Why are we obsessed with SUVs?! | Ep 29 | Drive Torque Podcast

[@roadofplenty237]

Joe, I wouldn’t say you’re wrong in saying “sport SUV” if you’re referring to an SUV with sporty dynamics. The Sport in SUV is not referring to the driving dynamics of the car, but rather to the activities of the user such as outdoor sports like canoeing and mountain biking. I really enjoyed this episode guys, and will be following it more regularly from now on.

[@kevincross9206]

I’m with you Joe, the Shogun is definitely a 4x4 not an SUV! The A6 all road is an estate car though Joe 🤣

[@RickTheSpud]

X5 and Macan are prob the best I've driven. Still don't get the whole SUV thing tho. But then I'm a farmer! More likely to barrel roll in an accident, and more weight and high centre of gravity means more consumables.

[@johndavies6246]

You forgot to mention the lower end, but huge quantity, SUV's that constitute the school run. I've seen both ends of the spectrum having spent time in Kensington and seen the upper end, and also locally to me in Kent, the lower end. The one consistent aspect is they mostly hold one adult and one child. They are fit for purpose, if that purpose is to make the driver and passenger feel safe, secure and benefiting from great visibility. Regarding the SUV or Estate car situation the answer lies in the shape of the cabin. SUV's - and also MPV's - are square, Estates are oblong. Keep up the great work, guys.

[@jamesenglish8639]

Comfort , space and when it’s pissing down you’re above the spray .

[@CMartins86]

Back in the late 90's: 4x4 was a lather frame chassis, transfer box. SUV was a body on frame or monocoque chassis. 2024: All gets a bit confusing, same as society or human gender......

[@paulgurr1709]

Some good choices and some bad choices and an estate! Going full SUV I would go..... £20k - F-Pace 3.0 v6 petrol. Would have higher miles and probably 17 plate but look nice and would sound pretty good £50k - Alfa Stelvio QV. 21 plate. Less than 20k miles. I'm seriously considering one of these for my next car £100k - Can I have a brand new Alfa QV? If not 2023 RSQ8 Vorsprung 11k miles. £99k Ultimate SUV..... What Ped said. The 707. Great pod as always, keep up the good work.

[@stevenbennett3922]

"A bit better than the old Defender" That's like saying the AMI Pacer occasionally caught fire.

[@tonymoreton7166]

I'm never gonna have 'a truck'. Hatchback, saloon, coupe or convertible only.

[@WizardChom]

Almost 4 years ago, I have bought Volvo V60 as it was way bigger than tremendously popular XC60! It was easier to fit stroller for 2 kids in estate rather than SUV

[@kevinhowlett4097]

Talbot Matra Rancho was a game changer

[@BarryMakariou]

I’ve had SUV’s for over 15years now have a M3 touring now I have proper handling car!

[@abrahamgeorge4994]

Good podcast Pete and Joe and very relevant as I much prefer an estate to a SUV. Volvo UK no longer sell the V70 estate as SUVs now make up the bulk of their sales and they’ve fallen out of fashion. Autocar have a Volvo V70 as a long term test car and echoed your views on better driving experience etc. The tester asked a neighbour who had a Volvo XC60 to compare cars but they preferred the XC60 on the basis of styling and higher (some would say superior) driving position. So overall practicality, spaciousness and better driving experience wasn’t enough to persuade the neighbour of the merits of an estate car. Looking forward to Joe’s test of the new Passat estate.

[@GRfourfun]

Alright chaps, will be listening later in full. Have a great weekend!

[@stevenbennett3922]

I had a LWB Shogun for a couple of days and my God talk about wallowing around corners.

[@johnbrown3951]

The best yet and I felt it was the most natural yet. Some of the cars were really to my taste and not because I am a 4x4/SUV fan. The Porsche and the Aston stood out and the Defender 90 were the highlights. Surely there would be a premium on it like buying a Land Rover once driven owned by the Royal family this one goes one better driven and reviewed by the legend in his own lifetime Mr Petrol Ped. The SWB Shogun was always a hairdressers car and not a 4x4 in my opinion but that version I would have considered if I had known it existed. I too bought a Freelander 1 and too this day it is probably the best car I have ever owned and it gave me no breakdowns at all.

