Do Adventure Cars Make Sense if Life is Mostly City Driving?

There’s a lot of things you shouldn’t overlook when buying a car, that’s a given, but sometimes, it can be a bit tough to want to actually think realistically when you can have fun dreams instead, or delusions if you want to call it that. For some, when it comes to car shopping, they think more about the ideal life they wish they had.

Like weekend escapes, scenic drives, muddy boots in the back, not fighting for a parking space, that’s a big one. But real life isn’t like that; it’s probably school runs, errands, supermarket runs, sometimes a weekend trip, sometimes a scenic drive to clear your head, and probably some road rage here and there. 

And that’s the dilemma here, actually, it’s wanting an adventure car while living a normal city life, because the car isn’t just transport, it’s kind of a symbol. It’s the idea that life could be a bit more spontaneous, a bit more outdoorsy, a bit more fun, even if most days are still errands and appointments. So when something like the Range Rover Defender comes to mind as your dream car, well, before going all in and treating yourself to that, you first need to just really think about your actual life. Your actual life living in the big city. 

City Parking Will Humble Absolutely Everyone

Yep, it’s absolutely for the best to just start right here. For anyone who has ever lived in a rural area, count yourself lucky, because city parking, well, city mobility in general, is absolutely horrible, especially if you absolutely need a car to get around. So after all that daydreaming, well, a big, capable car feels amazing in theory, but with city parking? Yeah, maybe it’s not just a good idea at all. 

Basically, city car parks are not built for dreams; they’re built for stress. Think about it; tight turns, pillars in weird places, people parked slightly over the line, and pedestrians who wander behind the car at the exact moment reversing begins, because of course they do. Even if a car has cameras and sensors and all the tech, it still takes up space, and space is the one thing cities refuse to give. So no, it’s not easy to manage at all here. 

Daily Runs are the Real Test

As fun as it would be to drive up mountain roads and do soem off roading driving, well, if you wer to do that, you wouldn’t do that often enough probably (unless you live really close to a rural area). So, you need to consider saily runs instead. Like picking up and dropping off your kids, how easy is it for your kid to get in and out? Most cars are either lined up or parked when getting kids. Will that be easy? How about going through the drive-through of a fast food chain? Will that even be easy for you? Don’t just assume people will accommodate, because no, people won’t. 

The Weekend Escape Fantasy Needs a Habit

Which basically was just mentioned above. As fun as it would be to do adventurous stuff with your car, how often are you going out on weekends? No, just because you get a new car doesn’t immediately mean you’ll actually be compelled. You actually need to already make a habit in advance of going out, and escaping the big city life. 

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and current plumber. Homeschooling boy mama to two. We homestead and love our pets! A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 12 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.