Greener 4x4

Joined
29 Aug 2006
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Location
Shropshire
Country
United Kingdom
I'm tired of people moaning about 4x4s being gas guzzling unnecesary 'chelsea tractors'. Some of us who live north of Watford need them! I live 1/2 a mile off the road up a 1 in 5 loose gravel and mud track (on the welsh borders). You can't get to our house without a 4x4. My solution is a 20 + year old Suzuki SJ410, 970 cc engine and with good tuning and moderate driving I get around 38 mpg. And it didnt use up masses of resources to produce (it's virtually re-cycled). It doesn't waste energy on air con or other fancy gadgets. It does get me reliably from a-b and is fun off road. It is in my opinion a better solution than a hybrid car because they cost so much to make in terms of resources, and by the time fossil or nuclear fuels have been burnt to make the electricity they are just as polluting. anyway a hybrid wouldn't get up our track! Does anyone else go down my route? Or have interesting, unconventional green solutions? There must be other essential users of 4x4s, we aren't all posers.
Denzoid:cool:
 
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Denzoid,I approve of your choice of transport.I live in town but work in the country,and run a Jimny for much the same reasons as you.Previously,had a 410 which my son still runs and a 413 Samurai before that.Old suzuki's just get re-cycled as you say.The big 4x4 motors like range-rover,land cruisers etc are so visible and look a bit flash,so they are an easy target for the jealous, complaining and "ban-it" brigade.We live with people these days who want to ban anything they don't like.Eg.4x4's of course,motor bikes,cars capable of double the speed limit,light aircraft,caravans,speedboats,horses on country roads,the list is endless.There is very little live and let live attitude about.
I hate football,it seems to be full of moaning,overpaid cheats,and that's just the managers.The players?let's not go there.I don't want to ban it though,if 30,000 "fans" want to go along and pay their £25,they can't all be wrong.Plus,while in the stadium,they aren't holding up me and my little jeep.
 
I was looking at getting a 4 x 4 recently - which would double as a work vehicle and a car. I'm in IT and so dont NEED a 4 x 4 for the 4wd capabilities, but for the reasonable space offered in some of them for equipment,tools etc. I considered a van - but then would have to have a family car as well.
I havnt got one yet because a pathetic tax increase may be implemented on such vehicles. All that would do is create a larger gap between those with plenty of money and those without, I'm sure if you can afford £50k for a car then another couple of grand /year on tax is affordable - and it would then give (aparantly...) the status symbol. What about cars that drink more then 4x4's? Oh wait - the brains behind the stupid idea didnt think that about that.
 
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Some of the anti-4x4 argument is valid, but it's usually ill presented. People will always make a comparison between an SJ410 and a BMW 7 Series to prove them wrong. But one avoidable fact is, that for any given size of vehicle, one with a full 4wd transmission will always comsume more fuel than a similar engined 2wd one, purely due to transmission losses and extra weight.

Those that choose an SJ410 or similar are rare, and Denzoid, you have made a wise decision with yours, choosing a tool that particularly fits the task in hand. Eggplant - if you need the space for tools etc., there is no way on this earth that a 'typical' 4x4 will be the most suitable choice. The only class of vehicle providing serious extra space is an estate car. The boot area of most 4x4's is surprisingly small.

The final nail in the coffin of 4x4's however, is using them for the school run. They may offer great visibilty over other cars when looking out of the front windscreen, but the increased blind spots apparent when manouvering around children and other cars all around the school must surely be a greater risk.
 
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