Offset and backspace

Yeah, I've been confused about which is what, so I thought it worth posting a link to this article that explains it fairly well.

Tighter than a Jimny's turning circle

One thing that's good to have when off-roading in, say, forests and on narrow tracks with sharp turns is a good turning circle. The smaller the circle, the more agile the vehicle should be. Here's a roundup of a range of current 4WDs. Sometimes, more than one turning circle has been quoted for the same vehicle in specifications, in which case the figure quoted below is the average. There's an arm-tiring 4.56m difference between the tightest and largest circles!
Metres
  9.8      Suzuki Jimny
10.2      Suzuki Grand Vitara 2-door
10.6      Jeep Wrangler 2-door
11.0      Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-door
11.2      Mitsubishi Challenger
11.3      Hummer H3
11.3      Range Rover Vogue
11.4      Land Rover Discovery 4
11.6      Jeep Grand Cherokee
11.6      Toyota Prado
11.8      Mitsubishi Triton
11.8      Toyota Land Cruiser 200
12.2      Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
12.2      Nissan Patrol
12.4      Toyota FJ Cruiser
12.6      Land Cruiser 70 wagon
13.3      Land Rover Defender 90
13.6      Mercedes-Benz G-Class (LWB)
14.36    Land Rover Defender 110

By way of comparison, a Holden Commodore VE does a 360 in 11.4m

The one the army tried

Mercedes-Benz imported this 1998 290GDT for evaluation by the Army. Here it is in action north of Auckland after the army returned it. It was later sold and is still currently registered, with very low mileage.

Drilling in on the FJ Cruiser

Some highlights from the FJ Cruiser spec sheet. Overall low gearing is 33.66, about average for a typical automatic. By comparison, a manual Hilux is in the mid-40s. The 12.4m turning circle is okay, but not wonderful. It's in there with the 70 Series Land Cruiser and current Nissan Patrol. Curb weight is 1945-2000kg. Ground clearance is quoted at 224mm and wading depth, 700mm. Approach and departure angles are 36deg and 29deg. Bottom line: a vehicle with definite potential.

Toyota suspends FJ Cruiser trip - maybe just as well

Toyota has suspended "indefinitely" its Top to Bottom run down New Zealand using as few sealed roads as possible. The trip was promoting 60 years of Land Cruiser and the arrival of the FJ Cruiser. Toyota decided to suspend the trip in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake. After two days of driving, the vehicle had reached Auckland.

But maybe the suspension's no bad thing. Check the video below, posted on the Top to Bottom website, (fast forward to about 1:07) and you'll see appalling recovery technique (well, it's more the attitude towards recovery), appalling beach driving and what looks like dangerous and thoughtless hooning in the sand dunes. Yes, I know they were lads out for a lark, just like Scotty and Barry in the good old days, but in 2011 this sort of thing just alienates 4WD people even further from the general public. I have huge respect for Toyota, its products and promotions but in this instance I'm wishing they hadn't bothered.

Here's an earlier posting.

Another threat to our 4WD access

The bureaucrats have found another way to cut four-wheel-drivers out of the action. The New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association is onto it and has posted a report here. Have a look, and do what you can.

Things I like/don't like about the Grand Cherokee

Even with its air suspension cranked to its highest position, the
Grand Cherokee can't match the clearances of the Wrangler
with ARB lift kit – but it's close.

Following the launch report here, I've had a week to play with the Grand Cherokee with Hemi V8 on home turf. So here are some of the things I like, and don't like, in no particular order.

• The outside mirrors that tilt when reverse is chosen. Nothing new here, but many others' tilt to the point of being useless. Jeep has got it just right and the big mirrors make reversing on- or off-road a pleasure. 
• The factory satnav is one of the more intuitive I've used. Why do some manufacturers have to make the controls as difficult as possible to fathom out?
• Fuel economy of the Hemi V8. Okay, it guzzles gas but for a petrol V8 it's good and has been using little more than the slightly dreary 3.8 V6 in my Wrangler that doesn't even have the aural advantage of the Hemi's muted rumble.
• Good quality paint job – better than I've seen on some of the Japanese product. Chrysler seems to do paint really well.
• The way the tyres stick out past the 20-inch alloy rims; you'll have a hard job curbing one of these, and they also provide a measure of protection off-road. Hope they have strong sidewalls, though.
• The way the diffs are tucked out of the way, thanks to the all-independent suspension.
• The way it's still good off-road despite the all independent suspension.
• The practical two-piece tailgate; hardly a Jeep exclusive but always nice to have.
• That when fitted to the V8, the five-speed transmission isn't quite as bad as it could be (an eight-speed is the go in the latest Range Rover Vogue TDV8).
• The sensible "quick-flick"sequential shifting arrangement.
• Grand Cherokees have always made me want to drive aggressively, especially in red like the one I've been in. Not good.*
• Raked-back A-pillar and a dash that swoops towards the front-seat occupants offer a much less spacious feeling than a more upright design, such as the Range Rover Vogue.
• Seriously dislike the foot-operated parking brake, whether it's on a Jeep or anything else.
• True, the interior's better, but the plastic trim around the lower doors and lower dash is still naff.

* Of course I'm blaming the vehicle and not my attitude.