Orion
Well-Known Member
Well this biddy was, (eventually when she noticed them!), stopped by the polis - pic from our local Mid Devon rag last year. Seems to confirm your premis.
View attachment 3879
No, it's not even l/h drive!
Best two-wheel drive offroad
- Thread starter Oly
- Start date
Well this biddy was, (eventually when she noticed them!), stopped by the polis - pic from our local Mid Devon rag last year. Seems to confirm your premis.
View attachment 3879
No, it's not even l/h drive!
mickthebrick
Well-Known Member
Monkey Spanker
Well-Known Member
Tyres are the secret to success!
It doesn't matter how many wheels are driving if they aint gripping!
A 2 WD with off road tyres will do better than a 4WD with crappy SUV tyres!
Not all 4WD are expensive either.
My little Vitara never let me down and went places I would never have believed. That was all in 2WD too! I only ever selected 4WD twice to get me out of trouble. I believe it is still going strong as a true 'off roader' shooting vehicle now with over 180,000 miles on the clock!
My X Trail stays in 2WD which gives 40+ mpg with the option of selecting Auto or Diff lock. Great vehicle but spares are pricey!
Some commercial vans now come in a 4WD version. Might be worth a look?
It doesn't matter how many wheels are driving if they aint gripping!
A 2 WD with off road tyres will do better than a 4WD with crappy SUV tyres!
Not all 4WD are expensive either.
My little Vitara never let me down and went places I would never have believed. That was all in 2WD too! I only ever selected 4WD twice to get me out of trouble. I believe it is still going strong as a true 'off roader' shooting vehicle now with over 180,000 miles on the clock!
My X Trail stays in 2WD which gives 40+ mpg with the option of selecting Auto or Diff lock. Great vehicle but spares are pricey!
Some commercial vans now come in a 4WD version. Might be worth a look?
Tyres are critical. Kingpin mud & snow or Fedima are brillant cheap (£30) remoulds. I got mine through tyres direct uk. Be quick as they have just had a batch from Portugal and will sell out within days.
I run them at 20 psi and the 2WD A6 runs rings around the A4 quattro 4WD
I run them at 20 psi and the 2WD A6 runs rings around the A4 quattro 4WD
I agree I used to know a old hunting feela who would go anywhwere in a 2CV. For years i drove a rover 218 TDI and it was excellent in all sorts of coditions but road clearance was not that good. The best 2 wheel drive car I have ever driven was a 1.6 cavalier. I was brilliant in the snow and went everywhere off road within reason. In fact it was the most sure footed motor I have ever driven in the snow, and i am talking serious snow in Switzerland.
Best car ever in snow is Range Rover Vouge with mitchelins.
Have driven across Europe in appaling conditions and never felt so safe.
D
Best car ever in snow is Range Rover Vouge with mitchelins.
Have driven across Europe in appaling conditions and never felt so safe.
D
Oly
Well-Known Member
It's been a while - but just considering this as next year my company car is up for replacement. They don't do 4x4's and this crossover should give me some extra clearance and the grip control might help a bit...better than a normal car, but cheaper than running a separate 4x4...plus 55mpg! It's just pretty ugly!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fcju6GoaD8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fcju6GoaD8
Dan Gliballs
Well-Known Member
Shitroen 2CV6
Ive driven them across freshly ploughed fields without a bother.
Ive driven them across freshly ploughed fields without a bother.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
We took over my late mother in laws Kangoo. It was ten years old, automatic with hand controls but with less tha 20,000 miles. We would have got very little for it so we hung onto it. Took hand controls out, replaced the original tyres with winter tyres and it will go anywhere and carry a huge amount. And with sliding rear doors the kids think it is a helicopter!
I'm sure this will get a laugh from the ones who just don't know but love to talk.
Robin Reliants are probably the best 2 wheel drive off roader bar none. I rode long distance trials on bikes for a few years, with some success. There was one old couple running a Reliant with mud tyres on it. I saw them climb various hills which had even some of the bike boys floundering. On reflection the reason is so simple. It cannot become cross axled. The two drive wheels will always be firmly planted as it only has three contact points. I see the OP is now looking at the new cross over vehicles, so probably not relevant to him. However I have yet to see another vehicle with 2 wheel drive that can beat the old Robin on a wet hill climb.
Might be a bit awkward getting a big stag in the back mind.
