Mercedes XCLass

YouTube has a whole host of "fails" videos of redneck dumb arses beating the he!! Out of their differnet vehicles.
Is this considered a status symbol in Australia if you can do the same with a brand new setup?

BTW, not against off roading. Love it. Just not sure what RR is trying to prove. Any 4x4 with an engine and trailer hitch can tow something down a trail or across a creek. Question is, would you want to?

And I'm not sure what makes the Austrailain trucks more amphibious than their counterparts around the world, but last I checked, these cool pictures of some dip chit towing their travel trailer through a river with water up to the top of the fender wells only serves to ruin a nice new vehicle with carpeted floors, and power seats! (And everything else that is electronic, below "water line."

Okay, okay....lets just all concede that these little half pickup trucks with ridiculously long rear overhangs and low departure angles are really the best thing since beer in a can.
That way Robertryan can stop arguing with himself!

SoundGuy wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Nor would my BIL ever take his Pathfinder off road any more than I would expect to take my Silverado. As you know Australia is heavily populated along the coast, with endless places to caravan.

RobertRyan wrote:
Still if you had been to places like Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland( home too 2-3 Off Road Caravan manufacturers) .
You would have seen a lot of Off Road Caravans being towed.

So what's your point? :h kw/00 asked if mid-size vehicles are more popular than full size in Australia, to which you yourself answered - "Directly answer your question.Yes Midzize are vastly more important than full size here." Off roading in more rural areas of Australia notwithstanding my point is that the Mercedes you introduced in this thread which you started is yet another example of a mid-size vehicle that some might use for towing a caravan in populated areas of Australia where a full size vehicle would be pretty awkward to deal with. Off roading has nothing to do with this so why keep going there? :h

Yes it does. They have too tow , carry a load and have the ability too go Off Road and On Road.. Not something that happens in the US or Canada. Mighty common here.Not something you would see a Chevrolet ZR2 doing

SoundGuy wrote:
Nor would my BIL ever take his Pathfinder off road any more than I would expect to take my Silverado. As you know Australia is heavily populated along the coast, with endless places to caravan.

RobertRyan wrote:
Still if you had been to places like Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland( home too 2-3 Off Road Caravan manufacturers) .
You would have seen a lot of Off Road Caravans being towed.

So what's your point? :h kw/00 asked if mid-size vehicles are more popular than full size in Australia, to which you yourself answered - "Directly answer your question.Yes Midzize are vastly more important than full size here." Off roading in more rural areas of Australia notwithstanding my point is that the Mercedes you introduced in this thread which you started is yet another example of a mid-size vehicle that some might use for towing a caravan in populated areas of Australia where a full size vehicle would be pretty awkward to deal with. Off roading has nothing to do with this so why keep going there? :h

SoundGuy wrote:
Nor would my BIL ever take his Pathfinder off road any more than I would expect to take my Silverado. As you know Australia is heavily populated along the coast, with endless places to caravan. As evidenced by my visit to the Moss Vale outdoor show off roading is clearly popular in Australia, far more so than here in N America, but that doesn't diminish the fact that there are also plenty of caravan owners who don't need or want off road capability and for them vehicles like the Navara, Pathfinder, Ranger, etc, which aren't too large for negotiating through urban areas are very much vehicles of choice. This new mid-size Mercedes XClass will be yet another alternative for those who can afford the price of admission.

Still if you had been to places like Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland( home too 2-3 Off Road Caravan manufacturers) .
You would have seen a lot of Off Road Caravans being towed.
My Sister went to that Moss Vale show I was in WA at the time and they had a lineup of Unimog Campers. Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands of NSW is a semi rural are, not the Outback as you would know it. Queensland, Northen Territory and Western Australia on the other hand have vast areas of the “Outback”
Lastly a shot I made of a F150 next to a Car/ Truck Ford Falcon. They were roughly the same length

Near last F150 model sold in Australia. 1989 model. No Pickup bed, replaced with utility tray

kw/00 wrote:
OP maybe a stupid question on my part, but in Australia are the mid sized trucks more popular then the full sized trucks?

SoundGuy wrote:
Our last trip Downunder last fall I didn't see a single, personal use 1/2 ton size truck such as my Silverado anywhere along the populated coast. About the biggest were vehicles like the Navara already mentioned, towing travel trailers which for the most part weren't any longer than 25', most much shorter, and few with slides. BIL has a Nissan Pathfinder and it's about as big a vehicle as you'd want in populated areas of Australia as the roadways, parking lots, mall parking garages, etc, aren't really suitable for anything much bigger.

RobertRyan wrote:
Reason is Australians go Off Road a lot. So a smaller very agile SUV is better
Large SUV’s like the large Chevy SUV’s(Suburban) would and have been a total failure, it cannot go Off Road but Landcruisers do. As a result they are pretty popular.
Equally your Silverado would be having a difficult time Off Road, so they are rarely seen.
Travel Trailers are also taken Off Road, so need to be shortish 25-30ft overall. Australia is much more urbanised, surprisingly than the US or Canada, few people live in the Outback or Rural areas
As a result US RV’s as well as Pickups are rarely seen.

Nor would my BIL ever take his Pathfinder off road any more than I would expect to take my Silverado. As you know Australia is heavily populated along the coast, with endless places to caravan. As evidenced by my visit to the Moss Vale outdoor show off roading is clearly popular in Australia, far more so than here in N America, but that doesn't diminish the fact that there are also plenty of caravan owners who don't need or want off road capability and for them vehicles like the Navara, Pathfinder, Ranger, etc, which aren't too large for negotiating through urban areas are very much vehicles of choice. This new mid-size Mercedes XClass will be yet another alternative for those who can afford the price of admission. :)