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Good Times Across the Tasman
What about a trip across the Tasman to see New Zealand in summer? Kiwis can boast about temperatures being somewhere within the average Aussie’s comfort zone during the summer months. If you can bear to wrap up warm during the winter months New Zealand is truly a winter wonderland, and is one of the most amazing places you’ll ever see – particularly in the South Island with the snow-capped Southern Alps.
There are always special places to go, and there are always plenty of activities – from white water rafting to multiple night treks that will have you tramping and camping through some of the most untouched, pristine mountainous areas in the world. And the best thing about the wildlife over in New Zealand is that the sand-fly is about the only creepy-crawly that is likely to cause you any grief, but then there are plenty of tricks that the locals know which manage to keep these beasties at a distance.
Probably, the best and cheapest way to see New Zealand would be to hire a vehicle that suits your budget. The great thing about car or van hire, is that you’ll pick and choose exactly where you’ll go and what you’ll do each day. You’ll be seeing New Zealand at your own pace, which will also mean that you’ll meet the friendly locals who, at worst, will only ever give you a friendly ribbing over the last time the All Blacks beat the Wallabies…again.
Most of the great New Zealand sites can be travelled to by car. Milford Sound is a must see, the glow worms at Te Anau, gorgeous scenery from Roxburgh to Alexandra, The Remarkables, Mt Cook, the Maze at Wanaka, Haast, Fox Glacier, Hanmer Hot Pools, New Zealand’s Hydro dams, the Catlins, Nelson Bay beaches, The West Coast, Punakaiki, The Wild Food Festival, Christchurch’s Botanical Gardens, Hooker Glacier walk… the list goes on, and these are just some of the easy-to-get-to places around the South Island. Do take a look at Arrowtown in Autumn, and make sure that you ditch the car and travel on the TranzAlpine train for a long weekend away in Greymouth.
Senior Citizens looking for cheaper options will find that there are some great savings to be had on travel and accommodation, both in Australia and throughout New Zealand. If you qualify for a Seniors Card from your state government here in Australia, then most Seniors Cards can now also be used for concessions when visiting New Zealand. Holders of Australian Seniors Cards are now able to access the same discounts as holders of New Zealand’s SuperGold cards, when travelling across the Tasman.
If you love driving, there are some of the great new cars available for hire at the bigger rental car businesses. New Zealand is one of the easiest and friendliest getaways for an Australian to make.
Misogynists Among Motorists
Private Fleet are in the midst of undertaking a Consumer Attitudes Survey.
It is early days yet, but we’ve already uncovered some fascinating facts and opinions.
Misogynists Among Motorists
One question asked respondents a fairly open opinion on their likes and dislikes. Nearly 80 percent of our respondents so far are male (so ladies, we want your entries too), but of these, nearly twenty percent listed female motorists as their major dislike!
Of particular dislike is the young female P plater.
All comments are given anonymously yet there is a clear trend evident with comments such as
“ Young female drivers seem to drive too fast”
Or
“Young women speed to excess, with scant regard for others”
Or
“Young female drivers, often on P plates tend to be the worst (most aggressive, risk taking, impatient).”
But young females are not the only target of female criticism. Curiously more than one respondent had noted ‘Asian women driving Volvos” as their pet hate.
So does this mean that the Australian motorist is not just a women hater but racist, too? Well, we hope not as it’s early days, and we need a significant sample to confirm these early suspicions, but we’ll keep you posted.
So what other major concerns have been noted to date?
Keeping Left.
A regular criticism is of those drivers who habitually ignore the ‘Keep Left’ signs, hogging the right hand lanes or even the centre lanes of motorways when the inner lanes are vacant, particularly when driving at less than the legal limit.
A typical comment is:-
“Drivers in Australia are a disgrace, including the trucking industry. In Europe and UK the driving is orderly, trucks STAY in the inside lane except when overtaking, then return to the inside lane and you never see them on the outside lane. Cars only overtake on the outside (never on the inside) and do not hog the outside lane. In fact if they see a car approaching in the rear view mirror they move over straight away “
Tailgating
Another frequent comment and criticism is the way cars keep too close to the car in front of them, particularly when being driven by young people.
