4x4 drivers. Why? Tiamat letting off steam

[Tiamat]

Why is it when any 4x4 sees the MR2 they feel you are instantly up for a race or want to play or they want to show their car is quicker, more manouverable or whatever.

It drives me mad!

Came back from Bournemouth to home on Monday evening, nearly two hour journey along motorway, dual carriage way and A roads. Had been a long day, was tired, most of the time the speedo was stuck on 75 mph (GPS verified) and the car allowed to cruise so as to give me around 40mpg.

On the dual carriageway, still doing 75 mph and cruising, I come up behind a Discovery, I pull out into outside lane and go to go around him, so he now speeds up so he matches my speed, I am now too close to just pull in behind him, so have to slow down and pull in or speed up.

Purpose? He had to change his speed to do it, clearly had to since I had caught him up and my speed had not changed.

I slow down and cruise behind him, leaving a big enough gap so can see past him, he slows down to 60 mph, I pull back out again and go to overtake, I am happy cruising at 75 mph.

Lo and behold he speeds up again.

I give up, until it gets to where it will narrow to one lane andovertake him and pull in front. Once back onto dual carriageway I get to 75 mph and head off, he is left behind but speeds up to catch me, but won't overtake me, just sit behind me matching the same speed, but he sped up to catch me, must have done since I never changed my speed from 75 mph once I got there!

I then finally lose the idiot and am thinking I am safe and I come up on a Nissan Navarro, and am stuck with this idiot for the next 20 miles!

Again, stick the car at 75 mph, still cruising. THROUGHOUT THIS STAGE I DID NOT ALTER MY SPEED, except as necessary to accelerate and slow for safety reasons or roundabaouts etc.

I com eup on the Nissan and overtake, still cruising. It took me about 2-5 minutes from seeinghim to overtake, so he alreayd going quick. Once I pass him, I pull back in, he then speeds up and overtakes me even though my speed has not changed.

fine. I don't care, I want fuel economy, I am happy to let him do what he wants.

Still cruising at same speed, I catch up withthe Nissan again and overtake, without changing speed. Again he overtakes me once I pull in. I am not playing, I am trying to get home, I bene out working for 17 hours or so, I am no tin mood.

This happens three / four times in total, to the extent I have opened the window and shouting at him to find out what his malfunction is!

Then I go to overtake and he does what the Discovery did, sped up so I cannot overtake, and then goes flying off at what must have been at leadt 20 mph more then he had bene doing and disappeared.

Thank god, he's gone. But he's not, he gets caught by the lights at roundabout an dI end up beside him (dual carriageway roundabout). I pull away up to speed, leavinghim behind, not aggressive in any way, driving normally.

He now has to overtake me again and cuts me up. Makes sur eI cannot get past on next roundabout by blocking both lanes off so only he can go first.

Now on single carriageway, he does the speedlimit. I don't care, but I get taps fo the brakes every now and then. He is trying to wind me up, I am gettign upset, I am tired, I have a crowbar in the car and I am in the mood to use it.

Coming to next roundabout, both going right at it, last road to go home, can my luck get any worse!

Why do these people do it?

I will admit I bit at the end and outbraked him, overtook him on outsideof roundabout and left him for dust! The road was twisty enough he was never gettign anywhere near me and I was prepared to sacrifice fuel economy to get rid of the b'stard. After second corner cannot see him, except a faint glow of lights in distance.

[RobCrezz]

Calm down mate! Dont get ya crowbar out, not worth it over road rage.

They were obviously right hand jockeys, but not worth getting upset about.

[Tiamat]

I just don't know why they do it, not like I am out to prove anything, no loud exhaust, nothing unusual about the vehicle, doing the same speed, people just seem to see the MR2 as a red flag!

[Amelio]

Can't say anything about drivers of the Discovery, however, and this is based entirely on my experience, the Navara really has attracted a breed like no other.

I think it has something to do with Nissan's advertising campaign and demanding respect. I honestly don't think I've ever seen one that's not driven by a complete w*nker.

