Typical 4X4's

[John the Monkey]

...but has a slightly smaller footprint than a Mondeo estate, I'd say this notion that they are massive vehicles is bogus.

They tend to be taller, so they're a ballache for other traffic to see over (unlilke a Mondeo Estate) - for those of us that need to anticipate road conditions because we aren't surrounded by roll cages &c this can make them more problematic than conventional cars.

The fronts of them tend to be higher than those of normal cars, and in some cases shaped differently (that line is blurry because of the "car like" categories of 4x4, with more conventional front profiles). That can make the outcome if they do hit something/someone significantly worse for that something/someone.

That said, I'd sooner have a considerately driven 4x4 on the road with me than a (say) Cinquicento or Smart car driven by someone with a Clarkson-esque attitude to speed and other road users. FWIW, (as said previously) one of the more considerate drivers I see on my regular commute is at the wheel of an X5. In Manchester, he's very much the exception, (ime) - where I live, (fairly rural) I see 4x4 vehicles driven considerately more often than not[1] (small hatchbacks driven by local lads are a bigger problem here).

[1] Caveat - Manchester I'm cycling on weekday's at peak times, at home it's generally before or after rush hour, and early on weekend mornings, which could skew things.

 

[Maizie]

The issue is about suitability.

What's the point of a never-off-road 4x4? There's a better car whatever the response -safer, roomier, more efficient, cheaper, faster.

So why do people buy them?

People probably think our 4x4 is "unsuitable" - and it is, for Hertfordshire.
But people don't tend to realise that we go on holiday in some rather rural parts of the UK, and having something that can easily go up a muddy green lane is very very handy (they know we holiday in rural UK, it just doesn't connect with them that this sometimes means hilly/slippery/muddy/etc).
Said people tend to look slightly mollified when we explain this, and then we add that it currently does 44mpg and they are invariably shocked and often admit their 'sensible' car doesn't do as well as that.

 

[tandemman]

Where on the other hand, there's a Volvo saloon which averages over 60mpg.

The issue is about suitability.

What's the point of a never-off-road 4x4? There's a better car whatever the response -safer, roomier, more efficient, cheaper, faster.

So why do people buy them?

Volvo saloon not suitable to pull my caravan
Volvo saloon same NCAP rating as my F2
Volvo saloon not as roomy as my F2
Volvo saloon more efficient in what respect, try to be a little more precise
Volvo saloon cheaper because smaller etc no real point for comparison
Volvo saloon as capable of our national speed limit of 70 as every other car on the road
F2 is in fact the same engine and platform as a S-Max or a XC90, cos until TATA bought them they were all Fords.

 

[very-near]

Where on the other hand, there's a Volvo saloon which averages over 60mpg.

The issue is about suitability.

What's the point of a never-off-road 4x4? There's a better car whatever the response -safer, roomier, more efficient, cheaper, faster.

So why do people buy them?

I can't speak for others, but I know why I bought mine. I actually wanted a Subaru Forester but it just wouldn't cut it (not heavy enough).

The height of a vehicle doesn't make it take anymore space on the road.

The door issue you are digging at is a non starter as 2 door cars have longer doors than 4 door cars

 

[very-near]

Fair enough. Though we spend 2 weeks every year driving the lanes of Cornwall. Never had a problem in our cars.

Try dragging a trailer or caravan out of a muddy field and will immediately see the attraction of 4wd.

4wd ability is a bit like having strong brakes or air bags. Until you actually need it, you might struggle to see the point!

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

Woah - what have I started!!?

I suppose I should have thought of a better title it's just that I have seen sooo much critisism of these sorts of cars but not come accross it first hand that much!

I saw her again this morning but this time she was stuck in a queue of traffic so was managing to wait without doing anything stupid!

I have to disagree with a couple of the points above re the amount outside schools etc. There are loads outside the schools in Edgbaston - especially the Edgbaston High School that is by the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. I seriously doubt very much whether any of these vehicles are ever needed to be used off road and half the people driving them around cities are rubbish women drivers (and I am a woman!)

