Leaderboard

Absolutely correct Leo I ain't interested in looks I am interested in getting home

4 x 4 is far from being the simple answer to winter snow conditions. I have had 4 x 4s for over 30 years, and also done a fair bit of off-roading. My first was one of the original Range Rovers: Two door, and plastic inside so that you could hose it out. In those days the tyres were uncompromising off road tyres, and very narrow too. I took that through snowdrifts up to 5 feet deep, and up 1 in 1 slopes covered in snow. It could cope with just about anything. I did once get into difficulty off-road in deep snow when It wouldn’t make it back up a steep incline, but I managed to get up by turning it around and going up in reverse. Better weight distribution I guess. Winding the clock forward 30 years, present day 4 x 4s have far more electronic systems to deal with snow etc, but are virtually all clad with totally unsuitable wheels and tyres for these conditions. The result is that they are nothing like as capable. Just about the only exception was the Land Rover Defender, which didn’t try to be fashionable. I had one of the last model built, and it was still as capable as my first Range Rover. I loved that car, and only sold it because I was offered silly money, which enabled a straight swap to a rather nice XF 3.0D S Portfolio, thus starting me on my Jaguar journey. Proper winter tyres on a two wheel drive are incredibly effective: We have Michelin Crossclimates on my wife’s car all year round, and they are fantastic. Obviously, the best of all would be a proper 4 x 4 with narrow wheels and off road tyres, but very few people would be prepared to compromise the looks of their posh 4 x 4 by specifying such wheels and tyres. 4 x 4 is not a solution in itself: The right wheels and tyres are just as important.