A few years back, I had a similar experience with my friend when we were driving home from Bournemouth in his Charade GTTi...expect this was with a M-Reg Ford Galaxy. Gotta laugh really

[Martian_333]

lol

Reminds me of some dumb girl in a Orange Focus ST, slowed down in the outside lane (I was on the inside lane) with traffic behind her, wound her window down and swore at me "Why are you go so f**ing slow blah blah lecture blah"

The answer



because my coolant had decided to leave the car, steam was pouring out of the engine, there was no hard shoulder, the garage turn off was 1/4 mile infront of me and I had my HAZZARDS on (giveaway maybe?)........

Stupid dumb (you choose)

[Tiny]

blonde?

chill malcolm and know they have a really tiny xxxxx to need a car that big

[ryan]

No other explanation other than they must have small willys, and watched too many episode of 'fall guy'
They also buy a 4x4 for 'safety' you know, hmmm wonder how safe they really are? I reckon theyre more likely to prang their big unwieldy barge due to its sheer size and do far more damage to the ca they hit!

[Martian_333]

Yeah she was blonde allright, at first I thought aye aye shes winding that window down to get my number, but then she swore

[CM1GT]

wonder is he's on a navara forum now complaining about a 2 seater sports car being driven at 75 on a dual carriageway

the problem is even with the current state of human evolution, tw*ts still exist, and they still buy 4 wheel drive pickups to do the shopping in

[matt_mr2t]

99.999% of 4x4 drivers are total right hand jockeys.

Especially new-newish ones.

The attitidudes of them drive me nuts.

My cars bigger so I can drive however I want and people will move.
My cars expensive so it must be better/faster than anything else.

My response
My cars worth a couple of hundred quid and I'm in the RIGHT lane - hit me. See who's more pi$$ed off...
When I had the MR2 there wasnt a 4x4 out there that could get near it, not even a Caymen Turbo S - so stop acting up dickwads.

[GeoffC320]

99.999% of 4x4 drivers are total right hand jockeys.

Especially new-newish ones.

The attitidudes of them drive me nuts.

My cars bigger so I can drive however I want and people will move.
My cars expensive so it must be better/faster than anything else.

My response
My cars worth a couple of hundred quid and I'm in the RIGHT lane - hit me. See who's more pi$$ed off...
When I had the MR2 there wasnt a 4x4 out there that could get near it, not even a Caymen Turbo S - so stop acting up dickwads.

Couldn't agree more. Personally I spent so many years as a keen road cyclist and commuter (where you are vulnerable to pretty much any vehicle on the road), I don't find anything short of a coach or artic particularly intimidating when I'm in a car.

I take the bit of road that I'm entitled to, they soon find out who needs to back down if they don't want an accident...

[CM1GT]

strangely the only hassle i've ever had from anyone while driving the qashqai was from and mr2 driver attempting to 'drift' round the uni roundabout

[JJ]

"I will admit I bit at the end and outbraked him, overtook him on outsideof roundabout and left him for dust! The road was twisty enough he was never gettign anywhere near me and I was prepared to sacrifice fuel economy to get rid of the b'stard. After second corner cannot see him, except a faint glow of lights in distance. "

Over take me on a roundabout and I'll drive over you !!

"know they have a really tiny xxxxx to need a car that big "

I'll drive over you too tiny !!

"99.999% of 4x4 drivers are total right hand jockeys."
"so stop acting up dickwads"

Whilst you're not going to get many real debates over these comments on this forum... I still dont understand why people rage up behind the wheels of cars.. just pass them or let them pass and get on with your life.

I drive an derv X5 with some get up and go which probably has one of the worst reputations for being traffic friendly with other road users.... and I'll be honest... the stereo typing and grudge holding drivers need to have a word with yourselves... I've had countless beeps, drivers waving their fists at me for no reason what so ever... no need. I'm neither a disrespectful driver or one that throws a fit because an indicator isn't used or doordling along the road... ..

"but won't overtake me, just sit behind me matching the same speed, but he sped up to catch me, must have done since I never changed my speed from 75 mph once I got there!"

Simple... he hasn't got the power to over take you... Fact.

