the writer assumes we ute owners are all stupid. awd would be cool though
No thanks. 4wd is not needed on highways so the (usually) higher fuel consumption is simply waste. Ridiculous article.
The 4x4 bit only comes for off-road use, when you select 4 High and the centre differential gets lockedTransfer case mate, not centre diff. Otherwise it would already be an AWD, thus defeating the purpose of this article.
I dont know if I am reflective of most ute and SUV owners or not because I actually drive rough dirt roads and go off road most days, but I currently have a Ranger and a Pajero Sport, and I wish the Ranger did have all wheel drive. Lack of traction makes it a lot slower off the mark, very noticeable at an intersection in the rain. If the road surface has not been resealed in a while, you can put your foot down in 3rd gear in the wet and it will snap sideways if you are not careful.The all wheel drive in the Pajero Sport helps a lot, and does not have any noticeable impact on fuel consumption or tyre wear either. It feels nicer and more stable to drive in 4H compared to 2H, especially in the wet or rough roads so it just stays in all wheel drive permanently now. All wheel drive also performs better on gravel roads than 4x4, as I said I do a lot of gravel roads, sometimes pretty quickly (I am an emergency services first responder). 4x4 tends to understeer more due to the locked centre diff, while all wheel drive turns in much better while still letting you get on the power earlier out of the corner. The Pajero obviously has more sophisticated suspension than the Ranger which gives more traction anyway, but it really is a lot better to drive in really bad road conditions which I put down to the all wheel drive.
disagree, AWD gives you heaps of traction and drive on corners. Getting 8L per 100 k in my 180KW AWD.
show ponies in town love them though. tradies are now like the new hairdressers.
They are called 4x4 because many (most?) of them get used in 4wd mode 4x in their lifetime...
It will be interesting to see what turns up when the 4x4 EVs are finally available. Having four independently powered, computer controlled motors should have very smooth performance, no matter what the surface: tarmac, gravel, ice or mud.
40k gets you a mitsi triton with super select. A great feature that most 4x4 Ute buyers and owners dont no about as the ranger doesnt have it
The ranger is already a fuel guzzler. Permanent 4WD would make it even worse.Utes are primarily rugged work and off road vehicles no matter how many ignorant people buy it for road use and showing off only.The most stupid thing about late model utes is the painted bumbers and surrounds which turns every little knock into an expensive repair and paint job.
Honestly, who calls Utes one tonners? It seems like a very American term.
Makes no measurable difference. I have had several Mitsubishis and have done tests over a couple of hundred thousand kilometres and never noticed any difference in fuel consumption between 2H and 4H so now the Pajero Sport just stays in 4H permanently.
What about when youre pulling out of a side road in the wet - AWD will give you better acceleration
Problem with AWD is a large increase in fuel use. Plus its just not needed 99% of the time.AWD doesnt give you anymore grip in corners. Yes it can give you more traction for acceleration, and might spread the power to cut wheel spin, but it doesnt make it any safer in corners.Anytime you NEED 4x4/AWD you should be travelling slower anyway. Such as icy/snowy roads, gravel or dirt. In reality, its actually about time full time 4x4 became 2wd unless needed, it would be better for the environment.
Why are ute owners so worried about the extra fuel consumption of awd??? You have just bought a 1.8m high box on wheels. If you are even slightly worried about fuel consumption then you should be buying something else.
If a hi riding Ute is catching you in corners...
That is why the vast majority of utes sold are only 4x2.Even the big Rangers with lift kits, bull bars and mud tyres that dealerships often advertise, are usually only 4x2. Image is everything for so many people.
Bring back the Land Rover Defender (hopefully next year) - the Defender had constant AWD/4WD decades ago & its estimated that over 70% of all Land Rover Series & Defenders are still in use today - Legend!
And when you are stuck in the mud, do you empty the gravel bags under the tyres?
two wheel drive wont get up my driveway in winter, awd no problem. i know a lot of drive ways and private rosds that are unpassable in winter without 4x4 or awd.
the writer assumes we ute owners are all stupid. awd would be cool though
No thanks. 4wd is not needed on highways so the (usually) higher fuel consumption is simply waste. Ridiculous article.
