I live in the UK and I drive an Astra. It’s a four door hatchback style car from the late 00s, I bought it used and still runs fine even if it’s getting on a bit. I know it won’t last forever, so I’ll probably buy another used car.

Right now, it seems like every new car for sale is a SUV - maybe a crossover which is more moderately sized, but basically an SUV. Buying a new car like my Astra feels niche, I don’t think I have ever seen one at a dealership in the last 5 years.

What’s going to happen to all of these SUVs in 5-10 years? The used market is going to be filthy with them and people are going to buy and drive them because they’ll be cheap - regardless of the fact they are unsafe, costly to run and damaging to road infrastructure. I don’t think we will see any car other than a SUV style car, or a van, on the roads in 5 years.

Does this not terrify anybody else? Something has to change here - either a shift to micro mobility scooters and e bikes or a massive increase in transit investment - or we are headed towards an even bigger disaster. Anybody else feel this way?

  • ffmike@beehaw.org
    18·
    2 years ago

    Here in the middle of America, it’s not SUVs - it’s full-size pickup trucks. Just as much of an ecological and safety disaster though.

    • greenteadrinker@midwest.socialEnglish
      2·
      2 years ago

      Ah, the pickup truck, the SUV for insecure dads. Or for office workers LARPing as construction workers.

      I think the Ford CEO even said they build trucks for the working man, but I don’t think a tradesman has an unlined bed, a super lifted truck, or a short bed that can’t fit a full sheet of plywood or drywall

      • sanzky@beehaw.orgEnglish
        3·
        2 years ago

        That idea of pickup trucks being for required ‘working people’ is totally made up. Construction workers all over the world do fine with simple white vans.

        • greenteadrinker@midwest.socialEnglish
          1·
          2 years ago

          Agreed. Like I can understand when you need a truck, you need a truck. But most of the time, those guys seem to need storage space that’s covered more than they need towing/hauling capabilities with a short bed that’s

      • suddenlythequietrose@beehaw.orgEnglish
        1·
        2 years ago

        Well you would be wrong on the last part, tradesmen are very often just as (in my experience sometimes more) superficial and short-sighted regarding their choice of vehicle. 90% of jobs people think they should buy a truck for would be far better suited with a van.

        • greenteadrinker@midwest.socialEnglish
          2·
          2 years ago

          There’s new construction near my house and I much prefer the guys in shit box cars, minivans, and actual work vans. The trucks seem to belong to the LARPers on-site and always have the cover on their bed, because almost all the materials hauled in are on flatbed trucks

          I like seeing when tradesmen pull up in their beat up 600k mile Scion xB or a white van. It makes me think that there was more thought put into the purchasing of their tools than looking at ads/marketing. They were also chill people to work with too

        • Kwikxilver@beehaw.orgOPEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          It’s a status symbol. I used to live next to tradies who would laugh about a guy turning up on the worksite with a cheap Ute or an automatic transmission. Having a big, powerful muscle car is - as Nick Offerman describes it - like having a carapace for these men to hide in and feel protected.