[137699]

I would question why you were buying a Sportage if you weren't buying an AWD model.
The only good reasons to buy an SUV is if you NEED an SUV - i.e. regularly use green lanes, farm tracks, countryside car parks - basically anywhere a "normal" car wouldn't go.
The chassis & suspension is engineered for this purpose and all you are really doing is handicapping the car if you buy it in 2WD form.

If you buy a 2WD variant then it suggests you're not planning to use for any of the situations the car is actually designed for, in which case you're carrying around a lot of weight unnecessarily all the time - resulting in higher fuel bills, higher tyre, repair & servicing bills - and a lot of wear to our roads & unfriendliness to our planet for zero actual reason.
You'd be better buying an MPV or estate which would suit your purposes perfectly without putting undue wear on your wallet, roads or environment.

 

[Daveyboy123]

I would question why you were buying a Sportage if you weren't buying an AWD model.
The only good reasons to buy an SUV is if you NEED an SUV - i.e. regularly use green lanes, farm tracks, countryside car parks - basically anywhere a "normal" car wouldn't go.
The chassis & suspension is engineered for this purpose and all you are really doing is handicapping the car if you buy it in 2WD form.

If you buy a 2WD variant then it suggests you're not planning to use for any of the situations the car is actually designed for, in which case you're carrying around a lot of weight unnecessarily all the time - resulting in higher fuel bills, higher tyre, repair & servicing bills - and a lot of wear to our roads & unfriendliness to our planet for zero actual reason.
You'd be better buying an MPV or estate which would suit your purposes perfectly without putting undue wear on your wallet, roads or environment.

I don’t see why it annoys you so much why people choose the cars they do. Every one has a preference and there are lots of different reasons why people choose the cars they do. These SUVS are not off road vehicles, they are for road use.

it’s the same as saying why buy a ferrari as you can’t go 120mph on our roads. Yet people that have the money but them as it’s a car they like. I don’t see the issue personally.

 

[ArthurCollins2]

SUV=sport utility vehicle. Its a made up name but the result is a very popular market segment. Trying to define what is the correct usage is pointless, easier not to tell people they chose badly and you know better.

The point of an SUV is flexibility, its not about driving in fields or through water. For many people it's simply an elevated driving position.

 

[137699]

It annoys me so much because - they're heavy (they destroy our roads and create potholes), they're environmentally disastrous (not just increased emissions due to their size/weight but also all the additional materials & energy needed to manufacture / dispose of these machines).

For people that NEED the capability - then fine. But it seems a lot of people buy these cars for all the wrong reasons. And in a world where we're being told all the time to be mindful of our carbon & environmental footprint, that's just downright selfish and seems to result in complaints such as "my tyres didn't last very long" or "why do I only get 30mpg".

 

[iooi]

I would question why you were buying a Sportage if you weren't buying an AWD model.
The only good reasons to buy an SUV is if you NEED an SUV - i.e. regularly use green lanes, farm tracks, countryside car parks - basically anywhere a "normal" car wouldn't go.
The chassis & suspension is engineered for this purpose and all you are really doing is handicapping the car if you buy it in 2WD form.

Here's idea for you.
I was looking at the sportage, but had to change my mind on this as did not get the level of mobility to allow a car funded by Motability.
Only reason for the Sportage was the size of the boot. As it allows easy access for a mobility scooter on a hoist. No intention of taking it off road, or down farm tracks (used to do that in our normal cars when visiting family that lived on a farm)

 

[Soapy]

I would question why you were buying a Sportage if you weren't buying an AWD model.
The only good reasons to buy an SUV is if you NEED an SUV - i.e. regularly use green lanes, farm tracks, countryside car parks - basically anywhere a "normal" car wouldn't go.
The chassis & suspension is engineered for this purpose and all you are really doing is handicapping the car if you buy it in 2WD form.

