Why have 4x4s?

[Paul mabbott]

If it were a matter of some harmless choice that did no damage to other people then I could only agree.

However, people who use these things unnecessarily are a hazard to the environment. More personally, most/many of them are arrogant and bad road users. We had an experience a few weeks back going up a narrow country lane (with ditches/ridges at the sides) when we encountered three of these tanks (with one person in each - not wearing working clothes) coming in the opposite direction. While we were trying to navigate to a suitable passing spaces, they made no effort to increase available lane width despite, surely, having vehicles designed for going up kerbs or down ditches. The first one simply drove past us , literally pushing us to one side and taking off the wing mirror - the others followed, laughing ....

So, we didn't like them before - we hate them now!
And yes, I do travel around with a tube of superglue .....

Originally Posted by Tormentil

If you can afford to buy one and afford to run one, who am I to descry your choice.

We're not yet a totalitarian state.

[Coley]

Originally Posted by stripee

Yes anyone can buy what they like... if you are a pedestrian hit by a 4 x 4 there is more chance of being killed. Also for cyclists and if you are in a small car....I think it is a fashion in cities maybe will fade away soon. On rough tracks French cars such as Peugeot are excellent, higher underneath bits.

Yeah, imagine a Smart car verses a Discovery

[medieval knievel]

look up crash tests on youtube. the smart does better than you'd think.

[richardkm]

I have used 4x4s in many off road situations - as an estate warden, when no other vehicle would do the job and likewise in the desert, but I have to admit it's nuts having one if you just use it for driving around town.

We've just bought one - a small one admittedly - because my wife has to travel over the tops to get to work and in winter that can be hazardous at times. It's rather pleasant to be up high when driving, being able to see over walls and hedges, its also less of a strain on an ageing back to get in and out of.

[Interpreter]

Originally Posted by stripee

Yes anyone can buy what they like... if you are a pedestrian hit by a 4 x 4 there is more chance of being killed. Also for cyclists and if you are in a small car....I think it is a fashion in cities maybe will fade away soon. On rough tracks French cars such as Peugeot are excellent, higher underneath bits.

Wots a pedestrian?

[peppermint]

Recently i spent a year in Canada and couldn't believe the numbers of 4x4s on the roads. They really go for the pick up trucks which in my opinion are totally ugly vehicles and cannot see why anyone would want one for a family vehicle. Everyone seems to love them and drive them to the shops, school , swimming pool etc. I also noticed quite a few people driving round in monster pick ups, ones with totally oversized wheels!!!

Coming back to Britain our 4x4s seemed tiny in comparison and had much smaller engines and i totally agree with what has been said already. Why the need if you dont work/live on a mountain, deep countryside etc. They were never built to be an urban vehicle......until now as big companies see they can make a lot of money.

I just hope the sale of 4x4s slows down and never progresses to that of North America.
i think urban 4x4s are totally pointless, unsafe for other road users and more of a fashion statement than a work horse, as they were originally designed to be.

[stripee]

The tv prog mentioned above did experiments with 4x4s and crashed them into various cars, and the cars didnt come off at all well, also they did ones hitting people, and got some school kids to stand at the back of the 4x4s, the drivers couldnt see them because they are shorter than adults and because of a blind spot. One of the 4x4 drivers on the prog,a mother who had bought a 4x4 because she liked it and thought it was safer for her kids was horrified by the the experiments and bought a different car in the end.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by Interpreter

Wots a pedestrian?

They're those flat things splashed across the road ... like hedgehogs but larger ....

[Duke of York]

What can I say about 4x4's that hasn't been already said.

I can understand when they are actually driven "off road" but most of them are driven very badly by people who think they own the roads

[Coley]

To comment on one of the above statement, damn I missed that program. It's nice to know someone changed their mind about owning one of those things.