I considered the white and decided it looked like a tampon.

Ohh yes. But not in this weather where it is useless +1 (not because it is red though, just because it is useless and even when I switch off the electronic stuff it tries to take over my life). Great for the rest of the year though

And completely impossible I'd have thought, aren't they meant to be limited to 60 physically?

llamafarmer – Member

KT1973 – Member

the extra security of having 2 ton of steel around you

Not so comforting for the mum on the school run in her Vauxhall Corsa though is it? It's like a pointless arms race – the only way you can be safe in a crash with a 4×4 is to have one yourself.

Posted 11 hours ago # Report-Post

That's true and I've considered this often but you have to look after your own first and I want to give them the best chance possible. Do you remember the story about that pissed up footballer who crashed his Range Rover into a family car and killed their 2 sons. Absolutely tragic and I don't think I could deal with that. There are some situations that will be completely outwith your control but you do what you can. I was never a fan of the things before and it took me a while to convince the mrs but she loves it now and it gives me some peace of mind, whether that added protection be perceived or real.

I used to feel the same about 4×4's until I had kids myself, so it's mainly for the wife to use

What happens though when your wife gets distracted by the kids and your huge 4×4 goes crashing through the back of some other smaller car killing or maiming their kids? Yes, yours are fine, but at the cost of ruining another family's lives.

The people who don't care enough about their kids to use a 4×4 lose.

Please, please tell me that was a joke.

Very good question. I have alot of family (including my Mum who is getting older) in various parts of Huddersfield in the sticks. Over two winters its proved invaluable for getting around and to see various family.

I've never been to Huddersfield, so maybe you could enlighten me. Is it some tiny little hamlet cut-off from main roads? Does it suffer from endless weeks of snow and ice keeping folk trapped in their houses? Are the roads (sorry, tracks I presume) in such a poor state of repair that normal cars are unusable?

If a 4×4 is invaluable in Huddersfield, are there any 2wd Huddersfieldians on here who have had big problems getting around the last couple of years?

Far too many tree hugger types on this forum these days…..

That's extremely unlikely. They're strapped in and can't get out and if this happened in any other car the damage could be just as bad. Daft statement really.

Presumably you also think we should stop sending money to Africa? Or you'd be happy for a school 100 miles away to close if it meant more money for the one your kids go to?

Not the best analogy there either. If it was between giving food to my kids OR giving it to some africans I'd give it to mine. Africa needs stable uncorrupted government, education, better infrastructure and rubber jonnies but that is another can of worms altogether…..and there's no need to feel sorry for my kids. They are being brought up very well with good moral values thankyou very much.

Exactly my point – it just a car – it is no safer then any other and in certain situations can be more dangerous to both the occupants and those outside of it.
I have no axe to grind with people who genuinely and regularly use four wheel drive eg farmers

I've recruited another **** to the cause. He never saw the point of a 4×4. An hour cross country in mine today and he's buying one at the weekend. He couldn't believe what it was capable of.

So when do you actually need, and I do mean "need" to go off-road? As far as I understand all that hour you spent off-road will have achieved is to destroy some countryside. And yes, I do realise you can accuse mountain bikers, and indeed walkers, of doing the same, but not to anywhere even close to the same level.

I think some of the posters have confirmed the OP's point

My point about Huddersfield (and okay, I was being cheeky) was to do with the statement "Over two winters its proved invaluable for getting around and to see various family".

If we assume winter to be 3 months, let's say 90 days, that's 180 days in two years. On how many of those days has it been necessary for the average person in Huddersfield to have a 4×4 (the poster used the word "invaluable") to get about to visit family?

I've looked inside a few 4x4s and to be honest I don't see that they are really any more spacious than a decent sized family estate. And in a lot of them the luggage carrying capacity is pretty poor. I have a Mazda 6 saloon that can take two full sized mountain bikes inside with the wheels still on and also a load of kit bags.

That's why God invented tarmac so that 4×4's wouldn't be needed 99.9% of the time!

i need that!

And its been argued that only cocks have 4×4's therefore if you have a cock you must need a 4×4 🙂 I have both 😀

4x4s ace everyone should have one. 🙂
Those who moan about them probabley shite drivers anyway, or were bullied at school by bigger kids and are still having flash backs. 😕
Probably the same peeps that get in the way on single tracks at trail centres.

Can somebody just explain to me exactly why 4x4s are so invaluable for getting around in when conditions are like this? I've not got stuck in my 2WD, have got up and down steepish hills which other people seem to think are impassable, and have sat behind 4x4s going slower than I'd be happy with a couple of times. What's more I regularly park in fields and drive along forest roads to get to events (far more off-roading than the average 4×4), and the only time I've ever got stuck even the 4x4s needed a tractor to pull them out.

The thing is it's quite clear to me that at least round here you don't need a 4×4 even during extreme weather (yes we have had snow, and yes we have lots of untreated back lanes I'm using and plenty of hills), so when do you need one exactly?

I love my 4×4

Yup, i love yours too.

I reckon my Lancruiser (Prado over here) is pretty essential. The bloody great bull bar on the front is pretty useful for deflecting the wildlife when i'm out bush for work, and by wildlife read Emu's, FO big Kangaroos and cattle… It's also useful to have a 2000km fuel tank when is 2 hours+ between towns and there is no guarantee that the servo will be open when you get there.

Also handy for trips onto the beach and general hooning around on dirt roads in the hills :)… not much snow here mind you!

flickr doesn`t want to play!

Huddersfield? There are a few 2nd gear climbs.. but Sod the snow etc- the car just feels 'better' with four wheels powered. If I couldnt have 4 wheel drive I'd have rear wheel drive if I had to chose.

In general I wish folk would get off your silly 'we hate 4x4s' agenda.

2wd cars are fine- the same car with 4wd would be even better.