[@jackgartland4704]

would deffo get a used rrs for sub 20k prices have fallen through the floor, probably cost you as much to insure it tho. Audi q7 is nice also has seven seats Great video gents

[@garrymatthews4430]

guys as always a great set of cars/suv's. keep them coming

[@fraserwright9482]

Understanding why people buy SUVs and its all due to the twelve RHD 325iX sold in Britain is a big toke from the BMW bong. Its interesting listening to you guys break down how SUVs became popular and what motivates buyers not matching reality

[@mattsmith429]

The MPV has been taken over by the double cab vans as lets face it the average SUV has no more space than an conventional estate and these double cabs have HUGE amounts of space

[@smack2511]

Just ordered an X5 40d on the back of your great X5 30d review Joe, thanks again. It will replace the fantastic M340d which you also swayed me into a few years back😅. Also diesel is still king imo

[@eugenux]

I do hope extra taxation will be placed upon diesels and high weight vehicles; ppl like you should not be allowed to drive or to own cars.

[@davidgreed1885]

is it us, the buyer, that is obsessed with the SUV, or is the manufacturer? I would like to buy a normal car, but if I went to a Ford dealership for example the only "normal" car I can buy is a Focus. The Puma, to my mind, is a mini SUV and they only get bigger from there. I can no longer buy a Mondeo (ideal size for me) and most other manufacturers are the same. Basically "normal" cars are no longer available. Don;t get me started on the parking spaces that the SUV behemoths take up...

[@johnmull59]

I bought a Volvo V60 3yrs ago because I wanted an estate car, the sales manager was trying to get me to get an XC40...he later said that's because Volvo wanted to push/promote them. Last year Volvo withdrew estates from their lineup because there was no demand...self fulfilling or what! I have nothing against SUVs, they have their place (preferably off-road). ....and we wonder why there are more and more potholes 🤷. It will all change when road tax changes and is based on a vehicle's weight....I can see that happening in not too distant future.

[@Sold_a_dummy]

Man, I remember driving in the early 2000s and wondering why my luck is so bad? Why do I always end up behind some huge vehicle. Then slowly I realized it's not me, they're everywhere! Ford only sells the Mustang Chevy and Dodge don't even sell cars anymore. It's pretty annoying but such is life. Life in the US and in the _South_ we have pickups and 4x4s with tires almost the hight of my car. Vehicles they have to climb into. Then to see them swerve when they see a rut in the road 😐

[@owenmcdonald5922]

A6 allroad is a great choice.

[@karene4990]

Sub £100k???? Has to be a Stelvio QV, just bought one and absolutely amazing!!!! Dream, over £100k (any money?) Ferrari Purosangue ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ObiePaddles]

I dont see SUVs as necessarily just 4x4. We have a Model Y and it is brilliant for families with kids and dogs. I’d prefer a model 3 (ideally a model 3 estate if I could). My wife likes the height of the Y and the feeling of safety. She needs the height partially because there are so many SUVs.

[@benmccarthy9508]

Ev,s now suv ffs lads your killing me 😂😂

[@ajcgolf69]

I am part of the problem, but only because they don’t make an estate version of the car I want. The saloon boot on an Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn’t suit me, I need the height in the boot for putting dog cages in, But they don’t make an estate version so I ended up with a Stelvio

[@bispal]

Only one SUV. Subaru Forester STI or 2.5XT. Everything else too heavy, too fat & they are manual 🙂

[@FreshDrive]

lol funny podcast editions. Can you pretty pretty please do sub 20/50/100/dream estate car 🤞🤞🤘 I mean how can you go wrong with an fast wagon 💨

[@coltoncleveringa8004]

The Chevy suburban or even GMC suburban is a suv and has been around for a lot longer then a bmw. Also ford had there bronco amd then in turn a ford explorer which pre dates the bmw as well. I have to have a suv for my family with 4 kids lol

[@giofyocars8581]

Creates rules> Breaks rules> Pandemonium ensues...

[@stevenbennett3922]

But they still get stuck in simple grass fields due to tyre choice. Mostly Range Rovers.

[@michaelroche4563]

Is this behind the glass? Literally literally literally

[@PetrolPed]

Nah it's way better 😜😂

[@shaheenevans]

Timely podcast - Thinking of LCI x5 30d as next family work car.

[@eugenux]

beside those who actually need them for usage in certain towing or off-road-y conditions, the rest of the world, which is 99.99% from SUV buyers, simply buy them to feed their egos and push their self-importance to new higher levels. I drove an ML 63 amg and a range sport..., by their names, you can realise it happened some years back and, I hated their inertia when braking and cornering; you simply cannot cheat physics. I don't understand ppl who buy SUVs, I simply don't. For me, seems genuine retrograde. edit. an A6 allroad is all the SUV 99.999999% of ppl will ever require.

[@fraserwright9482]

But a station wagon is an old man's car.

[@stevenbennett3922]

6cyl v poor gear choice. Hmmmm