would you feel comfortable driving a larger-than-usual vehicle in a big city?

[caedmyn]

DH and I are considering separate vacations this year. He wants to take our oldest 2 on a fishing trip in his home state, and I might take the other 3 to visit relatives in the nearest major metropolitan area. I've lived there in the past so I'm not unfamiliar with crazy and rush-hour city traffic, but DH wants to take the minivan I usually drive so he can look for a replacement vehicle where he's going...apparently they are much more readily available there than here. Which would mean I would have to drive our Suburban, which is normally his vehicle. I don't particularly like driving it because of its size, I really don't like parking it, and I'm not at all sure about driving it in a major metro area.

[maize]

I would be comfortable but that is with the vehicle I usually drive (15 passenger van). If I weren't in the habit of driving it and if I were nervous about both the vehicle and city driving I might feel differently.

 

Could you rent a car for the trip? Or drive the larger vehicle regularly between now and then to get comfortable with it?

[umsami]

Do you have to parallel park?  

 

IF you don't, then I'd be fine... unless it's a city with known tiny streets that are one way, etc.  

[Annie G]

Nope. I don’t like driving unfamiliar cars and larger than usual unfamiliar cars are a hard no for me.

[Wheres Toto]

My usual vehicle was an Accord or a Civic and I've driven our Suburban in Manhattan, so I guess my answer is yes.  

 

I hate parking that thing and I don't ever parallel park it unless I have extra spots.  It's old enough that there's no back-up camera or any other kind of assistance.  That said, it wasn't that hard driving it around NYC and usually I left it with a parking attendant so didn't have to deal with that.

[fraidycat]

I'd start driving the bigger vehicle now to get more comfortable with it, but prefer larger/higher vehicles in city traffic.

 

My normal "city driving" vehicle was a Ford Expedition. I vastly preferred that to my DH's little commuter car. I liked being higher up and able to see traffic patterns further ahead. I always felt like I was driving blind if I had to drive DH's car.

[Arcadia]

It depends on the city. We usually drive our sedan into the city and it’s easy to find parking for commuter cars. When we have guests and rent a minivan, we sometimes have to park at either expensive parking garages that have larger parking lots or resort to valet parking. Sometimes my husband has to drop everyone off and park somewhere much further away. Most times we resort to public transport because parking costs are crazy high and it’s so hard to find parking.

Edited March 7, 2018 by Arcadia

[Ausmumof3]

I hate driving my husbands car and dislike larger cars in general, so would really hate to combine that with the stress of an interstate trip. I'd feel stupid and hate being like that but I don't know if I could do it.

[sassenach]

I don't think my answer is going to help you much, but yes, I'm comfortable. I've driven a full-sized van for 14 years now and it makes regular trips into the city. I only get into trouble if I have to parallel park it. I can parallel park just fine, but not in the tightly packed spaces that are usually portioned off by the tiny city cars. It's also too tall for a lot of garages, but I always manage to find something.

 

The driving part is easy.

[Alessandra]

I don't know if this applies to your city, but many/most garages in NYC charge a hefty premium in parking fees for large vehicles.

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't drive in large cities at all. I take public transport. Even with small kids. Even if it is a pain and I have to walk many kms to get to places where I have to go

[melmichigan]

I seem to have more trouble downsizing from my Suburban.  I feel the most comfortable in a bigger vehicle.  Is there any way you could drive it more often between now and then, otherwise I'd look into rentals.

[Starr]

I wouldn’t want to drive anything bigger than I’m used to in a big city or a lot of traffic.

[Julie Smith]

I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving a larger then usual vehicle, or a vehicle I’m not use to, or in a city I’m not use to.

 

But, if you want to you can do try the following: whenever we moved to a new area I would call up a driving school and get a few hours of instruction in that area.

 

I have been told that they often get calls from drivers who for whatever reason want instruction in a specific area, as in driving on a highway, or parallel parking... You can tell the instructor about your up coming holiday and he or she could help you get more comfortable with the vechile, and mentally prepare you for driving in a new city.

