What Body Type of Car Do You Drive?

Sleeqb7 on 09/03/2023 - 13:21
Last edited 09/03/2023 - 13:25

It's not a particularly hot take to say that big cars are becoming more common.

American XXXL vehicles are starting to make their way here, more SUVs being purchased than ever before, and even Utes like the Hilux has gotten larger in recent years.
Even personally speaking, I've had two colleagues in the last handful of months change out their sedans for SUVs. Neither of which will take them off road, and one of which will likely not carry anything more than a single occupant 99% of the time.

Given that I do not have a large vehicle, I now have less visibility when driving, and particularly when turning out of streets/driveways/etc, because these vehicles twice my size are in the entirety of my line of sight.
And that's ignoring the realities of fuel consumption of most larger vehicles too, which given current fuel prices seems rough.

As such, I'm curious as to the OzB representation.
What do you drive, and why?

For me, I have a hatchback because I live in a capital city and wanted something fuel efficient and easy to get into smaller car parks.
Lots of people say they buy a larger car for safety, which seems to just be at the expense of other people on the road. If you feel like some extra-curriculum viewing and have 40ish minutes spare, this video gives a mostly USA-centric insight to the state of larger vehicles over there, with some relevancy for here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo

Poll Options

  • 70
    Coupe/Convertible
  • 285
    Sedan
  • 299
    Hatchback
  • 225
    SUV
  • 57
    Ute
  • 15
    Van
  • 91
    Wagon
  • 14
    Motorbike
  • 16
    Other
Automotive Car

Comments

      • RetroGameNerd on 12/03/2023 - 23:47

        Which engine did you go for?
        I've got the 5L v8 in Manual.
        Slow off the line due to its weight, but once it gets into second it feels like the car will leave you behind.

        • Forskin on 13/03/2023 - 09:23

          5L of course, automatic

          I've done some very minor mods, air intake, catback exh & dyno tune.
          Made 259kw @ the wheels which is about right for a gen 2 auto.

          I probably shouldn't have said horribly slow, it goes pretty good, just comparing it to my boosted LS which isn't fair anyway

  • thom on 10/03/2023 - 12:52
    +1

    SUV come in 3 sizes (Small, Medium & Large) - lumping them together doesn't make a lot of sense as they have replaced different sections of the car market.

  • thom on 10/03/2023 - 13:03

    Also how people use their vehicles makes a big difference - some own a vehicle for long distance trips on weekends and commute by other means during the week (public transport, cycling, walking, etc.). They may own a large SUV but not contribute much to traffic congestion. Whereas another person may own a small hatchback and zip about town constantly adding to congestion.

    • Sleeqb7 on 10/03/2023 - 13:07

      You're right, but my commentary is simply "larger vehicles are appearing more frequently than they used to, which I find personally inconvenient as a small car driver". Congestion is a whole other issue which I think is pretty equally caused by large and small vehicles, but ultimately is down to city design.
      I'm not exactly market research here, I'm just having a whinge about bigger vehicles and was curious as to this community's vehicle makeup.

  • chanleystan on 10/03/2023 - 13:36
    +2

    Motorbike (honda cbr600rr) and small suv/wagon (suzuki grand vitara)

    Motorbike for commuting and small trips
    and car for commuting and everything else (groceries/camping/transporting mountain bike)

    I'm not a fan when people buy big vehicles and don't use it for its propose. Waste of fuel imo

    • GG57 on 10/03/2023 - 13:46

      Yep, go to a suburban commuter car park and there will be a Camry parked next to a Landcruiser; one uses ~twice the fuel than the other.

  • gimme on 10/03/2023 - 14:04

    Nobody drives a hatchback in Victoria according to the archaic shithole that's VicRoads. They're sedans apparently!

    • kerfuffle on 10/03/2023 - 16:14
      +1

      Same in NSW; hatches are considered sedans when you rego check one

  • drilly on 10/03/2023 - 14:18

    I'm clinging onto my coupe but love our SUV, in fact I want to get an even bigger one. It's just nice knowing that a Costco run will just fit without needing to play Tetris. Also, kids.

    • p1 ama on 11/03/2023 - 17:18
      +3

      It's just nice knowing that a Costco run will just fit without needing to play Tetris

      Get a wagon

  • WeeDeePotato on 10/03/2023 - 14:30

    Hatch - Kia Cerato.

    Biggest cargo room in its class. Better than the sedan in my opinion because you can fit all sorts of large volume items within, even if the boot is technically smaller.