The last time I had an encounter with one was a couple of years ago when there was really really heavy snow one morning - I was coming down a side road on my mountain bike, slowly and carefully in one of the tyre tracks in the middle of the road. Out of a side road came a woman in her 4X4 - she then proceeded to try and use the same tracks I was using and force me into the deep snow at the side of the road. I don't understand why she thought her bloody monstrosity couldn't cope with the snow at the side of the road but I could! Just like I don't understand why stupid bint yesterday thought it was okay to hold me up by stopping dead in front of me and then letting all her kids out!

I don't understand the attraction of such vehicles - to me cars are a symbol of speed and grace (even if you can't do more than 20mph anymore) and a good looking car is a sleek one! Give me a Jaguar XKR any day of the week (and a couple for the weekends too!!!).

 

[tandemman]

THere are plenty of mountain bikes that never go up or down a mountain, there are plenty of touring cycles that never tour, there are plenty of road racing bikes that have never entered a road race,
I believe it is called freedom of choice.

 

[jimboalee]

You think we've ( UK ) got it bad.
I worked for a while in Greenville, South Carolina.

There, there were big yellow buses to get the kids to and from school, but it didn't stop mum driving a 7 foot tall SUV or even a F350 Heavy duty. To go to the mall.

Dad would have something BIG too. And a hot rod for the weekend.

One 'truck' would pull a speedboat and the other would pull a trailer full of jetskis.
Each 'truck', because that's what they call them, did about 7 mpg from a 7 litre engine.

Addmittedly, they've got a lot more land over there than we have. Ask RandoChap, and in that part of the country there was NO congestion.

In my two years in SC, I don't recall seeing a cyclist commuting to work. then again, their commute was about 40 - 50 miles along the freeway from the hillibillie sticks in a car that typically did less than 20 mpg ( US gallon ).

While I was there, I ran a Chevrolet Camaro Z28 IROC. 5.8 litres and 18 ish mpg. Gas was a dollar per gallon ( equiv 13p per litre in 1988 ).

Really rich kids went to school 20 - 25 miles out of town and there wasn't a yellow bus. Mum took them in her 'truck'. I remember it was called Hampton Park cus I live near Hampton in Arden.

At the High schools, there were 'Student's car parks'. they could drive at sixteen over there. There were some beaut cars, Vettes, Ponchos and Ponies.

If any kid cycled to school, he was singled out as a Frikkin Freak.

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

God don't say that - we'll have a spate of kiddies being drive to school in tractors!!!

 

[very-near]

Need. That's the word.

On family trips and holidays in the UK, I have never needed a 4x4.

On a school run, no-one needs a 4x4.

Last time I saw a group of caravanners struggling in a muddy field, the Landrovers and Toyotas were useless. The farmer had to get his tractor out.

As tandeman has pointed out, there are more MTBs than roadies on the roads. How many of them 'ever' go offroad ?

I have never needed help to pull my trailer out of any fields in the hundreds of events we have done over the years. The car has always been up to the job - but this is mostly down to tyre choice.

When we have done the cross country events it is always the horsebox lorries which need a tow, and not the 4wd cars.

 

[John the Monkey]

As tandeman has pointed out, there are more MTBs than roadies on the roads. How many of them 'ever' go offroad ?

I can see over/around an MTB.

(Just saying).

 

[very-near]

Of course it is. No-one is suggesting they should be banned. Just questioning why they are needed solely for road use, with no towing.

How do you know if they are or not. Many new 4x4s have removable towbars (IE: they are stored in the boot until needed)

 

[very-near]

I can see over/around an MTB.

(Just saying).

The same can be said of WVMs and people carriers of which they well outnumber the 4x4s up my way.

 

[fossyant]

MTB's are "trendy", just like 4x4's though......

 

[tandemman]

In my MX5 I struggle to see over anything, in my 4X4 my visibility is much safer, I struggle to overtake a peleton of 30 roadies from my local road club every Tuesday night, can't see over or round them from the MX5.