“ I hate tailgaters” is a common sentiment among respondents.
Other dishonourable mentions go to excess speed, too many speed restrictions/road signs, impatient drivers, elderly drivers and more.
As we said, it’s early days for the survey, which covers other factors, too. So if you haven’t yet completed the survey, why don’t you do so now?
It will only take a minute or two (average completion time is 1m 20 secs), and it will be a valuable contribution towards understanding driver sentiments and motivations.
What Drives Your Car?
Today’s motorist is spoilt for choice. Front or rear wheel drive, constant or on-demand four wheel drive, dual range etc.etc., are all available from many makers.
It all started with rear wheels being the ones that transmitted the power to the road. Then Citroen, always a lateral thinker, introduced a front wheel drive car in the 1930’s. Four wheel drive cars do, in fact, date back even further – to 1899! But they weren’t really recognized until the Jeep of the Second World War, and from then on this multiple choice became commonplace.
So, if you buy a new car today we can be thoroughly confused by choice, and that means we need to be informed, so let’s look at what the differences are and what could be best for you.
Two Wheel Drive – Front or Rear.
The vast majority of cars are driven by two wheels only, and that should be more than adequate for the vast majority of uses.
But there is still a choice – the front two wheels driving the car, or the rear two wheels doing likewise.
Most cars now are front wheel drive- and for good reasons. They cost less to make, save space in the passenger cabin (there’s no need to provide room for a hefty drive shaft to go from the front engine to the rear wheels) and they offer weight savings, which give marginally more economical (but crucial to marketing) fuel consumption.
They also handle better – or, at least, more predictably, with less likelihood of wheel spin and loss of traction. This is less important today as most cars come equipped with some form of traction control.
There are some drawbacks, however. When you test drive a front wheel drive car you need to test it under hard acceleration to see if it suffers from ‘torque steer’, which is where the car is less likely to respond to your steering input under heavy acceleration. This was an early problem, but, again, traction control has had a curative effect.
You’ll also notice a difference under hard cornering, but you need to be driving pretty enthusiastically to notice this difference!
The more traditional rear wheel drive still rules the roost with the larger saloons, where the front end engine weight can reduce the driver control of front wheel drive cars. It’s also favoured by sports car driving types who like to control cornering with the steering wheel. If you are towing a lot then rear wheel is also preferable to front wheel (but both are eclipsed here by four wheel drive).
Four Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive
So what’s the difference between four wheel and all wheel drive? Officially nothing. History tells us they mean the same thing, but some manufacturers have tried to create a difference for marketing reasons.
In their eyes four wheel drive vehicles are those that are driven by all four wheels, often with an ability to switch to two wheels or low range four wheel drive, whereas all wheel drive vehicles are seen as those that are constant four wheel drive. But just to complicate things, others say that all wheel drive is reserved for those vehicles- mainly military, that have more than four all driven wheels!
But then other countries will define four wheel and all wheel drive differences differently again!.
So we’ll ignore the different definitions and look at the different types.
Permanent Four Wheel Drive
Some passenger cars have permanent four wheel drive, such as Subaru and Audi Quattro. All four wheels are being powered all the time, irrespective of conditions.
They have a big advantage in difficult road conditions such as rain, snow and ice as they are less susceptible to wheel spin and loss of control. That’s because power, and therefore too much power (which causes wheelspin), is spread amongst four wheels, not just two. This provides quicker, smoother and safer acceleration and braking, though again, with modern traction control and anti slip sensors, the advantages over two wheel drive cars are reduced. On the other hand, they are more expensive to make, are more complicated, and suffer somewhat in the fuel consumption stakes.
On Demand Four Wheel Drive.
