My new toy (not a rib unfortunately.....)

[Alan]

Picked up a Jeep this week (after having to take a Canadian driving test would you believe) and had a bit of a play today.

In the words of the fast show "its gripped, its sorted, lets offroad!!"

[Louise]

Looks great Alan and I bet you and Laura are gonna have a lot of fun in it! Hope it's got good suspension - mind your back!

Hope you're settling in OK. Say hi to Laura!

[Phil Davies]

I like those Cherokees a lot. Given the harshness of the terrain and extent of the Canadian wilderness, I note with interest that you erred on the side of caution rather than risking it in one of Solihull's finest, Alan There, that should start them all off........

[codprawn]

Don't tempt me - just don't - the less said about leaf springs the better - oh I forgot they have just discovered coils!!!!

Seriously though at least there should be plenty of chances for offroading unlike the UK where they have now even banned people from driving on Pendine sands - the place made famous for - Driving on the sands!!!!!!

[Alan]

Phil, Solihulls finest are a mite expensive over here and I do so hate paying a premium for poor build quality The Cherokee (over here its called the Liberty) is not a bad little vehicle. 3.7V6, bizarrely both permanent and part time 4x4 and I have the "Renegade" version with better offroad tyres, skid plates and umpteen hundred watts of roof mounted lighting. Of course it being a "shiny" and my everyday transport, its not going to be offroaded to the extreme but we'll have some fun!

[Jonny Fuller]

Originally Posted by Alan

bizarrely both permanent and part time 4x4

As are Shoguns/Pajeros

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Alan

Phil, Solihulls finest are a mite expensive over here and I do so hate paying a premium for poor build quality The Cherokee (over here its called the Liberty) is not a bad little vehicle. 3.7V6, bizarrely both permanent and part time 4x4 and I have the "Renegade" version with better offroad tyres, skid plates and umpteen hundred watts of roof mounted lighting. Of course it being a "shiny" and my everyday transport, its not going to be offroaded to the extreme but we'll have some fun!

What most people don't realise is that the Land Rover is one of the few to offer PERMANENT 4 wheel drive all the time - the Jeep Selec-Trac system may ONLY be used in 4x4 mode on loose or slippery surfaces - if you use it on a road you will get transmission wind up that will wreck things!!!

The land rover - being a permanent 4x4 is great when you are on a stretch of tarmac and hit ice/snow or mud on a bend.

Remember Land Rover used to have selectable 2 or 4 wheel mode which they got rid of in 1983!!!

Also just noticed the Jeep now has rack and pinion steering - great on road but look out if you hit a rock at speed offroad - broken thumbs can hurt!!!

Ever wondered why Landies don't need sump guards? Just look where the sump is - way above the front axle!

[Jonny Fuller]

Can't comment on the Jeep, but the Mitsubishi has 2 wheel drive (obviously rear) OR 4 wheel drive via a centre diff (like yer landie), which you can then lock (like some landie products, ie, not the viscous coupled Range rovers)

So it has genuine 2 OR 4 wheel drive, off road or on.


jf

[codprawn]

Yes indeed it has - but independent suspension at the front does limit offroad ability somewhat.

One thing so many people forget is that one of the most important offroad bits of equipment are the tyres.

So many people go for the "wider the better" look. On sand YES but in mud definitely not - that's why the old series 1 landie with it's skinny tyres is so good - they cut through the mud to firmer ground underneath - just been reminded of it by watching the "Best of scrapheap challenge" - the vehicle that won the "mud dash" had really tall skinny tyres.

Also remember Clarkson testing a load of top 4x4s - the BMW X5 came last - the Rangie won but an old Series 1 landie passed them all.......

[Alan]

Originally Posted by codprawn

What most people don't realise is that the Land Rover is one of the few to offer PERMANENT 4 wheel drive all the time - the Jeep Selec-Trac system may ONLY be used in 4x4 mode on loose or slippery surfaces - if you use it on a road you will get transmission wind up that will wreck things!!!

Without wishing to get into another argument with the Land Rover fundamentalists.....

You are wrong about Jeep Selectrac. It is a full time 4wd system with an open centre diff which enable use on all surfaces and all conditions without axle windup. My Liberty has both Selectrac (full time 4x4) and Controltrac (part time 4x4) which means that I can have both 2wd, 4wd locked partime, 4wd permanent and of course low range. So I guess I can get the best of both worlds of 2wd for Economy and 4WD for traction