Not many people actually use their 4×4 vehicles for the tasks with which they are commonly associated. You probably wouldn’t suspect the hordes of mums outside the school gates to go fording on a weekend, and it’s unlikely that the driver pushing their way into traffic has ever even been near a field. It’s a sad waste, and ultimately leads to the stereotype that is so damaging to the SUV model; that of suburbanites who want to hog the road with impunity.
There’s nothing worse than being on a single track lane and coming across a shiny 4×4 travelling in the opposite direction. Because you know that Mr or Mrs Shiny isn’t going to risk getting their precious status symbol dirty by mounting any available grass verge. Why, the very thought! Who cares if they’re in a vehicle specifically built with off-road rambling in mind and there are no safe passing places in sight? If you’re in anything smaller than their car, well then bad luck because you’re going to have to try and get out of the way whilst they barge past.
We’re not all like that, I promise! In fact anyone crossing my path in a shiny 4×4 is probably going to gape with astonishment as I happily let my car climb the verge without a second thought. Because I too drive a 4×4, only mine is only shiny for a short while after I’ve washed it, and then it’s back to getting grubby by actually doing what 4×4 cars were made to do.
My car is a Land Rover Discovery, and discovering is mainly what it’s best at! I’ve discovered that nothing much stands in the way of a determined Land Rover, and that even fearsome looking inclines become subdued under the wheels of the Discovery. When I stated my intention to purchase a used Land Rover my friends clearly thought that they were in for a prissy lecture on how we would be avoiding rough roads, so I think I might have surprised them by heading for the first muddy field before the ink on my signature was even dry!
If you’re tempted by a used Land Rover, I implore you to listen to your car and use it in the way that it wants to be used. Even if it’s just a short romp over rutted roads, your vehicle will thank you for it.