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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Driving a 4x4...

103 replies

WhereDidTheGoodTimesGo · 07/09/2023 21:45

AIBU to think if you've only driven a small car for 20 years then it's a big leap to start driving a 4x4 (even a compact SUV)?

DH thinks it's no big deal but I'm nervous. I do need a 4x4 as we've moved rurally and my old, teeny tiny Fiesta is not coping...I know it's not a big deal but it's far out my comfort zone.

Parking and manoeuvring along narrow country lanes are my biggest worries...am I overthinking? I can practice of course but I don't want to be 'that' driver, with a car too big for them...will I get used to it?

I've test driven quite a few now and it feels like the car is a HGV!

OP posts:
Shadowchaser · 08/09/2023 09:03

I had a FL2 for years and it was easy to drive! Good vision, easy to park.

The only downfall was when it broke it was so expensive to repair so have a large repair pot to hand 😬

Ive also had a VW tiguan which was more ‘car like’ yet still a 4x4. Interestingly this did much better than the FL2 in the snow.

Daffodilsandtuplips · 08/09/2023 09:47

The Jimny: I’m going back ten years or so now, a neighbour had one and she loved it so we took a look at a secondhand one but the wheel thing put me off.
Op another one to think about is a Toyota Rav 4, I had one of those, it was good in many respects but I preferred the Freelander.

Thatladdo · 08/09/2023 09:53

Coming from someone who does live on a hill farm in Cumbria - Freelander 2 should do you fine with some decent tyres as long as you get a good one or have a good relationship with your mechanic 😁, Toyota would be the bulletproof recommendation.

Im sure your already aware that a lot of the new SUV's are just tall, fat cars and pretty useless when conditions are bad and you need to rely on them.

A word of caution for example the Suzuki Jimny's wading depth is 300mm for example, next to useless compared to a normal car if its taking a regular dip and likes of Nissans(Patrol exepted) and other softroaders come unstuck in icy / snowy conditions.

lightinthebox · 08/09/2023 10:01

If you do get a 4x4 please don’t be one of those drivers who forgets the off road capability and refuses to get your car dirty. So annoying driving on narrow roads in a small car and SUV drivers taking up the entire road and not moving.

Ginmonkeyagain · 08/09/2023 10:05

I grew up rurally (on a farm no less) and our family car was a volkswagon golf!

Nervous 4x4 drivers were the worst to encounter when driving a tractor with a trailer full of grain or sheep on a narrow country road!

My dad had to bail a few 4WDs out of themud/snow over the years as they just assumed it could do any terrrain.

Yeagarup · 08/09/2023 10:09

A word of caution for example the Suzuki Jimny's wading depth is 300mm for example, next to useless compared to a normal car

There is where you need to take info you find on the internet with a pinch of salt. There is more than 300mm between the ground and the bottom of the body on a Jimny. The actual air intake is just below the level of the bonnet.

I have just taken a photo of mine. The air intake is arrowed.

Driving a 4x4...
JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 08/09/2023 10:33

If you want a small car with off road credentials look at the Fiat Panda 4x4, I once saw on a few meters shy of the summit of Vesuvius, in Italy they are used like UK farmers use Landover defenders. They will go anywhere, including places an SUV can't fit.

Absolutely no need to have an SUV for rural living. I only have a big 4x4 to pull the horsebox, plenty of people living remotely manage with small hatchbacks.

What is your fiesta struggling with? Ground clearance? Power for steep hills? Snow? Winter tyres make a big difference to grip, a two wheel drive car on good tyres will be better in snow and ice than an SUV on sporty tyres.

GrimGrinningGhosts · 08/09/2023 10:52

I replaced my Fiat 500 with a Land Rover.
obviously not as easy to park up in small spaces like the 500, but much more enjoyable to drive. I also found I was very much ‘left alone’ on the roads, with the Fiat I’d have an Audi or such like up my arse and everything had to try and get past me for some reason, never happened wit the Land Rover.
Had it several years but it eventually became too big for my needs so I’ve gone back down to a mini.

2jacqi · 08/09/2023 10:54

driving a 4 x 4 is actually safer than driving a normal sized car. you are higher up. you will have more control in the snow and ice. I am only 5 feet tall and I have been driving my hubby's 4x4 for years because he takes mine for his work. his vehicles have always had reversing cameras built into them for parking. the current vehicle has all round cameras so you can see how close you are to absolutely everything when parking, the cameras only come on when you are parking and for a few minutes after driving off. Automatic is definitely the way to go/

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 08/09/2023 10:57

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 08/09/2023 10:33

If you want a small car with off road credentials look at the Fiat Panda 4x4, I once saw on a few meters shy of the summit of Vesuvius, in Italy they are used like UK farmers use Landover defenders. They will go anywhere, including places an SUV can't fit.

Absolutely no need to have an SUV for rural living. I only have a big 4x4 to pull the horsebox, plenty of people living remotely manage with small hatchbacks.

What is your fiesta struggling with? Ground clearance? Power for steep hills? Snow? Winter tyres make a big difference to grip, a two wheel drive car on good tyres will be better in snow and ice than an SUV on sporty tyres.

Argh, just seen your update about flooding and needing to tow (bloody app not loading all the replies)

We have pick ups, currently an Isuzu, more economical to buy and run than an SUV, designed to be workhorses and with great towing capacity. Not actually as big as they look either (ours is narrower than a discovery).

