Illustration by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• WHAT an unpleasant and judgmental letter from Paul Irving, (More sensible choices when buying a car, August 18).

The characterisation of all sport utility vehicle, SUV, owners as arrogant and selfish is childish and narrow-minded.

I own and drive an SUV for a number of reasons, which are nobody else’s business; but the main reason is that my husband, who has Parkinson’s, simply cannot get in and out of an ordinary saloon car or travel comfortably in one.

I also admit that I have preferred it for transporting groups of kids and their clutter, driving to our UK only holidays (we haven’t flown since 2019 and then it was only one trip a year for many years) and longish drives with my husband to visit our disabled son.

Before anyone thinks “oh, your circumstances are exceptional and not usual”, how do you know? It is an assumption that may well be wrong. So please think twice before assuming that owning a SUV is just for so-called status as it is a simplistic and prejudiced view.

DEIRDRE YAGER, NW3