June 2013 Issue of 4x4 Magazine

When it comes to driving, I have to admit to having done rather a lot. Besides the off-road stuff, this has included a fair bit of motorsport, including a few circuit races, lots of timed sprints and hillclimbs, one odd (very odd) sporting trial, a little rally driving, numerous multi-wheel off-roaders and even a fantastic test drive of a mega-ton juggernaut lorry around a high speed test track; block changing gears, four at a time I seem to remember…

Now none of this means that I would dare to claim that I’m any good at any of it, and the breadth of experience is simply thanks to the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to have been a motoring magazine editor for quite a few years. Indeed, this is being written on my birthday, and my age has now reached a decent one-day cricket score for a middle order batsman, so you have to believe I’ve done a bit. All of which makes the fact that I’ve always found off-road driving a little baffling, something of a contradiction.

May 2013 Issue of 4x4 Magazine

In these times of hi tech complication, smart this and Twit-Faced that, it feels almost cathartic to just get back to basics. And that is certainly what this magazine’s friend and former colleague Ros Woodham has done this issue in her excellent tale of driving to Morocco. Now Ros has a slight advantage over most of us in that she lives in Spain, which is quite a major step nearer the Saharan sands than Surrey, but what we liked about her tale was how uncomplicated it all was.

Firstly, she used her loved, but certainly not pampered, 28-year old Land Rover, and then threw in a tourist map, a compass, her boyfriend and headed south. You can read the story in this issue, but it does make you realise that overlanding is more about the state of your mind than the state of your bank balance. It’s also worth considering that if a trip like this is on your ‘to do’ list, global political tensions are limiting exactly where you can explore; and nowhere is that more obvious than North Africa. Could Morocco be one of the last bastions of overlanding dreams?

April 2013 Issue of 4x4 Magazine

In the last 12 months or so, I have had the privilege of being asked to test a number of new tyres from some major tyre manufacturers. This has ranged from driving in deep snow to race circuits, driving on ice, rock, tarmac and a mixture of all three. Different manufacturers will obviously portray why their particular rubber is the best available, market-leading in one area or another.

If anything, my personal conclusion is that there are now some superb tyres on the market for the 4x4 enthusiast. Which is best? Well that depends on what you want the tyres to achieve; what are your specific requirements. So much of this is a compromise, and it always will be, and that is not a criticism of the tyre producers. If you want a tyre to give maximum mileage, then its construction may mean a compromise on wet weather grip and resistance to aquaplaning. Then again, you probably don’t want something that gives you limpet-like grip in the torrential weather we experience, if it wears out within a few thousand miles. So, which is best?

Perhaps you should consider the new European labelling to compare tyres and find the best for you. That, in my humble opinion, is a complete waste of time. Laudable though the labelling regulations concept might be, they only cover three areas; rolling resistance, wet grip and noise. And remember, each tyre manufacturer self-regulates and decides which grading its tyre deserves. Fair enough comparing tyres across a manufacturer’s own range perhaps, but is it really to be trusted as a comparison between different tyre manufacturers? More significantly, it will not answer that question; which is the best tyre for me?

March 2013 Issue of 4x4 Magazine

There’s never a better time to own a 4x4 than when the entire country is blanketed in snow and ice – as it was a couple of weeks ago. I’m actually not a great fan – too cold for me – but it does certainly make me value my 4x4. A recent drive across East Anglia during the worst of the winter weather and my Hilux showed it was minus 9degC, yet I felt safe.

You’re not invincible in a 4x4, of course, and it’s stupid to think so, but driven properly you’re in a much better place. Not surprising then that used car website - motors.co.uk - was claiming that searches for 4x4s were up 24 per cent, with individual searches up even more for; Range Rover, Volvo XC90 and BMW X5s. Of course, if you’re looking for a second-hand 4x4 you should be checking our back issues for expert tips and advice! In the March issue, on shelves now, you’ll find a comprehensive buyers' guide focusing on second-hand pick-ups...…

Keep safe, and enjoy the issue.

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