Mary Fisher wrote:

And you said associated kit ...

More load space...


Than what? Than an estate?

Depends on the cars in question I guess. It seems to be the extra height
that makes the off roaders attractive (from a driving and loading kids
POV). The space is a bonus.

Having said that I am only relaying what the owners have said to me.
Personally I would not buy one just for those reasons.

Yup, ours load and unload themselves - can't manage the seat belts /
harnesses though.


Oh dear, a bit backward are they?

;-)

Thanks ;-)

Once they get to that size, I doubt it matters much... they seem pretty
keen of climbing anything anywhere ISTM ;-)


But it would be EASIER to get into a lower vehicle.

For them yes... we are talking easy for the parents though.

It wasn't an advantage when we had children and a Thames. We had to lift
the small ones in. The bigger ones used the step. Of course, we didn't
have

That was Ford's small van before they introduced the transit IIUC?


Ours was the mini-bus version. Ten seats.

Didn't realise they were that big - always thought there were quite a
bit smaller than a transit? (then again - not sure I have ever seen one
in real life). They did have a bit about them on TopGear the other night
when they were celebrating 40 years of the Transit though.


child seats in those days (works of the devil) but in any case it was
easy

Having child seats or not having them?


sigh Since you've snipped I don't know the reference.

I was referring to you "works of the devil" claim. I was not sure if you
meant that child seats were said work, or the lack of child seats in the
"good old days" was?


No, but women's lack of spatial awareness was mentioned.

One of the siller male misapprehensions.

One however that is a well documented scientific fact. ;-)

It is not that women lack spacial ability completely - more that they
don't (generally) have a dedicated area of the brain for the task. Note
also that this does this apply equally to all women since it relates to
the brain "sex" rather than genetic sex. (brain sex is controlled by
hormone levels in the uterus during a six week window early in pregnancy
- it is not set by X or Y chromosomes directly. It is also not an
"absolute" male/female thing in the way genetic sex is - it is more of a
sliding scale).

It is partly - in the sense you need to be aware of any special factors
about the vehicle that will affect how it behaves should something
unexpected happen.


That applies to whatever vehicle you're driving. A scooter is very different
from a tractor, that doesn't mean that you can't driver either efficiently.

I agree...

I was also suggesting that it helps if you know what happens when you go
beyond the limit of your vehicles handling. i.e. Does it over or under
steer, and do you know how to deal with what it does without loosing
control.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/