Thread: Capable - Definition of YOUR vehicle!

my 130 i define as capable because it has been rolled twice, had a 200kg steel portal frame parked on the roof, has more piston slap than a 1984 laser, a steering box that hoses fluid, a tcase that leaks and dodgy electrics that blow fuses BUT it just came back from cape melville dragging its own boat, helping another vehicles boat throug the soft sand whilst constantly waiting for others to catch up.
It does it all despite its owners best efforts to kill it.

I would literally hate owning a vehicle that cost more than the old fender. I might have to start caring?

I couldnt care less, I was never going to buy a Land Rover anyway

As a relatively new 'convert' to 4WD vehicles, having only had them for the last few years after 20 years of performance cars, I can agree with most of the comments on here. For us, the term 'capable' has been levelled at both my P38 & now the RRS, surprisingly by SWMBO more often than not and comes down to one over-riding statement.

Of all the cars we've owned, they're the only ones 'capable' of doing every job we've ever asked of them.

With the 4WD (and by that I mean the Landie product), we could live easily with just the one car if we had to, just because it's the one car that does every job. Neither of us can see the day when we don't own a Land Rover product, just because of its versatility. Every other vehicle we've ever owned always has something it can't do, necessitating another vehicle.

Tow a 2 1/2 tonne boat
Tow a large caravan
Take all our crap to the dump
Collect large items of furniture someone's just bought
Make the neighbours go "I still cant believe you bought that after owning an M3"
Have the car that makes friends kids & our niece & nephew get very protective over because they love it.
Go shopping and be easy for SWMBO to punt round town / park up
Drive from South Wales 500 miles to Scotland in comfort, in a day
The next day, on the way back, stop off in the Lake District and take it offroad for an hour then resume the 85mph+ journey back home
The following day do a 400 mile round trip to the east of England
Carry more people than it was designed for
Carry me to work and back covering 30-40000 miles a year
Do that reliably
Allow me to drive 100 miles to site, spend all day offroad in it, then drive 100 miles home with all the mud hanging off it. No need to swap into another car when I get to site, I can just drive straight there.
Not cost a bucket in depreciation (I'm lucky in that I paid bugger all for it)
Have a serious turn of speed & handle well when needed
Take in a couple of laps of a racetrack
Need the minimum of maintenance between services
Be easy to fix when it does go wrong (helloooo internet)

And I've got the 'girly RRS', no doubt one day it'll be replaced with a D4 for the extra space, but until then it does every job we ask.

Now that we've moved to Aus I'm sure it's going to get used in a whole new way and that's one of the main reasons for bringing it out. We're already missing not having it here, somehow her Focus XR5 doesn't quite feel like it's up to the gravel roads....

Both of our cars are 'capable' for thier desired purposes. The Classic is my weekend car, so doesn't cost the earth to run, the set of muddies is about the only mod on it, so it covers off the requirement to go bush on meduim tracks and through lots of mud., and our camping gear fits in the back no dramas for aweekend away. Looks great, and I love driving it, and the kids aren't embarrased to be taken to school/friends places in it. Also use this to tow a trailer to the tip, etc.

The L322 (when I finally get it on the road) is for SWMBO to commute to work in when she doesn't feel like taking the motor bike, and to go down to the inlaws place on weekends (300KM each way) with the kids, dogs and luggage in the back. I know a commodore and falcon wagon would probably do this just as well, but not in the same style or comfort.

Originally Posted by Mike_S

As a relatively new 'convert' to 4WD vehicles, having only had them for the last few years after 20 years of performance cars, I can agree with most of the comments on here. For us, the term 'capable' has been levelled at both my P38 & now the RRS, surprisingly by SWMBO more often than not and comes down to one over-riding statement.

Of all the cars we've owned, they're the only ones 'capable' of doing every job we've ever asked of them.

With the 4WD (and by that I mean the Landie product), we could live easily with just the one car if we had to, just because it's the one car that does every job. Neither of us can see the day when we don't own a Land Rover product, just because of its versatility. Every other vehicle we've ever owned always has something it can't do, necessitating another vehicle.

Tow a 2 1/2 tonne boat
Tow a large caravan
Take all our crap to the dump
Collect large items of furniture someone's just bought
Make the neighbours go "I still cant believe you bought that after owning an M3"
Have the car that makes friends kids & our niece & nephew get very protective over because they love it.
Go shopping and be easy for SWMBO to punt round town / park up
Drive from South Wales 500 miles to Scotland in comfort, in a day
The next day, on the way back, stop off in the Lake District and take it offroad for an hour then resume the 85mph+ journey back home
The following day do a 400 mile round trip to the east of England
Carry more people than it was designed for
Carry me to work and back covering 30-40000 miles a year
Do that reliably
Allow me to drive 100 miles to site, spend all day offroad in it, then drive 100 miles home with all the mud hanging off it. No need to swap into another car when I get to site, I can just drive straight there.
Not cost a bucket in depreciation (I'm lucky in that I paid bugger all for it)
Have a serious turn of speed & handle well when needed
Take in a couple of laps of a racetrack
Need the minimum of maintenance between services
Be easy to fix when it does go wrong (helloooo internet)

And I've got the 'girly RRS', no doubt one day it'll be replaced with a D4 for the extra space, but until then it does every job we ask.

Now that we've moved to Aus I'm sure it's going to get used in a whole new way and that's one of the main reasons for bringing it out. We're already missing not having it here, somehow her Focus XR5 doesn't quite feel like it's up to the gravel roads....

I think this may be the best response I've read yet...

My most capable vehicles were the Peugeot 504 and the 505.
Very comfortable,
Excellent handling, and safe on the road at any speed.
Suspension and brakes superb,
Cheap to run ,
Able to run with the gearbox almost dry if in emergency,
Able to go almost every were (superior to the legendary 203 and 404 well proved in the outback)

Most of the places I like to go with my county (off road) I found with my Fiat 131. I learned a lot about wheel placement with that car!

Now, Capability is a) starting and b) not likely to get a defect from plod. (county fails at both )

Until I finish my firewall replacement my county is only capable of:

- Removing all the skin from my knuckles
- Getting rid of all that annoying money from my bank account
- Taking up the whole workshop
- Allowing me to learn so much stuff about cars and giving me the satisfaction of doing something that I never thought I would be able to do!

And that last one is priceless.

Comfort: great on long distances as well as short.

Towing: Handles the car trailer with a landy on superbly

Mile munching: with the Camper on we regularly get 12lt /100k,s

Enhancements: heavier sway bar, (no good for off roading, it is a tourer)air bags in the inner rear springs, EGR valve removed and a chip winch for if we get stuck on an outback track, HF radio for the same

I think that is all

Mrs hh