The old idea of ‘on demand” was when the driver wanted to switch from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive he’d press a switch- and often that would mean getting out of the car and changing a couple of lock nuts on the front wheels. Things have progressed since then, to a point now, where, with some vehicles, the computer takes complete control. Sensors can detect the ‘slip potential’ and bring in extra drive to wheels not currently employed, so that slip or skidding is avoided. This means that the vehicle can automatically switch from 2 to 4 wheel drive as driving conditions change. Generally 4 wheel drive is less fuel efficient, so such a switching feature helps improve fuel consumption.
Four Wheel Drive and Low Range
Here we’re talking about the more specialist ‘off road’ vehicles that are specifically designed for challenging terrains. Most are also quite capable of normal tarmac travel, but, if you want to go off the highway, these are the vehicle most suited. Again they can be constant all wheel drive, and then be equipped with ‘low range’ which is an additional gearbox that allows the vehicle to tackle extreme conditions that you won’t be confronted with on main road travel.
Traction Advances
The benefits and drawbacks of all of these traction systems are now being muddied by the advances in traction control and corner sensors. Some more sophisticated systems are already moving power from corner to corner, side to side and front to back to ensure both maximum grip and maximum economy, and it will only be a matter of time before these systems, currently the domain of expensive all (or four) wheels drives filter down the line.
Big Bruisers
I wonder which of the big 4×4 bruisers you’d rather be seen in. I mean we are spoilt for choice when it comes to competent off-roaders that are, more often than not, seen on the smooth streets of Australia’s main cities. Unless you have a reason to bush-bash, I bet you rarely take the mud grips off-road; or am I being a little bit presumptuous? Anyhow, of the go-bush 4x4s, which are the ones you would be rather be seen driving?
Are you going to want the showy-off Discos, Rangies and Lexus LXs for cruising the streets at night and taking the in-laws to the biggest shopping complex in the CBD? I can see the value in these premium brands. Who wouldn’t want to impress others and offer a great night on the town in one of the most luxurious 4x4s around? Aside from the fact that they carry all the hardware for conquering Uluru, these are the vehicles that are sumptuous, proud and cocooned in leather. They’ll sooth every occupant’s whims, soak up the bumps and drive over the top of the poor sod in front who may dare to be in your way. Satellite navigation is available on these models to get you from the coffee shop to the rest room, while parking is care-free – with all the latest Park Assist technology. Park Assist is a feature that tells everybody in the back seat that you have no idea where the corners of the big Rangie are – and even if you did, you wouldn’t be able to manoeuvre yourself out of a paper bag!
Cayennes, X5s and Q7 V12s are the 4×4 performance machines that, though they may look impressively large and muscle bound, are left dragging the chain in any serious off-road excursion. Yes, they can hit 100 km/h from a standstill in under 6 seconds. Yes, they look impressive, and often offer luxury features to mimic a Rangie. And, yes, they are 4WD. But take them to Uluru, and they are like a fish out of water. I still want one, though!
Then there’s the Land Cruisers, and Patrols – and I’ll throw in the Pajeros and Hiluxs. They’re never quite a luxo match to the snobby Rangies or LXs, but they do know what mud is. Built with the Outback in mind, a trip to the top of Uluru and beyond is a walk in the park for these rugged beasties. I won’t let the Land Rover marque down here, as I reckon the Defender is one of the most rugged 4×4 machines you’ll find anywhere. This is the iconic off-road workhorse that can run with any of the Patrols and Land Cruisers to the other side of the globe, the long way!
I know I haven’t mentioned every 4×4 around. And, if you’re offended, then you are probably as fond of 4x4s as I am. There’s nothing quite like them. Big 4x4s can do pretty much anything: from running the errands to heading off to the CBD, from bouncing over the curb to taking half the cricket team to the next State. And, if you choose carefully, your 4×4 might just get you over the top of Ayers Rock.
It’s all about taste, anyhow. Don’t you think? 4x4s – you either love them or hate them.
Level 2, 9 Help Street