4x4

[Lord Braykewynde]

Janice

26 Feb 2006 01:39 PM we have just purchased a frontera 4x4 2.2 turbo, any one got any comments on what sort of tow car they make.

Del

26 Feb 2006 03:45 PM The 2.2 is an excellent tow car, we have had ours for 5 years and no complaints. Plenty of Torque which makes for effertless towing. I tend to give her an oil change every 6months although this is very easy for the DIY person. Towing i can normally get 25 - 28mpg solo usualy in the region of 32mpg. For us this has been the best ever tow car we have had, shame that Vauxhall have discontinued the model as it means we are now looking to replace it with a Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0crd.

Road Runner

26 Feb 2006 03:51 PM I drive a 4 x 4 for a reasons.

1, My father is fully disabled and I have reduced mobility.

2. I winter caravan and over new years tow many other ralliers vans off as well as my own (go in and out as I pleased) and I have just come back from a muddy CL in Cromer.

I don't need to phone ahead during the winter to beg a dry pitch (although of course I like them)

I have 2 Great Danes so a big go anywhere vehicle is very useful.

With regards to the continent I am amazed that anyone compares the UK to them as I have never seen so many mismatched vehicle (for instance a BMW 320 tugging a Hobby twin axle)

Horses for courses and if you leave my preferred tow car alone I will leave yours.

CliveV

26 Feb 2006 04:02 PM Nicely put RR. I have similar problems needing to tow all year round and with two large dogs as constant companions.

Despite the silliness of the "antis" it is interesting to note that as far as the great British public go, they seem to be making their own minds up!

AWD vehicle sales are ever on the up, and Land Rover have just announced that 2005 was their best year ever with overall sales up 14% on 2004.

And this after five successive record breaking years for Land Rover.

So it looks like people influenced by the facts - not propaganda

Road Runner

26 Feb 2006 04:08 PM BTW:- Most 4 x 4s have no bigger footprint than a family saloon or estate car.

http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php

 

[DavidW1]

Hi Janice,

Havn't got a Frontera but it is an Isuzu with a Vauxhall badge and In my humble opionion Isuzu's are the best 4X4's for all round use.

Good choice and enjoy

David W

 

[354]

Road Runner

Dont see the point of your last comment. no onw ia questioning the merits of your 4x4 ? just asking about the merits of the Frontera 2.2DTI.

 

[giovanni_5060838]

i note the anti word is still being used,is it not a free country still? where u are allowed your own opinions?

funny thing really i note that a tester of this mag, who was

a judge that voted on the caravan club car of the year,

had these 2 pionts to make.

firstly large 4x4 are not as safe on m/ways as standard cars,

pretty logical stuff, c of g and all.

his other piont was he couldn't see the piont of buying a large

4x4 SOLELY FOR TOWING A CARAVAN, unless u actually do most of

your miles towing.

valid pionts, and yes if u do tow a very large caravan,then obviuosly u will need a large towing vehicle, but none of this is

anti 4x4,unless u are blind........

as for one other minor piont, diesel prices started to rise

dramatically when diesel car sales started to shoot up, i was

never one to scream there merits, as it did appear to me even 13

odd years ago what may happen.

decided against a 4x4, largely down to mpg, i am tight, but there popularity also meant that second hand prices would stay high, and if their popularity kept going up, then this government

would find reason to come up with new taxation prices, which do

appear to be in the pipeline........

have u not herd the tale of the bird that fell into cow dung?

if u know something good, then usually its best to keep it to

yourself...... otherwise everyone has to pay......and in this

country, we pay....

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Giovanni,you seem to have lost you Italian accent when typing, whats happened ?

 

[Geordie]

oh no the whingers / anti's are at it again ! . I take it they havent heard of phrases like- "You pays your money" - "Live and let live"- "Freedom of choice"- " Variety is the spice of life"- but then were living in a country where nonsense is the norm, and common sense can sod off. I only hope I never have the misfortune of being next to one on site, or they will learn a couple of phrases of mine!

 

[CliveV]

ssshhhh! Geordie!! - Not so loud!!!

It's the "Anti's" constant harping on about how bad 4x4's are that is driving the current sales boom of these wonderful tow vehicles.

Any publicity is good publicity you know.

Let them carry on - Land Rover sales have increased year on year for the last five years and were up 14% in 2005 on 2004!

