Why so many 4WD's?

[Calaber]

I drove to the local shopping centre yesterday. Because my wife and I care for our grand-daughter, we can use the parents-with-prams parking facility. When we searched for a parking spot, I couldn't help noticing that the area was filled with 4WD after 4WD, nine of them in line, out of twelve spots. On the other side of the area, the same thing - big, heavy vehicles, being used for family chariots.

Why do so many families buy these things for daily drivers? When you see the family exit or enter the vehicle, there are usually only one or two kids. Most commonly, you see mum driving, not dad. Do women like driving these big buggers, or does hubby like his big, hero truck because its "tough"? Whats the story?

And I'm not talking about cross-overs of soft-roaders, I mean the full-on, Prado/Landcruiser/Patrol. The big buggers, with four wheel drive, two tonnes of weight, probably awful fuel economy...why?

[Ozzie]

very good question there.

I think it has to do with the mums competing with eachother to see who has the biggest shoebox.
Alot of them drive 4x4's because they feel their kids would be safer in an accident and others like to just see over other cars.
Its a good theory though. I dont think the mirrors are any bigger to do their makeup so it all comes down to who has the biggest and the best.
The ones that have small 4x4's can atleast say "I have a 4 wheel drive" to other mums.

[minux]

I think its a god complex thing, regardless these things are damned annoying on the roads. You can't see past them when behind them, you can't see past them when at an intersection. There is no need for them on our roads in the city. They really should be banned based on size unless you actually use one for 4wd'ing, most of them you see will only get dirty because they drive past a dust storm.

[TVR-190]

ya i hate 4wd's in the city, it ****s me. because yu know the most itll ever do is drive over someslippery leaves. id love to own a 4wd but id use it properly

[minux]

ya i hate 4wd's in the city, it ****s me. because yu know the most itll ever do is drive over someslippery leaves. id love to own a 4wd but id use it properly

Most wont even mount a gutter when doing a U turn. It is almost hilarious driving past my old school where there is now 4 speed humps, all the mothers in their BMW X5's etc going over speed humps at 2 km/h.

[TVR-190]

Most wont even mount a gutter when doing a U turn. It is almost hilarious driving past my old school where there is now 4 speed humps, all the mothers in their BMW X5's etc going over speed humps at 2 km/h.

thats not fair, i would call an x5 worthy of being a 4wd

[Tom_1569]

Im thinking of selling the VK to buy a Hilux haha.
I cant stand 4wd's in the city, you dont need them. BUT in there defence we live in a rural area, my sister now drives a modified patrol as her daily and 1 kid. The reason being is she lives on a farm and has to drive home from work everynight with her son in the car. Shes already tottalled one car and was lucky to walk away with no injuries to her or her son after hitting a roo at 100k's.
As for 4wd's in the city not being used, we took the patrol to melbourne the other week, have you ever tryed to park a GU Patrol wagon in the city Just to add, we got out and im like oh were hanging out at the front you might want to move back, looks at the back, oh **** your hanging out at the back aswell.

[Ozzie]

my old man's drivin round in a late model landcruiser with his wife, he hates driving it in the city and only has it cous hes towing a 22ft caravan round australia
Hes deadset against 4by's in the city.
Would you really class tiny SUV's as 4x4's? I class them more as a big bitchboxs

[Tom_1569]

The big buggers, with four wheel drive, two tonnes of weight, probably awful fuel economy...why?

Oh yeah the point of my original post.
They get really good fuel economy especially for their weight/size. My mates 78series Turbo diesel gets a little worse then the VT, add a trailer or some weight in there, amd he will get the better fuel economy by far.
Also sisters patrol is bloody good on fuel, hence why shes not pushing the insurance company to fix her tottaled car, caus its to expensive to run anyway.