The 4x4 bit only comes for off-road use, when you select 4 High and the centre differential gets lockedTransfer case mate, not centre diff. Otherwise it would already be an AWD, thus defeating the purpose of this article.
I dont know if I am reflective of most ute and SUV owners or not because I actually drive rough dirt roads and go off road most days, but I currently have a Ranger and a Pajero Sport, and I wish the Ranger did have all wheel drive. Lack of traction makes it a lot slower off the mark, very noticeable at an intersection in the rain. If the road surface has not been resealed in a while, you can put your foot down in 3rd gear in the wet and it will snap sideways if you are not careful.The all wheel drive in the Pajero Sport helps a lot, and does not have any noticeable impact on fuel consumption or tyre wear either. It feels nicer and more stable to drive in 4H compared to 2H, especially in the wet or rough roads so it just stays in all wheel drive permanently now. All wheel drive also performs better on gravel roads than 4x4, as I said I do a lot of gravel roads, sometimes pretty quickly (I am an emergency services first responder). 4x4 tends to understeer more due to the locked centre diff, while all wheel drive turns in much better while still letting you get on the power earlier out of the corner. The Pajero obviously has more sophisticated suspension than the Ranger which gives more traction anyway, but it really is a lot better to drive in really bad road conditions which I put down to the all wheel drive.
disagree, AWD gives you heaps of traction and drive on corners. Getting 8L per 100 k in my 180KW AWD.
show ponies in town love them though. tradies are now like the new hairdressers.
They are called 4x4 because many (most?) of them get used in 4wd mode 4x in their lifetime...
It will be interesting to see what turns up when the 4x4 EVs are finally available. Having four independently powered, computer controlled motors should have very smooth performance, no matter what the surface: tarmac, gravel, ice or mud.
40k gets you a mitsi triton with super select. A great feature that most 4x4 Ute buyers and owners dont no about as the ranger doesnt have it
The ranger is already a fuel guzzler. Permanent 4WD would make it even worse.Utes are primarily rugged work and off road vehicles no matter how many ignorant people buy it for road use and showing off only.The most stupid thing about late model utes is the painted bumbers and surrounds which turns every little knock into an expensive repair and paint job.
Honestly, who calls Utes one tonners? It seems like a very American term.
Makes no measurable difference. I have had several Mitsubishis and have done tests over a couple of hundred thousand kilometres and never noticed any difference in fuel consumption between 2H and 4H so now the Pajero Sport just stays in 4H permanently.
What about when youre pulling out of a side road in the wet - AWD will give you better acceleration
Problem with AWD is a large increase in fuel use. Plus its just not needed 99% of the time.AWD doesnt give you anymore grip in corners. Yes it can give you more traction for acceleration, and might spread the power to cut wheel spin, but it doesnt make it any safer in corners.Anytime you NEED 4x4/AWD you should be travelling slower anyway. Such as icy/snowy roads, gravel or dirt. In reality, its actually about time full time 4x4 became 2wd unless needed, it would be better for the environment.
Why are ute owners so worried about the extra fuel consumption of awd??? You have just bought a 1.8m high box on wheels. If you are even slightly worried about fuel consumption then you should be buying something else.
If a hi riding Ute is catching you in corners...
That is why the vast majority of utes sold are only 4x2.Even the big Rangers with lift kits, bull bars and mud tyres that dealerships often advertise, are usually only 4x2. Image is everything for so many people.
Bring back the Land Rover Defender (hopefully next year) - the Defender had constant AWD/4WD decades ago & its estimated that over 70% of all Land Rover Series & Defenders are still in use today - Legend!
And when you are stuck in the mud, do you empty the gravel bags under the tyres?
two wheel drive wont get up my driveway in winter, awd no problem. i know a lot of drive ways and private rosds that are unpassable in winter without 4x4 or awd.