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.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

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.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

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