4Matic

[st4]

I suppose because...4 wheel drive is not just for the winter.

What advantages does it have. Tyres give grip remember

 

[television]

What advantages does it have. Tyres give grip remember

A 4 wheel drive will get you where some 2 wheel drive cannot, that's why they make them.

 

[st4]

A 4 wheel drive will get you where some 2 wheel drive cannot, that's why they make them.

For off roading yes but a small estate car isn't going to be used for that

 

[turbopete]

they DO offer increased traction and more neutral handling than the equivalent car in 2wd format. for example, the ford sierras/granadas in V6 (and cosworth) forms would spin the rear wheels for fun if you tried to set off quickly, and could be LETHAL in less than perfect driving conditions in inexperienced hands. HOWEVER once they added a 4x4 variant, they were MUCH more useable due to vastly increased grip/traction

some supercars are even 4x4 now, probably for this very reason, like most Lamborghinis and IIRC even the Veyron is 4 wheel drive!

 

[television]

For off roading yes but a small estate car isn't going to be used for that

I think it depends on where you live, whilst I agree that the average 4wd never gets used as it was intended. I had a house in the highest point of Herts, that had a 400 meter private drive, and a 4wd would have been a god send in the winter when the snow fell.

 

[turbopete]

your volvo will be 4wd though isnt it? or was it just the older 850 T5 that was 4wd when it got the R designation?

 

[Naraic]

What advantages does it have. Tyres give grip remember

You could be more patronising...but I'm not sure how.

Does a Porsche Carrera 4 have 4wd for the winter?

For a youngster who has never had to cope without abs and esp and bas and power steering and all the other nanny driving aids, you sure do know a lot about grip.

 

[television]

your volvo will be 4wd though isnt it? or was it just the older 850 T5 that was 4wd when it got the R designation?

Only 2 wheel drive Pete, the awd had a haldex box that would destruct if there was more than 5mm difference between the front and rear tyres, and 90% of these cars are long gone.

But it pulls its way through most snow, and much better than any RWD

 

[turbopete]

You could be more patronising...but I'm not sure how.

Does a Porsche Carrera 4 have 4wd for the winter?

For a youngster who has never had to cope without abs and esp and bas and power steering and all the other nanny driving aids, you sure do know a lot about grip.

id never had ANY of those (except the belt driven front wheel ABS on an orion) until i bought a mondeo aged 25. THEN i had power steering! at 28, my first MB, i gained ABS too! i was 33 and had my 210 before i experienced the joys of ASR (which i hated) BAS etc.

i even had cars with carburettors, ignition points etc! back when a selection of tools kept in the car was a good and useful idea!

 

[Naraic]

id never had ANY of those (except the belt driven front wheel ABS on an orion) until i bought a mondeo aged 25. THEN i had power steering! at 28, my first MB, i gained ABS too! i was 33 and had my 210 before i experienced the joys of ASR (which i hated) BAS etc.

i even had cars with carburettors, ignition points etc! back when a selection of tools kept in the car was a good and useful idea!

Indeed, I could spend an hour or two and raise or lower the front of a Morris Minor with a couple of spanners. Or strip an engine in a morning and have it running in the afternoon (including getting the bus to the garage to get a part :lol: ).

 

[turbopete]

im not quite old enough to be experienced with morris minors, but plenty of mk2/3 escorts, cortinas, early sierras etc. i went into the trade in 1992, so 17 year olds like me could only afford cars from the very late 70's and early 80's. like most things, if only we had realised what they would be worth in the future, we would have held on to them!

 

[grober]

Is there a reason that Mercedes wont allow 4matic to be specced on standard cars in the UK? I was in Switzerland a week ago and was looking at the new CLS shooting brake with 4matic fitted.
I understand that the big SUV's will have to have it but why not a C class or E class? We are getting to silly season again and I'm sure a touch of snow will see us all housebound again!

