Why do people want SUVs rather than estate cars?

[Archimedes]

We’ve owned three SUVs over the years. Aside from the space, we needed to be able to tow 6500 lbs safely, so a large truck or SUV was the best choice.

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[simcity]

Anyway he had had a 5-series estate which suited his life style well for a long time but got persuaded by the BMW marketing people to get a X5 next - the cars were sold on as ex-demonstrators at 3-6 months old and the X5 was more fashionable hence easier to sell on.

New BMW i5 Touring on the way….

 

[TXSchnee]

I will do a quick list of my personal daily drivers since 2015:
'15 BMW X3
'15 BMW X5
'17 Audi S6
'18 BMW X3
'20 Porsche Cayenne E Hybrid (still own)
'23 Taycan

So a mix of sedan, SUV and wagon. The main reason for the SUVs is that in the US, there aren't options for estates. You can order an E Class in either the 6 or 8 cylinder, an Audi A6 in a lifted Allroad model, a Subaru Outback, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo (which is not coming to the US next year) or the Taycan ST GT or CT. Quite frankly the SUVs I had drove better than any Subaru ever could, and I live in TX, so when the lifted Ford F250 is alongside you, it doesn't feel like you may die at any second. My SUVs make good road trip vehicles, we make the trek from Austin, TX to St. Paul, MN, which is 1200 miles one way, usually once a year. Bad roads, and long drives are just more comfortable in an SUV. Long story short, US has zero choice for estates, infrastructure sucks, and every other person is in a huge full size pickup or body on frame SUV and they don't care if they hit you.

 

[Poshfpg]

This is a topic close to my heart, I hate SUVs but the interior cabin space is much, much larger than an estate. We had twins and once they got to 5 our C6 RS6 Avant wasn’t big enough. I’m 6’5” and in their car seats not to crush their knees meant mine were wedged against the dashboard to the extent driving was difficult. Changing to a Cayenne was night and day, you sit more upright and above the wheels so in a shorter car it’s vastly more spacious.

As soon as the CT was available we tested it and all was good as no more car seats, they were 10. In the 18 months it took the car to arrive they both grew about a foot though and I’m back to knees almost against the dash when the shorter one is behind me. I use setting 2 on my own and 3 when he’s back there. It’s still cramped for him but we all love the car too much to raise any complaints for now but when he grows another 6-8 inches it’s going to be.a real issue

He was in an IONIQ5 recently behind a similar height driver and came back raving about the space he had. Even my wife’s ID3 gives him more space as it’s more upright.

So while I completely agree with you Frank on SUVs I do think it’s easier for a Chris Harris to say than a Henry Catchpole. They are more practical, if well designed, and for many people that is more important than ride and handling.

Few people on here fall into those “many people”

 

[Archimedes]

The other reason why estates aren’t popular in the US is because of competition from minivans. They crush estates in terms of family functionality, and most American families who don’t go for the high riding suv would opt for a minivan instead.

 

[Hanny]

I will do a quick list of my personal daily drivers since 2015:
'15 BMW X3
'15 BMW X5
'17 Audi S6
'18 BMW X3
'20 Porsche Cayenne E Hybrid (still own)
'23 Taycan

So a mix of sedan, SUV and wagon. The main reason for the SUVs is that in the US, there aren't options for estates. You can order an E Class in either the 6 or 8 cylinder, an Audi A6 in a lifted Allroad model, a Subaru Outback, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo (which is not coming to the US next year) or the Taycan ST GT or CT. Quite frankly the SUVs I had drove better than any Subaru ever could, and I live in TX, so when the lifted Ford F250 is alongside you, it doesn't feel like you may die at any second. My SUVs make good road trip vehicles, we make the trek from Austin, TX to St. Paul, MN, which is 1200 miles one way, usually once a year. Bad roads, and long drives are just more comfortable in an SUV. Long story short, US has zero choice for estates, infrastructure sucks, and every other person is in a huge full size pickup or body on frame SUV and they don't care if they hit you.

…when I first glanced at your post, I thought your were a prolific SUV owner with an addiction of owning a total of 68 SUV’s

 

[Crazymind]

I love estate, I still drive my old 1976 Volvo 245. There is no car with a bigger boot as of today (at least in Europe). I felt it was a little small when I started to travel long distances with a bed in the boot. Not much space left for luggage and didn’t like travelling with a big box on the roof neither like the roof tent. At that point any people career was too small for my needs. Ended up with Vw Transporter. On my 3rd now. Driving position king of the road, 135 mph for autobahan trans board, bed in the back and all the gears I need with me. As of today ai can’t think of anything more comfortable and better than my Transporter: I can travel 700 miles in one day, with power naps when tired, feeling like at home all the way. And when it’s pissing down rain the visibility is far superior to any low car and mid size suv.

 

[RAHRCR]

I am still too focused on quietly living the wagon life to drive anything else….

The wife loves her XC90…I don’t hold it against her.

 

[ChronoMax]

In the U.S. there is another reason so many “light trucks” are manufactured as compared to "passenger cars":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy

https://www.thedrive.com/news/small-cars-are-getting-huge-are-fuel-economy-regulations-to-blame

 

[daveo4EV]

I know I am not a typical car person but whilst accepting the reality of the popularity of SUVs I am completely baffled by the total lack of a rational reason for it.

