Estate or SUV?

SDK^ said:
Like for like engines the difference is about 250kg - I'm pretty sure you would notice that amount if I asked you to push it along and stop it :D
That's the same weight as 3 adults - I definitely notice when i'm driving with an extra 3 up.
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You need a bigger engine then.
Andi.
 
andicole0 said:
Depends on engine for the precise weight but there is a very small percentage difference in weight. You probably couldn't tell the difference.
Andi.
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The problem is the estate will always win price for price. If you went for a normal run of the mill Q5 petrol would more than likely get you in a A4 avant in S4 trim.
 
The SUV has 250kg of extra steel to pay for; with shared platforms, and economy of scale, that cost balance might be on the side of the suv, maybe it finally costs the-same to build as the estate ... but the suv premium pushes it above the estate.

Passive safety of the estate with it's lower CofG (that extra 250kg m r \omega^2) should be a bigger purchase factor, but I suppose a test-drive on a wet road is not part of the typical purchase decision.

longer term -
onset of electric vehicles(accelerated by fuel taxes/inner city tolls) could re-dress the suv vs estate equlibrium, with the impact of their/suv aerodynamics and weight on range?
 
jpaul said:
onset of electric vehicles(accelerated by fuel taxes/inner city tolls) could re-dress the suv vs estate equlibrium, with the impact of their/suv aerodynamics and weight on range?
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That's a good point. Let's see what militant SUV lover @andicole0 has to counter that one. Probably some fabricated weight statistic :p.
 
andicole0 said:
Depends on engine for the precise weight but there is a very small percentage difference in weight. You probably couldn't tell the difference.
Andi.
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Of course you could tell the difference. I put about 1500 miles on a rented Q7 3.0 TDI last year - I really enjoyed it, actually, but the one thing that was painfully obvious was just how big and heavy it was. An Estate is noticeably more nimble.
 
Estate all day long I've just never understood the SUB rational, I'm still hoping electric cars herald a small lightweight aerodynamic revolution cars have got so big and day over the last 20 off years. It would make parking less of a problem too!
 
Pros of an SUV for me:

- Higher driving position = better visibility
- Easier / more comfortable to get into and out of - especially as I’m not getting any younger
- More space/legroom/headroom for rear passengers
- More ground clearance - wasn’t an issue living in London, but is very helpful now I live out in the sticks.

Cons:

- Not as much load space as a large estate
- Less aerodynamic: worse full economy and more affected by side winds
- Height could be an issue in smaller garages/car parks
- Fugly styling
 
Joe T said:
Actually it's easier to package an EV in an SUV/Crossover body due to the batteries being under the floor, pushing the cabin area up.
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+1

This is the main reason so many manufacturers are moving towards taller crossover and SUV styled vehicles. To prepare for the move towards electric vehicles.
 
silvagti said:
To prepare for the move towards electric vehicles.
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first law of fightclubaerodynamics cd * frontal area ... how fars your obese suv going to get

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Plus at lower city speeds, which is increasingly what people use their cars for, it's far less of an issue.

I'm no SUV cheerleader and doubt I'll buy one anytime soon however I can see why they make a lot of sense for older people, families and those looking for plenty of interior load space without the larger footprint of a bigger car to park.

Whist the styling might not be to everyone taste I think we'd all agree they're far easier on the eye than a lot of the older tall ungainly MPV, Plus sized, stretched hatchback models we were seeing 10-20 years ago!
 
I quite like the wife’s Tiguan. Living out in the sticks it’s been pretty handy. It’s alright to drive, has 4 wheel drive and it’s the only car I’ve driven where you can get a 6-foot passenger in the seat behind me comfortably for a long journey.

On the flip side, I prefer the styling and the dynamics of a good estate car. Just got an S4 saloon, had we not got the Tiguan I’d have almost certainly got the Avant.
 
Joe T said:
Actually it's easier to package an EV in an SUV/Crossover body due to the batteries being under the floor, pushing the cabin area up.
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Indeed

You can even see how Porsche have had to take cells out of the pack below the rear passengers footwell in order to give a sensible comfortable posture and low roof height.
 
Well after having a good look around over the weekend, i think i will go with an estate they better value for your money. My wife preferred the SUV's and to honest there is a part of me that does too, but you can get more for your money if you get an estate. So once i have put a MOT and serviced my current car it will go up for sale. During that time i think i will start saving as i the all the ones i liked where just out of reach for the moment.
 
I drive an S4 Avant and the missus has a Tiguan, so I see both sides.

Both are pretty similar in the practicality stakes, with the estates boot being bigger with the seats in normal position but sacrificing rear leg room. With the seats down there's not much in it. I can just get 3M lengths of timber in the Audi, 8x2 sheets of flooring and even 1800x900 plasterboards. Full sheets go on the roof.

I prefer driving mine but the Tiguan does have that nice high seating position that makes city driving easier I think due to the increased visibility. Plus after a near fatal motorway accident a couple of years back the wife feels much safer in her tank :D
 
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