Are you a Millennial SUV Buyer?

[Webmaster]

A new Ford Motor Company survey shows SUVs are highly desired by Millennials – those aged 17-34 – indicating Europe’s SUV boom is poised to accelerate as the generation reaches prime new car buying age.

More so than other age groups, Millennials say SUVs make them feel powerful when they drive, are the kind of vehicle they want to be seen in and are more sporty and fun to drive than other vehicle types – according to top strategic research consultancy Benenson Strategy Group.

The Millennial generation is also more likely to consider it important that a car is perfect for an

View the full article & discuss below.

[mac11irl]

My sister has an ix35 which she doesnt need on the grounds of her work and location etc but likes to be up high... She dropped me and swmbo to the airport 2yrs ago on our way to canada on honeymoon. Our luggage fitted more easily in my octy for the drive to her place.

Most "suv's" are generally pointless "crossover" type crap in particular ie cashcows,jokes, etc. I have driven a few proper suvs, dad had a freelander sport which was a dexent all rounder, had a hard previous life in a quarry though.. and a couple of pajeros inc a sport which alright.

Im 32, grew up in the country, now live in a big ish town and wil change my octavia for another octavia that appears as good as my current one. Id be tempted by a scout version just for the extra potential practicality, but it would take a lot to convince me on most of the suv/crossovers the millenials are buying...

[Gromle]

Im 34, and a SUV is not something I would buy.

Big, heavy and not very manouverable. I kinda laugh when I see those with big SUVs who only drive around in the City.

A normal car with 4x4 is perfect for me, and Ill stick to that, unless I buy a cabin high up in the mountains with poor dirtroad Access. And then it would be a Landcruiser or something that actually works off road. Not a x5, q5 or some showoff SUV with 20" rims.

Edited 8 September, 2015 by Gromle

[M12MKD]

At 37 I'm out of the age bracket, but although I like SUV's, it's not something I would buy without having a second car. As a everyday relaxed car they are great, but not so good for that weekend blast down that special road we all have.

 

Was interested in the Mitsubishi PHEV, but although very nice to drive it was very very dull!

 

If I had to buy a SUV for offroading then it would be a Defender, a proper 4x4! And one of my favourite cars

[TriggerFish]

24, and unless it was a Discovery (or equally good off-roader) I'd not want one. I don't like the high, unstable feeling driving positions myself, and they seem like a sacrifice on too much to be worth it compared to a saloon/hatchback/estate (speed, weight, handling, mpg). 

 

Even more so for the 2WD ones.

[Huskoda]

I didn't want one. What I did want was a decent powered petrol 4x4 estate car. The choices for those were very thin on the ground, without getting to silly money. Ideally I wanted a WRX Wagon, but since Subaru stopped selling them here, I went for the next closest thing, the Forester XT. It still says Estate Car in the V5, so I technically did get what I was after

I have grown to like the practicality and the good view all round. I certainly don't have it for fashion. Infact I like that it gets panned by reviewers for its simple cabin and agricultural image. It does everything I want and does it well, with it even having respectable off road cred.

I can't stand the faux-by-fours we have so many of now. I think the worst is the Ford EcoSport. It looks a bit offroady, but is not available with AWD and is neither sporty nor economical.

[StevesTruck]

Im not, my brother is, but to be fair, seeing his without a 3 tonne trailer being it and mud up to the door handles is rare. 

 

Although I do prefer the van to the car because of the ride height, so maybe I'm in denial.

[DanHarper]

Brother and his partner have one of those X Trail things. Quite old but diesel so they use it for lugging stuff and long trips. Their second car is an RX8 though, so its not hard for the X Trail to be the most economical

 

I fit in to the age group too, and would consider a certain type of SUV normally favoured by those of more advanced years, but I would tweak it slightly

[mdon]

I'm in that age group and although I don't have one yet I do have a crossover and a focus, I intend to trade the focus in after Christmas for a SUV with 4wd but then again I'd actuall use it. So far I've had the pug stuck going on the tracks to take the mountain bikes out so something with 4wd would be helpful. Also the same with my kayaking, I often have to drive across tracks etc to get to the rivers. I'd probably go for a RAV4 as having drive hilux's on the far toyotas are generally good solid machines and the RAV4 can take a bit of punishment.

[Volvomeg]

I also fit into that catagory and actually own a Volvo XC90, little bigger than your avarage SUV but it still is,

 

Mine doesn't get used to just pootle to round town in though,

 

It spends alot of time with my trailer on back and i actually make use of its 4wd on a regular basis

 

[mdon]

I also fit into that catagory and actually own a Volvo XC90, little bigger than your avarage SUV but it still is,

 

Mine doesn't get used to just pootle to round town in though,

 

It spends alot of time with my trailer on back and i actually make use of its 4wd on a regular basis

 

How horrendous on fuel are the xc90s? I'd much rather have one of those than a RAV4.

