[Seventhgear]

Ofcourse SUVs do have the bullying effect but it depends a lot on who is driving.This a not something unique to India but anywhere else in the world.As long as the SUV doesnt tailgate/flash etc. us and we we are driving in our lane at the required speeds ,one doesnt need to be afraid of SUVS.The one reason we dont want to mess with SUVs is we dont want to have our 'maintained' cars being messed up because of a bigger SUV driving nut.

Nowadays anybody driving anything can heckle us on the roads as everybody is somebody and is in a hurry.No point in showing our might on the road .But if we can, then we can always get an SUV and we will get a bit of 'road '. Coupled with a loud horn and a bull bar, the average joe will definitely give way most of the time.But again, it matters who is driving the SUV to make it the real villain.

[SmartCat]

In this thread, I find the comments from those who own both car and SUV very interesting!

Meanwhile, it looks like personal experiences on the road have a significant bearing on whether you fear a particular type of vehicles or drivers. I fear only motorbikes that are moving at the same speed as I am. I have experienced motorbikes/scooters falling off left, right & center (and behind) of my car on their own - mostly because of road conditions.

Originally Posted by RajeshK

In my highway experiences, the vehicle most bullied me are small cars specially Swift.

Swift VDi's have a 100% record against me on the highways. That is, I have never overtaken a Swift VDi in my life, but have been overtaken by numerous Swift VDis.

I'm beginning to think that they all have a "stuck accelerator pedal" problem that Toyota cars had in USA. But the owners don't report them because they have way too much fun the way it is.

[mi2n]

It's more the illegal Bullbars than the actual SUV that intimidates me. More so, the aweful braking finesse of crude examples like the Bolero/Sumo in a bumper-to-bumper situation. I had my share of fun driving the Amby with chromed metal all around. Now, my puny hatchback has been rear ended multiple times by Amby cabs and Boleros with Bull Bars failing to stop suddenly. Thanks to Chevy(Daewoo), the bumpers on my car get back in shape with little effort and no cost, else I would have currently been running on my 3rd set of rear bumpers. The rear hatch however has two small dents thanks to fog lamps protruding out of the Bull bars of a Bolero.
Yes, my daily drive would surely ease up if pedestrian safety norms are strictly enforced, metal bumpers and illegal Bull Bars done away with. I feel comfortable having a true blue SUV, likes of T-Fort, Paj or Captiva around, its the half baked, ill maintained and rashly driven Sumos and Boleros that do manage to intimidate me.

[apachelongbow]

Now this thread has got me thinking. Are we sure that SUV are given respect in India, because they are big in size or because they are supposed to contain 'important' or 'connected' people who you don't want to mess with.
If they are respected for sheer size, why does the Volvo bus, the regular truck, the city bus respect my SUV more than my hatchback? How does it matter to a truck if he hits a bike or a SUV, the damage to the truck will be negligible.

If they respect the SUV for the connected person, should they not respect anyone driving a Beemer, a Merc or Audi? I am sure people driving high end cars would naturally have more connections to someone driving a Sumo?

[kutts]

Size does matter specifically when you are on a 2 lane highway as in Kerala. You can simply bully your way by forcing on-coming traffic to move off to the shoulders.

[harikrishnanm]

Let me try give a perspective as an SUV driver for the last 10 years.

The height of the car does inspire some confidence. It gives you a view of the road like no other. Since its heavier and bigger, it also instills a sense of confidence. It also gives a false sense of safety. We know that SUVs do not always mean they are safer than a sedan

SUV engines are also more powerful and torquey since they are expected to haul a heavier load.

Now its these things that really drive people to behave as they do when driving SUVs. Many get addicted to the "respect" they get, whereas in reality all they are getting is probably badmouthing.

I believe it is the responsibility of all behind the wheels of an SUV to be more alert since an SUV can cause much more damage on impact than a sedan or a hatchback. I have my speedo alarm set at 100KMPH.

