One thing to never forget when you get into those conditions - 4WD gives you greater traction than other car drivers BUT your chances of stopping are exactly the same as them on ice and hard packed snow.................... and you have the disadvantage of driving something much heavier than them.
That Evoque was also fitted with special tyres................. snow and ice / winter pattern tyres are mandatory in the winter in most of Northern Europe and even here in the last 2 winters I have run on a set of Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snow tyres, they made a noticable difference, even when you have 4WD to help. The Terrain Response Grass, Gravel and Snow setting is very clever at keeping you moving but takes a bit of getting used. Some people say that they find the Sand setting better in snow.
A Pangea Green New Defender 110 First Edition is now sitting on my drive alongside British Racing Green Electric Mini Cooper SE Level 3. After 21 years in my hands my TDI300 90 was handed on to the next custodian on 15 July 2022.
(This post was last modified: 17-04-2011 08:28am by XFullFatTim.)
Also if you've never owned a 4x4 before then it would pay to take a training course once you get one; if you plan on using it off road. Always a good idea to know the capabilities of your vehicle, even if you never plan on using all of them.
18-04-2011 02:02am
XFullFatTim Bat wielding forum enforcer
Posts: 9,295
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: Somewhere between here and there.
There are 6 or so Land Rover Experience Centres around the UK and more in the USA and Europe. Each centre has to have one or two versions (usually the highest spec with all the optional offroading extras) of each model in the range for clients to use under instruction.
LRE's also run not only offroad driving courses but winch use courses and courses tailored specific to some clients needs (for the Utility companies for example). At one time every customer got a free half day course included in the purchase cost of car for the driver and one passenger, so few people took up the option that LR stopped the scheme. Now you have three ways to go on an LRE - approach your dealer and twist his/her arm for a freebie ticket (then pay the extra to upgrade it to a full day), go to the LR website and click the link to the LRE's or google Land Rover Experience, phone and book and pay yourself and 3rdly some of the offroading clubs rent an LRE and instructors for a day to give members who drive the older cars a chance to see what the new models can do (most leave very very impressed too!). I have run two of these club only days for the Freelander Club and Disco3 forums BUT to make it worthwhile you need a minimum of 10 cars/ drivers and on these days you get to drive your own car round the LRE, with an instructor in the car if you want.
One thing I would not recommend is to drive along to your local "pay and play" and just drive off onto the site without any previous experience - you will make yourself look silly in your shiney new car and as nearly always happens you will meet some wag who will try to get you to follow him in his fully tricked up Defender onto some of the special stages and you will get stuck, which will put you off offroading for life!
Over on the RRSport, Freelander2, FullFatRR, Disco3 and Defender2 forums and also on Landrovernet.com you will find offroading days being held - except for the LandRovernet.com ones I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the days run by members of the forums - there are well run and there are always routes round the special stages for those who don't want to drive over them for whatever reason, but you can get out and watch those who do want to drive over them. The Freelander2 guys also have a couple of runs a year specifically for their cars which would be suitable for RRE. Otherwise find somebody like me who usually goes along solo and has a couple of empty seats in their car. For people in the north of England and Scotland I would be very happy to organise a group to join in with one of the SLROC/ SGRC driving days and give some RRE/F2 specific lessons.
A Pangea Green New Defender 110 First Edition is now sitting on my drive alongside British Racing Green Electric Mini Cooper SE Level 3. After 21 years in my hands my TDI300 90 was handed on to the next custodian on 15 July 2022.