Why do you need a 4WD in the city? Yes, i know it has all been said before, but i'm not dropping it. Every time i can't park outside school because five of them are taking up 10 spaces, or i have to stop or reverse down a tight road because the 4WD can't get past like a normal car i have to bite my tongue.
Lets take an example like the Toyota Landcruiser - one of the most popular and common - not to mention biggest - examples of these ridiculous vehicles.
To take two kids to school do you really need a 4.7L V8 four wheel drive with all the off-road capabilities and massive fuel consumption, difficult to drive and park, dangerous to other road users and far less stable for the occupants in general use.
And the environmental impact is well documented.
Up to say, seven to ten years ago, before global warming and eco issues had really come to the fore you could have been forgiven - knowledge was limited. However, now there are really no excuses - especially for the manufacturers who continue to make them bigger, which is astounding in the current climate.
I would be interested in hearing from mum's and dad's who drive these, and what their justifications are:
It can't be safety: they handle far worse than a normal car, are unstable and cause massive injuries to others in an accident.
It can't be economy: They cost a lot more to run and manufacture.
It can't be performance: they are slow, difficult to handle and park.
It can't be the environment: they couldn't do more damage if they tried!
So where does this love of large suburban 4WD's come from!?
Answers on a postcard......
surely all new cars have to meet the same emmision standards.
ReplyDeletewhen driveing you have a clearer view of the road ahead, so you can see those children who are about to run out in the road
australia is mostly desert, so some people do use them at weekends for towing caravans or tailers (in some states only 4x4 may tow)
No problem with towing/camping etc... but that's a tiny percentage of genuine users. Don't tell me a Porsche Cayenne or a Range Rover Sport are used for anything but showing off!
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