But then you can only wake up people who are sleeping. Not those who are already awake. Like the politicians or goons in our country.

Having said all this, this is in no way a generalization.

[MAS]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

I drive a white Scorpio and the problem is that you find some retards trying to flag your vehicle down for a ride thinking it's a taxi .

Your Scorpio looks great with the nudge bar and the auxiliary lights. I'm surprised that the people mistake it for a taxi. I guess Bangalore has many Scorpios plying as taxis.

[Musaafir]

I generally drive a 1.8 L sedan car and also own an SUV. While my car is not small, I do feel the difference in the behavior of other motorists when I am driving the SUV. While my driving style is very modest (certified by my wife too ), most of the 2/3/4 wheeler drivers, including buses/trucks, seem to respect an SUV more than my car. They do stop at intersections when the SUV is approaching. The two wheeler riders think twice before jumping a red signal when they see an SUV crossing the junction.

I however have not noticed much difference in the behaviour of the motorists in the front when I am following them or trying to overtake them. I generally honk once and overtake when there is a safe passage available. I did not find motorists going out-of-the-way to give way to my SUV.

[rajeshsundaram]

Yes, the bullying effect is there. Either the SUV bullies others, or others associate the 'bully' effect to SUV's and they react themselves. Whatever be the case, the following are my observations in the past few years

SUVs fitted with any of the 3 items create a 'bully' effect the moment you see them.
1. A Political flag
2. Two or 4 over-sized fog lamps and a pair of equally sized Roots Chrome Vibrasonic Horns fitted on the bull bar
3. Totally out-of-sync large chrome bull bars

SUVs which are not fitted with the above elements doesnt create a 'tough bully', but still some effect is there.

It is not just SUV's but the 3 items fitted on any others vehicles (except sedans and hatchbacks) create a generic bully effect. For example, an Innova, or Xylo etc.

As I own a Xylo, I can say, even Xylo should be creating the bully effect as I have clearly seen people not messing with me at the traffic signals or when cruising through the roads. On highways, when they see my Xylo closing in, they give way without much fuss. Size does matter!

The real bullies are DOST, Tata ACE and BOLERO MAXX. Compared to them, SUV bullies are childs stuff.

[jassi_jeeper]

I have not very long back shifted from driving a Swift to a Thar. I am not sure if I will term it as a "bully effect", but yes, on the Highways which do not have a divider, I do feel not many people want to come in front of me while overtaking from the opposite side. In the city, the biggest blessing is auto-rikshaw drivers not wanting to wriggle their way nearly kissing me through thick traffic.

I do remember reading on this forum a long back that a jeep is more comfortable to drive in the city as people tend to maintain a distance. I completely agree.

When I have to drive my wife's Santro, I always give way to big ( size wise ) car guys.

Once while driving on the G.T. Road while coming back to Chandigarh from Ludhiana, an auto-rickshaw while coming the wrong side wanted my to change course, well, I just stopped my Thar bang opposite him. He just backed his rickety auto-rikshaw and went away.

[Queryanalyzer]

People driving SUVs feel they are invincible (that they have better commanding road position, better safety against crashes, etc, etc). Its the universal truth.
The popularity of SUV shot up in the US because of this, and those SUVs have morphed into CUVs to give you the equivalent ride height.
Here in India a whole lot of SUVs (Fortuner mostly, in white) have tinted windows and a flag up front (to show their political inclination, and also to server as a free do-any-thing-and-get-away-with-it card), and they dont have any road etiquette. If you dont get out of their way they will pretty much force you to do so.

PS: This has been my observation over the last six months that I have spent here in southern India.

[isiv]

Remember one instance where I was being followed by a rather fortune-less fortuner. I was in my alto and this guy was trying really too hard to get ahead from the left, in the process getting stuck behind autos and two wheelers while I was making smooth progress on the right lane.

