Any Non-Jeepers Out There (4x4s)? :P

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #450 on:** March 24, 2018, 07:49:22 PM

His biggest complaints about it seem to all fall into the category of "driving this truck feels like driving a [/i]truck[/i]. To me, that's exactly what driving a truck should feel like, but many automotive critics and reviewers want a 2 and a half tonne SUV to ride and handle like like a Ferrari 458, and that's just not going to happen.

This is the problem with truck reviews done by European journalists- there just isn't the same truck culture over there as here, and so they always seem to come off poorly. For example, see everything James May or Jeremy Clarkson have ever said about the Ford F-150.

Def

dks · **Reply #451 on:** March 25, 2018, 04:16:22 PM

The reviewer and many of the UK reviewers are/sound like generally middle/upper class lot with not much experience in trucks. Only R. Hammond seems to have some farm experience and he loves pick-ups and offroaders

Most regular Europeans are used to smaller diesel pick-ups, rather than the huge V8 US ones (3L engines max), It is not just the size and the economy, they will not really fit/turn in many roads and off road tracks, whereas they do not seem to be able to carry (not tow) that much more weight - a regular pick-up here can carry just under a tonne

I do however see the point that such an expensive car is unlikely to be purchased by a hard core truck guy (same with the AMG G-Wagens) so the Russian/Canadian billionaire's ladyfriend driving this will expect it to be more car like.

ezdog · **Reply #452 on:** March 25, 2018, 05:07:57 PM

Toyin & Towin

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #453 on:** March 27, 2018, 02:13:56 PM

I've spent time in massive old F-150's and I get the attraction.

Mid-70's to mid-90's politics determined what we could buy, but I very much doubt anything American can compete with a Land Cruiser when it comes to durability in our terrain

We call them "bakkies" (plural), and we have a bakkie-culture, no doubt, the ultimate family car here is a double cab Toyota Hilux. That said, I still do not get the need for anything bigger.......except in Texas where everything is bigger

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #454 on:** March 27, 2018, 03:46:54 PM

Know where the name "Land Cruiser" came from?

Def

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #455 on:** March 27, 2018, 03:58:58 PM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on March 27, 2018, 03:46:54 PM

Know where the name "Land Cruiser" came from?

Def

No........but I would love to....

A contractor at the mine where I used to work told me that they occasionally used Land Cruisers (4.2D non-turbo) to transport smaller loads to another site, if the load was on the heavy side the LC would get worse fuel consumption than a full-size link truck

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #456 on:** March 27, 2018, 04:10:16 PM

The truck you know as the Land Cruiser was originally a cheap copy of a Jeep and it was called... and I swear I am not making this up.... the BJ.

Jeep sued Toyota, claiming that the name was too close to the CJ, which was quite popular at the time, which is, of course, why Toyota wanted to copy it. Jeep won the lawsuit and Toyota was forced to change the name, and, since they were no longer allowed to copy Jeep, they decided to copy Land Rover instead and came up with Land Cruiser.

So one could say that nowadays you can't get a BJ because Toyota gave up too easily and moved on....

Def

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #457 on:** March 28, 2018, 08:29:00 AM

I'm sure you're all familiar with the FJ Cruiser?

In my home language the acronym fits very nicely with the general attitude of their owners. Translated to english it would be called the FU Cruiser

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #458 on:** March 28, 2018, 01:24:13 PM

That's hilarious!

It always amused me that Jeep was upset over the BJ name, but they are perfectly ok with FJ.

Is it because it is further away in the alphabet?

Over here the Jeep guys say FJ stands for Fake Jeep, but I think your translation is much funnier!

Def

ThePeacent · **Reply #459 on:** March 28, 2018, 05:36:19 PM

I thought that FJ stood for "For Jerks",
seems appropriate

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #460 on:** March 29, 2018, 08:59:40 AM

Well....not to be a downer, but there's currently a court case for the first charge of murder ever following a car accident.....

You guessed it, FJ Cruiser.

European tourists in the other vehicle, only one girl survived from a whole family, in the FJ unfortunately the driver was the sole survivor and the cause of the accident.

I don't dislike the look, even though they are capable, they are utterly impractical........if they get used as intended they need a roofrack by default to carry what is needed....

I find it ironic that FJ Cruiser owners seem to be the same across the globe

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #461 on:** April 06, 2018, 01:39:37 AM

While my Jeep is in the body shop getting a new tailgate after my accident almost three months ago I have been given a new SUV to drive. It's a Toyota RAV4.

What a piece of junk.

It feels extremely flimsy, but then, I do normally drive a Jeep with very big, heavy tires, so that might explain some of it. The 80's sci fi interior design and dash panel doesn't really appeal to me either. It has all of the acceleration of an anemic turd, and the switches and buttons feel like they were recycled off an Atari 2600.

If I was test driving this thing, I not only wouldn't buy it, but I'd also return it and leave as quickly as humanly possible.

Two things I do like about it though- the backup camera that I always wished I'd had in my Jeep, and the funky G sensor thing in the dash. But, I have bought a cheap Android head unit to put in the Jeep and a Bluetooth OBDII plug with Torque so that should pretty well give me all of that soon.

Def

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #462 on:** April 06, 2018, 11:11:30 AM

I was in a Toyota dealership several years.........when the RAV's started going really soft....

It was always an expensive vehicle, but what got me were the service costs of the new model......that was just before Service Plans started becoming a norm.

My previous vehicle was a 1997 3-Door RAV4.........JDM grey import.