If you buy a 2WD variant then it suggests you're not planning to use for any of the situations the car is actually designed for, in which case you're carrying around a lot of weight unnecessarily all the time - resulting in higher fuel bills, higher tyre, repair & servicing bills - and a lot of wear to our roads & unfriendliness to our planet for zero actual reason.
You'd be better buying an MPV or estate which would suit your purposes perfectly without putting undue wear on your wallet, roads or environment.

I decided long and hard if I would comment on your reply. But I wasn’t impressed that you decided to get on your Soap Box in response to my simple question.

You know nothing of my personal situation. I have my reasons for needing to change my car but didn’t feel I needed to justify why.

But just to put the record straight. My life changed completely in Sept of 2020 and I found myself moving to Shetland a place I’ve been working (and enjoying) for 25 years.

I have a Picanto which had up until now has satisfied all my needs. I didn’t need a big car and for the last 20 years have never done more than 3500 miles a year.

I will just give one example of why I’m changing my car (there are a few more). My Partners Father has very recently had to go into a Care Home and her Mother who is 80 and frail gets to visit him and I volunteered to take her.

Now I don’t know if you are aware what Shetland is like. The main roads are pretty good but a large number of the population live out in the sticks.

I have taken a screenshot of the road I have to go down to fetch her. The last three weeks this road has been covered in about 3 inches of snow. The Picanto does well but if it slid of the road I might struggle to get it back on.

The main reason I wanted the Sportage was the ease of access and the large boot area. I also liked the idea of having a similar spec to my Picanto and that meant it came with AWD as standard. I was just asking owners opinions if they thought it was worth the extra expense.

I didn’t want to reply to your post but it annoyed me that you presumed a lot of things about me over a simple question.

 

[137699]

I presumed nothing at all. I asked if you need a car like an SUV - if you do then you probably need AWD. All I do is ask people to think about why they're buying an SUV as too many buy them for the wrong reason.
Yes I know Shetland - I have travelled all over the Scottish highlands and head up there for walking & hiking every year - one of the reasons I chose a Sportage - because the places I head for and park a normal car won't necessarily cope with. I think an AWD Sportage would be an excellent choice for Shetland.

But do not think that AWD means snow is no problem - you will need winter or all-season tyres to cope with snow. AWD makes a small but fairly insignificant difference when it comes to dealing with the white stuff. Tyres make a huge difference, so spec accordingly.

 

[travs]

Just going per honest john's website for easy comparison.
Kia Sportage kerb weight: 1,454 - 1,694kg.
Audi A4 Avant kerb weight 1,370 - to 1,695kg.
Is there any evidence or research supporting the claims regarding the Sportage doing all this claimed weight-based damage to the road in comparison to the rest of the private vehicle market?

 

[travs]

I've driven on a motorway in a 1999 Audi S4 Avant in snowfall heavy enough that motorway traffic wasn't sufficient to keep the road clear of snow settling. The snow laid heavy enough to start catching on the sump-cover/exhaust. The car didn't miss a beat on that journey or the rest of the time I drove in snow especially where it started to thaw during the day and freeze into crunchy ice overnight. 225-45-18 tyres all round, high end sports brand (can't remember specifically), lowered suspension, 4wd.

Same for a 2006 Audi S6 Avant V10. 265 35 19 tyres, standard suspension, standard high-end sports tyres. 4wd.

From my experience, performance-orientated cars with wide wheels/tyres and sports tyres held their line and traction countless times over 2wd cars of various nature.

I now live on a hill on a quiet road with little passing traffic. In the recent snowfall we had, the same thing happened; it started to thaw and then refreeze overnight. The road was slippy enough that with hill descent on, you could feel the car taking control. Up the hill with AWD-lock on, it didn't miss a beat climbing the hill.

I can only go on my own anecdotal experience, but to me, tyre seasonality has had no impact to the levels of traction, but 4wd has shown itself time and time again to be the key in poor conditions.