R Class versus Q7

[BTB 500]

To genuinely roll an ML or an X5 (as opposed to it flipping after hitting a kerb, for example) would also be quite an achievement.

Yes, as mentioned above the ESP would probably prevent it. So a fair chance you'd hit whatever you were trying to avoid instead. Better than a rollover accident, but not an ideal outcome.

It's a simple fact that a vehicle with a high C of G can't change direction as rapidly as one with a lower C of G. If you never need to take emergency avoidance action it's not an issue. But if you do, then it is.

 

[hawk20]

Yes, as mentioned above the ESP would probably prevent it. So a fair chance you'd hit whatever you were trying to avoid instead. Better than a rollover accident, but not an ideal outcome.

It's a simple fact that a vehicle with a high C of G can't change direction as rapidly as one with a lower C of G. If you never need to take emergency avoidance action it's not an issue. But if you do, then it is.

And it is a simple fact that you drive to allow for the characteristics of your vehicle. Saloons have a higher C of G than sports cars. MPV's are higher still. Then there are lorries and buses. So what? We drive with the characteristics of our vehicle in mind. We learn the speed it likes to corner at and so on. Young men in saloons and sports cars are far more likely to have accidents than families in a 4x4. I have seen no UK evidence of more accidents in 4x4's. Quite the reverse in fact. As I showed, in most accidents the people in the 4x4 are miles safer.

 

[glojo]

I think the Q7 is slightly better looking than the R and IF it was a straight choice between just those two, then it would be the Q. Does Q rhyme with two?

Having said that there is no way I would buy either. If I wanted a 4 x 4, then it would be the new Range Rover V8 diesel (NOT the Sport) and if I wanted an estate then it would still be the E.

My personal thoughts are these vehicles are neither one nor the other?

Regards
John

 

[hawk20]

If it were not for the social pressure against 4x4's I would greatly prefer a 4x4 to an estate car, nowadays. They offer more height and space, look great and the high driving position is very comfortable and provides better visibility when touring the countryside. They are also much safer in a crash, which I think is important.

Taste as ever is personal. I think the Audi ranks as one of the ugliest creations of this century. The R class is very grand and impressive in the flesh, though not classically beautiful in the way that Bruno Sacco designs undoubtedly were.

 

[glojo]

Taste as ever is personal. I think the Audi ranks as one of the ugliest creations of this century.

I have never made up my mind about which is uglier, the new Audi with its butt ugly grille, or the BMW with the Dame Edna headlights. Both are absolute deal breakers, but thankfully they are both swans in the eyes of more sophisticated folks

John

 

[BonzoDog]

I have never made up my mind about which is uglier, the new Audi with its butt ugly grille, or the BMW with the Dame Edna headlights. Both are absolute deal breakers, but thankfully they are both swans in the eyes of more sophisticated folks

John

Exactly 'butt ugly grille 'and 'deal breaker'. It was as though somebody at Audi said 'Hh so Bmw think they can be ugly, WE'LL show them what ugly is.
I have to say though from my recent ride the Q7 is an extremely impressive car from the inside.

 

[BTB 500]

And it is a simple fact that you drive to allow for the characteristics of your vehicle.

Not in an emergency situation, which is what I've been talking about all along.

 

[hawk20]

Not in an emergency situation, which is what I've been talking about all along.

So what do you want to do? Ban vans? Lorries? Buses? MPV's? Or is it just an anti 4x4 thing?

 

[BTB 500]

So what do you want to do? Ban vans? Lorries? Buses? MPV's? Or is it just an anti 4x4 thing?

None of the above. I'm simply pointing out a safety-related downside to SUVs, in reponse to previous posts praising them in this respect.

 

[glojo]

Exactly 'butt ugly grille 'and 'deal breaker'. It was as though somebody at Audi said 'Hh so Bmw think they can be ugly, WE'LL show them what ugly is.
I have to say though from my recent ride the Q7 is an extremely impressive car from the inside.

That is what I find really annoying. The Audi in particular ticks a lot of the right boxes, but rich old men, rarely marry ugly young women

John The Younger

 

[big x]

not classically beautiful in the way that Bruno Sacco designs undoubtedly were.