The only objective comparison I have experience of was a colleague, also a racing car designer, who had a BMW company car.
He is a keen off-road cyclist and went out every lunch time for a quick thrash along the Ridgeway.

Anyway he had had a 5-series estate which suited his life style well for a long time but got persuaded by the BMW marketing people to get a X5 next - the cars were sold on as ex-demonstrators at 3-6 months old and the X5 was more fashionable hence easier to sell on.

Anyway he described it as an inverse-Tardis - for Dr Who fans to understand.

The X5 needed the front wheel removing to fit his ’bike whereas the 5-series estate did not.

The X5 was noisier, slower, handled less well, used more fuel, had a higher load floor to lift into and a less usable shape to the load volume.

He didn’t find the higher viewing angle - its only point of superiority - to be worth it being so comprehensively worse in every other way. He went back to a 5-series estate at the next change of course.

The differences he found are all to be expected technically, except perhaps the lack of utility for him of the load space shape.

SUVs are heavier, less aerodynamic and have a higher centre of gravity so will always be worse in dynamics and efficiency.

Is it just fashion and/or trendy styling or are people just ill informed about the shortcomings?

A shame, and a bit silly/pitiful if it is just image…

in my case the following reasons (wife approved/required)

1. higher ride from the cabin
2. tall seats vs. sedan - legs/knee position of seat height vs. floor
3. for the SUV's I actually purchase - greater head room
4. normally better cargo capacity
5. towing ability
6. taller entry/exit is easier than 'sitting down' into a sedan

the driving capabilities of an SUV vs. Sedan/Estate car are not consequential for errands/normal highway driving.

in my opinion/experience they are more practical - doing a big-box store costco run for a family of 5 - along with the family of 5 and bringing home the weeks+ groceries, clothes and items a family tends to accumulate the SUV is more practical on a daily basis.

that being said the MOST functional/practical vehicle I have ever owned is a Honda Odyessy - both as a people mover and cargo hauler, driving, comfort, cost, practicality there is nothing better hands down.

my Cayenne, Merc GL450, BMW X5 and Acura MDX were all better family vehicles than most any sedan I could've purchased- and they are all more comfortable and accessible for a couple's night out with friends going to dinner and wine tasting in Napa (with cargo room for luggage and cases of wine for the trip home from Napa)

In one particular case the Model Y vs. the Model 3 as a direct comparision the Model Y vastly superior cabin/cargo volume is definitely more practical with very little loss in overall driving dynamics due to the still awesome low center of gravity of the Y - but when it comes to loading/unloading "stuff" the Model Y's rear cargo hatch vs. the model 3's limited trunk has real practical value - and you can fit stuff in the model Y that simply will not physically go into the 3.

my $0.02

 

[laua]

I have a XC90 as well as we needed a third row to drive the extended family around but I actually think it is a wasteful kind of big. Yes the car is large but it doesn’t translate into usable space. I can’t even carry my daughter’s push tricycle with the canopy unless I take it apart yet our friends’ Honda Odyssey can fit it with room to spare. I’d happily get a van but I’m not a fan of Toyota or Hondas US offerings. If they had a Toyota Alphard in the US I’d get it in a heartbeat. I’d also consider the id buzz as well once it’s available though I don’t know if I still need a 7 seater by the time I need to replace my XC90.

 

[timo]

Towing capacity and cargo room.

A family of 4+ that tows a travel trailer or boat requires a full size suv, or a body on frame truck. The truck will do it more comfortably for passengers and driver but a full size suv will get the job done for smaller boats or trailers.

 

[kempez]

I will say that the XC90 is cavernous. When we chatted to the Volvo dealership he made the point that the XC90 was designed to get the best interior space possible out of the body and that the XC60 was essentially the opposite: designed to cosset you and you passengers. But it had so much less space than the wife’s Passat estate or a Skoda Superb.

But our XC90 we’ve had completely full up at times and it just takes so much stuff. Even with the (excellent), extra seats you can manage a good load of stuff in the boot.

We did consider a VW camper too, but they are essentially a van in the UK. Which is fine, they just didn’t appeal to my wife like the XC90

 

[f1eng]

Sorry forum members from the USA but I did put this in the UK section because IME US road conditions and requirements are completely different from here.

Clearly if you need >5 seats a car or estate car isn’t much use either, we had a people carrier whilst we had all 4 of our children at home 20 years ago, none of the SUVs then were capacious enough to consider and my wife is more practical than image conscious. She has never cared what others thought! OTOH she did end up being the driver often on events because she could take so many more kids somewhere in roomy comfort than other parents.

 

[SteveGTS]

Sorry forum members from the USA but I did put this in the UK section because IME US road conditions and requirements are completely different from here.

Clearly if you need >5 seats a car or estate car isn’t much use either, we had a people carrier whilst we had all 4 of our children at home 20 years ago, none of the SUVs then were capacious enough to consider and my wife is more practical than image conscious. She has never cared what others thought! OTOH she did end up being the driver often on events because she could take so many more kids somewhere in roomy comfort than other parents.

As someone who has been on several family holidays in a proper (classic) Mini carrying 4 of us with luggage no I don't need an SUV I only got a Sport Turismo because we now have a dog.

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