Wasn't always the case. Turbo lag was once horrendous.
Another of my pet dislikes is diesel. I have just changed cars and had brought myself to accept that I might have to go diesel this time but as luck would have it I found a petrol engined car I could live with. The only thing I didn't get that I rather wanted was cruise control but that I will have to live with. I don't suppose more than about 5% of my driving is in situations where I could use cruise control anyway.
Correct.
Low range on the transfer box is great for steep descents and ascents in 'normal' off-road conditions. It allows for key-starts on ascents with manual transmissions, keeping the vehicle under control.
But in snow, I'd strongly recommend *not* using low range.
I have to say, the turbo lag on the discovery is actually quite bad.
Initially, I thought it was a fault. But I've driven several now, and it's just the way they are.
There's a noticeable lag between putting the foot down and the thing picking up. You eventually adapt your driving style to compensate.
It's not just a turbo lag; it's to do with then engine management system mappings. You can chip them to improve this pick-up performance. They are drive-by-wire, the throttle pedal is simply an electrical signal the the Engine Control Unit. It's requests are adjusted by all sorts of other parameters.
He said "more capable", not "better".
That shows what you know then. If you were to take a test in an automatic and do that left foot thing you would be failed and deservedly so. Its bloody dangerous. So maybe all those who have manual licences need to re take their tests before stepping out in autos instead of lording it here claiming they are " more capable" ( a la Mr. Firth).
If you are travelling in thick snow and blizzards at 10 - 15 miles an hour the low gear would be the one of choice in an automatic as that not only governs the engine and stops it over heating etc. but it also is the best gear for the conditions. My car has a snow button which allows the engine to self select for snow conditions. It senses the road and drives in low gears accordingly but it does not allow full drive to engage at any time. Low gear on an automatic is generally more flexible than a manual anyway.
Mens genes cause them to be experts on cars? Surely you mean what they keep in their Jeans is more likely? Or at least it seems that is what some of them think with.
Please remember I learned to drive in an automatic and I passed my test in one so I have learned what is right on this matter for an automatic. You would fail your test if you did the things you suggest here. You need to get a grip about what is right for automatics - maybe thats why so many manual drivers fail to get on with them?
In message , Peter Crosland writes
People who say things like that worry me
It tells me that they are having to consciously think about changing gear whereas it really should be something carried out in the subconscious
It makes me think "Oh no, another denise on the road"
Beware of drawing conclusions from what you saw. For example my FWD sailed up a 1 in 10 hill on ice yesterday passing three manual 4WD vehicles that were stuck. The most likely reason they were stuck was incompetent drivers rather than the vehicle characteristics. Having seen some of the antics earlier I was not surprised. Sitting with the foot on the accelerator with all four wheels spring gets you nowhere fast. I also noticed that all three of the stuck 4WD vehicles had very wide tyres. In Scandinavia people fit narrower than standard tyres in the winter because they bite through soft now and give much better adhesion. 4WD is not a universal answer to getting around in icy conditions. That is why I suggested earlier that you gets some tuition on getting the best out of whatever 4WD you buy.
Peter Crosland
No I didnt say that. I said it may occassionally have to make a 100 mile trip. But any car that cant do that surely isnt up to spec anyway these days? This is to be my OH car so it will be more likely to do short hops and general running around.
On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:06:41 +0000, Peter Crosland waffled:
Ding Ding Ding Ding!!!
I have an old automatic Vitara ('98 v6 4 door). It has part time 4wd. Which means that most of the time it is in 2wd with the rear wheels doing the driving. Just like a Morris Minor!. When difficult conditions occur I can decide to engage the front wheels to make it 4wd.
Last winter our road was pretty well snowbound for a few days. Our automatic Jazz (front wheel drive) couldn't get out of the drive. The Vitara couldn't get out of the drive either, although it did move a bit further because of its knobbly tyres. When I engaged 4wd it heaved itself over the snow that had built up under the front wheels and drove straight out into the road and managed to get right up the hill until we came upon the relatively clear main road. There I had to disengage 4wd and continue in 2wd. The Jazz remained in the drive for some days.
