SUVs are the favorite vehicles of many drivers. They are versatile, safe and comfortable, but not the easiest to operate. To tame your four-wheeled friend, you will need some driving experience and knowledge of several vital secrets. Our article will tell you about all this and help you turn any SUV trip into the most enjoyable experience.
General Rules
To tame any SUV, you need to follow a few basic rules. This approach will eliminate handling problems and make the car’s behavior on any surface more predictable. The first thing you should do before driving is to check the tire pressure. This is extremely important for SUVs since excessively high or low performance may cause problems with overcoming various obstacles. The optimal pressure will be that recommended by the SUV manufacturer. The frequency of checking this indicator depends on the frequency of trips. If you drive every day, then you need to monitor your blood pressure monthly, and if rarely, before each trip.
When driving an SUV, trying to prevent any possible troubles is essential. This will help get rid of problems when driving off-road and achieve complete control over the car. To do this, you should adjust the mirrors, assess the condition of the visible structural elements of the vehicle, and study the driving features of a specific SUV model. All of the above must be done in cases where you are not using a new car but a wrecked Jeep Wrangler, BMW X3, Ford Explorer, Subaru Forester, Jeep Avenger and others.
Even experienced drivers cannot always tame their SUV the first time. Therefore, when you get behind the wheel of a particular car for the first time, you need to evaluate the nuances of its driving. To do this, you can use the most straightforward off-road areas, where the risk of losing control of the vehicle will be minimized. While driving, you need to find the optimal balance between speed, a sense of control over the car and comfort. If you can do this, then taming your SUV will become as simple as possible.
Tips for Driving in Different Weather Conditions
Some SUV models can be highly capricious to drive, which makes them quite challenging to tame. The task will become complicated when weather conditions change, when the driver has to adapt to new realities and change his driving style. It will be no secret that SUVs behave more predictably in sunny weather. In such conditions, vehicle owners need to avoid various distractions. Otherwise, you can quickly lose control of the car and get into much trouble. Most often, driving errors arise due to telephone conversations, performing some work with one hand (for example, tuning the radio), communicating with passengers, etc.
To prevent your SUV from becoming like an unbroken horse in sunny weather, you must carefully increase and decrease the speed. It is recommended to do this gradually since sudden braking or pressing the gas pedal can cause a loss of control over the car. It is equally important to monitor the situation carefully before the vehicle. When driving off-road, hitting an object can cause a puncture, temporary loss of control, or even a rollover. If contact with a particular obstacle cannot be avoided, you need to try to reduce the speed as much as possible and move slowly until the obstacle is overcome.
All the tips mentioned above also apply to traveling in bad weather. At the same time, they are supplemented by several more essential recommendations that will help tame even the most challenging SUV to drive. When driving on a wet surface, it is always important to remember that there is such a thing as braking distance. Due to the impressive size and weight of SUVs, they are always larger than conventional passenger cars. If you add to this increased slipping on a wet surface, you get the most unpleasant combination that can cause much trouble. You need to move slowly to make the SUV more docile in such conditions. This will increase the time spent on the trip but will give you confidence that you will have time to stop and will not crash into any obstacle.
Rain or wet snow can cause the road surface to become extremely slippery and mud and puddles to appear in off-road areas. In such conditions, it is best to stay at home. However, if you have already gone on a trip, you must try to tame your SUV. To do this, you must move slowly around the most challenging areas. Sometimes, you will even have to get out of the car and assess the situation, and only then drive along the chosen trajectory. Also, during bad weather conditions, forget about such an option as cruise control. It is designed for driving on dry roads, so it may not select the optimal speed correctly.
Secrets of Off-Road Driving
Taming an SUV and obeying it during off-road travel is difficult but possible. To do this, every driver should know a few secrets that will simplify the driving process and help avoid excessive risk. First of all, it is essential to try to avoid areas of extreme off-road conditions. Even professionals will feel uncomfortable with them, and the risk of various troubles will be as high as possible. Of several options, you should choose unpaved roads with no significant differences in elevation and areas with soft soil, sand, and clay. Otherwise, there is a possibility of getting stuck and not being able to get out without the help of other transport.
When traveling off-road, be prepared for intense vibrations. To reduce discomfort, use seat belts. Also, be sure to secure any cargo in the passenger compartment and trunk. Otherwise, it may shift while overcoming various obstacles and change the vehicle’s center of gravity. This will increase the risk of a rollover and stress on one part of the SUV. Also, do not forget about the use of all-wheel drive and braking assistance. The first will make it possible to get out of a difficult situation, even if 1-2 wheels are stuck in the mud or skidded in the sand, and the second will help you quickly stop on descents.
Many drivers find it more difficult to drive an SUV than any other type of car. This is due to the dimensions of such a vehicle and the characteristics of its behavior on various surfaces. If you read to the end of our article, you already understand exactly what must be done to avoid multiple troubles. We hope you can put the acquired knowledge into practice and tame even the most capricious four-wheeled friend. Read more at clearvin.com