[Ramsey2510]

24 here. 

 

I'm not a big fan of SUV's. Or any sort of big 4x4 for that matter really. 

 

My parents own a fleet of 4x4's and pick-ups. All Mitsubishi, mixture of Shogun's and L200's and I often drive them, which I know aren't strictly SUV's but, I'm not a fan. I can't get away with the high seating position or how the centre of gravity is. Unless I had a real need for one I wouldn't have one. There's nothing that I can imagine that a nice STi or Evo can't do that an SUV can. And I can have a lot more fun in an STi or Evo. 

 

I think the reason SUV's sell well to my generation is because of their perceived capabilities, the marketing around that, and tidy PCP packages that come with them. 

 

But I think of myself as a "driver", so a big part of why I buy a car is to have fun while driving it. But then again, most people don't really care about that, and a car is to just get you from A to B, and again that's probably why SUV's sell well because of their perceived capabilities to get you from A to B. 

[Gromle]

I can't get away with the high seating position or how the centre of gravity is.

But then again, most people don't really care about that, and a car is to just get you from A to B, and again that's probably why SUV's sell well because of their perceived capabilities to get you from A to B.

Funny you should say that. When winter comes, big SUVs are what you find in the ditches most often.

People seem to think they are invincible when driving one of those. They seem to forget how heavy they are, and 4WD doesnt help you stop....

[StevesTruck]

And that there's more than one sort of tyre.

[Ootohere]

There are, and many never bother to fit them or consider they will need to, to their Large and competent SUV that they spent £40,000 plus on.

Well not until the first time it slides into the Kerb or they find that the Gritters / Salters have not been around to

the junction or Incline or descent (or even off camber) they get to and they slide past the Stop / Give Way markings or can not getting moving because of the lack of Traction.

 

That is usually when they read the Owners Manual, 

or visit the Tyre Fitting Centre to enquire about suitable tyres and are told they can get them in a day or 3. (Maybe)

 

It is an Annual Event, and in just a few weeks many of the 65 Plate SUV Owners will be visiting the Tyre Fitting Centres.

Or back at the Supplying Dealer asking why their 4x4 / AWD has not got All Wheel Drive or even 4 Wheel Drive.

 

PS

The last place you want to be driving is the likes of Aberdeen as the First hard Frost then Snow falls, 

and many of the rather expensive Prestige AWD's start slithering around and causing gridlock and mayhem.

As others little city cars or cars with pretty standard but not wide and low profile tyres try to get about without getting taken out by those that get the 2 tonnes plus (4x4) moving and find out they do not stop very well.

[StevesTruck]

Yep, felicia pickup on 13" winter tyres beats 40k worth of most things on an icey Road.

[Volvomeg]

How horrendous on fuel are the xc90s? I'd much rather have one of those than a RAV4.

 

There not that bad really, trip hovers around 30mpg and that includes abit of towing,

 

Mines the earlier model with the 163bhp engine but it has no dpf or related crap on it and it has more than enough torque it could just do with the later 6 speed auto box rather than 5 it has in it as it feels like its revving abit high at 80 on motorway

[Ramsey2510]

Thing is with a lot of modern SUV's. A lot of the trim levels don't come with 4WD. Many are only 2WD. Take for example the Mitsubishi ASX, only the top spec version are 4WD. So you have to wonder how many SUV's that are actually on the road really have 4WD. Which negates the usual default "I can use it in all weather" argument.

 

"B-b-b-but. I have leather seats, and dual zone climate control, and sat nav, and ooh look my phone automatically syncs and plays music, and..."

 

All of which you could have had for cheaper, had you bought a smaller car, if that's all you really cared about. 

 

Which is why I thinks it's an image thing more than anything. 

 

Of course I don't tar everyone with that brush, just many of the people I know with SUV's or Crossovers tend to be that way. 

[Gromle]

Fwd SUVs is like having a full Cosworth bodykit on a 1.6 Sierra.

[Ootohere]

Or Skoda CZ producing Fabia Scout models.

[silver1011]

I'm guessing those buying these types of car aren't the slightest bit interested in all wheel drive, hence why very few of them offer it.

 

Ride height is key here. Being up high provides a sense of security and safety for the kids.

 

Basing the modern purge of SUV's on their regular hatchback equivalents allows for all the same benefits of a regular small family hatch but with the added all-important ride height and associated pseudo image.