xB and gravel driveway
 

Hi

I am finally ready to buy my very own xB, but I have one last concern - everything else I love. Does anyone have any experience with one and live on an unpaved driveway? We just bought a new house in the middle of nowhere, CT and I thought I read somewhere about some problems with the xB getting damaged from gravel - If I can get a few positive replies, I'll probably get one tomorrow - an auto RSP at the dealer nearby is calling my name. Thanks

Fiona

Rock chips will kill your car on gravel. When I go to my parents' house, I have to drive on a mile and a half of gravel. I set the cruise at 25 as soon as I leave the highway and I still get extremely dusty. Plus, it will get into your engine bay and underneith the car. I hate gravel roads.

When i lived in texas i had a 400 foot or so gravel drive way, no problems. I had to drive to houston every day as well, 2 hour drive to, 2 hour home in construction zones, i have a few rock chips after 60,000 miles in a year of that driving 5 days a week. dont worry,

https://my.prostreetonline.com/album...%20xB/main.jpg[/url]

Awesome picture ^^^ That would make a great wallpaper

that was the only pic in the photo shoot that came out good, the others were missing half of the car, and had the car driving in a straight line

heres some more we came up with,
https://my.prostreetonline.com/album...xB/outback.jpg

https://my.prostreetonline.com/album...B/outback1.jpg

and another of the xB in some more gravel, differ time

https://my.prostreetonline.com/album...ntainstill.JPG

https://my.prostreetonline.com/album.../atthelake.JPG

Dont worry, the xB does great with gravel, i havent had any problems from a driveway, but the high way has caused problems due to my tail gating :lalala:

The real damage from gravel roads is usually from gravel being kicked up by vehicles in
front of your xB.

Driving at reasonable speeds on your own driveway shouldn't cause a problem.

(Aside: I just got back from Hamilton, Montana, and our relatives there mostly live off gravel
roads. Here's an example: Turn off US 93 onto Skalkaho highway - that is a narrow, high
crowned, two-lane asphalt road marked at 60MPH - after a short hop on that, turn off onto a
gravel/oil mat county road marked at 50 MPH. About a mile later, turn off onto their "street"
(gravel/dirt) and they are at the end of it, about a quarter mile away. They have a concrete pad
in front of their 4 car garage, but their driveway is mostly dirt. As long as there was no one in
front of me, I wasn't worried. If someone was in front of me, I waited for the dust cloud and
gravel shower to subside before proceeding.)

A gravel driveway shouldn't be a problem, other than being dirty. :)

Tomas

amen

I live in the middle of nowhere too. It is 2.5 miles on a gravel driveway through a cow pasture to my home. The XB has plenty of clearance and I have had no problems whatsoever. It has been my experience that if you leave a consideraqble amount of distance bewteen you and the perosn in front of you you will save your car from getting very dusty. The only thing you have to worry about is washing the XB more often, but that would be true of any car.

If you drive in dusty conditions, change the air filter often. and get timely oil changes. Like others have said, keep your speed down and keep far away from other vehicles on the road. If the road is full of pot holes you have to be concerned about alignment and front end damage.

My driveway is gravel,haven't gotten chips from driving through it.
https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a...b/fe7d7a1f.jpg
The paved street is 30-40 feet from where I'm parked in this photo. Just drive slowly.

I agree with almost everything said, especially the idea that gravel is most damaging when kicked at you by another vehicle.

my first mod would be clearbra.
my second would be pavement.

I'm going to have to disagree
https://img177.imageshack.us/img177/9518/img0986sy9.jpg

I deliver newspapers every night and probably drive on 10 miles worth of gravel roads each night.

No rock chips and no difference than when I've driven other cars on the same roads.

Not really a problem with stock wheels, less delicate wheels, or tires with a lot more sidewall, Kokujin. :)

These have waded through quite a lot of gravel and dirt with no ill effects:

http://tijil.org/bfg_front01.jpg

Low profile tires and polished rims are more a choice for pool-table-smooth surfaces, not rough, rutted, rocky roads.

Tomas

No ill effects from my 200 foot gravel driveway, but it's not like I ever exceed 15 MPH on it.

Not to mention doing this too
https://my.prostreetonline.com/album...%20xB/main.jpg

thank you all!! Just called the dealer and reserved my red xB, after 2 years of wanting one!!! Even got the VIN number from the guy - now I need to find time to pick it up and pay for it!!

Fiona

My drive way is 3/4 of a mile long. No problems with chips or under body damage. I don't go any faster than 20mph, though. The only bad thing about it is trying to keep the damn thing clean!!!

sweet!

what color?