Having 4wd available on the Vitara made the difference. The tyres helped too. And the ground clearance was useful. Even if the Jazz had got moving its low skirt at the front would have acted as a bulldozer and built up a snow wall that would have become impossible to surmount or shift whithout a shovel.
Some 4x4s have full time 4wd. With these, I think, to get the same effect you need to lock the centre differential (the thing that connects front and back) and then the effect would be to have 4wd as above. Not a lot different. Except that these are supposed to hold slippery roads better at speed when unlocked. My experience is limited to rather elderly kinds of 4wd
- Land Rover Series ones, ex WD Jeeps and a Champ - and now this Vitara.
4wd, knobbly tyres and good ground clearance are essential, in my opinion, for fresh snow and mud. But once snow has been compressed and polished I'd say some kind of snow tyres are best and the knobbly ones are possibly poor. It's difficult to have everything right at the right time.One thing I am certain of is that in difficult conditions 4wd may get you moving. After that it is largely down to driving skill.
There is lots more to this but if you get a 4wd of any kind and some snow you'll develop your own opinions and habits. If they work they'll be as good as anybody else's and better than some.
As for automatic I think if that's what you are used to you'll have no trouble.
BTW I think the Jimny will likely be too small if you are sorting out the house. Otherwise it could be fun.
Go and try a few 4wds. See what you think. After all most of the time there isn't any snow or mud here. When there is they all work much the same.
Edgar
P.S. I don't just have the Vitara for a bit of snow. It's useful when we go to interesting places because it doesn't get stuck on the eroded cliff like edges of some minor roads (Harty Ferry road), or getting in and out of those country car parks where there is a step down to get in. It's good too for old industrial sites where concrete roads have suffered decades of neglect and have gaping washouts (Hodbarrow Mines). It is even pretty good on clayey, chalkey, claggey RUPPs. In Towns it can be handy for getting over kerbs..........
E.
and I repeated his more capable comment and pointed out that there was more to driving than simply changing gear and capability at driving was more to do with driving apporpriately, moving safely and with the traffic and being able to anticipate others etc. But you seem not to have read the original interchange , just HIS version of what he claims he didnt say when he clearly did say.
I would revise my original comment though. I am beginning to realise that manual drivers have more guts than sense - at least those here appear to. Driving a manual seems to be very distinctly different in terms of footwork ( no you do not use your left foot for the brake) neither do you try and fly around snowy roads in high gear. Want to fail an automatic test - then do both those and let the chief examiner of your area tell you about it. Maybe you all need to go back and take your tests again?
I've had quite enough of you.
*plonk*
Isn't that true of most rice-burners? (I wouldn't know - I won't buy them.)
"The" Discovery? Which one of the 5 different turbo-diesel engines fitted to Discos are you talking about?
Well havent exactly been fun and games have you? Thanks for that one suggestion though. UYour most useful contribution. All I asked for was some experience on 4x4 cars, not a tirade on how brilliant your ( and others) driving skills are and how incapable I must be because I drive an automatic.
I have had enough of you too.
Now goodness me, sweetie. I've been totally civil, but I'm also a man.
What would you know about what's in my jeans? I can text you my number...
I'd like to say I have my own hair, teeth and car. But to be honest, I can't. But two out of three ain't bad, is it?
If I post my video of the Cairn tomorrow, you'll see what's missing. It won't be the teeth or car :-)
Discovery 3 2.7l Turbo-diesel
It's only the drama queen troll. You are missing nothing.
This week she can afford any 4WD car with money no limit, last year she could not afford to heat the house.
The husband is a fiction of her imagination and so are all the made up stories she has posted on this and other newsgroups.
In message , harry writes
Harry - why do you always post bollocks?
Germans have winter tyres which they religiously change with the seasons (as they do with short sleeved shirts and long sleeved shirts). Most would carry snow chains, but never studded tyres
Some Austrians used to have studded wheels, dunno if they are still allowed though
FFS, stop posting stuff that is just plain wrong
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