We went from small hatchbacks like the fiesta to a pick up. They are a bit of a nightmare to reverse if you have a box on the back and no camera/sensor but with a reverse camera it is fine, I can reverse straight onto the tow hitch without getting out. It does make a long rig with the horsebox on so it took a while to get the hang of reversing while hitched up as the long wheelbase makes that more difficult (although improves stability going forward) but I can reverse round a corner or into a parking space now.

Thatladdo · 08/09/2023 11:18

Yeagarup · 08/09/2023 10:09

A word of caution for example the Suzuki Jimny's wading depth is 300mm for example, next to useless compared to a normal car

There is where you need to take info you find on the internet with a pinch of salt. There is more than 300mm between the ground and the bottom of the body on a Jimny. The actual air intake is just below the level of the bonnet.

I have just taken a photo of mine. The air intake is arrowed.

Its not the engine air intake thats the issue, its the differentials not having breathers, when warm, dipped in cold water they contract and then you get water drawn into the oil, the resulting milky sludge will reduce its lifespan enormously. - hence i said regular dip 😊
Plus they are a light, flimsy tin box and water much abover the bottom of the body will see you floating away.

Yeagarup · 08/09/2023 11:42

Its not the engine air intake thats the issue, its the differentials not having breathers,

It can’t be that much of an issue in real life. This one has lasted 14 years and 150,000 km of use and abuse, including river crossings.

Thatladdo · 08/09/2023 11:46

Good luck to you then, im just an engineer telling you what engineers who build these things say.
Maybe you know better based on your limited experience.

BeMoreBarbie · 08/09/2023 12:17

Daffodilsandtuplips · 07/09/2023 22:37

I find 4x4s easier to drive, the driving position is higher, giving you better visibility over hedges etc, the wing mirrors are bigger, much better for reversing. I also had a manual Fiesta and as much as I loved it I felt safer driving our 4x4 Land Rover, Freelander. It was an automatic but could change to manual if required.

It fit into regular parking bays with no problem. Fuel consumption was pretty good, the boot was massive and even more so when the rear seats were down.

Top gear did a piece on these cars. I can't remember if it was a disco or a freelander but the Ford was ncap 5 stars and the LR 3. They showed it colliding with a concrete block at 40 mph. The fiesta was absolutely fine internally. The LR was awful. The frame had folded by the door, the pedals pushed into what would be the drivers legs and the steering wheel, their chest. It may feel safer but it absolutely isn't.

PinkRoses1245 · 08/09/2023 12:21

You'll get used to it with practice, can you look for a 4x4 / SUV at the smaller end rather than those land rover monstrosities. Most have parking sensors and cameras to help as well.

allhellcantstopusnow · 08/09/2023 15:30

I drive 4 different cars on a regular basis, from a tiny run around to a long wheelbase van and it's all fine, so for me I wouldn't have an issue. You sound like you're not overly confident though, which is also perfectly reasonable. You'll probably adjust quite quickly though.

Original poster
WhereDidTheGoodTimesGo · 08/09/2023 18:13

allhellcantstopusnow · 08/09/2023 15:30

I drive 4 different cars on a regular basis, from a tiny run around to a long wheelbase van and it's all fine, so for me I wouldn't have an issue. You sound like you're not overly confident though, which is also perfectly reasonable. You'll probably adjust quite quickly though.

Hopefully I can report back soon that I adjusted quickly!

OP posts:
TeenLifeMum · 08/09/2023 18:16

I live in the West Country and much prefer my tiny Ford Ka than driving our 4X4. I’m a confident driver but the ka is just so much easier because it fits on country lanes when you meet a tractor etc. unless you’re driving across fields you don’t need a 4x4 even if you live rurally. The roads are still tarmac (although some do have a bit of grass down the middle).

RichieMcAl · 08/09/2023 18:23

All big modern 4x4’s have parking sensors, they’re no different to drive than small cars in fact I’d say easier as you have a better viewpoint, I’ve met plenty of drivers who can’t reverse their small cars (including one lady who expected me to reverse a trailer up a hill and round a bend as she couldn’t go back 20 yards). Shit drivers come in all shapes and sizes.

TrishTrix · 08/09/2023 18:30

You'll get used to it. I usually drive a fiesta size car but when I go "home" drive my brother's enormous estate car (or his Defender).

After my first trip out I'm fine. Parking gets easier.

Ifitaintgotnoswing · 08/09/2023 18:44

Get a fiat panda 4x4

Poppysmom22 · 08/09/2023 18:47

I have also got a 4x4 car and it's every bit as good as the massive BMW 4x4 I had before and it fits everywhere

Original poster
WhereDidTheGoodTimesGo · 09/09/2023 07:39

TeenLifeMum · 08/09/2023 18:16

I live in the West Country and much prefer my tiny Ford Ka than driving our 4X4. I’m a confident driver but the ka is just so much easier because it fits on country lanes when you meet a tractor etc. unless you’re driving across fields you don’t need a 4x4 even if you live rurally. The roads are still tarmac (although some do have a bit of grass down the middle).

I've had a KA years ago and loved that little car!

I've updated why I need a different car, as lots of people asked. Any suggestions after you've read that, very welcome, for an alternative, I'm taking all the advice on board :)

OP posts:
BeMoreBarbie · 09/09/2023 07:43

What about a Touareg? Gas guzzlers but solid as they come.

LlynTegid · 09/09/2023 07:44

What you have described OP supports my opinion that you should have to take a test in an SUV before you can drive one. Separate category of driving licence.

As you are one of the 1% of people who have a good reason for having one it would be no hardship for you I would expect. Most of the other 99% would stick to a smaller car, making it easier for the 1% and indeed for everyone else.