Off Roading is now my thing

[MiniMike20]

Four trips, four amazing experiences! Here is a little feedback report I posted on my local 4x4 Club Facebook Page:

When you buy a car you have needs and you have priorities and you have an idea of what you expect of a car.

If you buy a 4WD Renault Duster you are buying possibly the most value for money, brilliantly capable off-roader available. When you buy a Hilux, you are buying into a model group of vehicles so well proven you cant possibly have any doubt about its capability, the same applies for the Fortuner.

An older generation Discover, or current Wrangler are brilliant off road machines - Affordable and fun to modify, loads of knowledgeable suppliers to back your every move, to advise, to teach you.

I have not quite had that experience so far. Most people think I am crazy to take my car off road, if I ask a question I get told "buy a proper off roader" or "you need a truck". I do think that is fair though, but then its a good thing we dont all like the same thing.

When I bought the X1, I had spent weeks agonizing over every detail. Every Youtube Clip, every review, every post about its capability and every comment was read time after time after time, I obsessed. Even when I got the car I still sat at home stressing, how does it work, what tells the Xdrive to activate, what if it gets stuck, will people laugh at me?

The first time I took this car off road it was terrifying, so far its done:

Dirt & Dust (Dry and Muddy)
Melkbos 4x4 (Obstacles and Trail)
Theewaterskloof Dam (our biggest local dam currently at 10% capacity in drought)

The car has taken some hits, but more than that it has proven to be absolutely astonishing off road. Keep in mind I am a novice, I basically dont know anything about off road. I have had to learn how to use my car, figure out when and how the Xdrive works, learn how to force it to hold a gear and much more in the last 4 trips its done.

There has not been a moment where I thought "this is a piece of crap". There have been moments where I have chanced it, moments where I have thought oh great time to get pulled out again, wheres the closest real SUV, and moments where I sit amazed that my slightly raised mommy wagon is completely out of its comfort zone and absolutely killing it!

I have come to appreciate that as a piece of engineering it was never designed to tackle obstacles and yet it does. It does it with a bit more drama, but then it is running high performance run flats at 2.6 bar, its hardly in the right state of mind to be off road - I imagine a group of Pirelli engineers cringing every time I post pictures of this car.

This trip to dirt & dust in the wet has highlighted and finally settled any concern I have. The X1 is excellent, its hardy, its robust and it isn't half as sensitive off road as we might all believe. Playing in the mud I managed to damage the front bumper by bending in the plate that supports it - I got home, took the bumper off and bent the plate straight, fitment as good as new.

My better half and I had a heart to heart - We both love this car so a plan was hatched:

1. Order Eibach Lift Kit (30mm minimum raise) DONE, ARRIVES IN 3 MONTHS.
2. Create Template for new nose plate. DONE
3. Order new Arch Liner and Install along with new nose plate.
4. Source 235/55/18 GEO12's & Test Fit for better traction.
5. Software Mapping to take power up to 195kw & 500nm. READ DONE, JUST NEED TO FLASH IT.
6. Have fun.

Ground Clearance will go from 7 inches to 9.2 inches, the new nose plate will protect and strengthen the very weak from bumper, no more worrying and more capability.

So fun fact - Mine will be the only lifted X1 in South Africa.





































I have a few more trip reports I can post up, more than happy to share, we need more off roading in here!

Mike

[Mtpisgah]

I love it. I have driven my X1 off road a number of times, had mud up to the centercaps, and up and down some steep slopes and rough roads. I am not afraid to take it off road, but I am a little more cautious than you.

A guy posted here a couple of years ago about raising his and putting bigger tires on it, it was pretty badass.

[Teutonic]

I will never put mine under such conditions.
Man, you're crazy... But I like it!!

[nicknaz]

That's awesome, thanks for sharing

When you get more into the sport (e.g. you have a mechanical failure or cosmetic damage), maybe you'll get those other cars you mentioned, but for now, go for it and have fun!

[MiniMike20]

We went out again yesterday, had so much fun! The front bumper is a design F-up, there is no graceful way to approach (or reverse off) obstacles without it falling apart, really need that metal plate to arrive ASAP!

Cosmetic Damage I have plenty of - Lost all the plastic covers under the car on a trail, lost the front of the right front arch liner, ripped the bumper off, dented the bumper in, bent the metal bracket for the bumper in half, had loads of cosmetic oddities including scrapping a 5-7cm wide full circle chunk out of the on rim inside, its part of the fun, and the parts are not exorbitant to replace.













All good fun!

Mike

[Mtpisgah]

It is just a car. Drive it hard and try not to do permanent damage. Other than that, drive it hard.

[elmarko]

i thought of doing similar to raise it up, mainly because its a little low. I too, had a hard time finding any lift kit for it, and all local shops had lowering kits nothing to lift it. Just wanting to drive down a few dirt tracks.It is heaps of fun to find the best picnic spot. Also my wife wants to sit in a taller suv because she likes to sit higher up and not have peeple look down on us.
Love to see a pic with your geolanders fitted !!!

cheers