First time I've ever heard the W140 called classically beautiful
A real low point for MB considering how good his other designs are.


adam

 

[verytalldave]

Saw my first R320 yesterday. It was HUGE.
As already been said, far too big for normal UK roads and parking spaces. It looked about as large as a Hummer, though perhaps not as wide.
Must be nice to travel in but a bitch to park. Cant see how it would fit into a normal UK home garage. Or perhaps I am missing the point.

 

[BTB 500]

The R is big (esp LWB), but my in-laws in Germany have one as a "2nd car" and use it for shopping etc. No real problems in parking spots or multi-storey carparks, parktronic is a must though

The "too big for UK roads" thing is over-used IMHO. Most of these vehicles (it regularly gets applied to 'full-size' 4x4s like the GL class) are no larger than the medium/long panel vans (Vito, Transporter, Transit, etc.) we see everywhere. And are a lot smaller than say a Sprinter - which is a pretty common vehicle.

 

[verytalldave]

I fully appreciate what you are saying, and yes, I agree its no bigger than a normal panel van, maybe even smaller than some.
But thats like comparing a panel van with a bus or a lorry. Its a dissimilar vehicle and as such I wouldnt expect to see a panel van parked up in many UK garages.
As a "family car" its very big, and my personal opinion is that its proportions make it "unsuitable" for use in the UK.
It is however a very nice looking car, and if I lived somewhere like the US where everything is bigger, then yes, I wouldnt mind having one. The largest car I would ever want to drive and own in the UK would be an E class.

 

[BTB 500]

But family MPVs based on the Transporter (Caravelle) and Vito (V class, Viano) have been around for donkeys years ... and nobody has ever branded those as being too big for UK roads?

 

[verytalldave]

But family MPVs based on the Transporter (Caravelle) and Vito (V class, Viano) have been around for donkeys years ... and nobody has ever branded those as being too big for UK roads?

Fair point. Its just that I was following one in my W203 yesterday in heavy traffic and it just seemed to dwarf me. Perhaps its just my perception. I have followed many other "large" cars like Range Rovers and Grand Voyagers and never had that impression. Must just be me.

 

[BTB 500]

I know what you mean the R does seem quite an imposing vehicle. We had the in-laws' one on our drive for a few weeks in the summer.

 

[glojo]

My wife has recently driven the GL and she did not find it overly big (as in manoeuvrability), but if we are used to driving smaller vehicles then I can understand all the adverse comments. Thinking long and very hard about our day's test drive I think if the access was lower and the rear tail-gate\floor was lower then we would now be very seriously considering this nice vehicle but NOT in either silver or black. £20,000 depreciation in just a few months is also a reason not to buy new.

Regards
John

 

[BTB 500]

My wife has recently driven the GL and she did not find it overly big (as in manoeuvrability), but if we are used to driving smaller vehicles then I can understand all the adverse comments.

My wife's normal car is an Audi A4 but she finds out Long Vito extremely easy to drive and park. She's never driven any vehicle of that size before. It does have Parktronic, which helps with reversing. But the large door mirrors, high seating position, big windows, etc. all contribute too. And we've just found out that it's below the height limit for our local multi-storey

As mentioned her mum drives their LWB R class as an everyday car, she switched to that from a Zafira without any issues.

 

[glojo]

My wife's normal car is an Audi A4 but she finds out Long Vito extremely easy to drive and park. She's never driven any vehicle of that size before. It does have Parktronic, which helps with reversing. But the large door mirrors, high seating position, big windows, etc. all contribute too. And we've just found out that it's below the height limit for our local multi-storey

As mentioned her mum drives their LWB R class as an everyday car, she switched to that from a Zafira without any issues.

I fully agree with your points and in general, if someone learns to drive in a small car, and then continues to buy small cars for a number of years then in general they will find it nerve wracking to jump into even an E-class. There will always be exceptions to a greater, or lesser degree, but reading the many messages on this forum we will see threads where folks even think an E-class is too big for our roads. Small cars, big cars, they are all nice cars and all have a purpose and I am certainly not knocking either. Our big Sprinter does not have parktronic but my wife will still turn it around in our drive and usually without hitting too many walls (joke) she has never touched a solid object, let alone a wall.

Regards
John