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Hi, Terry.
I really do not care what kind of vehicle anyone else drives. What I do care about is their attitude toward others sharing the highway. As you have indicated, the attitudes of some folks driving the SUVs are unsafe and careless of others. The same behavior in a smaller car would be laughable.
I understand Britain's dilemma with narrow highways.
While I owned and drove my share of V-8 powered 55 thrus 57 Chevvies back during the Sixties, I also had an opportunity to drive the VW Beetle quite a bit. I loved the Beetle and its small size. It made city driving a piece of cake. I guess I am about cars as I am about model airplanes. I have an appreciation for all sizes and would hate to be without any of them.
At the moment, the wife and I have a couple of recently made minivans. Hers is a Chevy and mine is a Chrysler. I am a Chevy fan, but the fold down seats in the Chrysler won me over quickly. I also like the plush ride of the Chrysler. The Chevy is a little more "trucky" than I care for these days. Both get between 20 and 23 mpg, so they aren't too bad to keep fueled.
A while back I had a Ford Festiva (made by Kia). I loved that little car. It was enormous inside for as small as the outside dimensions were and it just felt good to drive. The automatic transmission was a totally pleasant surprise also. It was not confidence inspiring when being driven at the 70 mph Interstate highway speed limit because of its vulnerability to being shoved around by the turbulence generated by larger vehicles, but anywhere off the Interstate, I preferred the little Kia to the minivans.
Alas, the Festiva had reached the end of its useful life and had to be disposed of. I wish I could find one with low miles to purchase. With the rear seats folded forward, a .40 to .50 size powered model would have fit beautifully. Biplanes are also a good choice for the space challenged folks. I can carry a .40 to .50 sized biplane to the field completely assembled in the little Kia.
While I can appreciate an adequately powered truck when I have a job to do, I actually enjoy driving smaller cars more, for local travel. The great mileage is fine, but what I like is the better view that I get from most of the smaller cars and the ability to do a U-turn without sweating if I'm going to have room to make it or not. I also do some amateur photography and people seem less threatened by someone in a smaller car than a large V-8 powered monster. V-8 powered vehicles have their uses, no doubt, but I will be surprised if I ever own another one.
Ed, NM2K