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Buying a 4x4 vehicle |
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Toyota Amazon
Land Rover Discovery
Vauxhall Antara
L200 Warrior
Range Rover
Volvo XC70
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People are forever asking me what’s the best four x four? The answers is quite simply there isn’t one. If you want to take a vehicle off road it’s performance is dependent a number of factores. The most important of these is the type of tyres you have on the vehicle followed by the car’s weight and power and the off road experience of the driver. If you are
thinking about buying a four-wheel drive vehicle it is imperative that
you ask yourself what you going to use it for. Also do you want
permanent 4x4 or do you want to buy a two-wheel drive with four-wheel
option when you need it? You also need to think about fuel consumption
(diesel or petrol) and this where the two wheel drive models with
“shift on the fly”(You can change into four wheel drive when moving)
come into their own as they help cut down fuel bills. The manufacturers have
not been stupid here and there is literally a four x four that is suited
for every family and work situation. The problem is getting one that is
right for you in all aspects of your life. For example if pushed I would
argue that best off road vehicle I have driven is the short wheel based
Landover, but it’s not as good for Caroline for shopping, picking her
91 year old mother up and entertaining our friends to lunches at the
rugby club. I also wouldn’t use it for pulling a caravan. You’ll also need to think about fitting a dog guard, some vehicles can’t do this because of the curtain air bags at the side and back and if you put the back seats down how much space do you get compared to the vehicles nearest competitor? Remember to ask about towing weights if you’re thinking about trailers or horseboxes and that some four x fours classify as commercial vehicles so you can claim the VAT back. Most manufacturers realise that the boom in 4x4 sales is to people who have little or no idea how to get the best out of their vehicle. What's even more staggering is that few of these purchasers do anything about it. A lot of people buy a 4 x4 because they feel safer. Women in particular feel more secure from bag snatchers as they're higher off the road. |
Let’s be honest here and say that a lot of people buy these cars as status symbols and have absolutely no idea how to drive them properly, both on and off the road. In particular in bad weather conditions they don't tend to use the full capabilities of the vehicle to ensure their own safety. I cannot recommend enough going on a one-day course and learning how to drive a 4x4 or getting someone who regularly drives one to teach you. What you can learn on a muddy hillside can be invaluable in snow and ice on roads. If nothing else it stops you being frightened of the two levers. In fact even if you intend never going off the road with your 4x4 a day spent on one of these training days will probably add years to the life of your car and prevent a haemorrhage to your bank account. You can drive the car in four wheel drive in the dry on the motorway if you wish but you'll probably say goodbye to a set of tyres within a few thousand miles and probably put 60,000 miles worth of wear on the engine. If you’re a total novice just get some one to drive you down some muddy tracks to explain things to you. It's a sad but true fact that many men won't take these courses because they don't want their driving skills tested, in case they're found wanting. These days some men would happily have their performance in bed derived but "road-rage" erupts when their driving skills are criticised! The point is it rains just as heavily in towns as it does in the countryside and if you need your windscreen wipers it can be a good guide to engaging four-wheel drive. This is because on wet surfaces a moving vehicle can lose approximately 60% of its grip, therefore by having four-wheel drive the effective stopping distance is halved. In reality most of us who drive a 4 x 4 use two wheel drive for 40,000 miles and four wheel drive for a few hundred. I know pickers up who have taken their vehicles out very day in the shooting season and yet have only engaged four wheel drive three times. If you’re going to spend around £20,000 on a versatile vehicle it makes sense to understand its potential. Apart from anything else you want value for money and your not going to get that if you're driving it incorrectly, sooner or later the repair bills will catch up with you. |
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