Your driving experience is going to differ greatly depending on where you do most of that driving. For instance, while drivers in the city might need something light, zippy, and compact to be able to find those parking spaces, in the country, you’re often dealing with long stretches of open road, not to mention rougher terrain, and more exposure to the weather. As such, here’s what you need to look at when choosing the right car for the country.
You need space
When you’re making trips from the country, you typically need to be able to bring more with you, whether you’re packing for overnight stays in the nearby town, bringing the family with you, or setting out to camp. As such, you want to make sure that your car offers you enough space to do that. Driving in the country is a bit more of an event, so that space can be vital for bringing everything you need to do it comfortably and hit up all your stops in one go.
Be able to handle the terrain
While you might not be spending all of your time on dirt roads, there’s no denying that the roadworks in the country tend to be on the poorer side. A lighter, more delicate car is a lot more likely to feel those shocks earlier. Vehicles like the Defender 90 Hardtop aren’t just built to better handle dirt roads and uneven terrain but are more reliable and sturdier in general. This means a much smaller chance of ending up broken down, stranded, and waiting for assistance. Of course, bringing the right car emergency kit is always wise, as well.
An efficient vehicle for the open road
Cars popular among country drivers are often mischaracterised as gas guzzlers, because they’re bigger and heavier, thus requiring more fuel to run. However, the kind of fuel efficiency that works best in the city is not the same as the fuel efficiency that works best on the motorway. Diesel cars like Range Rovers often rate high for long-distance driving efficiency. As such, if you’re planning to make those longer trips, you should make sure that you’re choosing a car that is equipped to handle them.
A focus on safety
Despite the fact that they can be rougher and more demanding, country roads are statistically speaking, no more dangerous than driving in the city. They do, however, require an extra eye for safety to be able to handle the specific issues that they face. For instance, driving in poor weather is not recommended in the country but, if you have to do it, you should make sure that you have the wheels for it, and that your vehicle offers decent high-beam lighting to ensure visibility. A vinyl cover can help you protect your car’s paint from the weather, too.
Make sure that, no matter what, you’re buying the vehicle that’s equipped to handle the environment that you’re in. As shown above, for the country, this often means something bigger, hardier, and more reliable.