4x4s Grr!

[landsurfer]

Get Up And Smell The Pizza .....
Mmm ...... It doesn't work if you have to explain it. .......

[al_yrpal]

I have a small 4WD. Biggest problem is getting into car park spaces and poor lock although it's only a couple of inches wider than a Focus. I think some people are affected by what make or type of car you drive. For years I drove Mercs. I wasn't affected by that but other people were, I never even thought about it. If you were in the outer lane of the motorway other vehicles melted out of your way pronto, it surprised me. Boy racers used to try and take you on by tailgating you. But, in my E350 you just touched the throttle and they disappeared! That was when it occurred to you - I am in a Mercedes?

I think it's the same with 4WDs, most of the drivers of them around here seem quite normal and courteous. From the comments I read on here I believe it's more to do with where you live rather than what type of cars are passing you.

Al

[reohn2]

I have a small 4WD. Biggest problem is getting into car park spaces and poor lock although it's only a couple of inches wider than a Focus.

Genuine question,why did you buy a 4wd?

I think some people are affected by what make or type of car you drive.

I think you're right,see my posts up thread.

For years I drove Mercs. I wasn't affected by that but other people were, I never even thought about it. If you were in the outer lane of the motorway other vehicles melted out of your way pronto, it surprised me.

It may be because they suspect they'll get tailgated .

Boy racers used to try and take you on by tailgating you. But, in my E350 you just touched the throttle and they disappeared! That was when it occurred to you - I am in a Mercedes?

I find it's the German prestige vehicles who do all the tailgating.BTW I'm no boy racer.
The only three cars not to indicate when changing lanes directly in front of me in my Ford C max on a 20mile motorway journey today were Mercs,two of them E class.
I find there's a certain arrogant impatience that comes with German prestige cars that seems to have a ring of self importance about their drivers.
I'm(once again) not saying that's the case for all German prestige cars but a higher proportion of them than drivers of average cars of which there are more of on the roads.

I think it's the same with 4WDs, most of the drivers of them around here seem quite normal and courteous. From the comments I read on here I believe it's more to do with where you live rather than what type of cars are passing you.

Al

I think there may be something in that,I find the GM and Cheshire areas much worse than when I get north of Preston or in North Wales,Scotland seems more relaxed too.

[Cunobelin]

Interestingly the Police in Portsmouth ran an "undercover cyclist" on the streets of Portsmouth

in 2 hours they stopped and warned 16 motorists for close passes.

... a typical experience for any commuter in this area

[bigjim]

Yesterday morning I had a really close pass off a brand new Jeep 4x4. I shook my head at the stupidity and he shot off up the road ahead of me as I took a left turn. Three minutes later he did it again. Just as close or worse. He must have turned round and followed me to have another go! Still not as bad as ten minutes before when the WVM came at me as I was riding across a narrow one lane bridge over the railway. I was half way across when he decided to enter and force me into the wall while shouting abuse. Hey ho. Just part of a regular ride.

[al_yrpal]

I bought a 4WD to get around in the snow. At the time I was ferrying old folk around for the village charity when the snow came down to get them to hospital appointments etc and when they couldn't get out to the shops. I got stuck in snow and ice several times in the Merc and thus went 4WD. But since then snow and ice has been minimal! I really don't think I need one in retrospect which is why our next car will be a smallish front wheel drive 2WD SUV. We like the seating position and the space inside for the bike and lugging stuff.

I have noticed that drivers in this area seem rather more courteous and careful than in other places I travel to. The worst place ever is Dublin! I cannot point to any group in particular except drivers of small dirty white Astra Van type vehicles. They often close pass, drive too fast and seem out of control.

Al

[reohn2]

I bought a 4WD to get around in the snow. At the time I was ferrying old folk around for the village charity when the snow came down to get them to hospital appointments etc and when they couldn't get out to the shops. I got stuck in snow and ice several times in the Merc and thus went 4WD.

