4x4 or not?

[bwframe]

Depends on what you consider "a lot" and the age of the truck. For my truck, a 2012, per Edmunds it's about a $1k difference.

Maybe it's just the availability that's the big deal? I wonder if a lot of the highly priced used pickup's are because the owners are still making payments and having a balance? How long are they extending vehicle loans for now days?

Is the pickup market affected like the modern car market, with leasing as the current snake oil?

 

[Hookeye]

If one is an idiot, then 4 wheel drive might not help.
But if one has brains and skill, 4x4's can be quite advantageous.

With cell phones and other people having 4 wheel drive, the 2wd purists can rest easy.

Had a bud get stuck in deep snow, on ice (yote hunting). Tried for a while, no go. 4x4.
I asked to drive, he obliged..........and I had it out in about a minute.
He was floored.

Lots of people own 4x4s and don't know how to use them.
Some condemn 4 wheel drive based on the average owner.

Dipsticks.

 

[Hookeye]

Luckily, most SUV and truck 4x4's these days just make the dash for bread and milk when the weather hottie hypes a "snow event".

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Maybe it's just the availability that's the big deal? I wonder if a lot of the highly priced used pickup's are because the owners are still making payments and having a balance? How long are they extending vehicle loans for now days?

Is the pickup market affected like the modern car market, with leasing as the current snake oil?

Dunno. I bought new for a pretty small premium over 3 year old trucks. Paid it off in roughly 24 months, can't remember exactly.

 

[DRob]

Had a 2006 Tundra 4wd for 10 years. Used the 4wd exactly twice in that time. Once to get up a steep hill on the Rosebud Reservation while p doggin' in South Dakota and once when we got surprised by an overnight blizzard in, of all places, KY. Enough snow that I-75 was closed. I'm now driving a 2015 2wd F150. The same truck with 4wd would have been $5K more. I normally put five 70 lb bags of sand in the bed come winter time. Did that with the Tundra, too. Never needed the ballast this year and the sand bags have been out for two months now. The issue in Indiana, IMO, is ground clearance rather than how many wheels are getting torque. A 4wd usually will give you a few more inches but a slightly jacked-up 2wd with a little weight in the back can do as well.

 

[grandpa 55]

Ground clearance, weight and tires say it all. 4wd will and can get you stuck farther away from the road than a 2wd.

 

[patience0830]

Ground clearance, weight and tires say it all. 4wd will and can get you stuck farther away from the road than a 2wd.

Yup. 4WD, judiciously applied can get you stuck in places the wrecker won't go. That said, I'll never be without the option of 4wd. For the small premium you pay over the time I keep a vehicle, it's worth it just for the peace of mind.

 

[Hookeye]

4x4s for 30 yrs.
Only time I got stuck, was being silly at offroad park.

 

[WWalker]

http://www.4x4abc.com/jeep101/safe.html

 

[rvb]

Had RWD for many years and was one who said I'd never "need" 4WD. Now that I've had 4WD I won't go w/o.

Heck I use it a lot just moving the camper... storage lot may be wet, or our yard may be wet (even just dew) and I can keep from spinning tires when I otherwise might tear up the grass a little, especially trying to push it back up our slight grade.

I often don't "need" it in the snow, but I've driven in to work just like normal even times we've had a foot or more of fresh snow. Took a couple minutes longer going a little slower, but much less effort/stress. Others were not able to cross intersections that the plows had crossed, etc.

Heck, I used to have to shovel the driveway to back my truck up the drive into the garage. no more.

-rvb

 

[KJQ6945]

Sounds like a good weekend to try out a new 4wd.

 

[churchmouse]

Sounds like a good weekend to try out a new 4wd.

I will be right behind you loaded out as usual. And yes I will have it "Engaged"......

 

[breakingcontact]

My Tundra isn't 4wd but it is nicest truck I've ever owned.

 

[Needmorammo]

I will chime in with the 4x4 crowd! I live in brown county with @ 900 ft long driveway. Usually about 4-5 days a year I would be stranded at home without 4 wheel drive. But I find that I use it as much if not more just pulling into traffic. I've often started to pull onto a highway from an uphill gravel drive (in a 2wd vehicle) and found my tires spinning and eating up valuable space between me and an oncoming vehicle. With 4 wheel drive I just start in 4 and shift to 2 once I'm on the pavement. No spinning wheels.

 

[MontereyC6]

Sounds like a good weekend to try out a new 4wd.

Do you have that picture of the one time I found my 4x4, "useful"?

 

[KJQ6945]

Do you have that picture of the one time I found my 4x4, "useful"?

I don't think I have that pic anymore, but we both needed that day, for damn sure. If you got stuck I wasnt going.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

In Texas at the moment. Bro-dozers still popular here.

 

[KJQ6945]

4WD for the win.

 

[churchmouse]

I sure am glad I had that seldom used not really needed function switch. I got held up a lot by none function switch trucks.

 

[KJQ6945]

I sure am glad I had that seldom used not really needed function switch. I got held up a lot by none function switch trucks.

I just hope they get all the 2wds out of the ditches before this stuff melts. They'll all be floating down the White river.