At this time of year when the weather occasionally turns bad and you get stuck at home because you can't move your car. Do you really think it's worth buying a 4x4?

I don't mean to turn this into a 'there are too many big 4x4's on the road' thread. More of a 'are 4x4's actually that much better at getting you places in thick snow' for example, kind of thread... :D

Originally posted by Briano
At this time of year when the weather occasionally turns bad and you get stuck at home because you can't move your car. Do you really think it's worth buying a 4x4?

I don't mean to turn this into a 'there are too many big 4x4's on the road' thread. More of a 'are 4x4's actually that much better at getting you places in thick snow' for example, kind of thread... :D

Today I'd say definitely! Only one other of my work colleagues actually made it into work today and I only made it because I've got a Range Rover. So today- definitely!

Well I've recently purchased a Jeep Cherokee 4x4 and in this weather the traction control offered by 4 wheel drive vehicles are second to none.

Seriously they are the Dogs in this kind of weather.

Originally posted by JonJParr
Today I'd say definitely! Only one other of my work colleagues actually made it into work today and I only made it because I've got a Range Rover. So today- definitely!

I can't image Range Rovers finding the weather today much of a problem, but I do wonder if the smaller and more lightweight 4x4's would manage?

I have seen in the past couple of years several 4x4's struggling just as much as your everyday car!

Originally posted by Briano
I can't image Range Rovers finding the weather today much of a problem, but I do wonder if the smaller and more lightweight 4x4's would manage?

I have seen in the past couple of years several 4x4's struggling just as much as your everyday car!

I think smaller 4x4's might struggle but as mine's a 4.6L monster - I'm ok!!!

Originally posted by JonJParr
I think smaller 4x4's might struggle but as mine's a 4.6L monster - I'm ok!!!
Mines a 4.0lt too - they certainly can give it some :D

power has very little to do with it.

weight and big wide wheels (and ground clearance) are the key aspects.

Traction control shouldn't be kicking in, or not very often. It only kicks in after you're wheels slip, at which point you may not regain traction anyway.

Drive with low revs in high gear, don't turn, break or accelerate suddenly, try to maintain a constant or slowly declining speed up hills (try to hit the incline with a reasonable velocity in the first place), use engine breaking when going downhill (change into a lower gear), break early but gently as you approach the bottom, or if you need to stop.

Is it worth buying a 4*4 for the 1 week of snow we have a year. I doubt it. The cost in fuel for the rest of they year more than outweighs any benefit you gain.

well, in countries where they have lots of snow, every year, most people simply fit winter tyres.

4x4s are not inherently better at handling snow - once they start to slide, they are hard to stop, but they tend to have knobbly tyres which helps.

Originally posted by Phanerothyme
well, in countries where they have lots of snow, every year, most people simply fit winter tyres.

4x4s are not inherently better at handling snow - once they start to slide, they are hard to stop, but they tend to have knobbly tyres which helps.

funnily enough, driving around chamonix (1000 m in the alps), snow on the roads and a foot thick off it. Most people had little front wheel drive cars. I was suprised not to see 4 wheel drive cars more often.
Most people hadn't even fitted snow chains.

Only had a problem once when I tried to go up a steep hill and had to stop to read a roadsign, no way it was going to start moving up again.

I'm wondering if someone (with more money than me!) should think about setting up a business where you can swap and change your car for a fee.

So you never actually own your own car but will alway have access to an average family car for normal driving, 4x4's when the weather is looking bad or the winter months and soft-top sports cars for summer weather (when it doesn't rain that is!).

Maybe you could have 3 or 4 different cars over the year to cope with the different seasons...

So, who's first!? :P

Well having got a Landy and having spent 3 months in the Alps with it I can say for sure the snow is no problem. (I never even had to use snow chains).

The problem many people have with 4x4's is they drive them as is they are invincible. Sure you'll get good traction but it's a different story when you come to stop. That extra weight can cause real problems.

The secret is to drive it as a normal car in the snow. Nice and steady. Maintain a steady speed and use engine braking to stop. I see no end of people in 4x4's steaming through the snow going WAY TOO fast...

Originally posted by Hippy
The secret is to drive it as a normal car in the snow. Nice and steady. Maintain a steady speed and use engine braking to stop. I see no end of people in 4x4's steaming through the snow going WAY TOO fast...
Thoroughly agree with that statement.
The thing I've found when I purchased this Jeep (which was only last Sat by the way) is that I dont feel the need to race it about - I'd much rather cruise in it.

