Why do people drive those ridiculous off road vehicles?

Question

It is not necessary to run the children to school in a huge 4 wheel drive off roader, neither is it necessary for middle aged men who should know better to drive in towns in their ridiculous 4litre all wheel drive petrol guzzling off roaders. Farmers may need them. Your thoughts please.

Oklatom. You have issues that far outweigh the ones you think everyone else has. Do you understand what i've just said or should I be using smaller words. I'm just interested in what everyone thinks, everyone apart from you anyway. Is there a childrens forum where you can perhaps sing one of your mindless songs. Perhaps you've been told to stay away from children!

Well just as I anticipated, the 4x4 brigade are the todgerless no-hopers I thought they were. On the defence straight away. I couldn't care less what anyone drives as long as they don't inconvenience me. I just wondered what everyone else thought. Thank you to everyone who answered without feeling the need to share the fact that if you drive a 4x4 then your trousers are empty.

Answer 1

My parents have one and we use it to tow the camp trailer and the boat and all of the other stuff we use when we go out of town. Dad uses it to go hunting, how the hell are you going to put an elk in a Honda Civic? I personally would not want an SUV, thats why i dont have one. Its a choice you get to make when you buy a car...or SUV.

Answer 2

Because people earn their money, and spend it on WHAT THEY WANT. It's part of living in a democratic country. I might not be a huge fan of the clumsy handling of these cars (I'm more of a sports car sort of person thoguh then again, I'm not enduring the horror that is parenthood yet), but other people may like the tall, commanding driving position, their interior space, their styling and their ability to navigate speed humps and poor road conditions effortlessly.

Also, many 4x4s aren't really that much more 'un-green' than some 'regular' saloon cars and estates (a family doesn't have the option of a Smart), and the 'MPV' (Ford Galaxy, etc) is on the same level in terms of eco-friendliness. In fact, a compect 'gas guzzling off roader', like a Toyota RAV-4, is actually smaller than a Ford Mondeo.

The anti-4x4 thing is really a political 'divide and rule' strategy full of lefties playing in the class war many of us forgot about years ago. Another tax opportunity for Gordon Brown, really.

Oh, and when using the term 'four-wheel drive', make sure yu're not also discriminating against certain models of Fiat Panda or Subarus.

Answer 3

Are you talking UK?
There is no reason except they think it shows how much money they have!! Keeping up with the Jones's still exists! I dont know how much they cost to run but I for one can think of better things to do with my money!
Most dont go Off road and dont even know when to use 4 wheel drive!
I did own a 4x4 once! It was a Fiat Panda 126! I only ever used its 4 wheel drive twice Both times when I was parked in a field car park and it was Muddy!
I agree in the UK only people like the Emergency services and Farmers need them!
Its people who drive them and then go on about Global Warming or Re-cycling that really get me mad though!

Answer 4

I completely agree that these vehicles are being used irresponsibly by affluent individuals for meanial task's. It makes my blood boil when I pass the local grammer school at kicking out time to see at least 30 (no kidding) all in a line blocking one lane of a dual carriageway. I fear this type of vehicle is now a status symbol epecially the overpriced models like Porche Cayenne and BMW X5 which are not true off-road 4X4's anyway as their sole purpose is for on road performance. Having said that we have to be carefull that we don't generalise and I do think a lot of large true 4X4's are being used for the purpose they were built. My sister lives in a mountain area of France and the Frontera she has is invaluable especially in the winter months. She has never encounterd a problem over there with her car even when she has used it to go down to the villages or towns or even the large cities. But when over in the UK, my god. I have witnessed it at first hand what a bunch of nasty people the Brits can be. She has been abused for having a 4X4 by complete strangers in car parks etc. And we are supposed to be a tolerant nation? The danger with the 4X4 issue is that we are not looking beyond the huge tyres and uneconomical engine. I agree that using them like a normal car is wrong, enviromentally unfriendly and sometimes outright dangerous but we cant go around hurling abuse at people because you cant be 100% sure how the vehicle is being used. My solution would be to seperate them from the genuine working 4X4 and reclass them as Luxury Large Vehicles instead of the PLG they are now. This would mean we could tax them to the hilt, the insurance would be interesting to say the least and hopefully put people off from buying one. I fear as long as there is a market the manufacturers will keep pumping them out so by getting rid of the demand is the only way. Who needs a £60,000.00 5 tonne leather seated home cinema that can go from 0-100 in a cats fart anyway? I surely dont and the local farmer would be happy with a heater in his old Land Rover.

Well Well. What a suprise! Thumbs down again.
THE TRUTH HURTS!!

Answer 5

So unneccessary and most not even proven to be safer than normal cars.
Really bad for the environment and they totally clog up the roads by taking up so much space.

Although maybe we other car drivers might not mind so much if the inconsiderate boors who insist on having a 4x4 could actually drive it without almost forcing everyone else off the road in the process.

To the people who crave status: A sports car will ALWAYS look better than a hulking great offroader.

To the women who need it to drop their kids off: Your kids will fit in a hatchback and if they don't, you should maybe put them on a diet.

To those who actually use their 4x4 to go offroad: Good on you, no offense intended.

Answer 6

I drive a 5.7 liter, 400 horsepower, 5000 lbs, four wheel drive because: A) I can. B) I can afford to, C) I like it, and D) because the last time I checked I was paying for what I drive.
Oklatom has a good point, How dull would things be if we all drove, ate, listened to, or lived in the exact same thing??

Yes my SUV has been off road and has the battle scars to prove it.

Answer 7

Actually, your question brings to mind a song...that shows what would happen if we all drove the same car and thought the same way....

Little Boxes
by Malvina Reynolds
Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of tickytacky
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one and a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses all went to the university
Where they were put in boxes and they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and there's lawyers, and business executives
And they're all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course and drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp and then to the university
Where they are put in boxes and they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same.

Answer 8

Who cares? It's none of your buisiness what other people drive.

Maybe they have them because they actually go offroad... Did you think of that?

I can't understand why people have to attack other people's hobbies. Live and let live people. If somebody wants to drive a gigantic monster truck down the road that's fine as long as it fits in one lane.

It may not be nessecary, but if everyone only did what was nessecary and never what was optional we would have no free will, and life would be quite boring. What are you going to do with yourself when there's a ban on everything you don't like, and you can't find anything else to ***** about?

Answer 9

A LOT of those guys and gals DO go off road. I know. I was out in the desert over Thanksgiving w/e and got my rv stuck in sand.

TWO of those guys with 4X4's graciously hooked up to my rig and pulled me out, and did not even accept any payment.

They then said they would check me out when I was ready to leave to make sure I didn't have any more trouble.

So I am thankful to all those who have those big gas guzzling rigs, because they are nicer than you cry babies who are just jealous because you have no life and sit in front of your TV or PC crying.

Answer 10

I know this is old but you're a flipping idiot. There is this thing called offroading. It can be done by a stock 4x4 or 4x2 vehicle but if you want to offroad in the deep mud and drive up the big rocks you need bigger tires and a lift kit. The bigger tires give you more ground clearance under your axles and they give you more traction. The lift kits allow you to run bigger tires and they give you more ground clearance under the vehicle and they also give you more articulation.