Remember when 1500Kg was considered pudgy for a family car?

[sheffcortinacentre]

1 hour ago, Spiny Norman said:

If people weren't stupid and greedy this is how car design could have gone in the last 20-30 years. Instead of loading them with useless shite we might have had properly lightweight, cleverly engineered cars with tiny little cat equipped petrol engines that sipped fuel like a moped while giving us all the performance we need. 
We were so close with cars like the AX and some of the mid 80s VTEC Hondas, but we fucked it up and now 4 ton SUVs are a thing.

All so it's the one size fits all markets, so as North America is the biggest market this is the one that has to be catered for. Everyone else has to like it or lump it.

[FakeConcern]

The public wants what the public gets...

[EyesWeldedShut]

42 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

The public wants what the public gets...

Just read the whole lyrics of that there tune.
Plus ca change?

[Timewaster]

This (and the previous) governments enthusiasm for reducing C02 from tailpipes using tax incentives / punishment is leading to some odd outcomes. 

Our engineers company cars were always Mondeos or Insignias. Then double cab Rangers became the norm for their commercial tax rates and go anywhere capabilites.

(Incidentally,  an Insignia or Mondeo will also go anywhere if you do not give a shit about it.)

This loophole has been closed and the Rangers are getting handed back.

Combine this with a  salary sacrifice lease scheme for hybrids and EVs and the most common company car is a fucking Volvo XC90!

Given the low bik tax for supposedly green hybrid Volvo and the saving from paying pre tax, the  guys can have a lovely luxury SUV over a glorified farm truck for a couple of hundred quid a month.

Are they plugged in and driven on electric? Are they f........

I'm the only one of about 20 going fully EV.  A 2.8 tonne VW Buzz

Note: these cars are not a lovely perk,  they are used as vans, filthy, rammed full of equipment, paperwork, tools and materials, driven through building sites, farm tracks and out in the sticks.

 

[Snipes]

I have a private theory it's the government's push for tough emissions targets that's leading manufacturers to make poor decisions, such as wet belts, timing chains that can't do 80k miles and overly downsized engines. 

[mat777]

On 20/06/2025 at 20:59, MrGTI6 said:

Seems very odd that the weight restriction differs depending on what fuel the vehicle runs on.

That's about as logical as saying you can drive a 5000kg car, but only if it's yellow.

This is what really fucking annoys me too. As a fancier of American pickups, and someone who'd actually use one for a purpose rather than posing, the 3500kg limit is a perennial headache when a diesel motor is only available on the "heavy duty" versions such as Ram 2500 or F250 that weigh 3200kg empty. 

So why should yummy mummy get to plough her 4 ton electric Range Rover through urban potholes on the way to Waitrose but I can't run a decently grunty towing barge just because it sips Dino juice instead? 

[EyesWeldedShut]

5 hours ago, mat777 said:

This is what really fucking annoys me too. As a fancier of American pickups, and someone who'd actually use one for a purpose rather than posing, the 3500kg limit is a perennial headache when a diesel motor is only available on the "heavy duty" versions such as Ram 2500 or F250 that weigh 3200kg empty. 

So why should yummy mummy get to plough her 4 ton electric Range Rover through urban potholes on the way to Waitrose but I can't run a decently grunty towing barge just because it sips Dino juice instead? 

Be interesting to see what they also do with MoTs on these things - there's currently a Gov. consultation on MoTs in general and the van people are kicking off that 4.25 tonne EV vans should be allowed the 3.5 tonne Class 7 MoT.
Will they do the same for the EV cars that are over 3.5 tonnes?

I must admit to being mildly interested as I have a 4,1 tonne Boxer that has to get a full HGV Plating on it and I don't see why an EV over 3.5 tonnes should be excused boots - it's just as heavy as mine and can crush kittens just as easily?
 

[Supernaut]

What about the lifts at MOT stations?

I don't think many car-focused MOT stations would have lifts rated for over 4 tons...

[EyesWeldedShut]

10 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

What about the lifts at MOT stations?

I don't think many car-focused MOT stations would have lifts rated for over 4 tons...

That's also the big moan from the van operators - there's a shortage of testing stations for the 4,250kg jobs and they're not happy.
(Welcome to my world - nearest HGV station here is an hour away and is only open Mon + Tues - it's fully booked months in advance.

[danthecapriman]

8 hours ago, mat777 said:

This is what really fucking annoys me too. As a fancier of American pickups, and someone who'd actually use one for a purpose rather than posing, the 3500kg limit is a perennial headache when a diesel motor is only available on the "heavy duty" versions such as Ram 2500 or F250 that weigh 3200kg empty. 

So why should yummy mummy get to plough her 4 ton electric Range Rover through urban potholes on the way to Waitrose but I can't run a decently grunty towing barge just because it sips Dino juice instead? 

It’s the same with vans and the utterly ridiculous UK driving license. On my license (because ageist!) I can only drive up to a 3.5 ton van, same as anyone who got their license after 97 unless you do another driving test to go over that.

Yet, a Transit like my old ones is identical if it’s the single rear wheel type or double rear wheel type. The basic van is the same. Yet I’m not allowed to drive the one with double wheels! Like so many things in this country it’s just done to screw more money out of people. Rules made by idiots. 
Yet, if you’re older with a pre 97 license - jump on in and crack on. All the nuns & kittens are safe because you’re a bit older!? And now, some dozy twat in a modern overweight EV gets to go over the current weight limit because their car is a badly designed turd?! 
Im curious to see what’s more dangerous, a person like me in a big Transit or some idiot yummy mummy pulling up at the school gates in electric tank?