Mark
Robin Reliants are probably the best 2 wheel drive off roader bar none. I rode long distance trials on bikes for a few years, with some success. There was one old couple running a Reliant with mud tyres on it. I saw them climb various hills which had even some of the bike boys floundering. On reflection the reason is so simple. It cannot become cross axled. The two drive wheels will always be firmly planted as it only has three contact points. I see the OP is now looking at the new cross over vehicles, so probably not relevant to him. However I have yet to see another vehicle with 2 wheel drive that can beat the old Robin on a wet hill climb.
Might be a bit awkward getting a big stag in the back mind.
Mark
bewsher500
Well-Known Member
why bother with a 2wd when you can get so many good 2nd hand 4wd's?
I had a casualty sheet as long as my arm from towing people out of the 6" of snow in central edinburgh
Several Transit vans,
numerous smaller vans,
a Freelander!!
Alfa Romeo 159,
Toyota Camry
VW Golf
A Renault Mascott 120dxi Lwb Flatbed
and the pièce de résistance.....
A 2010 Discovery 4!!
stupid slick tyres on a slight camber stuck against the kerb. If I would have had time I would have come back for his mate in the brand new Range Rover with 20" rims and no rubber that was next to him!!
all done by my 1999 A4 1.8t quattro with a set of Nokian winter tyres!
returns 38mpg when driven sensibly on the motorway
similar ones can be picked up for less than £2k.
does everything a car should.
I had a casualty sheet as long as my arm from towing people out of the 6" of snow in central edinburgh
Several Transit vans,
numerous smaller vans,
a Freelander!!
Alfa Romeo 159,
Toyota Camry
VW Golf
A Renault Mascott 120dxi Lwb Flatbed
and the pièce de résistance.....
A 2010 Discovery 4!!
stupid slick tyres on a slight camber stuck against the kerb. If I would have had time I would have come back for his mate in the brand new Range Rover with 20" rims and no rubber that was next to him!!
all done by my 1999 A4 1.8t quattro with a set of Nokian winter tyres!
returns 38mpg when driven sensibly on the motorway
similar ones can be picked up for less than £2k.
does everything a car should.
Roz
Well-Known Member
Best 2wd car I ever had was a mk2 escort, my son did pretty well in his fiesta with snow tyres last winter, but the best thing ever for shooting stalking etc was the old Peugeot 504 pickup, which has a limited slip diff.
Having said all that, there is no substitute for an old Land Rover, mine is 25 years old and a second car, and really is very cheap to run.
Having said all that, there is no substitute for an old Land Rover, mine is 25 years old and a second car, and really is very cheap to run.
Oly
Well-Known Member
That does surprise me, used to go to lots of old hill climbs where the old VW Beetles beat everything...tonnes of them on youtube too, never seen a Robin hillclimb though...not sure if I'd want to either! Imagine the mess it would make if it flipped near the top with that fibreglass body!!
Because some folk don't want another car on the drive to tax/insure/maintain etc. Wife likes hers, mine is a company car, so on a limited list unfortunately. When I'm doing 35K non-motorway miles a year I need to average 45+mpg as a minimum...
Dan Gliballs
Well-Known Member
Really? What a bloody good job they made then
flytie
Well-Known Member
Oly, during the snow last winter i had great fun in my Jimny, obviously there were defenders out to play, some subarus too but the one that surprised me was the Fiat panda 4x4. They do 56mpg too. Worth a thought. Comparative comfort, air conditioning and they will take you over wet grass, stubble and snow like good un's. Yes like all the other car based 4x4's they fall down on ground clearance but they have to worth a thought for us part time stalkers, surely?
I have also seen a 1.9 diesel Jimny, which interested me greatly.
Simon
Fytie wrote.
"I have also seen a 1.9 diesel Jimny, which interested me greatly."
I have a mate who runs one, far better than the 1.3 petrol we have. Unfortunately he lives in Italy, and as yet I haven't seen one in the UK. Did you actualy see yours in the UK Flytie? Love to think we were going to be offered them as an option.
"I have also seen a 1.9 diesel Jimny, which interested me greatly."
I have a mate who runs one, far better than the 1.3 petrol we have. Unfortunately he lives in Italy, and as yet I haven't seen one in the UK. Did you actualy see yours in the UK Flytie? Love to think we were going to be offered them as an option.
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