If there was hope for the planet, people would've realised how unbelievably great the RAV4 was, and we'd still be able to buy an original slightly improved RAV4 today.

If I could buy a 1998 RAV4 new today I'd take it with the 2.0L guzzler and all

dks · **Reply #463 on:** April 10, 2018, 02:56:44 PM

playing in the mud (clay, slippery, sticky)

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #464 on:** April 10, 2018, 03:20:47 PM

During our last fishing trip I asked my buddy about his Pajero, it's a 3.2D 5 door of the model that followed yours, very basic ex-rental vehicle that he bought 2nd hand 8 years ago.

Did several trips with him in that Pajero, and IMHO there is very little on the road that can touch it for space, practicality, economy and offroad ability

dks · **Reply #465 on:** April 10, 2018, 04:57:26 PM

You rich people with your newer models..

dks · **Reply #466 on:** May 25, 2018, 06:34:29 PM

Went for a quick off-road drive

Someone cleaned one of my off roading steep roads with a caterpillar, removing many of the "steps" but making it full of loose rocks in deep holes

It was still fun, and stopping for photographs meant there was a lot of cliff edge spinning and sliding to get moving

Gareth · **Reply #467 on:** May 26, 2018, 12:13:12 AM

Still looks like a fun day out.

dks · **Reply #468 on:** June 02, 2018, 06:13:39 PM

ThundahBeagle · **Reply #469 on:** June 10, 2018, 06:48:40 PM

She's...DEAD, Jim...

I was under my 1993 Chevy big K1500 Blazer yesterday. I needed to install a new cat-back exhaust. The old tailpipe and elbow that ran up over the rear axle was just swinging like a monkey on a vine. And the Cherry Bomb had just about had it.

After pulling out the old elbow and tail pipe, I saw it. The frame had cracked just in front of the rear leaf spring shackle. On both sides of the frame. This holds the rear bumper on, and is also the part of the frame to which the tow hitch attaches. And of course, the rear of the back leaf springs.

Instead of everything bolting to the frame securely, everything that was bolted to the frame is keeping it in place. But it isn't just a crack. There's about an inch of separation. If I had a shop and was a really good welder, I'd cut the back half off of a new doner truck. But I dont. And I'm not.

So I quit working on it immediately, returned the exhaust and clamps to the auto parts store, and got a credit towards the battery and cable I needed to get the old Jeep Grand Cherokee started. It does start now, but it not yet registered, so I will be riding my late '90's Mongoose 21 speed mountain bike the 9 miles to work tomorrow. Then back.

It is indeed a sad day for Blazer enthusiasts. These are my favorite. My avatar is a picture of my dog - Scout the ThundahBeagle - inside this very Blazer, looking eagerly forward to adventure yet to come.

This is painful.

dks · **Reply #470 on:** June 11, 2018, 06:22:55 PM

Tata moving production of their LR Discovery to Slovakia

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44438846

SteveC · **Reply #471 on:** June 11, 2018, 07:57:10 PM

That's sad news Thundah !

dks · **Reply #472 on:** June 11, 2018, 08:36:38 PM

Not for Slovakia

VAG also make cars there too.

dks · **Reply #473 on:** June 12, 2018, 05:55:37 PM

Looks interesting if they can get the Jaguar/LR internal electrics to work well

dks · **Reply #474 on:** July 04, 2018, 09:35:07 PM

So, Fiat who is in the same group as jeep and ram needs to rebadge a mitsubishi to get a pickup truck..... Maybe it will be the new jeep pickup truck in the states next year...

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #475 on:** July 05, 2018, 01:24:00 PM

If they want to try and sell it in Europe then the rebadged Mitsubishi makes more sense than importing the Ram. Rams are very large vehicles and I would imagine they would be very awkward to try and drive in many parts of Europe once you get off the motorways.

Dodge used to make a smaller pickup called the Dakota but that was discontinued a few years ago.

Def

dks · **Reply #476 on:** July 05, 2018, 01:26:28 PM

Italian style with Japanese reliability... it may work.

I think RAM had a more normal sized pickup too. i rmemeber seeing it in some places in europe, but I do not recall he model.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #477 on:** July 06, 2018, 01:23:31 AM

I don't know about Europe but here they had the Dakota pickup for many years. It was discontinued in 2011, although as usual, there are rumors of bringing it back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Dakota

Def

Gerhard Gerber · **Reply #478 on:** August 16, 2018, 10:04:29 AM

I've grown to love my little Suzuki, and it's simplicity definitely has advantages, purchase price and cheap maintenance is about to become relevant issues in my life again.....

That said, I wish I could buy it's grandson, or great-grandson, not sure which: http://www.globalsuzuki.com/automobile/lineup/jimny/index.html

I'm just hooked by the looks of the mini-G-wagon

Oh well, other people wish they had food, so

Gareth · **Reply #479 on:** August 16, 2018, 12:14:28 PM

Quote from: Gerhard Gerber on August 16, 2018, 10:04:29 AM

I've grown to love my little Suzuki, and it's simplicity definitely has advantages, purchase price and cheap maintenance is about to become relevant issues in my life again.....

That said, I wish I could buy it's grandson, or great-grandson, not sure which: http://www.globalsuzuki.com/automobile/lineup/jimny/index.html

I'm just hooked by the looks of the mini-G-wagon

Oh well, other people wish they had food, so

Oh, is that a new version of the Jimny? Looks a lot less cute than I remember.

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Any Non-Jeepers Out There (4x4s)? :P

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