Driving big cars vs driving small cars

[Briodyjl01]

Due to my 75s having problems I don't want to drive them until they are fixed. (Tourer having a big coolant leak and the Cowley needs new rear shocks so its making an absolute racket)
I'm driving my classic 1989 Austin metro. Its incredibly what you see when driving. Normally in the 75 people let you pull out and let you in. The amount of people that decide to take advantage of you in a small old car is cray.

Has anyone else had this or noticed it.

[macafee2]

I know someone that drives a big car, not sure if it is because he is a bully or was bullied, may be both. His car out measures his ability, all 4 corners show damage. He has written off 3 or 4 vehicles he has been driving

macafee2

[baxlin]

Originally Posted by macafee2

I know someone that drives a big car, not sure if it is because he is a bully or was bullied, may be both. His car out measures his ability, all 4 corners show damage. He has written off 3 or 4 vehicles he has been driving

macafee2

Possibly lacking in other areas......😀

[KWIL]

All my young girls drove Metros as their first car, if I taught them nothing else it was be sufficiently agressive to hold your own space, the bullies found it surprising and off putting.

[Briodyjl01]

I hold my own space in the metro. I know how to get the most out of the little 1.0 a series engine Let the valves dance on the bonnet then change up. Keeps the carbon at bay too.

Originally Posted by KWIL

All my young girls drove Metros as their first car, if I taught them nothing else it was be sufficiently agressive to hold your own space, the bullies found it surprising and off putting.

[Briodyjl01]

A lot are shocked when I go round them on the corners as you don't need to slow down either. Great fun little car.

Originally Posted by KWIL

All my young girls drove Metros as their first car, if I taught them nothing else it was be sufficiently agressive to hold your own space, the bullies found it surprising and off putting.

[macafee2]

Originally Posted by baxlin

Possibly lacking in other areas......��

many areas

macafee2

[RobSun]

Originally Posted by Briodyjl01

Has anyone else had this or noticed it.

Yes, and all the way through my 50 years of driving. I think its a psychological thing, 75s are seen as driven by uncompetitive people so are given way to. Cars with more sportier badges, and I include the ZT in this seem to get the I'm better than you reaction and I have seen far more tailgating, cutting up, traffic light grand prix etc in these than a 75. My company BMW M3 was such a target for morons in Golfs etc. My current Volvo doesn't seem to attract much attention either way. It doesn't get cut up much, if I'm looking to overtake I don't get blocked or chased. Maybe its back to the 75 reputation of just that the brand has "respect". Or possibly as my son has commented, it looks like an unmarked police car.

I like small cars and yes if pressing along in one of these big cars often do not like being passed and then tailgate or do an over the speed limit overtake when a long straight comes up, only then to get in the way further down the road. Big cars do not seem to give way or let you out but small ones do. In my younger days I rallied a works prepared Imp and had a Hartwell Imp, which was basically the same thing but looked standard for daily driving so went quickly. One dark night on country roads I overtook a Rover P6 V8 and he did not like it and followed me catching up on a long straight. He went to overtake at the end of it just as we entered a left hand bend, he went straight on and did a lot of damage to him and his car. He was drunk and told the police he wasn't going to be passed by a cheap piece of junk.

Now when in my Dolomite I generally see very considerate driving around it, being let in or out and comments. I do get cut up by the very odd white van but if its a car driver its mainly small to medium family cars driven by a women. Now is that sexist or just an observation that to a lady a classic is just an old car driven by an old man that can be disregarded as she races to collect the kids from school?

[baxlin]

Originally Posted by Briodyjl01

Has anyone else had this or noticed it.

Yes, both ways...

Volvo - they know I'm there

Mrs B's Nissan Note - totally ignored

JZR ( the smallest of the lot) everyone seems very polite - that is if they see it, which is why I've added some rather bright DRLs.

[Rick-sta]

Certain car sizes, brands or models get associated to certain types of drivers, as you usually find there is a link between certain car types and the types of people that buy them.

For example. Rover 75 is hugely associated with elderly slow drivers (not me personally but that's the way they've been perceived since they first came out). Hence I had a lot of fun in my 2.5 v6 75 leaving a lot of unsuspecting drivers in the dust.

People that drive little diddy cars the size of a shoe associated with being slow drivers plodding along 10-20mph below the speed limit. So people don't want to let them out of side roads, let them change lanes in front on dual carriageways etc as they don't want to be stuck behind them.

Same goes for BMW and Audi driver's, that same stereotyping goes the other way with them, being associated with being aggressive, arrogant bum wipe drivers lol.

Also when you're driving a very new car vs driving an old car you seem to be treated differently. The newer and flashier, the higher the priority seems to be the way.

In my typhoon ZT I used to always get drivers wanting to compete against it, driving close up behind, trying to keep up on dual carriage ways/motorways etc. Must just be due to the look of the car and colour, as I don't get that in redfive or when I had my ZT-T.

We changed up Deanna's car from a fiesta to a kuga last year due to the amount of times she was getting bullied on the road. She's no slow driver, but the 1.2l engine in the fiesta is utterly useless, so pulling out in busy junctions, trying to overtake on dual carriage ways etc when it was busy was difficult and would just get bullied by cars behind her. Not had any of these issues in the Kuga.

peugeot and toyota drivers in my area in Essex just can't drive in general. If you see one of these when visiting my area give them a wide birth lol.

Even certain features make a difference, I've personally found ever since I've added angel eye DRLs to my cars more people seem to move out of the way on dual carriageways/motorways, some spot me coming from some distance and just move over, whereas before I'd just get stuck behind a lane hogger for some distance before they eventually notice and move out of the way. Whether it's because they notice me more easily now with the DRLs or they think I'm some newer BMW or something I don't know.