It’s astounding how the size and type of vehicle determines people's attitude towards you on the road.
My partner had been involved in an accident courtesy of a lady who didn’t have the patience to wait for traffic at a stop sign and as a result crashed into the right front corner of her BMW sedan.
I had a few test cars lined up so rather than go through the whole rigmarole of arranging a hire car through insurance, I suggested she use our long-term Ford Tremor.
She’s no stranger to the Ford Ranger range having driven the Wildtrak X extensively during our 4,000 kilometre trek through the Karoo last year and before that short stints in the previous generation Raptor.
Morning and afternoon rush hour between Midrand and Pretoria however, would be a new experience. The company she works for has a hybrid system so twice a week she tackles the N1 highway.
On returning from the first trip I asked how the Tremor compared to the Beemer.
Her first observation was that the ride height provided a great deal of confidence, especially since many of the cars on the road were either SUVs or bakkies.
The ride height stems from the specially developed Bilstein Dampers giving it 24mm higher ground clearance than its standard siblings in the Ranger stable and 265/70 R17 all-terrain General Grabber AT3 tyres on black 17-inch alloys.
The combination also gives it a 30mm wider track providing the Tremor with an imposing presence.
And that’s the other thing that impressed her.
Drivers, especially taxis, would think twice before trying to manoeuvre into an impossible gap or forcing their way from the emergency lane, making the drive a lot less stressful.
The 154kW and 500Nm 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel mill also provided more than enough power when it was her turn to take a gap.
She found the 10-speed gearbox a pleasure with smooth changes in heavy traffic and easy driving on the odd occasion traffic wasn’t an issue or popping into the shopping mall.
One thing she did realise is that when parking at a mall, because of the Tremor’s size, it was easier to park where there were fewer cars and more space because the minimum-spec mall bays leave little room for exit and entry and mitigates those nasty dings when you’re parked between two cars.
And while my average fuel consumption stands at 10.6l/100km she managed to get just under 10l/100km.
With all those positives I’m trying to convince her that when the time comes to trade in the BMW, the Tremor should be her first choice.
I’ll let you know how that goes.