Do bigger cars need a different driving technique?
Some recent models of many 4WD brands have been made ever-more car like.
What you need to know:
- Some recent models of many 4WD brands have been made ever-more car like.
- From the start, recognise that street cars and 4WD utilities are supposed to be different from each other.
I recently switched to driving a Land-Rover, quite a heavy car. I was previously driving a Toyota Prius. Now I feel my car-driving confidence has gone down. Is there a technique for driving heavier cars?
Terry K
Every model of car has a different “feel”. Weight is one factor, but so are physical size and shape, engine power, the driver’s eye level, the lay-out of controls and instruments, the centre of gravity, the suspension ratings, the gear ratios, pedal pressures, steering lock, seat angle, sight lines, blind spots… You have to get used to each car’s individual handling characteristics, just as you had to “learn” your Prius.
Among cars of a similar class, the differences are slight. Moving from a mid-size, front-wheel drive saloon to a bigger 4WD utility vehicle, some of the differences can be considerable. But everything you know about driving still applies.
From the start, recognise that street cars and 4WD utilities are supposed to be different from each other. Why did you switch? You must have wanted more of some things and less of others. The car has to be designed differently to deliver those requirements. So it is going to handle differently.
Upgrading of power
Where your Land-Rover fits in that equation depends on its age and model. Some recent models of many 4WD brands have been made ever-more car like; others are still primarily utility vehicles, which are less like a car and more like a small truck.
If your Land-Rover is in the truck bracket, don’t try and drive it like a car. That would be like expecting a cart-horse to behave like a polo pony. You will not only have to get used to a new eye level and new dimensions, but also slower and less precise control response, and more body roll resulting from longer suspension travel and a higher centre of gravity.
Even with power steering, the gearing of the steering will probably require more turns from lock to lock. The Land-Rover probably weighs twice as much as a Prius, so it takes a lot more to get it moving and/or to stop it. Upgrading of power or brakes might not be in exact proportion to the weight gain.
All these differences can be unsettling at first, but you will very quickly adjust to all of them…and be a bit startled when you next drive a small car. Meanwhile remember the first safety maxim: drive within your own and your car’s capabilities.