Obviously the line must be drawn somewhere and I can fully appreciate that any old person shouldn’t be allowed to jump into a 30 odd ton truck without taking some training first but FFS, the easiest and most sensible solution here is to give everyone with a full license the old fashioned style license to drive up to a 7.5 ton vehicle. That way it covers everything EV or not, for everyone. Surely now with vehicles across the board getting bigger and heavier that’s the best way to go.

You don’t get any of this idiocy over in the US where you can just go get yourself a nice F350 ‘dually’ and drive it.

[Supernaut]

What grates the most is the way that this whole thing feels like the tail wagging the dog.

Why are governments / regulatory bodies bowing to the car manufacturers instead of telling them "these are the weight limits, stop making such gargantuan vehicles" ?

[Spiny Norman]

4 hours ago, Supernaut said:

What grates the most is the way that this whole thing feels like the tail wagging the dog.

Why are governments / regulatory bodies bowing to the car manufacturers instead of telling them "these are the weight limits, stop making such gargantuan vehicles" ?

That was my point. Forget vans, apart from Cushions R Us, the people who use vans will always be wanting higher weight limits, less tax and anything else that means they cost less money to operate but for private cars the weight limits should be going down, not up. 
Cars should be taxed by weight, not CO2 emissions, with anything much over 2 tons dry being hit for megabucks. It's perfectly possible to build a 4x4 off road thing or a big 7 seater MPV that weighs less than that figure but if you've got more money than sense than yes you can have a massive 4 ton EV truck, but you'll be paying £5k a year to tax it. 
Bet we'd suddenly see the lard falling off these vehicles if that were the case. 

[Supernaut]

41 minutes ago, Spiny Norman said:

That was my point. Forget vans, apart from Cushions R Us, the people who use vans will always be wanting higher weight limits, less tax and anything else that means they cost less money to operate but for private cars the weight limits should be going down, not up. 
Cars should be taxed by weight, not CO2 emissions, with anything much over 2 tons dry being hit for megabucks. It's perfectly possible to build a 4x4 off road thing or a big 7 seater MPV that weighs less than that figure but if you've got more money than sense than yes you can have a massive 4 ton EV truck, but you'll be paying £5k a year to tax it. 
Bet we'd suddenly see the lard falling off these vehicles if that were the case. 

Plus, I bet all these 3+ ton SUVs are doing wonders for the condition of the roads themselves...

[artdjones]

6 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Plus, I bet all these 3+ ton SUVs are doing wonders for the condition of the roads themselves...

Much as I hate these cars, most road surfaces would stand up to a 3 tonner indefinitely. It's the 30 tonne 8 wheelers and 44 tonne artics that do the damage.

[Bradders59]

Much seems to be made of bhp figures these days. 400bhp is not uncommon whereas it used to be virtually unheard of.

Problem is, these 400bhp cars will almost certainly weigh 2 tons plus, and a 1 ton car with 200bhp will always be so much more enjoyable to drive than a two ton car with 400bhp.

Its a completely different experience.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

18 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Plus, I bet all these 3+ ton SUVs are doing wonders for the condition of the roads themselves...

Not to mention car parks; particularly older multistorey car parks...

[sheffcortinacentre]

11 hours ago, Leyland Worldmaster said:

Not to mention car parks; particularly older multistorey car parks...

There's already been problems of this.

[RayMK]

14 hours ago, Bradders59 said:

Much seems to be made of bhp figures these days. 400bhp is not uncommon whereas it used to be virtually unheard of.

Problem is, these 400bhp cars will almost certainly weigh 2 tons plus, and a 1 ton car with 200bhp will always be so much more enjoyable to drive than a two ton car with 400bhp.

Its a completely different experience.

True, and more driver aids are required to keep these hefty lumps under control. Rapid acceleration, high speed capability and greater weight causes many average drivers to run out of skill.

[D.E]

26 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

There's already been problems of this.

This one nearby is likely to be demolished in the near future because an increasing number of modern vehicles don't really fit. I have no problems at all navigating this car park with the Kadett or 205, but t'internet is full of negative reviews of people who claim the corners and parking spaces are too tight for their car. When this was built in 1984, cars growing to the size of what they are now likely wasn't taken into consideration.

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

You can still buy normal sized cars, so that they have to tear things down like this and build new ones for the stupid big cars people buy shouldn't be allowed. It should be easy buy a normal car and have a place to park and if not you'll have to do without parking.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I would like to mention my 8 year old Suzuki here. It has a 4 cyl petrol engine with mild hybrid system and awd. Has ac, cruise etc and comfortably seats 4 people and still has room for some luggage and it is a modern safe car.

What do you guess are the weight and dimensions of this?

 

Weight 885 kg, length 370 and width 166. 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

2 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

There's already been problems of this.

Yes; Wheeler Street; Maidstone. Demolished 1999. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

2 hours ago, D.E said:

This one nearby is likely to be demolished in the near future because an increasing number of modern vehicles don't really fit. I have no problems at all navigating this car park with the Kadett or 205, but t'internet is full of negative reviews of people who claim the corners and parking spaces are too tight for their car. When this was built in 1984, cars growing to the size of what they are now likely wasn't taken into consideration.

 

These people should learn to drive, people nowadays think parking is pulling into the side of the road on an empty street.