The guys at Lode Lane are very greateful to the likes of the antis.

 

[cris_408518]

In some of the Auto Trade papers there have been some small report re car trends of the future.

Concerns over road safety and possible results from global warning combined with Automotive research and computer prediction modelling of cars of the future shows that all cars will probably be 4 wheel drive within ten years.

Traction requirements and computer aided braking devices to prevent accidents shows 4X4 as the only safe way forward.

Braking that is linked to front and rear sensors allowing vehicles to travel closer together in safety can only really be effective with power delivered flexibly to all 4 wheels according to the top engineers and all research.

The Societe d'Automobile Design for Urban Cars reports manufacturers developing new carbon fibre and other light weight transfer drives to enable every car to have 4 wheel drive so that all drivers and pedestrians can benefit from the safety developments that are already in the R&D depts of the likes of the large Car manufacturers, Trucks are expected to have AWD as well with Fluid Hydraulic Drives to truck trailer axles even.

Contacts at the FIA have reported that when agreement is reached re the new F1 Concorde agreement that F1 cars will become 4 wheel drive to speed up RD in the field of light weight AWD transfer box's and prove the reliability and durability of the new systems and wider use of composites in transmission systems, this follows on from the reduction in engine capacity from this season.

So if you don't like 4x4's, TOUGH ;-0

 

[CliveV]

Yep - the facts of what is really happening in the area of car design does rather speak for itself.

I love the tired old diatribe that being tall, 4x4 are not as stable on a Motorway. May well be true if driven like a lune. But the flipside is that on more normal roads in difficult, wet, muddy, icy, snow conditions the 4x4 will get you home.

My Discovery cruises at the legal limit on a M/way no problem as does, say a BMW saloon with a similar sized engine. I would be happy to go well over 100mph on a autobahn in the later, but not in the Discovery. But then I would not want to take the BMW out in the atrocious conditions that the Discovery deals with easily. It is horses for courses

Apart from that, modern Traction Control, Air suspension makes the handling issue increasingly a thing of the past.

 

[cris_408518]

Study into tyre use and wear points to chunky 4X4 tyres and wheels beeing a greener option.

More mileage on the more fuel efficient rubber synthetic composite ligt weight tyre types that will come along combined with less wear through use of computer controlled traction and braking will cut the growing tyre mountains caused by 2 wheel drive cars.The influential sub group Societe d'Automobile Design for Urban Cars Kinetic Engineering Research Strategies near Clermont Ferrand where I think they may work in conjunction with Michelin re future tyre design and tyre economy strategies are working on new lighter weight hybrid alloy wheels as well, that can be quickly recycled, also reducing unsprung and overall vehicle weights and reducing the need for steel due to the Chinese using so much!

The 4x4 driver of today is probably the test driver of tomorrows technology, those Martians that laughed at peeling potatoes have probably been laughing at many of us for years.

"SEE , THEM , IN , THEIR , TWO , WHEEL , DRIVE , CARS! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA"

 

[cris_408518]

ps.

There have been reports of new tyre designs based on bio nature designs. Tread patterns that are in fact hundred of thousands of tiny millipede like legs combined with new rubber and synthentic combinations that act like millipede or insect feet, the compounds part grip/ part stick to a surfaces and are based on modern adhesive advances. Based on natures designs wear levels will be minimalised and in theory the 4X4 of the future could drive up vertically or even uside down.

That would bring new meaning for the need to clunk click every trip and cars would need full harness belts I guess!

 

[CliveV]

I had not thought about the tyre situation cris.

Even tho' I mentioned my friend Mike's incredible 10 to 12 thousand miles only on the front tyres of his Carlton I never thought it through regards the tyre mountain such wear produces.

Given that 60K miles on a set of 4x4 tyres is the norm this would mean about 5 sets of front and probably a back set as well on the Carlton - 12 tyres in all compared to just 4 - Three times the "tyre mountain"!

The cost was about

 

[Redragon]

Guys,

I left this forum some months ago because of the childish bickering....

I return to find the same....just answer the initial question!!!

 

[cris_408518]

Redragon . This is just by way of difference of opinion and peoples freedom of choice combined with a little informative education.

