recommend a quirky 4x4?

Lambo, Unimog or H1

FIAT Panda, Land Rover 101FC, Lada Niva.

oooh, oooh: Austin Gypsy

Clearly needs a new and funky wife ...

I don't get it! What is so good about 4x4? Yes I know they can go through a plowfield, but why would anyone want to do that? Besides most 4x4 ownes never go off-road. Jeremy Clarkson was very dissapointed with the BMW X6; too harsh suspension for the road and not good off-road anyway. 4x4s need hard suspension to avoid too much roll. So unless you fork out on a new Range Rover, they are really bad cars on the road.

Lexus LS600H

Mazda 6

Metro 6R4

I saw a Dacia Done & Duster on the road. Car looks quite cool actually, at least from the outside.

Clearly needs a new and funky wife ...

Are you actually meaning four driven wheels, or do you mean an "SUV-style vehicle"? Or do you not know the difference?

Because some need to. Because others want to.

Come round this part of the country and say that.

We've bought a Shogun since moving. Gonna need it, unless we want to be totally stuck if/when the weather turns. Of the seven houses in this little enclave, at least five have 4x4s. Last winter, we were living far more on the beaten track, and were stuck in the house for five days. At the end of that time, we took the long, flatter way to town - and the first six miles we didn't see any tarmac. We don't have a flat option now.

I did mention the BMW X6 as an example.

A FWD car can also go off tarmac and in snow. Even if you need 4x4 on very rare occasions, that seems a high price to pay. I think it's a fad.

Yeahbut, you also think that 4x4s need hard suspension so what do you know?

Tim

Yes, exactly. Hence me asking whether you were confused.

Because the X6 isn't a "4x4". BMW don't make a "4x4". They make a stack of vehicles with four driven wheels, yes.

The X6 is a posing pouch for urban drug-dealers and wannabes.

With winter tyres on, yes. To a limited extent. Assuming the ground clearance is adequate.

What does? The £800 we paid for the Shogun, with a year's ticket?

If it does, then that's because you really, really, really don't understand anything outside your tiny little sphere of experience.

Here's a clue.

When you turn off the three-digit A-road to our place, the road goes up. In the mile between us and the main road, you gain 100m+ in altitude. Actually, that's not true. You gain more than that before dropping back down again.

On a road that's barely wider than a car. With grass growing up the middle. Going past three houses in that mile. Mebbe five cars a day go past here.

Our nearest shop is five miles away.

For many, it is. But so what? That's their lookout. Even if they do choose to buy an X6M.

At least that'd give all other road-users fair warning.

The X6M is quite astonishing, though.

Something that big and tall really shouldn't be able to do what it can do.

(I passengered in one driven by a nutcase of an Irish road-rally competitor down some twisty A and B roads in NI)

Yeah, it looks impressive, cruel and intimidating. I do want one, the problem I have is, what for?