[Julie Smith]

I don't drive in large cities at all. I take public transport. Even with small kids. Even if it is a pain and I have to walk many kms to get to places where I have to go

Last vacation was with me and Youngest for three nights in a different city. We brought our scooters and travelled as much as 13km a day to get to visit the people we would be seeing that day. So ever day we would travel on scooter with all our stuff on bags on our back and go visit new people and spend the night in a new place.

 

I would not have wanted a car. Nope. Now way. And I use to live in that area.

[Tsuga]

To be completely honest, no, I hate it. I don't even like driving my tiny cars in the city. And our city isn't even that big! And we live here so it's not like we don't know what we're doing. I just hate it.

 

Though, we did take a huge SUV into San Francisco once and we survived. So, there's that. It might even have been a Suburban.

[rebbyribs]

I have driven our 10-passenger van in San Francisco, and I never really feel comfortable about it, but it is okay. I drive carefully and so far we haven't had any problems. Parking can be tough though.

 

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[GoodGrief]

Depends on the city...downtown Seattle's parking garages are so typically cramped that I don't like to go larger than a compact! But I can drive our Expedition just fine in most urban areas.

[Mama Geek]

I would but I have driven big trucks, there are also some big cities that it is really a pain to park a big truck, so I would consider that too.

[LucyStoner]

If I have to drive, it's not a vacation.  I hate driving.  I can manage my area and my van fine.  I can even, thanks to having to park in and near downtown Seattle, parallel park in tiny spots.  But a larger vehicle in an unfamiliar city?  Not my thing.  

 

I wonder why looking for a new vehicle means he needs to take yours?  Is he going to trade it in or something?  

[Pawz4me]

It would depend  on the city and parking availability. In general I don't think it would cross my mind that a Suburban would be a problem. We currently have a Class B RV. I think it's about 24 feet long. I don't find it to be any more challenging to drive than my CR-V.  But parking can be an issue. It's too long for street parallel parking spots and is way too tall for parking decks. If those are problems with Suburbans then I'd think twice about it, or use Google maps extensively ahead of time to scout out potential parking spaces.

[bettyandbob]

Depending on the suburbs where I'd be staying, I'd leave the car parked at relative's house and take public transport. I'd consider it part of the adventure for the kids.

 

A lot of cities have apps that figure your routes, transfers between busses, stations to change for trains, times, and costs for you. So that makes it easy to get around. You might also get the kids involved in figuring out routes.

[SparklyUnicorn]

A Suburban wouldn't bother me.  I drive mostly in city traffic and being able to see higher up is a bonus. 

 

 

[wintermom]

If you already drive a mini-van, then a Suburban can't be that big a jump in size.  Personally, I think that the most stressful part would be being alone with all the youngest dc AND pregnant. The driving is just one more stress on top of an already stressful plan.  This would not be a vacation for me.

[catz]

If you were going to be parallel parking in a new to you city all week, I would not be a fan.  I drive a too large mini van around a city and parallel park it and get it into crazy places all the time so that doesn't stress me out.  But I wouldn't want to be thrown into an even larger vehicle I wasn't used and then be driving in a new city as a combo.  Either on it's own would be fine.  If you were just driving suburbs, etc, I'd be ok with it. 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2018 by FuzzyCatz

[Sarah CB]

DH and I are considering separate vacations this year. He wants to take our oldest 2 on a fishing trip in his home state, and I might take the other 3 to visit relatives in the nearest major metropolitan area. I've lived there in the past so I'm not unfamiliar with crazy and rush-hour city traffic, but DH wants to take the minivan I usually drive so he can look for a replacement vehicle where he's going...apparently they are much more readily available there than here. Which would mean I would have to drive our Suburban, which is normally his vehicle. I don't particularly like driving it because of its size, I really don't like parking it, and I'm not at all sure about driving it in a major metro area.