[matt_mr2t]

I'm not making any accusations here, but have you ever thought there's a reason people are hostile towards you JJ? And i don't mean just the car. I believe there are now a whole army of people who aren't driving badly on purpose anymore. They actually think they're in the right and this is even worse. Sadly a lot of them are in 4x4's these days. Still my biggest gripe of all is people who just can't drive a vehicle that big. You have to admit, inside an x5 you have about as much space as a 3 series, at a push. Yet on the outside it's vastly bigger than a 7 series. What's the logic there? Then you get a 5ft tall woman who couldn't handle parking a micra behind the wheel of one and we're heading for disaster. Doing a 47 point turn to get in and then again to get out of TWO parking spaces in Asda is just pathetic.

[JJ]

I'm not making any accusations here, but have you ever thought there's a reason people are hostile towards you JJ?

Thats unlikely.. couple of ex girlfriends new boyfriends maybe ! And maybe a couple of girls I should of hit with a teflon frying pan....

You have to admit, inside an x5 you have about as much space as a 3 series

Whilst from a drivers position, I'm inclined to agree with you.. but stack it up with grown people / passenger work, its far far tighter in a 3 series... I know as I've had both.

My coin flip has always been between a 5 series estate and an X5.... Figured the X5's long term residual value will be more stable ( less X5 revisions to 5 series )..... until... last year when the ole super road tax came into power !!

I bought mine for a purpose, its to carry a zimmer frame / wheelchair, luggage and people when I take weekend trips away..( again, 5 series came close, 3 series didn't ) it also serves the purpose of work too visiting clients with other managers aboard.

Then you get a 5ft tall woman who couldn't handle parking

Everybodys gotta learn... People still have problems parking irrespective of the car they drive... although...I like to see you jump in a big a55 4x4 and work its size out in the first drive between two cars in asda car park...

[jdbecks]

I have no direct incidents with the following car, but latley I have noticed most toyota prius's are driven like complete xxxx, keep an eye out next time.

[matt_mr2t]

That's the whole point though JJ - I wouldnt buy an excessively large car that I'd struggle to drive.

I have driven a couple of Fronterra's and a new Ford Kuga and wouldnt fancy tight parking in limited light in any of them. The high lines of the vehicles makes it very hard to see properly.
I was nearly "ran over" by a woman in a huge 4x4 once. All I could see were her hands on the wheel as she drove right at me on my side of the road. Quite simply. she was neither big enough to control the vehicle nor a good enough driver to have something so big and potentially destructive. I personally think there should be seperate tests based not on weight, but size of vehicles. Some of these American machines are the size of rigid lorries!

And finally, my other gripe is people who say "I drive it because it's safe"
Not considering that short of a brand new £60k machine they are vastly more likely to tip over than a car and would destroy any ordinary car complately probably killing all the occupants in a smash.

[RobCrezz]

When I had the MR2 there wasnt a 4x4 out there that could get near it, not even a Caymen Turbo S - so stop acting up dickwads.

Cayenne, not Cayman. The Cayman is pretty nice.

[poser]

I'm neither a disrespectful driver or one that throws a fit because an indicator isn't used

I've never been in a Beemer - is it true, then, that the indicator stalk is located in a locked cabinet beneath the passenger seat?

[Tiny]

Also with regard to the "I drive it because its safe crowd" your more than twice as likely to be carjacked in a 4x4 than in a luxury saloon in london apparently its easier and faster to get in and push the other person out according to stats from the MET police.

The whole argument about the car being too big for the driver i dont think is that valid they would be Just as bad in a small car as they are in a 4x4. They can just do more damage with 4wheel drive and huge amounts of torque.

I attended a Audi offroad day least year and got to drive the New q7 the ridiculous w12 1000lbft Torque monster. I really enjoyed it it was very capable off road and was great fun the audi guy taking me round to begin with was quite shocked that i was actually intereested inits off road capabilities and admitted that i was probably the only person that seemed genuinely interested in what it could achieve off road that he had seen that day. I then got to drive an A6 allroad. It could achieve "almost" everything the q7 could. I had more room in the A6, decent access and capacity for carrying people for a full weekend plus decent restricted mobility access

JJ I can understand the use for disabled passengers and the simplicity that it brings in relation to getting people in and out but TBH i have found people movers that are better for this purpose as i was at th AUDI day purely on the basis of looking at Motability adjusted vehicles for a disabled relative.

4x4s are good in that respect but there are better alternatives that are cheaper and dont cost you £400 a year in tax and have 80% of the population hating you because they instantly assume you cant drive it.