I could see his ego was piqued from the way his vehicle was moving in my RVMs after a few failed overtake attempts. I'm finally ready to take a left at an intersection so change lanes and move bang in front of this guy and pause to let some other vehicles pass. Turns out this guy wants to turn left too, so he moves parallel to me on the right and comes within inches of my mirror with his left indicator on.

As the misfortune of the fortuner would have it, the left lane clears first and I start moving before he can - blocking his turn. As I'm moving, I hear the diesel clatter and know he's started moving too. Something snaps and instead of making my turn into the left lane and thus allow the moron to pass on the right, I take advantage of being on the inside of the turn, accelerate and move closer to the right lane until I see him abruptly slow down to avoid climbing the divider (haw haw). That cools mine, but sets mr. big fat SUVs' ego on fire. He zooms past from the left (finally the fortuner finds some fortune), slows down ahead of me and starts a beautiful left-right-left zig-zag as if to say 'come on, try it now'. This goes on for what seemed like forever while I'm wondering what I would do if the pea-brain suddenly comes to a stop and jumps out with a weapon of some sort. But as my fortune would have it, the fortuner turns right at the next intersection and I drive straight - relieved.

Do SUVS intimidate? Probably not. Do SUVs make the owners think they own the road? Probably yes.

I've also seen cases where drivers of slightly bigger cars (read swift or i20 in some cases even i10) appear extremely ashamed of following an alto - even if it's making good progress though traffic and not slowing them down. These guys go to any extent to get ahead, only to be slowed down by some other vehicle. If that turns out be a scorp or innova, no problems following them. In the meantime, if owing my small size, if I squeeze past them, the story starts again...

So do small cars make the driver cower with fear? Probably not. Do bigger cars make drivers think it's below their dignity to follow a smaller car? Probably yes.

Not generalizing all who drive big vehicles thus. To be entirely fair, I must admit these are rare occurrences and I believe most big car drivers, like the smaller ones 'just want to go home' - with few exceptions

My vote is a No.

[atlantis0965]

i guess it is just the attitude or lack of it of the driver which really matters.

Of course one another factor is that many of these suvs tend to be owned by people with some sort of clout and it is this sense of power which make them think they have the right of way where ever they go.

My option would always be to just let them go; no point in stooping down to their level.

[mayankk]

I regularly drive me fiesta and Tucson about 80 kms to and from office. Now, I don't know about the bullying part, but my wife says that when we're going to office together, we should take the Tucson, as I apparently am more aggressive in the fiesta. Her take is I don't tolerate lane hoggers, people under the speed limit on the right,people traveling on the wrong side etc. And I have noticed that I don't actually face these people in the Tucson. Of course, I'm having more fun in the fiesta waiting for an open section of the road, but it's a cleaner road somehow in the Tucson.
Is it because people are already getting out the way when they see a bigger car?
I know my yardstick is indisputable, the missus....

[Jred]

Now these do seem to be rather interesting points being discussed and to an extend many could be right too in saying SUVs could be bullying. I moved from driving a Swift Dzire to XUV since not so long ago. I have to admit there is visible change in the way motorists treat me now. I have noticed this, just a few days ago when I used my brother's i10 a scooterist and another i10 cut across me while it was clearly my right of way at a crossing. This I haven't seen much while I am on my beast . I have also noticed the way the "Aces" and similar now have much more sedate moves when I come up behind them on highways. Earlier they would just course or if they come from wrong side -which is a common sight on TN roads - they would just keep coming without slowing down. Now it's a different story, they slow down albeit on the wrong side but seldom show the "attitude". Have I felt superior? I have to admit I have been guilty of ISIV had mentioned in his post. Although that was when started driving the beast 6 months ago. Over 12K Kms on with the beast now I seems oh ace developed firmer head on my shoulders. These days every time I see myself racing with someone or seem to be overtly aggressive on highways I pull off the road and take a few minutes' break. Just to keep the adrenaline on check.