 

Ugh. We have the same situation. I drive a minivan and dh drives a Suburban. There have been a number of times over the years where I've had to drive his vehicle in places I didn't want to. I am never comfortable driving it in crazy metro areas nor am I comfortable parking it just anywhere. 

[marbel]

When we moved to the Philadelphia area, we had one car, a Suburban. It was what I drove all over Oregon, and across the country.  It was a huge pain to drive in Philly.  The narrow streets.  The parking garages I couldn't get into - too tall - but didn't know till I was at the gate.  The extra parking fees on top of already-expensive parking.

 

Now I was not familiar with the city at that time, so that undoubtedly added to the stress.  But even when I knew where I was going, such as when we started going to the orthodontist at UPenn, I hated it so much.  

 

My first reaction to your post was "rent a smaller car for your trip."

Edited March 7, 2018 by marbel

[Sarah CB]

If you already drive a mini-van, then a Suburban can't be that big a jump in size.  Personally, I think that the most stressful part would be being alone with all the youngest dc AND pregnant. The driving is just one more stress on top of an already stressful plan.  This would not be a vacation for me.

 

I drive a mini-van and find driving a Suburban a huge difference. It's not as bad as being used to driving a small car and then switching to a Suburban, but there is definitely a noticeable (and for me, an uncomfortable) difference.

 

Now, throw me in a mini-van pregnant with a bunch of little kids and let me bomb around the museums and galleries in a big city and I'm all good ;) Heck, I'd rather figure out public transit with a gaggle of little people than be stuck driving a Suburban.

[Greta]

I'd do what fraidycat suggested and switch vehicles now so that you get comfortable with it.  It's just a matter of practice and experience.  You'll be fine!

[Zinnia]

You will be fine. But it is harder.

 

We live in a close in suburb and we go into town a lot. I traded my Suburban for a minivan 4 years ago because of it. I loved that Suburban, and I still miss it, but the minivan is a LOT easier to drive and park.

[skimomma]

I am uncomfortable driving larger vehicles in just a bout any situation.  And I hate city driving.  Actually, I hate driving.  So....

 

When stuck in similar situations, I ditch my car for the time I will be in the city and rely on public transit or Uber to get around.  

[Laurie4b]

I would prefer it for traffic, but be worried about parallel parking. If you are staying with relatives who have their own parking, that may not be an issue. (I don't like parallel parking any car, but a larger than average car would be harder.) 

[gardenmom5]

DH and I are considering separate vacations this year. He wants to take our oldest 2 on a fishing trip in his home state, and I might take the other 3 to visit relatives in the nearest major metropolitan area. I've lived there in the past so I'm not unfamiliar with crazy and rush-hour city traffic, but DH wants to take the minivan I usually drive so he can look for a replacement vehicle where he's going...apparently they are much more readily available there than here. Which would mean I would have to drive our Suburban, which is normally his vehicle. I don't particularly like driving it because of its size, I really don't like parking it, and I'm not at all sure about driving it in a major metro area.

 

I don't understand why he has to take your minivan because he's going to also look at cars.  does he plan on leaving it there?  trading it in?

 

as far as driving a suburban - it depends upon the metro area and the size of the streets.  most streets are fairly consistent widths (and are sized to accommodate large trucks) - so that shouldn't be a problem.  side streets can be more narrow.

then there's parking . . not everyone is as generous as costco when sizing their parking stalls . . . .   there are places I hate going with my minivan - becasue they're so stingy on the parking stalls.

[wintermom]

I drive a mini-van and find driving a Suburban a huge difference. It's not as bad as being used to driving a small car and then switching to a Suburban, but there is definitely a noticeable (and for me, an uncomfortable) difference.

 

Now, throw me in a mini-van pregnant with a bunch of little kids and let me bomb around the museums and galleries in a big city and I'm all good ;) Heck, I'd rather figure out public transit with a gaggle of little people than be stuck driving a Suburban.

 

I've never driven a Suburban, so I have no experience to compare it with. I have traveled on my own with littles and that is all well and good until someone breaks an arm, which they did. Or the van breaks down, which it did.  ;)

 

You can't be in the x-ray room with your screaming little one when you're pregnant. That is a more stress than parallel parking, I tell ya. 