[pow3rslave]

+1 for 'cant see past them at intersection' my area has a couple of sidestreets exiting onto main roads where theres a left and right turning lane.
if you're turning left and one's turning right, good luck seeing past it to check for oncoming traffic.

also, don't forget the ones who get themselves 5 posters:

so those nasty pedestrians won't get stuck in the grille

[padrickz88]

4wd's can do my head in at times....... my old lady said she was going to get a new car and she is thinking another 4wd (got a patrol now) and is thinking for a land rover...

me and my dad said there is no way we are getting rid of the current 4wd for a new one UNLESS its lifted and muddy's and **** our current one goes offroad occasionally (lol do i have some stories ) but the new one will be going offroad ALOT more........


owning a 4wd and it never being offroad = fail..... thats like having a forced 8 and never going past 2000rpm

[88GreenVN]

I drove to the local shopping centre yesterday. Because my wife and I care for our grand-daughter, we can use the parents-with-prams parking facility. When we searched for a parking spot, I couldn't help noticing that the area was filled with 4WD after 4WD, nine of them in line, out of twelve spots. On the other side of the area, the same thing - big, heavy vehicles, being used for family chariots.

Why do so many families buy these things for daily drivers? When you see the family exit or enter the vehicle, there are usually only one or two kids. Most commonly, you see mum driving, not dad. Do women like driving these big buggers, or does hubby like his big, hero truck because its "tough"? Whats the story?

And I'm not talking about cross-overs of soft-roaders, I mean the full-on, Prado/Landcruiser/Patrol. The big buggers, with four wheel drive, two tonnes of weight, probably awful fuel economy...why?

Came out from the shops one day after parking my car well away from other cars to find 2 4x4 cruises (yep the big buggers) paked beside me - What for you blitherin dig bats - there is 200+ free car parks and you do this. No hope of seeing past the bloody things to reverse out - just creep out slow and hope for the best. (Vans can do this too)

Hate large "never seen dirt" 4x4 in the city. 4x4's with country battle scars and salt bush paint speed stripes are exempt from my rant.

[Julie]

Its just a status thing, being a mum myself always around the school and other mums and stuff I can safely say thats the main reason. Its always the stuck up, think their shyte don't stink bitches that drive these stupid things, and the ones that aren't are just posers trying to be like the snobby bitches. 99% of the silly bitches can't drive and are scary to be around. They should ban these things in the city and they should certainly be banned around schools, they should have to park well out of school zones and get off their arses and walk the rest of the way to pick up the kids, some poor kid is gonna get killed at my daughters school.

[TVR-190]

my lexcen did more offroading then most city 4x4's would

[88GreenVN]

my lexcen did more offroading then most city 4x4's would

So has my 88 Wagon - living in the outback for first 11 years of its life. Been to rock carvings on goat tracks, Andamooka (for anyone that has not been there it is just large rocks and larger rocks for roads) and around some of WA's worst dirt roads. I has stailess steel side skirts on it to stop the stone chips/dents.

[minux]

my lexcen did more offroading then most city 4x4's would

Yep, I think most people would have a heart attack if they seen where the Senator goes sometimes while out doing photo's

[commsirac]

certainly be banned around schools, they should have to park well out of school zones and get off their arses and walk the rest of the way to pick up the kids, some poor kid is gonna get killed at my daughters school.

Ill add to that, ban all car parking within 400metres of schools.....including drop off zones.
4wd are an added danger.....add a five foot driver that can barely see over the steering wheel......who cant see diddly squat....out the back....backing over a kid.....just an accident waiting to happen. The only thing they need the 4wd for is so they can drive over the gutter because they cant park or turn the thing.

Patrols and cruisers are not cars, they are small trucks

One way to stop them would be to have a medium weight vehicle licence. anything with a weight >1800kg needs to have a endorsed licence. How many have got their licence in some excel or something and then drive something nearly double the size. See how many of the suburban mums want to sit their licence again and manage to reverse park one of the beasts.