I've been driving since I was 17,I'm now 64,I've owned various cars over the years and been towing caravans since I was 27,I've driven in some appalling weather and only on one occasion can I ever recall when I thought a 4x4 would've got me out of trouble,it was on a lonely moorland side road in a blizzard where I had to turn back.

But since then snow and ice has been minimal! I really don't think I need one in retrospect which is why our next car will be a smallish front wheel drive 2WD SUV. We like the seating position and the space inside for the bike and lugging stuff.

We looked at all kinds of cars when we bought our first C max,it does everything I'll ever want from a car,slightly elevated driving position,tows like a dream,swallows a tandem whole with the front wheel removed,with the three rear seats removes(each individually)turns into a van,and is as cheap as chips to run and maintain as it's and elevated Focus .

except drivers of small dirty white Astra Van type vehicles. They often close pass, drive too fast and seem out of control.

Al

I can relate to that.

[reohn2]

Yesterday morning I had a really close pass off a brand new Jeep 4x4......

It wouldn't be a green one with a brown roof would it?

[bigjim]

Yesterday morning I had a really close pass off a brand new Jeep 4x4......

It wouldn't be a green one with a brown roof would it?

No. It was the "I'm a tough guy" black.

[Bonefishblues]

Yesterday morning I had a really close pass off a brand new Jeep 4x4......

It wouldn't be a green one with a brown roof would it?

No. It was the "I'm a tough guy" black.

Is that a special edition?

[thirdcrank]

Here's a library picture of my first four-wheeled vehicle

Renault-fourgon-6.jpg (26.41 KiB) Viewed 398 times

For tax reasons, mine didn't have the side windows in the back. It's still referred to in the family as the "white chugger." 0-70 in three weeks.

For my 70th birthday I treated myself to an Audi Quattro (Vorsprung durch betrug) I really am the same driver; I just travel in more comfort. (And I can get up to speed a bit quicker. )

I've dug out a picture I thought had gone with an earlier hard drive, but everything had been backed up.

So, here's my original Fourgon and Mrs TC. (The Fourgon is long gone - a Fourgon conclusion, so to speak but Mrs TC and I are still together although she refers to my Audi as the white elephant.)

[reohn2]

(With reference to to the first photo)If I knew you were that fast I'd have PM'ed you sooner,as you look great in uniform

Very arresting

[tatanab]

For my 70th birthday I treated myself to an Audi Quattro (Vorsprung durch betrug) I really am the same driver; I just travel in more comfort.

Not currently, in my driving life I've had a couple of Subarus and a 4x4 Skoda Octavia. Hence my dislike of 4x4 to mean over sized tank regardless of number of drivable wheels. 30 years ago I also had a real one - a series 2 Land Rover.

[reohn2]

We're straying from the thread's original thrust.
Whenever I've considered 4WD I've come to the conclusion I don't need it and also the extra weight/mechanicals and servicing costs for any gain is superfluous for tarmac driving on UK roads.

That POV could be different if I lived in the Welsh or Scottish mountain areas where snow is more likely and gritting of smaller roads less if at all,during the winter months.

[Bonefishblues]

We're straying from the thread's original thrust.
Whenever I've considered 4WD I've come to the conclusion I don't need it and also the extra weight/mechanicals and servicing costs for any gain is superfluous for tarmac driving on UK roads.

That POV could be different if I lived in the Welsh or Scottish mountain areas where snow is more likely and gritting of smaller roads less if at all,during the winter months.

Bear in mind, of course, that 4x4 isn't a pancea in these conditions. Tyres are everything IME.

I remember (ish) the winter of 2010 when we had the last goodly fall of snow. Mrs BFB, having stuffed her MX5 into the scenery the previous winter, was shod with Hankook winter tyres. We (literally) ran rings around the X5s, XC90s et al, which were shod with summer tyres, scraping our belly on the banks of snow in between the ruts. Huge fun, and I'm afraid I did indulge in some of that schadenfreude again