Edited March 7, 2018 by wintermom

[kitten18]

It would all depend on the parking for me. Having to parallel park or do tiny parking garages would be a big no for me.

[caedmyn]

He'd trade in the minivan or, I think, leave it there and have his brother sell it. It runs great but isn't worth much due to issues with the power doors + 230K miles. He'd be replacing it with the same make, model, and likely trim level too so as like as I like the color (I hate tan interiors), it doesn't matter what year or whatever he gets.

[Wheres Toto]

No problem, there are plenty of delivery trucks and busses who will be larger than you.  However, I would expect to spend extra time parking if not using a parking garage or lot where the attendant will park it for you. In NYC some lots don't upcharge a minivan, but some do. all will have a larger fee for the suburban.  Do get a parking app for the city.

 

I've parked in the city without paying extra for the Suburban.  We did set up parking before we went in so maybe that made a difference.

[caedmyn]

I'm more worried about the driving than the parking. I think we'd do an Air B&B rental in the suburbs so hopefully decent parking of some sort. We won't be IN the city much if at all, just passing through going from one outlying area to another, and hopefully relatives who all live in apartment complexes will have ok parking options for guests (ie parking lots). I hope.

[Joules]

I wouldn’t like driving and parking an unfamiliar huge car in an unfamiliar city. When I drove the big truck, there were places the lanes weren’t wide enough (my large mirrors were in the other lane!). Some places become essentially one way when people park or stop on one side. Some parking decks seem to be designed for smaller cars....I guess you can at least crawl out the back of the Suburban. That said, it’s only a mild frustration when you know the car and know the city. I vote for renting something or maybe parking in a surbuban lot and taking the train in each day, if that’s an option.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Joules

[Ravin]

I used to drive a large conversion van in the city because it was our only vehicle. Now I am used to a compact car, so a minivan would even feel a bit awkward. But, I would get used to it within a day or so if I had to drive something larger.

[ashfern]

I drive our 12 passenger van in the city. It's not any worse than the car except I do have to watch the height for parking decks. Last time we went to a conference the van was too tall for the parking at the venue so we just did valet. Somehow valet was cheaper than the parking deck. I almost never have to parallel park even in the car so that hasn't been an issue.

[mom@shiloh]

I drive our 12 passenger van in large cities all the time.  

[wapiti]

I drive a Suburban and find it mildly irritating to drive in narrow lanes.  The street lanes in our city tend to be narrower than the lanes out in the suburbs where we live, though the narrowness has now migrated out to the burbs, between the bike lane mandate and the cheapness of new construction developers.  I just have to allow more time, go slower, as I don't feel comfortable passing with narrow lanes on a hilly, winding multi-lane road when there cars in the next lane.  I just need to have more patience, lol.

 

I've driven a Suburban in Boston and I could do it in NYC if I needed to.  It would be annoying but not the end of the world.  I think I would have a harder time in San Francisco and I was thinking that very thought last time I was driving there with my dd - we had a small rental car and that was tricky enough.

 

Perhaps the benefit of the height of the Suburban makes up for the irritation of driving with its width and length.

 

ETA, what makes everything easier is planning the route very precisely.  It's much harder when you don't know where you're going and need to make quick decisions based on google maps.

Edited March 8, 2018 by wapiti

[luuknam]

I remember not having fun driving a big rig in Hamilton, ON's narrow streets. Most other cities I don't remember much of an issue (realistically though, there usually isn't a lot of city driving in those, but there is *some*). Whether I prefer our Kia Rio or the Dodge Ram* with a full back seat and a full bed depends on the specifics of the driving, but like the others, I really think parking a big vehicle is much more annoying than driving it except in very rare circumstances. In other words, no, I wouldn't mind *driving* a big vehicle in an unfamiliar city... but I would avoid doing it because of the parking.

 

*Which we sold because it kept breaking, but that's a different story.