Does anyone know if ford has made the auto 4x4 position available on the F150 yet. My wife had an 08 Expedition with that feature and loved it, now she drives an 11 F150 and misses the auto position for driving around town. We are thinking about trading for a 13 and that would just be another plus.

 

It is available on 2012 and 2013 models but I believe you have to have a Lariat trim level or above (Platinum, King Ranch, etc.) to get the auto 4x4.

 

That's what I was afraid of we love the FX4's. Thanks blue oval.

 

It is one reason I am leaning towards Lariat over the FX4 - would really prefer the 4A option.

Ford really needs to put this in all F-150 trucks IMHO.

 

So if I understand the "auto" feature it is not an all wheel drive...but rather it powers wheels that slip automatically? Why would you need this feature around town? Icy roads and snow?

 

I've had the 4-auto feature in my previous expedition and I MUCH prefer just throwing it onto 4Hi when it's snowy or icy.
I found that that 4-Auto could cause instability if it engaged the 4x4 while I was turning on slippery surfaces. In situations like that, I felt safer just letting the rear tires slip predictably, and then being able to shift into 4x4 myself once I was around that corner.

 

With the auto position you don't have to constantly be shifting in and out of 4hi. We live in rural Minnesota and the lesser traveled side streets and roads are covered in snow and ice when the main roads are dry blacktop.

 

I won't how much your mileage suffers when in 4A? So let's stay you get on a really slippery road...and you start spinning a lot...will this mode engage all 4 tires as needed or will it just send power to the slipping tire? (Am I asking this correctly?)

 

I dunno, I prefer to do it myself. Matter of taste I guess.

My understanding of the 4Auto mode is that it automatically switches between regular 2wd, and regular 4Hi. Once the computer has selected one of those modes, it acts just like a truck without the auto setting, except it can switch back and forth between the two without driver input. It is NOT an AWD setting like you'd find on a subaru or some sports cars.