Has anyone got a 4x4?

[momof2]

We have just decided to get rid of our faithful Hippo (Nissan Micra) and branch out into the uncertain world of much larger family cars.
I have been looking at a discovery or freelander - please note all old ones not new.
Has anyone any experience of how good/bad they are please? Or any 4x4's they would recommend or MPV's
Many thanks

Apparantly its our f*ck you attitude that gets their goat.

Sorry forgot i parped.

I will remember this thread the next time I am towing my trailer or boat.

what tims Coronation Street on tomorrow?

its far greener than diesel or petrol which is what the majority of cars run on

Dunno about Corrie - but I know it's time for me bed. Night all!

Skinnycow, you could drive a LPG vehicle with a lower maim-and-destroy factor than a 4x4!

OK, you like your 4x4, you've made your choice, we all make choices that have a bad impact on other people. Doesn't make it a real choice if we just bury our heads in the sand to the more unpleasant truths.

How is your friend now, Blu?

i havent buried my head - i fully accept that a 4x4 is more likely to injure than say a mini. What i dont accept is that 4x4 drivers are worse than regular car drivers.

Skribble - it isn't the attitude of the driver, it's the impact in an accident, that does the damage.

How on earth did people used to get thier caravans / boats / horses / goats round the country before these things were invented? only farmers had drafty land rovers, before the range rover was invented. But people seemed to manage.

Thank you 'Moo. No llonger critical, but still unconscious and they are trying to save her lower leg. The arteries were badly damaged, so the tissue was without oxygen for too long.

She has a 14 year old son. She is a single parent.

Oh bloody hell, Blu - how awful I hope you have some good news about her soon.

I was actually quoting another post referring to attitude.

Same could be said before we had any cars and well everthing that uses power. People did manage, bring back the good old days.

We have 2 4x4s.. (gulp!)

are far more likely to hit sheep rather than child where we live...

One is used to tow other peoples caravans from our storage compound to local sites, thus preventing one hundred people from needing LARGE cars

The other is our family car but is also used to tow horses about.. My DWs choice, but I was quite happy with our old Volvo..

Skribble - indeed, we make all sorts of dangerous choices / compromises, buut we do it because we want to, or it's a bit easier or quicker. Fair enouigh, but that doesn't mean that the argument is that we HAVE to have a 4x4 to do those things. it's still a choice, not a necessity, as Anteater admits!

Actually, about atttude. of course many 4x4 drivers are as responsible and nice as any other drivers. I know two extremely sweet ones, myself! (baffled by their choice of vehicle, but they are sweet, nevertheless!) However, there is a certain'fk off currency to the urban 4x4 amongst a significant number of drivers. Where I live, the 4x4 is not usually a chelsea tractor, or goat-carrier, or boat tower, it is the Object of desire of the drug dealer. A big BMW or preferably Lexus or Japanese thing 4x4 has replaced the smoked-glass-beemer as the very embodiment of what is meant first and foremost as a f off attitude. And driven acordingly.

None of them MN-ers, obvioulsy!!

4x4s suck bigtime, especially in central London. blu, on the other hand, rules.

Snort, Scummy!

I am sorry if i have seemed to use emotional blackmail over my friend on this thread - but I did think like this before she had her accident, so wouldn't have said anything differnt.

Night all!

we have 4x4 but neither of us smoke and have never contaminated anyone elses breathing space

Thats the thing we don't all live in London or other big cities. I am not urban. No they are not essential but for some it,s not about poseing, there are a lot more practical issues involved.

I find it a bit silly too that people drive ridiculously expensive off-roaders that never leave the road, ours does thats why I have one, its not for the school run.

Like Jools neither of us have ever smoked and we dont even go on aeroplanes

Must say that if I didnt need to run a 4x4 I wouldnt. New Discovery3 returns around 20 mpg, someones aving a larff!!
Anyone who runs a 4x4 in a city enviroment imo needs brain tests.
Does seem to be a British/American thing this driving of large cars.. never see them in European cities??

Sorry Anteater - but why do you need to drive one? Curious

Oh just read your earlier post - 2 4x4 - hummm! My Dad used to tow our caravan with a Vauxhall Viva saloon - it did the job too

We have a holiday business, part of which includes storing and moving caravans, boats etc.

My DW tows horses and ponies nearly every day..

Not average car use... Most 4x4s without tow bars are statements and should be taxed as such.

lets face it the roads in this country were not built for cars this big. not smoking does not justify the potential devastating impact that a car like this could have on pedestrians and other road users, its not just about the environment. IMO most who have them are up their own arse look what we've got flashy sods. They are just not necessary for people living in towns and cities.

its a personal choice FGS

I choose to have a Discovery
I choose not to live in London
I choose to send my children to state schools
I choose to shop in Tesco.

Honestly thank goodness there's loads of them at my kids' schools - i dont feel like a leper in RL!

looks up arse..