Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Suffolk Cars

What a fantastic family you have around you, very rare to hear of a "proper" family these days, I sympathize with you over Christmas though a nightmare.

We have three grandchildren sprinkled around our three youngsters and we have a complete family day once in a while at an event such as Red Bull Air Race or a Duxford open day and it's good and pretty full on, this would take on a whole new meaning if you all had a get together.

We have a few Winnebago's parked up down here as temporary accommodation on farms prior to planning permission being granted, it's a well known loop hole down here justifying the need to be on site 24hrs tending livestock. They don't move so for that we are thankful as you say they are go large big time.
On the odd occasion there is one on the move it is a bit of a nightmare on our narrow roads I have to say, no different from the artics delivering our food though, we're big on patience in Devon .

The SUV attitude I think comes about when we see Yummy +1 brat being transported around, whenever you see one packed to the gunwhales with kit or people it all makes sense unlike us owning three cars for the two of us

Until we moved up to Norfolk from the M25 car park area, SWMBO used to drive our Mercedes Motorhome everywhere as it was our only vehicle but being only 25' long she had no problems.

Watch out for me Reg - drove mine up to Beccles today for a day boat hire

Clipper, if you are going to be in the area of Wroxham, do drop me a p.m. and you will be most welcome to come round for a natter.

Apart from useful load-carrying, an SUV has better visibility being higher up. My Mum likes to be able to see the view more easily, and it is good to be able to see more at bends and junctions. Plus, you don't get dazzled at night so much!

The overtly large SUV from Mercedes Benz (ML class) I am currently piloting does bring some strengths and weaknesses.

I am not certain the generalisation that ALL drivers of SUV are aggressive self important monsters. This is the first one I have had and some of it was to find out what all the fuss is about and we also needed to move the M-i-L and they do offer useful space. I have never troubled the off-road ability beyond main road snow and some trotting about in grassed fields. I always loved having a decent estate (E-Class and an A6 model at various points) which combined most of those roles as well. I think there are issues with them that increase the intimidation factor which I myself noticed when I had the E-Estate.

I used to hate having one behind me even if it was not too close as it blocked my working rear vision with it's big flat front and width. This reduced my ability to predict and react (bikes filtering on the motorway for example) which annoyed me when they were behind. The headlight height can be annoying but the advent of better headlamps and selective lighting especially has improved this to a degree. I used to hate having one in front of me for much the same reason, limited view and reaction time.

I do find that the additional height and resulting driving position view does mean that I can predict problems earlier and so I am actually more relaxed in an SUV vs the E-Estate. However this is tempered with the fact that you need to be as 2.1 tons on stilts needs more room to maneuver so if anything you should leave a bigger gaps anyway. Especially in the snow and rain where mass has a mind of it's own when you are trying to swing or stop it! I think this is where I see the worst activities on the road, people with a better view will compromise other margins of safety such as reaction room to the car in front. When you combine this with the car in front finding it's rear view mirror going dark with the SUV's grill I can see why it is intimidating.

Richard,

there is nothing unreasonable in running 3 cars for 2 people, when one is a Morgan.

We have three cars.... but do we need 3 cars with a total of 22 cylinders, 7.8L and about 1200 bhp? Of course not. But we are in the last 10 years of large, multi cylinder ICE power units and I'm determined to have my fun before we go electric, which we will. I've spent 52 years enjoying ICE powered vehicles, I understand them and am comfortable with them.
I also like excess...

But as to SUVs.... they are largely fashion statements and it seems to me they are driven by people who would be terrified sitting in a Morgan. I think cars should be taxed not only by their CO2, but also by the space they occupy on the road, length x width, and by their weight. I suspect that this would result in SUVs falling out of favour.....

Mine is definitely not a fashion statement but, as I said earlier, a highly practical vehicle for my needs. I suppose I could buy a minibus and avoid the SUV hatred.
I must be the exception to the rule because I drive an SUV AND a Morgan (and SWMBO’s Porsche) and am terrified of none of them.

Come on guys let’s drop this “all SUV drivers are ridiculous” attitude and judge each individual on their merits rather than broad sweeping generalisations. It’s a bit like saying all Morgan drivers are old farts stuck in the past wearing flat caps and smoking pipes (with apologies to any Morgan owners who wear a flat cap and smoke a pipe)
I don’t normally get on my soapbox but this is one subject that gets my goat

Good comments on vehicles.

These days cars mean less to me than they did in the past. My Morgan is a fun car, which I also like to maintain myself and of course for the driving experience it gives.

I own an SUV, wouldn’t be without it, but I am in the countryside a good deal.....
Great driving position
I have a large garden so am constantly delivering greens to the tip
can load it with fishing gear (and I need a lot!),
will go down or up off road rough tracks
Don’t get stuck in mud
it only need an annual clean

Soon be in the market for replacement and won’t hesitate.

+1 to that N22MOG