Anti 4x4 Brigade

[Yuley]

I see the UK media has decided that 4x4 owners are now fair game for group vilification

HTF are you supposed to tow a 6m+ RIB using a saloon car I ask you

[pressman]

Easy targets!! How would the emmissions of an old clapped out jag or merc compare to a brand new 4x4?? Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0l CRD owner

[Yuley]

Well I have a LWB Vauxhall Frontera that although it looks very big only has a 2.2L engine...does what I need very nicely and has smaller engine than a V6 Mondeo or Vectra or BMW.etc etc etc

[pressman]

I wonder if any of the manufacturers will challenge and ask THEM to justify!!

[Mark Halliday]

What is really stupid is my pre 2001 3.9l Disco only got a £5 hike. It has got to be one of the worst culprits around. Just £175 next time.

[Phil Davies]

Originally Posted by Yuley

I see the UK media has decided that 4x4 owners are now fair game for group vilification

HTF are you supposed to tow a 6m+ RIB using a saloon car I ask you

Yes, but unfortunately the fact of the matter is that 98% of them tow nothing, never go off-road and cause chaos in town centres and outside schools, particularly if driven by women. They are also frequently driven at slow speeds on B-roads because they handle like stuck pigs and generally get in the way of everyone else who can't see past them to overtake. Much as I adore my Range Rover I can nevertheless totally understand why they irritate so many other people. On the other hand, I'd be even more tolerant of the anti-4x4 brigade if they kicked up the same fuss about the impact that discount airline operators like Ryanair and the rest of them have on the environment. They don't of course because the environment isn't actually as important to them as saving a few quid on their tedious two week holiday in the Med.

[Dino]

Originally Posted by pressman

Easy targets!! How would the emmissions of an old clapped out jag or merc compare to a brand new 4x4?? Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0l CRD owner

Dunno Steve,On a cold morning when i fire up the old 2.5 diesel cheeryokay everything behind dissappears for 10 seconds

[Mike B]

Interesting and roughly balanced view from the Beeb.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4829628.stm

Having picked up my new 2.5l Nissan Navara on Monday does anyone know how it affects Light Goods Vehicles? it was fixed at £165.

Mike

[pressman]

Originally Posted by Dino

Dunno Steve,On a cold morning when i fire up the old 2.5 diesel cheeryokay everything behind dissappears for 10 seconds

You should have splashed out and gone for the new merc engine

[donutsina911]

There are obvious exceptions, but if you're driving a car that falls within a high tax bracket then its probably worth a few quid and / or costs a few quid to run and the tax hikes are an irratant rather than a reason to change cars. The fact that the tax for my car equates to two and a bit tanks of petrol kind of puts it in perspective for me.

[Dino]

Originally Posted by pressman

You should have splashed out and gone for the new merc engine

Can't be choosy about a part ex mate!She's quite posh for a tug and doesn't owe me a fortune either I'll sell her as soon as seasons finished

[wavelength]

anyone got a link for the actual amounts ? Wont change any plans for us, we'll just grin and bear it as usual Mind you I have got one thats due to tax on 1st april

[Carl]

Originally Posted by donutsina911

There are obvious exceptions, but if you're driving a car that falls within a high tax bracket then its probably worth a few quid and / or costs a few quid to run and the tax hikes are an irratant rather than a reason to change cars. The fact that the tax for my car equates to two and a bit tanks of petrol kind of puts it in perspective for me.

well said

[ashbypower]

Typical Media 4X4 easy to identify. My 4X4 has the same diesel engine as some saloon's and estates!! However just creapt under the Co2 @ 244

Brian

[codprawn]

Had an argument with the woman in charge of all this crap at Greenpeace. After having arguments with 3 other women there as well.

She just didn't seem to get the point - woman's logic I suppose.....

I asked her what was wrong with something like a Freelander - she said it didn't need to be a 4x4. When I pointed out that it had a viscous coupling which meant it wasn't really 4x4 until it needed to be she didn't know what I was on about.

I then asked her if she objected to a Peugot 407 diesel estate. She said of course not. I then pointed out the Freelander was shorter - lighter - and produced less CO2 - she STILL stuck to 4x4's should be banned - like a record stuck in a groove - there is NO reasoning with these people!!!

[nugent]

Originally Posted by wavelength

anyone got a link for the actual amounts ? Wont change any plans for us, we'll just grin and bear it as usual Mind you I have got one thats due to tax on 1st april

http://www.landrovernet.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=58368

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/...eport_2320.pdf

page 173

[Hugh Jardon]

lucky all us 4x4 owners are so well off we wont notice it eh? we wish!


thing is a lot of folks have 4x4 as a second car and consequently it may not do many miles. typical idiots taking a disliking to what is effectively a good safe family vehicle...plus the mrs has far less accidents in her 4x4 than she did in the celicas and mr2s

[Simon B]

Now lets see, you drive a 4x4 obviously you are a tosser! I'm a tosser I drive a Landrover 4 or 7 miles to work, this often includes dropping off my daughter and my girlfriend. My 4x4 does 16mpg on average. My boat well that does 2 - 6 mpg

My "right on" all greened up colleague drives a Ford Focus that does what? 35/45mpg she lives 45 miles away and commutes - "Ahh but its greener" She holidays abroad regularly flying ofcourse, apparently they burn parafin or something.

What utter cobblers, a mere sop toward a morally corrupt governments already well blotted copy book. When it gets around to looking at annual resource usage then we will see who's green and who isnt.

Clearly the MD of Range Rover didnt bung Crony Bliar enoguh cash.

[Brambles]

There are so many gaps in the anti 4 x 4 argument that you could drive the proverbial coach & horses through them (did you see what I did there? )

Firstly emissions. According to the Daily Telegraph motoring section a while ago, a BMW X3 2ltr diesel puts out less emissions than a Mini Cooper S in a typical urban cycle. Yet which one would be more socially acceptable to these people?

Secondly sustainability. If you currently drive a thirsty 4 x 4 the fact is that it has already been built. The energy used to produce it has already been spent. If you sold it and purchased a something trendy like a Toyota petrol/electric thingy, how much more finite resources would be used to produce the thing? Does anyone take this into account? Don’t think so.

Just my opinion.

Ian (not a 4 x 4 owner)

[Tideway]

This is my view but I respect the points made earlier.

4x4's do give far less mpg (and CO2 generally), use more resources to build, and more to run (eg. tyre wear) are far more damaging to other road users and pedestrians in an accident and, apart from driving position and road presence, offer little that a smaller, more efficient car could do...

The caveat to this is, if you have a genuine need to a 4x4 type car then fine buy one. Most boat owners that use trailers will go down this route, but as has been mentioned previously, how many of these 4wds are bumbling around in towns, never using 4wd or any of their capabilities. That is why people are getting funny about them. Just think how many 4wds you saw on the roads 5 years ago, against now, and it ain't like Britain is getting more and more rural....

IMHO

t