There’s no feeling quite like hitting the road and getting out of town. Whatever flavor you favor – desert off-roading, a weekend ski getaway, heading deep into the forest to camp and stargaze around the fire – you’re in for a treat that breaks up the day-to-day of the work week and provides memories that last a lifetime.
Any extraordinary journey requires the right vehicle, but driving off-road without fully understanding how to approach different conditions can be intimidating – and even dangerous. So here are some tips to help you get the most out of your journey and take on the world with confidence.
Feel the Sand Between Your…Tires
As Robert Frost once opined, sometimes it’s taking the road less traveled that makes all the difference. But the trouble with roads less travelled is that they’re often also less paved, less comfortable, and sometimes covered in – or entirely made of – sand.
When driving in deep sand it’s important to maintain momentum and keep engine RPMs high. If you don’t, you run the risk of sinking. Sand mode on the Endeavour’s Terrain Management System helps avoid this in a few ways: upshifting later and downshifting earlier so the engine RPMs remain high; reducing traction control intervention to allow your wheels to keep spinning; and dramatically increasing the sensitivity of the throttle so that small foot movements elicit greater response. All this helps keep you moving smoothly through the dunes.
Get Muddy!
Spending a day sinking into the mud is an activity best left to the spas of the world. When heading through extreme terrain with deep mud, you want to avoid wheel slippage and keep momentum to avoid getting stuck. But mud and rocks shouldn’t be enough to stop you getting where you want to go.
On slippery surfaces like mud and melting snow, it’s vital to keep the vehicle under complete control to avoid breaking traction. Not only do the Endeavour’s Snow, Mud, and Grass mode dull throttle inputs, upshift earlier and downshift later to help keep the engine from revving too high, but it can also be used in conjunction with the Electronic Locking Rear Differential, which can lock the rear axle when necessary. The Endeavour’s Torque on Demand system ensures torque is sent to the wheels that still have traction, so you can be confident you will keep moving forward, even in the slipperiest of situations.
Go Star Gazing
They say gazing into the nighttime heavens is like locking eyes with the universe, and there are few better ways to end a day of tough off-roading after escaping the city.
The Endeavour’s panoramic moon roof covers the first and second rows, and provides a window to the stars. Covering an area larger than a 46-inch widescreen television, it’s the ultimate HD display.
Enjoy the Sounds of Nature
There’s nothing quite like the blare of a horn, the rattling clatter of an ancient utility vehicle, or the clamor from a construction site to add another layer of frustration to the slog of a traffic jam.
Luckily, life isn’t all traffic jams. Though the Endeavour’s Active Noise Cancelling can make city driving quieter and more comfortable, once you’re in the wild remember to put your windows down and enjoy the sounds of nature. Whether that’s the swell of a mountaintop wind or the burbling of a roiling river – while taking advantage of the Endeavour’s best-in-class 800mm1 water wading – is entirely up to you.
Rock Out on the Rocks
Bumps in the road are often what makes a journey memorable – real and metaphorical both. When it comes to literal bumps in the road – especially on challenging off-road terrain – it’s wise to know your vehicle’s dimensions, capabilities and most importantly, its ground clearance.
After your sure of these three elements, find an ace place to go rock crawling – it can be so much fun. If you’re in an Endeavour, you have a head start: 225mm of ground clearance will give you the confidence you need to tackle the toughest off-road environments with ease.
Have Complete Control!
Negotiating tough slopes can be a task, especially when going downhill. Here’s wat you should do; firmly hold the Endeavour’s steering wheel and experience the control of the power packed SUVs hill descent feature. Hill Descent Control uses the brake system to take you downhill at a safe & steady pace.
Now wondering how does it operate? The system essentially takes care of the optimum acceleration and braking required on slopes. So, go ahead, take the shorter, steeper route down the hill with your foot off the pedals and let the SUV take control while you manage the steering.
