shiva

Get a 4x4 just dont try to drive it like you would a car or in fact drive like a local. 4x4's are heavier and have a higher centre of gravity so cornering etc should be treated differently than you would in a car. Breaking distances can be further as well (depends on make/model/brakes etc as some are as good if not better than cars).

4x4's are safe generally (dont buy chinese ever) its just that people try to drive them like a sports car and then get all antsy when the beast objects and flips over. (trust me on this, i know and they do object!)

Despite news that they are not good in crash tests that info is largely based on testing of older models which did not have crumple zones, air bags, abs, side protection bars etc. if you check out ncap you can see that just about the safest car to drive is a vw toureg. http://www.euroncap.com/large_off_road_4_4.aspx

what i'd love to see is the test results for patrols and landcruisers and some tests of newer 4x4's vs small family cars and mpv's. I have a strong suspicion that the laws of momentum will be in force and that they wont fare well against 4x4's in any impact given a like for like safety specification. Eg last year i saw a rav4 literally cut in half by a landcruiser on al sofouh road....not a nice sight.


oh and dont buy a landie or range, very sweet though they are, it will spend its life offroad in the garage and when it does tha cost of parts out here for them is criminal. ( i know guys who pay the shipping on parts from the uk because its faster and cheaper than getting them locally)

Inselaffen

the only 4x4 I have driven is a colleagues FJ Cruiser
Really didnt like being sat up so high in a top heavy car that rolled too much in the bends.

prefer a low sporty car!

shiva

thats why i changed the suspension in my 4x4!!! taking corners was less like driving a boat afterwards

Eeyore

Yep

The popularly-held idea that a 4x4 is safer because it's bigger and taller than other cars is nonsense, unfortunately. 4x4s aren't inherently safer and they're much more likely to roll in even a low-speed accident than a normal car is. You're also much more likely to lose control and roll if you try and swerve to avoid something at speed.

They always score badly in reviews by the motoring press, but that never seems to stop people buying them. Never underestimate the power of that "BMW" badge on the bonnet

Don't bother - both Land and Range Rovers are hideously unreliable and insanely expensive to repair when they go wrong (and they *will* go wrong). If you must, buy new (it'll still go wrong) and sell it before the free servicing period runs out.

If you want a big 4x4 that's got a bit of cachet and is actually reliable into the bargain, either go for a Merc, a Lexus or a Landcruiser.

shiva

for cachet get a lexus lx470 or the new 570 when its out or a vxr landcruiser. utterly reliable and will never break down. will also hold its value in an unreasonable way. if you do have a problem parts are cheap as chips and available everywhere.

X5 is a horrible thing but buy it if you must, it has a failry decent safety rating and as it was designed primarily for on road use handles better than most 4x4's on the road. just dont take it offroad without a big bag of spare parts

Inselaffen

but the landcruiser/lexus is ugly with a Toyata interior!

shiva

yup but once you've tinted the windows you can drive anyway you please and people will flee at the sight of you. speed limits and road manners will no longer concern you, nor will parking spaces.

oh and did i mention it probably wont break...ever

Blue Cat

I would love an X5 - preferably in silver, and yes it is for snob value

Eeyore

X5s are way too common out here to have any snob value

You know what they say... BMWs are like arseholes... everybody's got one

MataHari

well...you'd be stuck without it....

Blue Cat

You don't see as many X5's as you do Pajeros though, I still want one !

Madam Medusa

told you...you can buy mine, lol...

MM, xx

MataHari

I'd say Volvo, Saab and Audi have more snob value in that market segment...

Blue Cat

husband not shifting on this one, only had the Pajero a year so he keeps saying no

Cham128

i dunno what happened to my post from yesterday but the x5 is great on the road... but if you think you have a chance of hitting a small pebble or stone, then you're better off with the pajero... my mum's honda jazz has more off-road capability than the x5!