We want to help you understand some of the features you should look for when selecting a car or SUV that supports and compliments your rural lifestyle.
And don’t forget, we are here to help you pick and purchase the perfect tractor for your rural lifestyle when the time comes.
Time to get started.
Considerations
There are many considerations you must make when you start a rural lifestyle. The car you drive is one of them.
It doesn’t matter if you are a farmer living on a farm and/or ranch full time --- or someone driving out in the country from time-to-time. Either way, you need to select a car that is right for your adventures and endeavors.
There are three main features we want to discuss.
Now before we go into them, we understand the options for cars are endless. You may want a certain color, interior fabric, special options, luxuries, and a slew of other things that are specific to the make and model you choose. Some are personal taste - having no bearing on what we are discussing for the purposes of this article. You also need to consider your budget. Those features and components are best discussed with your salesperson.
Let’s get to the three things we think are super important to begin with.
It is important to match the vehicle with the workload and the terrain.
There are some questions to consider:
How hilly are the roads and terrain?
What weather conditions do you have to drive in?
What is the pitch of the property?
Will you be driving in extreme heat or cold?
What are the road conditions you are driving into?
Does your farm have dirt roads or gravel?
Are you in a flood zone or an area where water pools?
Will your vehicle be constantly hit with rocks that fly up from the tires?
Will you need to deal with vast amounts of rain, snow, or ice?
Does the vehicle need to handle a large workload?
Answer these questions to determine what type of car can get you from A to Z with as little wear and tear as possible.
Repairability
All these factors can become major repair bills.
And do not forget --- you may need to consider the proximity of dealers and repair shops. Some car brands are easier to service in more places than others. The last thing you need is to get a repair that equates to a huge towing bill and waiting endlessly for parts. And speaking of parts --- some car brands like GM have interchangeable parts that will make getting a repair a bit easier. Some cars (especially foreign) do not have as many interchangeable parts.
Also --- some car brands cost more to fix than others. Considering your vehicle will likely be taking a bit of a beating, you should research average expense bills. Your dealer can provide you with that information.
Some rural lifestylers opt for a truck. Some want a truck for tackling the hard work and a car for more leisurely endeavors. This of course is a personal choice.
Four-wheel Drive
Four-wheel drive is an important feature for a rural lifestyle vehicle.
You may be driving up and down some extremely steep, and even slippery roads. These roads can put extreme pressure on a standard two-wheel drive car with a small engine. In some cases, you could blow your engine or transmission.
You must have a powertrain that fits the usage. Your engine and transmission are vitally important.
Four-wheel drive is a must.
Many of you will also be dragging a loaded trailer, horsebox, or other heavy load. You also need to consider what would happen if you drove into steep water.
Four-wheel drive will provide the traction you need to get the load to where it needs to be.
The two drawbacks are price and gas mileage. Four-wheel drive can be rough on the wallet. They tend to cost a bit more. You also may get a bit less gas mileage. Just remember that the reliability, durability, and security is well worth the price.
Safety
Driver safety depends a lot on how the operator drives, as well as the intrinsic durability and sturdiness of the car itself.
Let’s face it --- some car manufacturers build in a lot more safety features than others. And some just make a stronger car – able to withstand accidents and other road hazards.
While there are many issues that can arise while driving, we just want to mention a few that relate to rural lifestyling.
Some of the more likely issues you will encounter are things like flooded roads, mudslides, rockslides, ice, snow, downed tree branches, road debris, road kill and landslides.
Any of these issues can present a problem for you and your car. You can get stuck. You can get hit. You can hydroplane. You can get flooded. Your engine could die. You could flip over. The list could go on and on.
The bottom line is that some cars and SUVs will handle these “rural lifestyle” road issues better than others.
Hopefully, this article gave you some things to think about and discuss with your salesperson.
If you need any further help, or have any questions about rural lifestyling, tractors, or anything else, please contact your dealer, local mechanic, or call us at 602-734-9944. Please ask about our current new and used tractor supply.
Team Tractor Ranch - #1 Tractor Dealer in Arizona. We sell and service most major brands of tractors including Yanmar, Kubota, John Deere, TYM, Mahindra, Kioti, Case, New Holland, Massey Ferguson, Ford, Deutz, Case IH, Farmall, International Harvester, Branson Tractors, LS, Shibura, Claas Tractor, McCormick Tractors, Valtra, Solis, YTO, Montana, and Nortrac.
