Hi there,

I am very much leaning towards getting the 1.2 DSG 2WD. Does it have any off road capability? I'm mainly thinking off road gravel tracks, not hard core 4WD terrain. Many thanks for any views.

gravel tracks would be easy...heck i go down em in my focus, and cant wait to get my yeti

Hi,

if your thinking the type of surfaces in the following link than yes would be no problem. I think however if these types of road were more inclined and it was wet you would probable better with 4x4 + off-road.

My link

Hope that's of help.

Regards,

TP

Hi,

if your thinking the type of surfaces in the following link than yes would be no problem. I think however if these types of road were more inclined and it was wet you would probable better with 4x4 + off-road.

My link

Hope that's of help.

Regards,

TP

Thanks TP, great shots, those are the types of roads I had in mind. Would love a 4x4 but it just falls outside our budget... would be nice to know though that I can venture slightly off paved roads

You will have no problem on gravel tracks with the 4x2 Yeti, as TP has said.

If you think about it, off road driving is the function of two main attributes. Grip and Ground Clearance. I have driven on hard sand in an Aston Martin - no problem, flat as a pancake and plenty of grip for normal driving. (Great for handbrake turns) On the same beach, I have seen a Land Rover up to its axles trying to pull a Citroen out of quicksand.

So Grip. Four wheel drive gives you an extra pair of powered wheels, so if the first pair get stuck the spare pair can take over. I have pulled three cars out of local ditches, in the last year, when they got their powered wheels in the mire. Probably as (if not more) important is the choice of tyres - the correct choice of tyres makes a lot of difference.

Clearance. Any car can drive a flattish road or track as long as the car bottom is not sitting on the road with the wheels spinning uselessly! That is why Land Rovers, Yetis etc have a higher ground clearance than most cars - in order to clear the stones and bumps occasionally found on rougher roads. My time in the Gas industry took me over rough track and fields in the Company Sierra without any problem - it was a matter of looking for the easiest route. (I worked on the high pressure cross country pipelines)

So go for your 4x2 and enjoy. Just look where you are going and keep a rope in the boot just in case.

My choice of 4x4 was dictated by the (occasional) state of the winter roads round where I live. We get gritted once a year normally and, this last winter, the roads were just packed ice. We coped OK with the help of the Off Road button but a set of winter tyres would have been a help. Incidentally most of the locals have normal cars and they cope OK so our 4x4 could be considered a luxury! (They also have tractors!!!?!)

GOSH!!! My 399th post. How can so much rubbish be generated by someone with so little to say?

Edited 27 June, 201016 yr by Terfyn

Took my 1.2 across hardknott / wynose passes - needed to be in first a chunk of the time, but a very gutsy performer !

Good routes, but they are tarmacced!

Bet they were more fun 50 years ago when they were still gravel based.