4×4
4x4 Vs Regular Vehicle Holiday Rentals
So you’re on holiday and about to hire a standard car, as usual, when suddenly your eyes fall on to this sleek yet rugged luxury 4x4 vehicle and your long-held dream of being a latter-day Camel Man resurfaces in a flash.
Indecisively you stand in the middle of the showroom floor and weigh up your options: Should you play it safe in a standard family sedan and be happy with the power steering and airbags, which are the sum total of the extra features offered? Or should you live your dream even if only for the next 2 weeks vacation? Niggling at the back of your mind is a certain amount of self-doubt – what if you can’t handle the car once you get it off-road, and make an idiot of yourself sliding down a sand dune or crashing into a tree?
What are the benefits of a 4x4 over a regular car? Apart from making you look and feel great, that is…
First off, the high-rise driving position gives you a much better view of the other cars on the road, or if you’re off-road you will be able to spot bumpy terrain and potholes in time to navigate them. You do need to be vigilant though, not to overlook smaller vehicles which may be in close proximity and therefore NOT visible.
The ‘beefy’ engine certainly gives you a lot more power, which is great in off-road situations when you need to climb steep and slippery inclines. In the city or suburbs you need to be careful not to abuse the power, so you’ll need to go easy on the accelerator.
Added traction and the sheer size and strength of the body make 4x4 drivers a lot safer. It’s important that good driving skills and manners are not forgotten. Also remember that you could do some serious damage to other cars, not to mention pedestrians, so watch that you don’t become over-confident and arrogant!
If you are planning on driving through any rough terrain while on holiday it is definitely worth hiring a 4X4. Many car hire companies offer introductory courses for first timers, so don’t be shy to ask. If you wish to camp out while adventuring ask about 4x4s which have roof-rack sleeping tents. You’ll probably find that the company offers camping equipment for hire with their 4x4 rentals.
Safety, style and off-road suitability are all combined in today’s top of the range 4x4 vehicles, and these days comfort plays a big part too – so even when you’re roughing it you’ll still feel as good as you look!
Go on, you know you want to do it! Hand back those sedan keys and get ready to take a drive on the wild side!
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
How fast can you drive in 4x4 High? What is the average speed for 4x4 High opposed to 4x4 low?
I just traded to a 2008 GMC Canyon 4x4 & have never owned a 4x4. What are the details/advantages of running 4x4 high & 4x4 low?
Is there also some form on extra maintenance I need to keep up with on a 4x4, like oil changing or lubing somewhere (besides regular engine oil) (Maybe like in the transfer case)? I noticed it "clunkes" when shifting into 4x4 High, then Low.-
ANSWER:
There is gear lube in the front axle differential (same stuff as in the rear axle). The transfer case uses ATF, same stuff as in the automatic transmission. Both will need to be serviced periodically, look in the owners manual for recommended intervals.Speeds will also be listed in the manual. Low is usually around 30-40mph (depending on gear ratios), and high range will be usually around 55mph. You can travel highway speeds in 4wd, but then what was the purpose for using 4wd during bad road conditions...
The clunk you hear is normal. It is just the gears engaging (and any mismatch in gear tooth position).
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QUESTION:
How to disconnect 4x4 on a 2000 ford explorer?
I have a 2000 ford explorer xls 4x4 which has been jumping into 4x4 at random on dry flat pavement. After ford having it for two weeks, and replacing the shifting motor and 4x4 relay to no avail, I had them remove the front driveshaft. It now obviously cannot drive the front wheels, but the lights still flash and I was wondering if the transfer case still trying to go into 4x4 would wear on the transmission and if there are any fuses or anything I should disconnect to stop it from attempting to shift into 4x4.-
ANSWER:
look through the owners manual and find the fuses there should be one marked with the 4x4 insignia pull the fuse and there might be one under the hood also
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QUESTION:
How much does a 4x4 cost in the Philippines?
among other cars that are similar to a 4x4 what can you recommend. not necessary brand new.-
ANSWER:
brand new, the isuzu dmax can set you back around P1.5 million. second hand, maybe you could get it for around P800K. you could also get the pajero, which costs over P2M brand new. second hand, you could get an older model (around 2002) for around P1.2M.to be sure, you could buy those monthly second-hand car sales magazines at national bookstore. or you could buy the sunday edition of the manila bulletin - they have dozens of pages of classifieds on sundays.
if you're buying second-hand though, make sure you know your way around cars and just how much you can haggle. also, don't buy any second-hand cars from iloilo (you'll know them from the plate numbers - they usually start with the letter F). there was a huge flood here several months back, so a lot of people here now are selling their cars for a song. of course, after a 15-foot flood goes over a car, it's never the same, even after it's repaired.
good luck!
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QUESTION:
How do i know the 4x4 is engaged on my 2002 Chevy Trailblazer?
There was a light above the switch knob that flashed 3 times as i switched from 2hi to AWD to 4hi to 4lo. Recently the light went out. Im not sure if it's the bulb thats out or If i need to get it serviced. There is no indication from the dashboard (ie: service 4x4 light) that something is wrong with the 4x4. We just had a nice little snowstorm here and i want to know if i should have my 4x4 serviced or if it's just an inexpensive light bulb that needs to be replaced. I tried to use 4hi and AWD in the snow, it felt like my wheels were losing grip, is it just me or is the 4x4 not working?-
ANSWER:
It could not be engaging. I thought I read somewhere that there were problems with some earlier models with which the 4 wheel drive was not engaging. But it could just be a light. To me it seems something worth going to the dealer for.
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QUESTION:
What is the maximum load a green treated 4x4 can hold?
I have a small roof above my porch. There is not another porch above it, right now it's held up by treated 4x4's. I need to find out how much a 4x4 can hold and be able to prove it to the building inspector. I just can't see how this roof weighs so much it requires 4-6x6's. Any help would be greatly appreciated.-
ANSWER:
It's not simply a matter of 'how much it can hold' (compressive strength of the wood) it's a question of column buckling. I depends on the 'slenderness' of a column (unbraced length divided by radius of gyration) and the axial load imposed by the roof loads, which can vary from region to region - snow, wind, etc..If you have 8 foot (or longer) 4X4's supporting the roof, my gut tells me that it's probably not strong enough to support the worst-case loads.
My adivce: Bite the bullet, make the inspector happy and replace them with 6X6's. The thicker columns will probably look a lot better, too.
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