Four wheel drive vehicles are classed as vehicles that have forward drive capabilities in each wheel as opposed to merely the two wheels at the rear, this allows for increased handling and propulsions in wet, rugged and uneven terrain as all four wheels work to push the car through a wider variety of environments and obstacles than your average vehicle. But seeing as most people live in cities and built up urban areas it can be a surprise to see these normally larger and more powerful vehicles trundling down packed city streets with little apparent need for all of the aforementioned features and even going so far as to put you at a slight disadvantage on the roads of a cramped, confined and congested city street. After all how many feet deep are the puddles and mud pools that you are going to find in the middle of a city like Brisbane for example?
But there are sometimes deeper and less obvious reasons as to why somebody would want or need a car like this and it always pays to try and look beyond the mere appearance of this vehicle and look instead at the advantages and possibilities that open up to you with this kind of vehicle at your disposal. After all just because they live in the city doesn’t mean they may not have interests that lie beyond its limits. But why are these cars becoming more and more popular as time goes on and why do people feel the need to drive such large and, objectively speaking, powerful cars. We will, hopefully, in this article give you a better understanding of these reasons and show you a few of the advantages of owning a four wheel drive.
One of the primary concerns of a lot of people who drive on the road, particularly those with large families or children, is the issue of safety on the roads. Every year the number of deaths and serious accidents that occur on the roads is enough for it indeed to be an issue of concern not just for those with families but all road users. Often times, how well your car can survive and withstand an accident is down to the ability of the driver, its size, relative stability and strength of the frame of the car’s body to withstand hard impacts and heavy weight. And because of this reason many people are now turning to larger and more stable kinds of 4×4 vehicle to give greater protection to its occupants.
For a start just by looking at most kinds of four wheel drives, particularly the larger SUV types, you can clearly see that they are bigger and more durable that most other models of car that you can find on the road, with the improved grip on the tires and the wider wheel base that you can find in most four wheel drives providing extra security, stability and traction to the road’s surface meaning that only the fastest impacts from lighter cars or heavy vehicles will seriously endanger your 4×4 and its occupants. Knowing that this is a significant reason why people buy their cars, 4×4 manufacturers will offer additional safety features like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control to help you negate and avoid accidents in the first place.
The world of off-road activities has increased significantly over the years and more and more people outside of the rural communities from which it originates are coming to see the excitement and enjoyment that can be had by driving on the natural earth as both your courage, calm and driving skill are put to the test as you careen around the wilderness with a feeling of exploration and excitement that comes from bounding over mud hills at 45 mph, and while there are safety concerns that you must be aware of and avoid, there are different kinds and levels of off-road driving to suit everybody.
The features that a four wheel drive offers to this kind of driving should be obvious and indeed, off-road driving for many different applications, such as agriculture, was one of the original purposes for designing the first 4×4’s in history. Have a look at MSA 4×4 Accessories if you want to make the most out of your four wheel drive. They have a variety of accessories like storage drawer systems and slide fridge that can maximize the potential of your car.