EDITOR’S COLUMN: YOU DRIVE A WHAT?

By Unsealed 4X4 5 Min Read

It seems to me that a lot of four wheel drivers are pretty brand loyal. Cries of “You never would have got stuck if you drove a Patrol, mate;” and “My Prado goes everywhere the big boys do!” are commonly heard around campfires all over the country. And you know what? It’s not a bad thing at all to be proud of what you drive and the modifications you’ve made to your steed.

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But to be honest, I do think it’s kinda stupid to think your particular 4X4 is better than anyone else’s … and worse, to constantly remind everyone of the fact. I mean, I’m really glad your 4X4 is the best at everything and all; but I can’t say I really care.

 

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As someone who’s owned and modified at least one of the big five brands, as well as a couple of the more obscure ones, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You ready? Here it comes: They’re all good.

 

Y’see, driving off-road is always a compromise. What works well for you may not suit the next person nearly as well. Believe me, if all I’m ever trying to navigate are tight, overgrown, rocky tracks then I would drive rings around Patrols and ’Cruisers in a little Suzuki Sierra or Jimny, and revel in the nimble handling and tiny wheelbase while those bigger vehicles scratched up their paintwork and had to perform 30-point turns at every bend in the track. Likewise if I’m only ever going to drive on the beach I’d get a lightweight, high-revving petrol-engined fourby that would make dune driving a blast – rather than trying to lug a smoky old diesel through the soft stuff. Corrugations? A nice long wheelbase and compliant springs and quality shocks … you get the idea.

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Of course, we all drive lots of different terrains all over the country. One size is never going to fit all. Yes, Nissan’s drivetrain strength is legendary; but their ride quality and NVH levels are miles behind Toyota or any European brand. Yep, LandCruisers and HiLuxes are chock-full of Toyota reliability – but I can write you a litany of problems I’ve had with them in the past. For sure, dual-cabs are possibly among the most versatile vehicles you can get, but they can’t carry much (and if you try to, enjoy your bent chassis).

The point is, it doesn’t matter what you drive. At all.

 

All that matters is you work out what you want from your rig, choose the one that ticks the most boxes (for you) and modify it accordingly until you’re happy. Get out there and use it. I can’t tell you how much grief I used to cop driving my old Land Rover Discovery (which incidentally is still one of the most reliable vehicles I’ve ever owned) from people who had ‘read online once’ that they were rubbish. I’d simply compliment whatever they were driving and continue up the track, usually while they tried to work out how to winch themselves where I’d just idled up.

 

Brand loyalty may have had its place 30 years ago; but let’s be honest, when truly comparing apples with apples, all 4X4s are pretty bloody good these days. I wonder what all those people with ‘so-and-so recovery vehicle’ stickers think when they’re being snatched out of a mudhole by a ‘so-and-so’? I don’t know about you, but the whole thing just seems silly. Get your hand off it and go for a drive.

Dex.


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