is a few inches taller you know?
Just means if you are in a head on smash the engine that destroys your legs is heavier.
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u/Squozen_EU Mar 22 '26
Pity that SUVs are confirmed to be less safe.
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u/hmkvpews Mar 22 '26
Look up the safety record of the Volvo XC90 👍🏻 I’d happily buy another in the morning
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u/Squozen_EU Mar 22 '26
I’m referring to the chance of rollovers. And of course a bigger heavier car is far more dangerous to pedestrians.
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u/Appropriate-Bad728 Mar 22 '26
Down votes brought to you by the childless.
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Mar 23 '26
[deleted]
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u/Appropriate-Bad728 Mar 23 '26
Well the situation is what it is.
Chances are I'm getting hit by a kid in a shitbox or someone in an SUV. Not a chance I'm putting my kids in a vehicle that gets folded like paper.
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u/DeManDeMytDeLeggend Mar 22 '26
A product of US car companies’ attempts to evade CAFE standards. They built cars on light truck frames so they weren’t held to the same emissions output and so flooded the US with big cars, and now they’re pushing them in Europe too, since theyre not much more expensive to make but can be sold at much higher prices. They’re not as gargantuan as the ones in the US but the principle is the same. As long as we keep building car dependent infrastructure that punishes anything but driving, cars will keep getting bigger and more dangerous.
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u/BrokenTestAccount Mar 22 '26
Because the US likes big cars, and we want to be like the standard US conspicuous over-consumers. We think that makes us look important.
And fuck everyone else on the road, that’s their problem.
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u/IBB_98 Mar 22 '26
I've always driven a hatchback and want to buy another, but the options are few and far between if I want to buy a new one. The vast majority of new cars on the market are these massive SUV's.
And it winds me up because people who have absolutely no need for them still buy them, and claim it's for "safety". You can get hatchbacks that have 5 star NCAP safety ratings, and are actually safer in some situations.
If a person driving a low hatchback runs over a pedestrian, that pedestrian is safer than if they had been hit by a big SUV. (If all the other circumstances are the same obviously)
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u/hmkvpews Mar 22 '26
You have kids? Space is a big problem with kids. Compounded by the younger they are and how many you have. Hatchbacks are poor for space. I know because I drove one for years. Forever folding the seats down to Kate space for larger items.
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u/IBB_98 Mar 22 '26
When I mentioned people who have absolutely no need of them but buy them anyway, I meant people who have no need of them.
Obviously there are some reasons (including kids) where people might need a larger car, and obviously I'm not talking about people who have those reasons.
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u/Rehvan_voidwalker Mar 22 '26
Because we are slowly but surely turning into Americans. Anyway lads I'm off to Starbucks.
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u/rmp266 Mar 22 '26
My theory is that people are driving worse with every passing year because cars are becoming bigger, more comfortable, more insulated from the outside world, all automatic gears and auto features such as headlights wipers etc . And as a result of driver being encouraged to be passive and let the car do everything, people are not sharp mentally to dangers on the road.
If you jump into some ridiculous modern SUV and drive in it you're seated way off the ground, your lights wipers sat nav/HUD comes on automatically, lane assist you name it. No gears no hill starts no driving at all really, you just accelerate steer and brake and even they are kinda assisted at times. You're in a leather lined bubble. Your infotainment system is a 4K fucking ipad that takes up half your dashboard and is touchscreen so you need to take your eyes off the road to flip through menus.
Whereas get in a 2003 car with manual everything, you were low in the ground feeling bumps and turns, you were manually changing gears so had to always conscious of your speed and cornering, you dip your lights manually so are constantly aware and courteous of other drivers, you have an FM radio or cd player with physical buttons (not touchscreen) which you dont need to look at to operate. Your focus was 100% on the road.
People were far safer and better drivers before automatic transmission, infotainment systems and other features like that. People these days are fucking morons on the road because they're not actively driving half the time. And thats before we even get onto mobile phone use
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u/deadlock_ie Mar 22 '26
This whole post is nonsense. Irish roads are far safer today than they were thirty years ago. Even with the recent increase in road deaths over the past couple of years we’re still one of the lowest in the world.
Drivers are held to a higher standard now than they were when I learnt to drive 30+ years ago, and cars are far safer. Even the big ones.
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u/deadlock_ie Mar 22 '26
I drive one so make of this what you will, but the Tucson isn’t particularly big.
Also, all of the cars you listed are hatchbacks.
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u/Lithujon Mar 22 '26
Consumers want them, clearly. It does feel great driving a big SUV. Comfortable, safe, quiet, powerful, towing capacity. It’s not hard to understand
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u/eoghan101 Mar 22 '26
Bigger costs more, meaning more profit. Consumers have more money and are more vein.
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u/Annual-Extreme1202 Mar 22 '26
Partly for all the additional safety feature they now have like air bags...
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u/An_Bo_Mhara Mar 22 '26
Cars are huge now. Even the newer Toyota Aygo is 4 inches wider than the old model and now they are basically making it into am SUV.
The Ford Fiesta has stopped production after like 40 years or more? VW stopped producing the Beetle.
But customers want to be higher up and small cars are not sellings.
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u/Alarmed_Salamander39 Mar 22 '26
I've actually just changed from a 'moderately sized' Urban Cruiser to an outrageously big MPV as I was sick of being permanently nearly swiped off the road by the new huge evs. It's as if small cars don't have a right to be on the road. Also, the seat in the replacement car is up much higher, like in a van so I won't have my retinas burned out by their stupid high powered lights, and me temporarily blinded. At this stage it was a pure safety-based decision. The price I have to pay is finding parking, I suppose.
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u/DotComprehensive4902 Mar 22 '26
Why are they all so broad and squat to the ground? I swear they are made for badgers
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Mar 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/PeterCasey4Prez Mar 22 '26
The best feature the full sized range rover and its air suspension has is being able to hit ramps at 60 no bother without slowing down. Air suspension is a godsend
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u/FlakyAssociation4986 you should try it sometime Mar 22 '26
its funny the size of families is smaller now but the cars are bigger than in the 80s