4x4 question?
- Thread starter wildfowler.250
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mchughcb
Well-Known Member
Ive have the Suzuki SX4 AWD. The fuel economy is okay the room with the seats down is good for gear and my dogs. The only thing that lets it down is the 175mm ground clearance. I recently put a lift kit and now its 240mm right up there with Subaru.
The other great one I used in Sweden was a 4x4 diesel WV caddy van . Plenty of room for a team of hounds.
The other great one I used in Sweden was a 4x4 diesel WV caddy van . Plenty of room for a team of hounds.
bewsher500
Well-Known Member
You don't say what your budget or size constraints are
coming from a Clio and talking about jimmy sized options makes me think you want small
i have given up looking at diesels tbh
unless you are planning the chip fat route or do more than 15-20k plus the advantages are minimal
i run a 2.8 v6 petrol Audi a6 Quattro that returns 29-32 on long runs
cost me £1200-1500 less than the equivalent 2.5 diesel
That's roughly 27 tanks of petrol or 7-8000 miles driving for free before the diesel would make sense
i have embarrassed 4x4 owners in snow and mud just because they chose poor tyres and drove like a ****
if it's ground clearance then the jimny route works
i really like the skids yeti buts if I had to drop £7-8k to find a good one I would be loathed to rip seats out and take it across fields at night!
coming from a Clio and talking about jimmy sized options makes me think you want small
i have given up looking at diesels tbh
unless you are planning the chip fat route or do more than 15-20k plus the advantages are minimal
i run a 2.8 v6 petrol Audi a6 Quattro that returns 29-32 on long runs
cost me £1200-1500 less than the equivalent 2.5 diesel
That's roughly 27 tanks of petrol or 7-8000 miles driving for free before the diesel would make sense
i have embarrassed 4x4 owners in snow and mud just because they chose poor tyres and drove like a ****
if it's ground clearance then the jimny route works
i really like the skids yeti buts if I had to drop £7-8k to find a good one I would be loathed to rip seats out and take it across fields at night!
mchughcb
Well-Known Member
While everybody may recommend a Jimny, and having owned its predecessor, I can can say while they will go everywhere they are painful to drive, can't carry much, slow in traffic and leave you wanting a bit more power. The Jimny is making a comeback downunder because it is complying with the new safety standards. I had a look at a new one yesterday for $22K driveaway. I say it was okay but severally lacking in room compared to the SX4.
Hales Smut
Well-Known Member
Best shooting/stalking vehicle a man can dream. Only downside : expensive
Loads of room for dogs, gear, ........ plenty of ground clearance and still low floor to load and unload . Much more space than any pickup. Use the same (Haldex) 4x4 system as Skoda and Audi quatro. Superior to any Jeep type of car on snowy roads. Just a very usefull vehicle.
Hales Smut
Well-Known Member
I had one ( kangoo 4x4) for 6/7 years. Still regret selling it. Van type with 1 piece backdoor and sliding door on the right. Backdoor was a roof when loading, having lunch, ........ Downsides noisy and slow on motorway. A caddy is a lot faster and more comfy on motorways. I replaced it by a Nissan Terrano. The Nissan is stronger and less prone to small problems. On snowy roads, woodland tracks,.... the Kangoo was far better. Never got stuck with it. I used it to trial my dogs. Drove up to Rome in it. Not comfy for those distances. Ideal local shooting car. But not to drive from Kent to the north of Scotland on a regular basis.
Scots_stalker
Well-Known Member
Live one of these. It's a bit nippy
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
Don't know if you're talking about Jeeps or "jeeps" but I find most Jeeps a lot better than VW Caddy on snowy roads.
Hales Smut
Well-Known Member
I have a Nissan Terrano ,a friend a Daihatsu Rocky , both are much more dangerous to drive on snowy roads. The electronical 4x4 system form the Kangoo and the 4x4 Haldex system are a lot more stable on snowy roads.
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
I'd say this has nothing to do with 4x4 system, newer vehicles just have electronic stability control systems. Also the Caddy could be more like passenger car (drivability, center of gravity etc). Tyres are a big part too, MT tyres have very limited traction on snow and also AT tyres are no match for even good passenger car summer tyres (those have more siping than AT).
Drive the Terrano with center diff locked (if possible), especially if you're accustomed to FWD cars and understeering. This would mandate that either tyres are not slipping, or they're slipping on both axles at once. In my experience this makes for very predictable driving and I don't use alltime 4wd at all (either RWD or locked 4wd).
Drive the Terrano with center diff locked (if possible), especially if you're accustomed to FWD cars and understeering. This would mandate that either tyres are not slipping, or they're slipping on both axles at once. In my experience this makes for very predictable driving and I don't use alltime 4wd at all (either RWD or locked 4wd).
Hales Smut
Well-Known Member
The terrano can only be used in 4x4 in traction-loss situations. That's what's in the manual. This means snow, sand, mud, ....... It says DO NOT engage on hard surfaces. Our winters are probably not like in Finland. Frequently whe have snow which only covers parts of the tarmac. You can have 70/80 metres of tarmac and then 50 metres of snow, depending on the houses, wind, etc....... When driving on these roads it probably isn't safe to engage the 4x4. When you drive into the snow the rear traction can be nasty. The same on some motorway junctions in rainy conditions. We frequently have to turn almost 360° downhimll to get onto the motorway. I have to be VERY carefull or the Nissan has loads of oversteering.
The same situations with the kangoo were a dream. On those junctions I tried anything, nothing to put him of his track. The same in the snowy conditions. I could drive at 80 km/h from no snow into snow, never moved an inch.
The same situations with the kangoo were a dream. On those junctions I tried anything, nothing to put him of his track. The same in the snowy conditions. I could drive at 80 km/h from no snow into snow, never moved an inch.
bobjs
Well-Known Member
just picked mine up in the last few days.
good mpg as yet and out on the golf course with the green keepr the other afternoon its gets about very well.
i had a older one that went to scotland and went on a bit longer than i thought it would, but this ones a 52 plate and as yet..............it does the job rather well.
bob.
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
Yes, the part-time 4x4 can bind if used on surfaces that have too much traction. If you have same size tyres (including wear) and are driving straight ahead you can use the 4wd with short distances on tarmac. Not that I advice to do so...
Fulltime 4wd like Jeep Selec-Trac or Mitsubishi Super Select would be somewhat better since you can use 4wd without worries, but they still allow driver to get the vehicle to grossly oversteer.
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