I'm looking to open a small cabinetry business and need to get another truck. I have decided on every option for the new truck except whether or not I actually need 4x4. I live just outside of Tulsa where it snows very little. I will be pulling a 16' box trailer that shouldn't weigh more than 4-5 tons fully loaded.


I'm leaning towards NO for these reasons:




-it hardly snows
-when it does it doesn't amount to much
-2wd will have Stability Control for slick conditions
-I never go off-roading
-better mpg
-cheaper to insure
-cheaper to purchase


These are just some of the things I can think of but I want to hear what all of you seasoned truck veterans have to say!

 

It doesn't snow where I am in California but I bought a 4x4 because it holds value better and the mpg is only off by 1 mpg. I found it very useful in Big Bear where it does snow.

 

It's really personal preference. I've known lots of people who have never owned, or wanted four wheel drive. It's an expensive option, but it's just one of those that you learn how to do with out if you don't have it. I also know people that question if it's a truck if it doesn't have 4wd. I think 4wd makes a truck more versatile, and i find it gives me that extra bit of confidence when driving interstate's in the insane rain that we've been getting here lately.


I'm not sure how much better value 4wd has over 2wd.

I got 4wd because I have a steep hill between the road and my shop, and it's all grass. Since I keep my trailers back there, I like being able to use 4wd to not tear up the grass too bad when I'm doing my 2-zillion point turns. Plus I like it to get out to my fishing holes.

 

I'm in north Texas and went 4WD just because of the ice we seem to get about once a year, and a need to get to my fire station for call response. I've found that I use 4A (4-Auto, basically emulating an all-wheel-drive vehicle) far more often than 4H/4L. I'll throw it in 4A on rain-slick roads just for a bit of additional stability.

 

The 4x4 option is under $4000. The ride height is very close, the maintenance cycles are the same except for the transfer case flush way down the road.

If the 4x2 option does happen, I would suggest that you source a truck with the e-locker for better low speed traction if needed.

 

4x2 will also have a higher payload than an equally spec'd 4x4.

 

I have 4wd. but I use it where I live. I live out in the country. where I live 4wd is worth more. both of my trucks is 4wd. I dont go off road, or if I do, its very rarely.

 

I'm trying to decide the same thing. Today, I went looking for a 2wd Lariat to replace my 2012 supercrew, but most of the trucks I'm finding are 4wd. I really don't need 4wd, but I do like looks of it, and they are much more plentiful. My salesman told me the same thing too about how the 4wd holds value better than a 2wd.

I do think I have decided on the 2.7 Ecoboost engine. I'm very impressed with that engine.

 

If you tow on uneven surfaces, 4wd is worth getting. Backing a loaded trailer up an incline using low range will save your transmission from excess wear and tear.

 

4x4 ....I look a 4wd as just a standard feature on a truck, there when you need it.

 

I've had a 2wd for 10 years, live in the mountains where it snows quite a bit in the winter, and have only had to leave it sitting once.
Right now, according to KBB, the difference in value between my truck and one just like it with 4x4, is less that what it would have cost me to buy the 4x4.
When I buy another, It'll be 2wd.

 

Whatever I have spent on 4wd I have made back and then some at resale. Then while owning the vehicle I've gotten to use the 4wd as needed.

RWD vehicles can get stuck on wet grass, and used 2WD trucks don't sell well. But they do get about 1-2 mpg better fuel economy, which could save tens of dollars a year on fuel. When you consider the overall cost of ownership, the fuel economy difference is almost a non-factor.

 

It depends on your situation. It sounds like you can live quite well with 2WD, so it sounds like that might actually be a better choice for you.

We live in the mountains, and just backing up my driveway is steep enough and slippery enough that I need 4WD just to do that. The locking differential is not good enough to keep the wheels from spinning.

 

Also, since you are just opening the business, it's sometimes nice to cut down on initial out of pocket expenses. The 2wd would certainly do that for you.

 

I live in Florida and have a 4X4. I tow on a regular basis and I wouldn't be without it.