Surely a little education hurts nobody, if you read carefully you can see that it is far from bickering comment going on

here ;-)

 

[giovanni_5060838]

oh no the whingers / anti's are at it again ! . I take it they havent heard of phrases like- "You pays your money" - "Live and let live"- "Freedom of choice"- " Variety is the spice of life"- but then were living in a country where nonsense is the norm, and common sense can sod off. I only hope I never have the misfortune of being next to one on site, or they will learn a couple of phrases of mine!

and i take it u have a problem with reading the post properly.

if u had taken the time to read it, then maybe something

constructive would have been printed by u..........

 

[giovanni_5060838]

I had not thought about the tyre situation cris.

Even tho' I mentioned my friend Mike's incredible 10 to 12 thousand miles only on the front tyres of his Carlton I never thought it through regards the tyre mountain such wear produces.

Given that 60K miles on a set of 4x4 tyres is the norm this would mean about 5 sets of front and probably a back set as well on the Carlton - 12 tyres in all compared to just 4 - Three times the "tyre mountain"!

The cost was about

 

[giovanni_5060838]

reddragon, yes i agree.

havn't posted in a while, but still read the threads,its so

strange that the same people who complain about others coming

on here, to cause trouble, seem to think they have a devine

right to act in the same way as those that they slate....

its bewildering.

u are guests on this forum,the same as me and everyone else.

instead of reading things into posts,that are not there.

just read the posts proper,if u don't like what is written,

fine, but why not try being more constructive..

 

[cris_408518]

Yes we are guests Gio, and I'm not a 4x4 driver. People are surely entitled to debate and offer advice and alternative views!

No fighting, no rudeness, just open opinion without "PC" preaching and scaremongering!

 

[giovanni_5060838]

Yes we are guests Gio, and I'm not a 4x4 driver. People are surely entitled to debate and offer advice and alternative views!

No fighting, no rudeness, just open opinion without "PC" preaching and scaremongering!

yes u are right, so which bit of geordies post fits that bill?

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

.... neither do I drive a 4x4 but if someone wants to tow driving one go ahead. These pontificating people probably have 3 cars parked on their drives as Daventura did. The only worry I have is the many 4x4 debates spreading into ALL forums as it has in the past. Please keep it under Towcars then the likes of Redragon wont be forced to read it which makes for a happier non whinging forum :O)

 

[sparkes]

I do drive one

But I also think that all 4x4 debates outside towcars should be deleted as soon as they are created.

The Mod does not have the ability to mve them, so we should live with the fact they will go if not in here

Steve

 

[cris_408518]

I guess Geordie is expressing himself, maybe he was having a bad/good day ;-)

Is it really that big a deal!

 

[Geordie]

Cheers Cris, Im sure you'll agree the comments made by Gio in his first post were without doubt, a dig at people who have a 4x4 and dont have a caravan attached to it 365 days a year( "or I didnt read it properly"). Also dont you find it strange when someone mentions 4x4s, all the *neutrals* who dont have a problem with them, seem to start quoting statistics on saftey.Strange people these friendly vanners, I wouldnt want them as enemies !

 

[cris_408518]

Well me , I don't know what makes some people tick Geordie ;-)

Proof is that larger cars are safer, as you have more around you to protect you from points of impact.

When people quote statistics on certain types of cars having accidents, they should be looking at the drivers of these cars.

Chances are that many would have accidents in what ever they were driving.

People I know who drive 4X4 and other larger cars drive slower than in smaller sportier models of cars. Many larger vehicle drivers say they feel more competent, safer and less intimidated in larger more upright vehicles. This has to be a more positive factor for some.

On motorways etc I like many (I Guess) give large trucks and vans a wide berth. I notice people doing the same with my large cars and vans and at the local schools I've notice over a long period drivers of smaller cars giving the 4x4 and people carriers etc more room.

Seeing a taller vehicle in an area with many pedestrians, has to have positive benefits surely. The fact that it is higher and more easily visible over parked cars and at time moving more cautiously due to being a little wider can also provide positive benefits!

My son and daughter have both driven my cars at times, there style of driving changes for the better when they move out of there "hot hatches" into a the larger two wheel drive cars even now they are use to them.

Friends and aquaintences have commented along the same lines over the years, about people driving "larger" cars.

So when people mention safety I think they should apply a little more latteral thought ;-)

No offense or personal attack here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Geordie, I think cris got the nics mixed up and meant gio, I do it myself all too regular, last time 2 days ago :O(