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You finally took the plunge and purchased your first four-wheel drive vehicle. Now, you're ready to take your 4x4 SUV out for its first off-road experience. Not so fast. Before you head off to the back of Bourke and get yourself in a bingle, there are some things you need to be aware of.

First off, never take your off-road vehicle out if you haven't checked it over properly first. You need to be aware of your front bumper, rear bumper, and undercarriage - specifically, how much clearance exists between the ground and your vehicle. Try to go over something too big and your expensive SUV will cark it before you've gotten half way to the back of beyond.

Be aware of what your brakes can do as well. In slippery conditions, even a slight incline can be a major obstacle. Knowing if your brakes are anti-lock and what traction control you have is imperative to understanding what your four-wheel drive vehicle can do.

When you have to tackle inclines, it's important that you get used to the idea of two-footed driving. This means that even as you're accelerating the car to make that climb, you're stepping on the brake to control any slide. Slow and steady is the best method to take. It preserves the environment and ensures that you won't be sliding your way back to the bottom of the hill.

Once you've made it to the top, remember that the descent could be just as full of unexpected surprises as the ascent. If the hill's slippery, this is even more important. Align your four-wheel drive with the trail. Go slowly. Keep your foot off the brake pedal. If you're braking constantly, they might lock up and send you careering wildly to the bottom of the hill.

Now, keep in mind that different off-road situations will require different approaches and angles. The most important are approach angles, breakover angles, departure angles, and roll-over angles. In order to successfully cross an obstacle or navigate a tilted trail, you have to angle the 4WD accordingly.

The approach angle is the angle that extends from the leading edge of your front tyre to the lowest point of the bumper. The first few times you approach an obstacle, stop and get out. Take your time judging the angle to determine if your bumper will hit the obstacle before your tyre clears it.

Breakover angles are the steepest obstacles over which you can drive without scraping the undercarriage. Figuring out the breakover angle can be a little tricky, and the easiest way is to draw it. Geometry will actually be useful here - see, your maths teacher wasn't lying. Draw your vehicle to scale (just the outline of the tyres and the undercarriage). The bottoms of the tyres are the first two points of the triangle. The lowest point of the undercarriage is the third point. The lower of the two angles is the maximum angle you can drive over without scraping the undercarriage. Once you have this basic visual in your head, you can successfully estimate obstacle heights relative to your off-roader.

The departure angle is similar to the approach angle, but it's figured by estimating the leading edge of the rear tyre to the lowest point on the rear bumper. This is the maximum clearance you have coming off of an obstacle.

The roll-over angle is one calculation that's best left to the engineers. Your 4x4 SUV comes with instructions detailing the maximum side slope at which your AWD vehicle can maneuver without rolling over. Don't take a chance with this. Check your vehicle's safety standards.

Once you understand these angles and the basics of tackling hills, you're ready to attempt your first off-road experiences. However, it's important to remember that these are just the basics. Don't tackle obstacles that you are unsure of, and seek out instruction to take your off-road driving to the next level.

Hugh McInnes is a bit of a daredevil - he loves travelling around, especially offroad in a stable and secure four-wheel drive vehicle. When he's not traipsing up and down around the countryside he loves to wind it back and cruise comfortably in his 4x4 SUV. Nice life if you can get et, eh?

An Action Plan for General Motors

I, like so many people who have been following General Motors' fortunes for some time, am wondering what the company's long term plan of action is in the face of historic losses, plant closings, and unrelenting and widening competition. No, I am not talking about GM's global operations, rather I am talking about the North American fortunes of the world's largest automaker. Quite frankly, the North American market is currently unprofitable for the company while GM holds its own, even thrives, in many markets beyond our borders. The following are some suggestions to help "The General" not only get back on its feet again, but to halt the bleeding in North America.

File For Bankruptcy -- It is time to play hardball with recalcitrant unions and government authorities who don't understand that GM is playing on an uneven field. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai all build cars in the U.S. None of them are saddled by huge legacy costs, i.e. health and pension benefits, local tax burdens, etc. Yes, GM negotiated their contracts in good faith, however the market has changed tremendously over the past several decades and is wholly unfavorable to the way GM has been doing business since then. In addition, GM often operates at a disadvantage in foreign markets as local laws limit their ability to effectively sell their vehicles.

