The Stereotype of a Woman Driving a Large Car

Before a Panamera came to live with us, whenever I saw a woman driving a large car, I’d think, “There she is, cruising along in a huge car with her sunglasses on—she must be loaded. And she looks a little full of herself, too.” (I’m really sorry for judging based on such a completely made-up image.)

Sometimes, when I saw a woman struggling to maneuver a large car, I’d also think, “If it’s that difficult, why not drive something smaller?”

…But once I started driving a Panamera myself, I stopped thinking that way altogether. I learned just how much attention a large car demands—and that driving one takes practice and a certain level of skill.

In fact, lately I’ve found myself wishing that women who drive compact cars understood that driving a larger vehicle around town can be surprisingly demanding. So today, I’d like to share a few of the challenges I’ve encountered.

What I’ve Learned from Driving a Large Car

① Visibility

It goes without saying that the Panamera has a long hood. That means that when you’re pulling out from somewhere with a blind spot on your right, you have to nose quite far forward before you can see whether traffic is coming.

Take the indoor parking garage at our local supermarket. It has lots of divider walls (separating the spaces into groups of three). If I park to the left of one of these walls, I have to pull quite a way forward before I can see whether a car is coming from the right. In an SUV like the Cayenne, the higher driving position might give you a clearer view, but in the Panamera, visibility is still limited.

Of course, I creep forward slowly, but the parking lot gets busy with shoppers in the evening, and quite often there’s a car coming from the right. And then, with surprising regularity, a woman in a compact car gives me a hard glare. (Just the other day, someone drove past while glaring at me the entire time.)

What is that enormous Porsche doing? She’s pulling way out even though there’s a car coming—and isn’t she looking where she’s going? This is why I can’t stand women who drive luxury cars!

That’s the look I get (I know, I’m probably imagining the whole thing, lol.)

I want to shout, “No, that’s not it! The Panamera has a long hood, so I have to pull this far forward to see to the right—it’s not like your car, with its short hood!” But obviously I can’t, so every time it happens, I’m left feeling frustrated (-_-).

② Width

The Panamera is a wide car, and it took me a little while to get used to its size. Even now, I try to avoid narrow roads whenever I can.

That said, sometimes there’s no avoiding them.

There’s an intersection near our house without a turn signal that gives right-turning traffic its own phase. When a car is waiting to turn right, the cars behind it often have to wait, even if they’re going straight. Some drivers do pull over a little to the right to make room, though. When I’m in my BMW, I’ll squeeze past them, but in the Panamera, it feels a little risky, so I wait for the car ahead to turn.

Even then, there are compact cars behind me that creep closer and closer, as if to say, “Come on, move it!” From behind, the Panamera might look as though there’s plenty of room to get through, but from the driver’s seat, it doesn’t feel that simple.

“I don’t want to rush and scrape a wheel against the curb. I’d rather wait than take that risk.”

But when I check the rearview mirror, I can see the driver behind me inching closer with an unmistakably irritated look. Every time, I end up feeling frustrated, lol.

③ Parking

When I take the Panamera to a supermarket or shopping center, I don’t park near the entrance. Instead, I look for an open space farther away. There are fewer cars parked around there, and I don’t have to worry about holding up traffic while I maneuver into the space, so I feel more comfortable parking.

Even so, sometimes a car follows me all the way across the lot. I think, “Are they heading for the exit?” But no—they’re clearly looking for a parking spot.

“Come on, you’re in a compact car—you don’t need to follow me all the way over here. You could park anywhere! There were loads of open spaces back there!”

Still, I put on my hazard lights and park while the driver behind me waits. And naturally, that’s when I can’t get into the space smoothly and have to make several adjustments, feeling bad for keeping them waiting.

Of course, they may have their own reasons for wanting that particular spot, and there’s no point complaining about it.

Drive Safely and At Your Own Pace

When I tell my husband about things like this, he says:

Mina, you let the other cars get to you too much, lol. Just drive safely at your own pace.

He’s absolutely right. But I’m the kind of person who worries about what everyone else is doing, so I end up feeling pressured and letting it throw me off (-_-). These days, I’m realizing that along with improving my driving skills, I also need to work on keeping my cool.

That said, once you get used to the Panamera’s size and weight, a compact car can feel a little underwhelming. Every time that happens, I’m reminded that I really do enjoy the sense of substance—and the feeling of commanding such a big car. The Panamera is such a wonderful car that, before I knew it, I’d fallen completely under its spell, lol.