I used to have a BMW Z3 and that thing got cained for speed because that's what I saw it as being built for.
However in my Jeep Ijust want to tootle along and drive it properly and economically rather than fast.

Also getting LPG converted so that will help with fuel costs :D

Originally posted by Briano
I'm wondering if someone (with more money than me!) should think about setting up a business where you can swap and change your car for a fee.

So you never actually own your own car but will alway have access to an average family car for normal driving, 4x4's when the weather is looking bad or the winter months and soft-top sports cars for summer weather (when it doesn't rain that is!).

Maybe you could have 3 or 4 different cars over the year to cope with the different seasons...

So, who's first!? :P

it isn't economical.
You can already lease a car, but to be able to choose between 3 the lease company would have to have 2 cars sat idle for every customer all the time.
To cover that cost the customer may as well have just bought 3 cars, or permanently leased 3 cars.

4 x 4 vehicles are great in this weather unless you get stuck with all the 2 wheel drivers on the road.

Originally posted by twinky1
4 x 4 vehicles are great in this weather unless you get stuck with all the 2 wheel drivers on the road.

And there's the problem right there with a lot of SUV drivers, they don't have the patience with other drivers that don't have 4X4s, driving like mad showing off in the snow, also 4x4s don't stop any easier on ice, snow tires are a thing of the past now too, I have 2 SUVs but i drive them with respect for other people.

I drive a 1 litre, front wheel drive VW Polo vintage 1986. I was first into the office this morning, ahead of the 4x4 drivers.

Why? Because I know the roads well enough to know where the least steep access points are, where traffic build up is likely to be, and how to handle the car in snow.

Many a 4x4 I have seen stranded because, for all the power and traction, the driver's ability to control the vehicle in snow just wasn't up to scratch and they just keep plugging at one route, only to give up and assume that no alternatives exist.

Of course, that's not to say I couldn't have found a quicker route if I did have a 4x4 ;)

Originally posted by spiffymonkey
I drive a 1 litre, front wheel drive VW Polo vintage 1986. I was first into the office this morning, ahead of the 4x4 drivers.

Why? Because I know the roads well enough to know where the least steep access points are, where traffic build up is likely to be, and how to handle the car in snow.

Many a 4x4 I have seen stranded because, for all the power and traction, the driver's ability to control the vehicle in snow just wasn't up to scratch and they just keep plugging at one route, only to give up and assume that no alternatives exist.

Of course, that's not to say I couldn't have found a quicker route if I did have a 4x4 ;)

Yes- the driver should be in control of the vehicle not the other way round.

All vehicles have to be driven by drivers that know how to drive.

You will get some that don`t know how to drive a 4x4.

They are great in this weather condition though.

I bought a shogun six months ago (Great love it) this morning it was the only car able to get up the drive (son and hubbie struggled like hell with their normal vehicles ) definately worth buying a 4 x 4

Originally posted by chris52
I bought a shogun six months ago (Great love it) this morning it was the only car able to get up the drive (son and hubbie struggled like hell with their normal vehicles ) definately worth buying a 4 x 4

because this 1 day will make up for the other 364 where yours burns fuel like it's going out of fashion. :clap:

Originally posted by DaBouncer
Well I've recently purchased a Jeep Cherokee 4x4 and in this weather the traction control offered by 4 wheel drive vehicles are second to none.

Seriously they are the Dogs in this kind of weather.

Are the Jeeps very cheap to run though, the other half is after one but I think it will cost a fortune in diesel. Also I've heard that spares are very expensive.

Originally posted by Cyclone
because this 1 day will make up for the other 364 where yours burns fuel like it's going out of fashion.

Take note:

Originally posted by Briano
I don't mean to turn this into a 'there are too many big 4x4's on the road' thread. More of a 'are 4x4's actually that much better at getting you places in thick snow' for example, kind of thread... :D

Originally posted by jackthedog
Take note:
it's a valid comment, the question is "is it worth it" then answer is no, the rest of the year when there is no snow and it costs more to run more than outweigh the one week when it helps in the snow.

is it worth owning a submarine in case sheffield floods? Same answer, no. Doesn't make me anti submarine!.