You best bet will be to wait for MB to start marketing their mini SUV based on the new A class chassis. Because the drive train is based on a transverse engine gearbox setup I'm guessing its more likely it will make the transition to a RHD 4WD set up. http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/scoop/baby-merc-suv-guns-x1

 

[MarkCL]

Well I used to have a Celica GT4 and noticed several positives given by the 4WD system that didn't just apply to winter. During the summer it made hooning around generally safer due to the increased levels of traction and (already mentioned) more neutral handling characteristics - the feeling of the car going and doing just where and what you wanted isn't replicated in RWD or FWD variants based on my experiences. Then during wet weather it felt safer due to reduced propensity to be affected by aquaplaning - you very rarely ended up in a situation where all 4 wheels were unable to get traction or drive, so rain induced misbehaviour was reduced and safety increased. Then in winter if you put on winter tyres you went pretty much wherever you wanted to go - even with summer tyres you were better off than a 2WD with the same tyres on. So, on balance I still see a lot of positives in having 4WD systems on cars despite the increased fuel consumption and transmission losses. Steve - try and get a drive in a 4WD mate and you should notice what I've mentioned - up to you then whether you still feel it's not worth having - everyone is entitled to their opinions after all

Cheers,
Mark

 

[MBDevotee]

What about a good second hand ML 270?

Bill

I already have an ML!!

I need a small estate to tow a small trailer over poorly surfaced roads, and into fields when we do shows during the summer.

However last summer, the weather was so bad I had to take the ML every time, which I don't want to do - I want something smaller and cheaper to run.

Am looking at A4 Avant Quattro, Legacy, Quashqui, X3 and so on but I want something with a nice interior (most budget makes out) and well equipped - 90% of the Audi's out!

Don't need it till the spring though so no rush.

 

[MBDevotee]

jag x type?

Yes I had considered them, however the problem is that the diesels aren't 4wd and the 2.5 & 3.0 petrol aren't especially good on the juice, so when LPG'd they will only give around 20mpg (equals 40mpg) whereas I'm looking to get something that will give me 40+ if it's a diesel and 25-30 if it's a petrol.

Ruled out V70XC (too thirsty) and Audi A6 Allroad for the same reasons.

There isn't much out there for my budget that will actually do what I want, be nice to be in for a high mileage user and keep it's value - hence why I like merc's - but they just don't make one for me to buy.

I would think they HAVE to make the GLA for the UK - it can't be passing Merc by that there are tens of thousands of Quashqui, X1, X3, Hyundai Sportage and so on on the road - the compact 4wd Crossover market is simply huge and yet they don't have a car in that segment at all - not clever.

However even if they launched it tomorrow I couldn't afford it - I'm more into the 5 year old car not the 1 month old one!

 

[st4]

You could be more patronising...but I'm not sure how.

Does a Porsche Carrera 4 have 4wd for the winter?

For a youngster who has never had to cope without abs and esp and bas and power steering and all the other nanny driving aids, you sure do know a lot about grip.

So what part of the car is in contact with the road?

I've had 4wd cars, rwd cars and if the road is slippy, it's slippy. 4wd ain't gonna save you from black ice...I've seen Audis etc stuck in ice. If all 4 wheels are on slippy ground good luck

For an old timer you sure don't know a lot about being polite and taking a comment in context.

All I've found in 4wd cars bar an impreza was more nose lead handling. Not for me I'm afraid but each to their own.

 

[Naraic]

4 wd is not all about winter...don't you get it. It's not even about off roading.

And in the snow, all wheel drive with winter tyres has to be the best.

 

[turbopete]

Yes I had considered them, however the problem is that the diesels aren't 4wd and the 2.5 & 3.0 petrol aren't especially good on the juice, so when LPG'd they will only give around 20mpg (equals 40mpg) whereas I'm looking to get something that will give me 40+ if it's a diesel and 25-30 if it's a petrol.

Ruled out V70XC (too thirsty) and Audi A6 Allroad for the same reasons.

There isn't much out there for my budget that will actually do what I want, be nice to be in for a high mileage user and keep it's value - hence why I like merc's - but they just don't make one for me to buy.

I would think they HAVE to make the GLA for the UK - it can't be passing Merc by that there are tens of thousands of Quashqui, X1, X3, Hyundai Sportage and so on on the road - the compact 4wd Crossover market is simply huge and yet they don't have a car in that segment at all - not clever.

However even if they launched it tomorrow I couldn't afford it - I'm more into the 5 year old car not the 1 month old one!

im not sure all quashqai's are 4wd either, and i have heard of 1 or 2 engine problems with the 2 litre diesel, although no specific details. they are renault engines fitted to the quashqai anyhow, in diesel guise.

 

[st4]

4 wd is not all about winter...don't you get it. It's not even about off roading.

And in the snow, all wheel drive with winter tyres has to be the best.

Will 4wd get you round a corner quicker?

 

[toby1]

Ask a rally driver!