    I enjoy small / medium cars. I don't see the point of anything bigger except if you're actually using it for the additional features regularly.

    Also fixing up a motorcycle I bought for extremely cheap as a weekend fun machine.

  • geekcohen on 10/03/2023 - 15:01

    Ute with a Canopy. Wanted something bigger for the family and transporting bigger things. drive a lot on the freeway in Gippsland and for towing Trailer + Caravan (coming in the future). Upgraded from a Holden VE Sedan.

  • Vool on 10/03/2023 - 15:06

    SUV (Forester). I've got dodgy legs so getting out of a sedan is difficult.

  • Nazzabeth on 10/03/2023 - 16:21
    +1

    I drive a hatchback because that’s what was passed onto me by my grandfather when he stopped driving.
    It’s 20 years old now and while still running well, at some stage it’ll need replacing.
    I’d probably go for another hatchback in the future, I like the option of folding the back seats down and being able to fit quite large items in. If I have kids in the future I would like to get a wagon, but I’m not really seeing EV wagons being made….hopefully that will change.

    EDIT
    I should explain why I trend that way! Generally I want a car that is fuel efficient and low emissions, which generally leads towards hatchbacks. But also, SUVs and larger vehicles are sometimes safer for occupants, they are much more deadly for pedestrians and motorists involved in crashes.

    That gets worse with EVs as they are much heavier than an ICE car, and the weight greatly increases with size.

    If driving a smaller car lowers the likelihood of killing a seriously injuring someone in a crash, I will gladly take that option.

  • Jugganautx on 10/03/2023 - 16:44
    +1

    Lots of soccer mum's on here for sure.

  • dkwon10 on 10/03/2023 - 17:12

    I have owned 6 cars so far and they are all sedans as I like the shape.. but as I'm turning 30 next year I'm wanting to get an SUV (it has to look good, have my eyes on eclipse cross YB atm)
    another reason for that is most of aus driveway are really bad, I scrape the front bumper and front lip all the time, it could be my problem tho

    • garage sale on 12/03/2023 - 02:39

      if you have owned sedans, you have enjoyed low centre of gravity and faster cornering ….once you get to an suv , higher centre of gravity and slower around corners ….. always dread when an suv in front of me wants to corner …..they slow down to snail pace vs sedans or hatch backs …….

      • CurlCurl on 12/03/2023 - 09:31

        Oh dear. So you are one of those drivers!

        • garage sale on 12/03/2023 - 10:35

          yes , my sedan is nimble so cars behind me don’t have to slow down much if i corner ….large SUV not only slow down to an almost stop, also tend to corner if turning left from the right lane ….not sure if it’s turning circle around sharp corners or just bad drivers …..

          • CurlCurl on 12/03/2023 - 11:09

            @garage sale: also tend to corner if turning left from the right lane

            Agree. That is something that is becoming more common, and it's not just large SUVs. Yes it is bad driving.

  • s1Lence on 10/03/2023 - 17:45
    +2

    Nice to see so much appreciation for station wagons here, always thought they were underrated by the masses.

  • p3t0r on 10/03/2023 - 20:08

    Ute. I work in IT so don't use it for work. Our family is quite outdoorsy. Tow a boat, caravan, light 4WD bush camping, drive on the beach.

    Wife has a SUV as the weekly car

  • conza on 10/03/2023 - 20:20

    Heartwarming to see Hatchbacks are number one, I think they're a great choice.

    • garage sale on 12/03/2023 - 02:41

      hatch backs have the lower centre of gravity so agile when cornering but still can drop back seats for extra space ….

  • TEER3X on 10/03/2023 - 20:21

    Voluptuous

  • Thinkswithelbow on 11/03/2023 - 09:34

    A small turbo hatch. I've owned them ever since I bought my first second hand xr5 about 10 years ago. Very practical and handy when the seats drop to store things….plus very fun to drive.

    Perfect size for a small family too.

  • cainen on 11/03/2023 - 10:32

    I have 3 cars but the poll only allows one selection. An SUV, a 2 door hatch and a 2 door coupe.

