Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 16:22:12 -0600 From: "Jess Englewood" <pleasennospam.com> Subject: Re: Cost of repair Audi BMW Saab...(crossposting)
"JP Roberts" <1234nospamo.com> wrote in message news:c80lmp$48f$2nospam.ya.com... > With the weight of so much experience on your back, it's plain to see you've > got behind the times in this aspect. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a thing of > the past! Knowledgeable people talk Tuareg, Cayenne, Range Rover, and > Discovery, when efficiency is concerned - not that I am one of those :) > The Audi will start, but then again, so will your 535 if pulled by a Land > Rover Defender! Let me jump in here real quick. I happen to be a 4x4 enthusiast and enjoy a great amount of offroading out here in the beautiful West. In our club's annual extravaganza's we always hire a tri-roller to the site and always have SUV's and 4x4's of various models, makes and levels of customization compete. And when we go out on trails we have members of every marquee persuasion. *****the only out-of-box AWD/4x4 cars, SUV's or trucks that ever beat the tri-roller (three vehicle wheels on rollers and one wheel on solid substrate, all which changes from wheel to wheel as the vehicle tries to ascend over the ramp) are the Jeep Grand Cherokee with Quadra-Drive, not Quadra-Trac, and the BMW "x" models in either 3 series or X5/X3 form***** Nothing else has ever made it over the ramp......nothing, and we have seen every model and make on the road in the USA. Quattro, on various Audis, all the LR vehicles, Land Cruiser, 4Matic, Suburu, 4-Motion, Cayenne, Toureg...the list goes on. The tri-roller is the perfect test of which system offers torque to the needed point(s) at the four corners of the vehicle. The first measure of capability is how the vehicle tries to power the tractioned wheel(s), the next is what rubber it is fitted with. Outside of that, and before issues like articulation and approach/departure/breakover angles, throttle tip-in, gear ratios etc., nothing else matters yet. On slippery conditions, particularly uphill conditions, how the power is applied is the most important factor (assuming proper rubber). I like the Rangies, and they are better than stock Jeeps in certain areas, but they don't do well in this type of condition. Particularly given their rather high weights. And the Cayenne and Toureg are pretty fair awd units, but also pretty much hype in real difficult conditions. Don't even think that Quattro is the equal of any of those mentioned. Car magazines don't have a clue when it comes to real 4WD/AWD functionality.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