Most of the trouble I see on the roads of Sheffield in the snow and ice is caused by drivers who don't have a clue how to drive properly in the conditions.
This time of year everything should be "Gently Bentley" with loads of stopping distance no sudden acceleration, breaking or steering, and stick to the main roads, leave double the time for your journey and everyone gets there without incident.
I once had the use of a couple of 4WD vehicles in the winter [one a large suv and the other a sooty van] and can confirm that if you cannot drive a 2WD vehicle then having a 4WD won't make it any better. It's easy to spin either on ice, I did that to see what the limits were, and they weren't far!!
Even if you have the worst of all worlds a front engined rear wheel drive car, a couple of bags of chippings in the boot to increase the rear axle weight [and therefore grip] may be all that is needed.

Well I have a 4x4 too, but in this weather there is 1 thing that makes 90% of the difference WHATEVER you drive.

Tyres, tyres, tyres, tyres, tyres, tyres, and tyres.

One of the best cars I drove in snow was a RWD Volvo 340 which should have been the nastiest car in the snow. However, with narrow tyres and careful (skilful ? :D) driving it took me through up to 2 foot of snow for miles at a time!

I've got to say that I'd be gutted if I had a car that could get me to work when everyone else had been snowed in. All I'd be able to think about would be my colleagues watching TV, with their feet up, drinking tea. :mad:

Originally posted by Andy78
I've got to say that I'd be gutted if I had a car that could get me to work when everyone else had been snowed in. All I'd be able to think about would be my colleagues watching TV, with their feet up, drinking tea. :mad:

But when you're sat with your feet up in the summer you can sneer at them for having used up their holidays in the winter. What goes around comes around.

We had a Suzuki Vitara 4x4 for a couple of years. It had a soft top you could remove.
During that period, I think it snowed twice and didn't last, so we got no four wheel drive use out of it.
Also in that period it was only warm and sunny enough about four times to remove the soft top.
I remember driving down the M1 to Essex in a gale - couldn't hear ourselves speak 'cos of the wind and rain against the soft top.
We got rid....
Great vehicle if you live in the Canary Islands :)

How come most 4 x 4's I've come across in the last few days have been coming down hill, needing 6 ft clearance on either side, and not giving way to traffic coming up hill.

Originally posted by Longcol
How come most 4 x 4's I've come across in the last few days have been coming down hill, needing 6 ft clearance on either side, and not giving way to traffic coming up hill.

It would be the width of the driver's ego and not the width of the car - especially if it had personalised plates.

Originally posted by Cyclone
because this 1 day will make up for the other 364 where yours burns fuel like it's going out of fashion. :clap:
So what if it does? I'm higher up than you, and can afford the fuel - so quit your moaning!

Originally posted by nick2
Are the Jeeps very cheap to run though, the other half is after one but I think it will cost a fortune in diesel. Also I've heard that spares are very expensive.
Nick if your partner is after a Diesel Jeep then your fuel wont even matter.

Yes it will cost more to fill, but diesels goes a LONG LONG way.
Cost of repairs, dunno only had mine a week and it's not needed a repair :P

However my uncle owns a Jeep and has had the same one 10 yrs and the only thing he's needed to repair on it are the tyres cos the tread wore out. Oh and break pads!

They're amazing vehicles and well worth the £££

Originally posted by DaBouncer
So what if it does? I'm higher up than you, and can afford the fuel - so quit your moaning!

Read the title of the thread again, I was answering the question "is it worth getting a 4*4 for when it snows" - the answer is "no it is not".

We have so many 4X4 in Conn as we have bad winters, so no one is snobbish about driving one as we all have then, i think the worse drivers are the kids that drive RED cars, we told my son when he first got his licence we would help him buy a car as long as it wasn't RED, girls are the worst with the RED cars.

seems to give them some kind of important feeling to get behind the wheel of a red car.

Originally posted by Cyclone
Read the title of the thread again, I was answering the question "is it worth getting a 4*4 for when it snows" - the answer is "no it is not".

Purely in your opinion.

Originally posted by jackthedog
Purely in your opinion.

well duh, state the obvious why not.
Obviously any answer to a question that isn't factual is going to be an opinion. I wasn't however "moaning" which is why I bothered to tell DaBouncer to go back and look at what the topic was.