Quit Building Small Cars -- All small cars built by GM should no longer be built in the U.S. This includes the Saturn ION and Chevrolet Cobalt. Instead, GM should rely on imports. By tapping its relationship with Daewoo of South Korea, GM can bring in enough cheaply made models to remain competitive and to give consumers affordable transportation under the Saturn, Chevrolet, and Pontiac nameplates. Use factories in Canada and the U.S. to build larger cars and trucks only. GM has been successfully selling the Chevy Aveo, a Daewoo model, and can easily sell other models at competitive prices. This practice would be especially wise as cheaply priced Chinese cars begin to hit the North American market in 2007.

Shore Up The Divisions Unlike some who think that GM has too many divisions, I disagree. Better to clarify your existing divisions than to go through the costly and negative closing of existing divisions. The Oldsmobile termination was a huge financial drain on the company and ended up fueling hostility against the company. Therefore, this is what I propose for GM:

1.    Cadillac - GM's luxury division is riding high and no changes need to be made. Keep producing distinguishable high quality luxury cars and Cadillac will continue to compete against the likes of Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, and Infiniti. Cadillac outsells Lincoln by more than 2 to 1 and the division performs well in all consumer quality and satisfaction surveys.

2.    Buick - As the "near luxury" division for GM, Buick must create a viable alternative to Cadillac without sacrificing quality or confusing consumers. Bring back in a "halo" model like the Regal to show Buick's youthful side.

3.    Pontiac - Unless the Firebird returns, Pontiac's performance image is gone for good. Pontiac needs this car and it must be different from the proposed Chevy Camaro. Besides Saab, Pontiac is the one division that needs the most work when it comes to reinventing itself.

4.    Chevrolet - Keep up what you have, but rely on imports to fill the lower end of the market. Redo the Impala to help it compete successfully against the Chrysler 300, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord. Yes, bring back the Camaro!

5.    Saturn - Moving in the right direction, Saturn should chiefly sell cars that are Opel inspired. Give the car a more European flair and the division will succeed. The Sky is a knock out and the Opel inspired Aura is a vast improvement over the old "L" Series model. Keep the strong dealer network in place and Saturn will compete successfully against Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and others.

6.    Saab - GM's Swedish division is floundering and may be cut. Better yet, let the division sell upscale versions of Opel models and please do not throw out the Swedish touch: safety and durability. Unfortunately, GM hasn't been as kind to its Swedish company as Ford has been to its Volvo subsidiary.

7.    GMC - Between Chevy and GMC, no manufacturer sells more passengers trucks then this division. Likely, nothing will change, but coming out with a more capable small pick up truck would go along way in helping GMC and Chevy. Also, redo the Equinox to be a real battler against the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4.

8.    Hummer - GM's niche division is the Hummer and little needs to be changed other than to add an H4, a compact Hummer. With the H4, give the division something to go with that can battle the Jeep Wrangler. Hummer will always be perceived as the company's gas guzzling company, but it is also profitable for the corporation.

Personally, I do not want the bankruptcy route to be exercised as I know that so many suppliers would be left out in the cold, jobs lost, and goodwill would take a hit for at least the short term. Still, aggressive action - even beyond plant closings and layoffs - must be considered otherwise GM will be relegated to operating as a second rate player in North America while pursuing its fortunes abroad. In my opinion, neglecting the profitable North American market would be a shame and very costly.

About the Author

Learn about canine leukemia and canine lupus at the Canine Symptoms site.

Which of the following 13 cars owned by John McCain would you like most in your garage?

2004 Cadillac CTS
2000 Lincoln Town Car
1961 Caprice Classic
2001 Honda Civic Sedan
2005 Volkswagen Convertible Bug
1974 Chevy Nova
2001 GMC SUV
2007 Ford F-150 Pickup
1960's Vintage Willys Jeep
2008 Jeep Wrangler
1976 Ford Maverick
2000 NEV Gem electric car*

*McCain has 2 of these (his and hers?)

Which would you like to drive to the polls on Election Day?

dude ain't got no lamborghini, rolls or bentley.. he ain't nuttin.. all rappers have those bruth

Chevy Camaro Wins Edmunds.com 2010 Launch Breakthrough Award; Top Ten Launches Include Seven Domestic Cars
SANTA MONICA, Calif.----Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, today announced that the winner of the first annual Edmunds.com Launch Breakthrough Award is the Chevy Camaro.

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