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Are SUVs harder to park?
SUVs have surged in popularity, but are they harder to park than a normal-sized car? Not necessarily. Whether a car is an SUV isn’t really what makes it hard to park.
5 things that actually decide how easy a car is to park
- Width and length. Is the vehicle any wider or longer in footprint than the equivalent hatchback? Often it isn’t.
- Turning circle. Can the car turn on a sixpence, or does it take a twelve-point turn to slot into a space?
- Driver eyeline height. A higher driving position usually gives better visibility of kerbs, mirrors and bay markings.
- Driver-assistance tech. Regardless of size or shape, a car with parking sensors and a reversing camera is easier to park. (Whether to fully trust self-parking functions is another matter.)
- Shape. Cars are styled to look good and be aerodynamic, which sometimes means letterbox-style rear windows and thick pillars that hurt visibility — worth looking out for.
So, the verdict
If it’s an old, massive, square-shaped Range Rover and you live in the middle of a city, then yes — you might want to come to terms with the odd parking bruise, and the occasional audience as you dock into a tight spot.
But if it’s a modern crossover that’s a little higher yet no longer or wider than a normal car, and it’s loaded with parking sensors and a reversing camera, then in reality it could be an easier fit into your local supermarket bay than you’d think.
The only way to know for sure is to check the numbers.