Advantages: Completely modifiable 4X4 vehicles that can be changed to fit your specific needs
Disadvantages: Not enough tracks to race on

...This game is absolutly amazing! After playing the game for almost a week, I've come to the following conclusions. The Graphics are completely astounding, and really help make you feel like you're truly behind the wheel of a souped up 4X4! The SFX are great. 4X4 EVO features every type of sound imaginable, including: enviornment, skidding, acceleration, car horns, and the "thump thump crash" of driving across a sand dune at 80 MPH towards a checkpoint! One of the greatest aspects of 4X4 Evolution is the "go anywhere" style the developers approached the game with. Sure, you could follow the predesigned paths and roads, but why not experiment with all different types of routes that you can take to win the race? Driving over mountains, through forests, through streams and off bridges is a great deal of fun that really adds... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: many
Disadvantages: few

...4x4 Evolution, hasn't really evolved at all from the old style of 4x4 trucking games, although it has a superb start up, the game is just one long boring road, much like 4 Wheel Thunder. The developers Terminal Reality have obviously tried to add a spark of originality and innovation into the game, but unfortunately, as with many Dreamcast racing games, this one is a right bore. Boring circuits - they couldn't even be bothered to design them with interesting layouts - some will put you to sleep! The 4x4 vehicles look ok, but most handle like hyper active elephants - very hard to control, awful turning and a disappointing sensation of realism and proportion. Graphically it's ok, nothing more, nothing less - they're better than PlayStation graphics, obviously - the DC is a 128bit console, but the game just doesn't feel right - it... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great all-round performance, style and gadgets
Disadvantages: The SWB version is too small for shopping at Tesco's

...Avid reader.... You will of course know my style by now, and understand that I get a little overenthusiastic about the toys that I buy. However... This time I waited a while before writing my review, but can still say that this IS a FANTASTIC car! Let's start with why you should buy the Imported Pajero rather than it's English cousin the Shogun... First you have to understand *why* there are so many Pajero's in the UK. This started back in the early nineties when the only decent 4x4's you could get were imports (other than Land Rover/Range Rover's), and normally an imported car would need 'conversion' to the UK (e.g. Swapping over of the steering wheel to the correct side etc.) This is not the case with a Pajero, as the Japanese drive on the same side of the road as us! The only changes that need to be made are; Indicator lights... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: 4x4 Vehicles Are As Needed By Some As Smart Cars Are By Others
Disadvantages: Needless Government Taxation

...Hi, my name's Mark and I'm a four-by-four driver. [Cue: round of applause] Phew, I'm glad I've got that off my chest. I mean, it's difficult these days driving around in a car that causes everybody to hate you. It makes you feel like a pariah. Thanks to the government, mentioning that they were going to tax so-called Chelsea Tractors off the road, the media have gone into an anti-4x4 frenzy and now it seems that owning such a vehicle is as socially unacceptable as running naked down the middle of the high street. Let's examine this for a moment. What is it that Range Rovers, Jeeps, Toyota Land Cruisers - and the plethora of other off-road vehicles that make up this category - are doing that makes them so despised? After all, they take up less space on the road than your everyday Rolls Royce and the boss's BMW 7-series is quite... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: None

...of having power applied to all four wheels instead of the average cars two. 4x4s are no different to other cars in their use of many different fuels and engine sizes. A Rolls Royce has in most cases a 6000cc engine, and there are many other larger engine car manufacturers such as Mercedes, Audi, and BMW to name but a few. Although there are exceptions most 4x4s have engines no bigger than 4000cc’s and a lot of them are smaller with a Suzuki at just 1600cc for example. Many of them also run on LPG conversions which have no CO2 emissions at all. Any city dwelling driver will tell you that almost all of the time you drive a 4x4 vehicle in a town or on rural roads the 4x4 they drive will be in two wheel drive as it is not economical or practical to use power to all four wheels and neither is it necessary on normal urban roads. Only on rough... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good fun, a day out in the country without getting wet and cold
Disadvantages: Can be expensive if it all goes wrong

