Re: Pride & Pejudice....

To be honest, I don't notice this sort of thing much, I don't think that Joe Treehugger realises that an diesel X Trail is a 4x4. It does get lots of nice smiles from horsey people as I pass by in country lanes. And before any Joe Treehuggers start kicking off in this newsgroup, I *really* do need a 4x4 due to my work, being required to go out on call to some bastard places in the middle of nowhere.

Are you sure it's not because you are towing a caravan and people are trying to get in front of you to avoid getting stuck behind you?

Now white van w*kers really are the bane of my life, but they are now being replaced by silver van types who are trying to avoid the stigma of being branded a white vanner - but just drive as piss poor as their counterparts.

PDH

*sigh* don't you realise that people who ride horses are also likely to drive 4x4s (or be driven in them?)

Of course you do because the roads in the UK are just so difficult in a normal vehicle, aren't they.

Yeah, and the young ones can be right tasty..... :o)

P.

Ahhhhh - don't knock my oriental chariot without driving it. The looks are, well, not everyone's cup of tea, I admit - but the build quality appears to be as good (or better) as any of the mainstream cars I've owned in the last few years, and the ride is (genuinely) better than my previous Alhambra. It's *much* smoother, quite a bit quieter, and (I think) almost as economical

I had a quick look underneath and the diff/propshafts are large enough not to disgrace a small truck, and it's driven extremely well through some pretty deep mud. Paint is completely free from 'orange peel' effect, doors close with a satisfyingly heavy 'thud' and the interior space (leather, naturally) is very decent (boot's a bit on the small side)

I can see why the Koreans regard it almost as highly as a Poodle sandwich ;)

Just need to finish running it in before hooking up the caravan and setting out to annoy you.......

I don't need to drive it.

It's a Kia, which means trim is made from recycled Jacob's cracker boxes, it's also a 'soft roader' meaning it has the road manners of proper 4x4 but without the off-road ability.

In short, it's a girlie fashion victim car.

'I wanted a Freelander, but all I could afford is a cheap Korean copy'

Been there done that, went back to the Previa ;-) Now I'm perfectly aware I'll get stuck on a wet field, but as I spend less time in wet fields than on the road (these days anyway!) I just rely on those that do have 4x4s now.

Sadly there are a huge amount of people who drive 4x4s simply as a style statement, who have no actual need for one and never venture off the tarmac. Those people who do buy them for a valid reason, like yourself for towing, and anyone whose job involves driving off-road, or lives in a remote or hilly area, get hit by all the "antis" and measures by governments against large vehicles. Oh, and there are quite a lot who tow with them but never go anywhere that needs the off-road capabilty, in the mistaken belief that they are more powerful or more stable for towing - my MPV is better on both counts, and I've owned 6 different 4x4s.

The Alhambra was a great towcar in dry conditions - the GVW and 140 bhp engine made it stable and easily powerful enough to tug a 1500 kg van without effort.

When it came to wet roads, however, it was a bit different - the weight of the van reduced traction on the front wheels to the point where you could feel the steering kick when accelerating out of roundabouts. That made me uncomfortably aware that there was obviously a similar lack of grip on wet roads, even if it was not immediately apparent.

As for wet fields ;) - a ( very) slightly muddy track where earlier arrivals had passed over it brought the Alhambra to a wheel spinning standstill. It was *much* worse in that regard than I had feared - completely useless, in fact.

I've yet to tow with the Kia but I have been seeking out some horrendously muddy tracks locally, as well as field entrances that have been well churned up by tractors, and the Sportage has sailed through with ease, so I don't anticipate any problems on rallies.

The weight is about 100kg less than the Alhambra, hopefully that will not result in less stable towing. The Sportage kerbweight was one of the reasons that I chose the Kia over the Nissan & Honda alternatives. They were getting about 200 + kg less than the Alhambra, which I decided was a bit *too* much of a reduction, even though they both had a better image.

Is it fair to generalise about caravanners in this way?

Collins GEM English Dictionary bigot n. person who is intolerant, esp. regarding religion or race. ?bigoted adj. ?bigotry n.

Your upbringing certainly indoctrinated you. Pity you didn't make the attempt in adulthood to sort that wrong. Most intelligent people do.

Your rant about disease simply doesn't warrant the effort taken to reply to it since a few minutes research shows you to be very, very, wrong.

But facts never stood in the way of a bigot's opinions.

*snort*

Yes, it is ;-)

But not the easiest or the most likely...

The message from "Steve Walker" contains these words:

I'd say so. Not one single caravan pulled over to let the long queues past on the A9 single carriageway bits when we were there before Easter, despite large signs up asking them to. Apart from the one who got pulled over by a dibblebike, that is.

The message from "Alhambra" contains these words:

Not half as much as posting deliberately contentious comments in a public place in order to start a fight.

Steve Walker ( snipped-for-privacy@beeb.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Alhambra. Uno-hoo.

I don't think we've got many other caravanners round here...

Well, I've never owned a Mac, nor am I 'Chris Holland' gone windows - but, as a self-proclaimed fan of Italian cars (Spirito di Crappio) I have to acknowledge you as something of an expert on mental illness ;)

Come on Steve, at least the Kia's head gasket will last longer, probably.