  • Darude Sandstorm on 11/03/2023 - 14:17

    WAGON BOIIIIII

  • MrThing on 11/03/2023 - 14:57

    I need an american XXXXXXXXXL sized pickup for my XXXXXXXL sized ass to drive my XXXXXXXXXXXXXL sized kids to school 5min down the road

    does that sum up a lot of the cars you see at school pickups? urban monster trucks

    they probs complain about fuel price and rego costs as well

  • frozze on 11/03/2023 - 15:48

    I bought a BMW hot hatch in 2021 because I was going through a bit of 1/3 life crisis and also COVID. I've always wanted a hot hatch growing up! I've since scratched that itch and have recently changed jobs with the office being in the city. I have been commuting back and forth over the last 2 months and I'm getting really sick of driving this hot hatch. Coupled with a really firm suspension, dodgy Melbourne roads and lots of tram track, I'm now considering changing to a compact SUV for a more comfortable daily driver. I like small cars to zip around and I'm mainly driving by myself. I'm going to test drive the VW T-Roc R-line next week.

  • thesilverstarman on 11/03/2023 - 15:56

    All vehicles are bigger. In the 60s and 70s the average Holden or Ford sedan has the interior room today that the Toyota Corolla has. A VE/VF commodore is bigger inside than what a Statesman or Fairlaine was. And the average ute used to be car sized, but has grown to be the size of 4WD. I drive a ute, but don't need a 4WD, but there are no car sized utes available. The US big utes have been neded for a long while. Towing laws changed, and if you want to tow a horse float or caravan you can no longer do it with the average sedan. Even utes that promise 3.5t cant do that if they are loaded with passengers and gear. The only alternative was a truck, and these are essentially a more comfortable truck that looks like a ute. The entry level ones can be driven on a car licence, same as small truck, but the bigger ones require a truck licence. Seeing them in traffic is no differerent to being behind a truck. And plenty of people who live in cities need to tow for business or pleasure.

  • Croshema on 11/03/2023 - 17:22

    I purchased a second vehicle, a van (Hiace) for Sports related activities.

    Amazing, the space, turning circle, ability to see at intersections, the space (2x I know), functionality for a multitude of uses, ease of moving almost anything my daily life requires, it’s become a super handy part of my life, can also seat 5 if needed.

    Downsides.

    1 Do not crash.

    2 Do not have an accident.

  • jeeves on 11/03/2023 - 17:28

    Subaru Outback Wagon. Has a bit of height. bit of off-roading, plenty of space to transport stuff

  • TheBean on 11/03/2023 - 22:01

    I voted wrong… Can you revote?

  • [Deactivated] on 12/03/2023 - 07:44

    Yesss i love not just bikes he's the best

    Will blame him for my desire to emigrate to the netherlands

  • AndresF on 12/03/2023 - 11:05

    8 seater Toyota tarago with the 2.5 /4 cylinder engine. I have three kids ages 5 and twins who are 3.
    - Heaps of room.
    - Sliding doors are awesome for loading kids.
    - Low enough that kids can easily get themselves in/out.
    - Option to carry more people when visiting.
    - Decent on fuel at 10L/100km
    - Easy to work on. The 3.5 option has more power but tight engine bay.
    - Reliable everyday vehicle
    - safe and comfortable
    - kids love the third row for some reason

    What's bad:
    - No fun factor
    - Kinda hard to park
    - 10l/100km is not awful but also not great

    Overall, I can appreciate this car for what it does. But before having kids I had a Hyundai Getz and a motorcycle. So I miss smaller, more fun, better at fuel vehicles.

    Sometimes I consider selling it and buying something more fun. A wagon or a sedan but I know I'll miss the space and absolutely hate buying/selling vehicles.

  • maverickjohn on 12/03/2023 - 13:37

    Hmmm I own 2 cars so choosing one will remove the other

  • wolvesaussie on 12/03/2023 - 17:27
    +1

    Wagon, great for the dogs, shame the range of available wagons are dropping.

  • Stargazer5 on 12/03/2023 - 20:35

    Toyota Corolla Hatch back hybrid
    Looks nice~
    Good fuel efficiency 4.5l/100km 91 fuel
    It came with included safety senses that sedan didn’t have at the time and added tech.
    Small.
    Good affordable price compared to bigger cars
    Good spacious driver and front seats.
    No need for much backseat space.
    Fold down flat seats for carry bulky items like supplies, bikes, scooters, camping gear.
    Zippy when driving and easy to drive. Large cars are normally slower in acceleration even though more power.
    Reliable Toyota and because of popular car, for extra parts and cheaper than expensive cars.

  • Techie4066 on 16/03/2023 - 13:57

    There should be multiple options for SUV. There's subcompacts (European small-midsize) all the way up to American tank-sized monstrosities. None are great for our cities but one side of the spectrum is much better. And yeah I watch Not Just Bikes.

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