I dont really care if they take them off road or not, they are not necessary for commuting in suburbia. Yes, they are safer for the occupants of the vehicle in a collision with the typical smaller vehicle.......and so is a 40 tonne truck!
Of course the real way to stop them is to change the cost structure. Tax them at the correct level, not that for a commercial farm vehicle, double the rego for vehicles over 1800kg......and stop giving them $2K so they can convert them to lpg and terrorise us at an even cheaper price!

[minux]

Ill add to that, ban all car parking within 400metres of schools.....including drop off zones.
4wd are an added danger.....add a five foot driver that can barely see over the steering wheel......who cant see diddly squat....out the back....backing over a kid.....just an accident waiting to happen. The only thing they need the 4wd for is so they can drive over the gutter because they cant park or turn the thing.

Patrols and cruisers are not cars, they are small trucks

One way to stop them would be to have a medium weight vehicle licence. anything with a weight >1800kg needs to have a endorsed licence. See how many of the suburban mums want to sit their licence again and manage to reverse park one of the beasts.

I dont really care if they take them off road or not, they are not necessary for commuting in suburbia. Yes, they are safer for the occupants of the vehicle in a collision with the typical smaller vehicle.......and so is a 40 tonne truck!
Of course the real way to stop them is to change the cost structure. Tax them at the correct level, not that for a commercial farm vehicle, double the rego for vehicles over 1800kg......and stop giving them $2K so they can convert them to lpg and terrorise us at an even cheaper price!

I think it needs to go back where to get the cheaper costs for farm vehicles that they bring in the primary producer tax reduction rates. They scrapped this in favor of just making this cheap for everyone. Bring it back, watch how few of these are left on the road. Love the licensing idea also, although, don't the new holdens and falcons weigh 1800kg?

[Calaber]

I think it is crazy to permit a driver who has never experienced such large and unwieldy vehicles, which have dynamics far below those of modern sedans, to be able to simply buy one and drive away. The size, weight and handling need to be understood and adapted to properly, for the vehicles to be driven with any degree of safety.

How many times do we see one on its side after a collisiion or after leaving the road for some reason. Properly engineered sedans and wagons will slide, but these buggers roll, due to their high centres of gravity and they can be tripped over easily if they strike a kerb or pothole sideways in a slide. The tyres generally lack the grip of proper road tyres, so wet weather handling on the road is sus. The size obviously is seen as protection in collisions, but the poor dynamics are not understood.

I think that licensing should include standards to be met BEFORE you drive one, let alone buy one. And you shouldn't be able to buy one without an appropriate license.

Yeah, I absolutely HATE 4WD's in the 'burbs. Partly because of their size, partly because of the d***heads that drive them with impunity and lack of consideration for others.

Another down side to them in car parks relates to their ride height. If one parks next to you and the kids open the rear door, the dog leg will strike your car well up the side panel, generally just below the belt line (ie bottom of side glass) where there is no protection. Result? Another bloody ding, because the 4WD is so high and the doors so large. (and the owner so careless)

[TVR-190]

Who needs a 4X4 when a commodore can do this:

[pow3rslave]

just makes me glad that hummers haven't taken off here in a big way... yet

[Haydz]

Ive driven a few big rigs..

they can be nice to drive...

when on my l's i was driving an f250 dual cab towing a 25ft party boat..

my mates dad thought it was ok. because " i was sober"

it takes up your entire lane.. no chance for error.. pain in the ass but good for scaring people.. with the roar of the 7.3 litre turbo diesel

[minux]

I think that licensing should include standards to be met BEFORE you drive one, let alone buy one. And you shouldn't be able to buy one without an appropriate license.

This should also go for performance cars also.

[stocky]

Ive driven a few big rigs..

they can be nice to drive...

when on my l's i was driving an f250 dual cab towing a 25ft party boat..

my mates dad thought it was ok. because " i was sober"

it takes up your entire lane.. no chance for error.. pain in the ass but good for scaring people.. with the roar of the 7.3 litre turbo diesel

you know youre not supposed to tow on Ls?

[TVR-190]

even on your Reds your not allowed to tow more than 500kg