...'re going to roll. In my experience, in a rutt you're unlikely to roll and the ground immediately to the side of your vehicle will hold you up, albeit it with the possibility of a nice crease in your door. Going down stuff is often quite daunting, especially seeing as the first bit of off-roading advice given to beginners is "See those two pedals on the left? Don't touch them". Going down a steep slope without touching the brakes is a great exercise in faith, relying solely on the wonders of the low gearing in 4x4s to stop you becoming one with the nearest tree. An even greater leap of faith is what you have to do if you start to lose control. If you're losing control, it's usually because the vehicle is moving faster than the wheels, so what do you do? You accelerate, that's what you do. Sounds like lunacy at first, but it actually... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Cheap to buy, fast, fun.
Disadvantages: Not too many good ones left, thirsty.

...Why on Earth is someone reviewing a Sierra XR4x4 you might ask? Well, why not? There are still some on the road and there may be some of you out there who are considering buying one, so for what it's worth here's what I think. I've been a Ford man ever since I passed my driving test 8 years ago and I've had my fair share of XR2's, XR3's, Orion Ghia's etc.. which were all great but there comes a time in a young mans life when a 1.6 engine just doesn't cut the mustard anymore, even if it has got 16 valves and fuel injection. It seemed only natural to move up to a V6 and I've always liked Sierras so the XR4x4, with its 2.9 lump and 4 wheel drive was the only choice. So after browsing through the Auto Trader one week I picked out a good one and went and bought it. After a bit of haggling I managed to get it for £1200, which might... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fun, Smooth Lines and Cheap
Disadvantages: Starting to Show Her age

...If you're looking for a 4x4 that's just as capable as comparative 4x4s but at a Fraction of the Price, here it is. Mine's an L (93/94) Reg but still runs well now. It is a Short Wheel Base (SWB) 2 Door Model, so bear with me if I include/miss out things other Frontera Sports have. I Chose the Frontera as it was Cheaper and known to me as Capable to handle anything I threw at it and it doesn't look as boxy as most 4x4s do these days! Driving Experiences: (On & Off-Road) A very Smooth Drive at 30mph along the Tarmac, the Leaf-Sprung Rear Suspension does tend to increase the Bump Effect from Joined Sections of Road or Drains but it is negligable. The Frontera SWB doesn't like to acellerate hard and will creep up to 70mph on the motorway but once She's there She is very solid and you get Minimal Buffeting going past Trucks... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Excellent second hand buy & very competent off-roader
Disadvantages: Poor Residual value

...After getting rid of my troublesome Peugeot I wanted to buy another 4x4 as I missed my old Discovery. Previously I have over looked the Explorer in favour of Land Rovers Discovery or Mitsubishi,s Shogun and what a surprise I got when i eventually got behind the wheel of Fords big leviathon. It may look like a box and have all the aerodynamics of a brick, but dont let this put you off. This is definately one of the best 4x4,s around and that I have owned or driven. The 4 litre V6 and auto gearbox is the best around and is smooth as silk compared to the Land Rovers "agricultural" feel and clunks. Transferring between high and low ratios is also a breeze by the use of a 3 way switch on the dash (auto,high,low). All Explorers are basically introduced into the UK crammed with American specification (argubly the toughest market in the world... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great club benefits.
Disadvantages: None

...I love my 4x4! Land Rovers, a vehicle synonymous with the English Countryside even today, and one I just love! I've lost count of the number of miles we've driven in our family Land Rover over the years. It's a fair few by anyone's standards, and still I love driving a Land Rover. ~ ~ History of the Land Rover ~ ~ The first Land Rovers came about because of the American Jeep! Here is a potted history of the company Rover, and how the Land Rover was born. · 1860's - Someone called J.K. Starley sets up a business manufacturing Sewing Machines in Coventry. · 1884 - Early Tricycles and Bicycles were produced at the factory, and they were named 'Rover Safety' bikes. These were the forerunner to the modern pedal bicycle, and even today in Poland, the word Rover still means Bike! · 1888 - Starley attempts to make an electric... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful