insurance is higher on a 4x4

 

That whole "higher insurance thing is a myth. I just went out to the Progressive website and got a quote on an extended cab 5.4l 4x2 and 4x4...prices were exactly the same, down to the dollar.

 

I sell Ford trucks.

Had a customer come in a few years ago and while waiting for the shop to go over his 5 year old mid-nineties, 132,000 mile possible trade-in we started talking. He used his truck primarily as a daily driver and was going to get another 4wd. I asked him when he used the 4wd last. He had to think for a while, then said, "Uh, last winter, I was stuck up against the curb. Put it in four wheel drive and drove right out." "About fifteen seconds?" I queried. "Yah, that's about right", he said.

After playing "Twenty Questions" we agreed that he used it about an hour (total operating time) a year. We then agreed on the related expenses over the 132,000 miles he owned the truck: purchase $3000, addl fuel $500+, one set of tires extra $600, addl insurance $500+ and then the service manager came out to say he needed $1800 worth of front end work ... all related to the components of the front drive axle. We all (three of us) agreed that he wouldn't likely experience this $1800 repair expense with a 2wd. It had no additional resale value because the front end was basically gone. Even without the wear factor (say you've got a fistful of receipts for repairs ... that's additional expense again) a five year old F150 is worth ~$2100 more than the cheaper initially (-$3000) purchased 2wd.

We agreed that conservatively his additional expenses were at least $5000, he had owned the vehicle for about 5 years and he actually used the four wheel drive feature about an hour a year.

If you've done the math in your head already operating his four wheel drive was costing him at least $1000/hour. Now you can do all the justification and wrangling you want to but even $500/hour is a damned expensive luxury. New trucks last longer but again they cost more initially and repairs have not gotten cheaper so I think this general comparison is still pretty valid.

I've driven 2wd limited slips for years in an agricultural capacity (towing loaded 300 bu gravity boxes and related) and on road travel. I've pushed snow with the front bumper regularly with a properly ballasted truck with good mud & snows (I ran them all around for steering control and rotate-ability) and never had a problem on-road.

Off-road? My brother-in-law is a veteran of 30+ years of Colorado off-road and mountain driving. We've been in some hellacious stuff and when I asked if he wanted to lock in the hubs he said no, he doesn't want to wear the front end and besides we don't need it. He never uses 4wd to get in, only to get out ... but then he says," I've got common sense and my push/pull jack."

As has been said before ...

If you want 4wd buy it (and pay the price, no complaining allowed).

Do you need 4wd ... probably not.

IMHO,
Roger

 

Good Post Clydsdale. Very interesting info. When I was at the dealer, I struggled with the should I or shouldn't I question about the 4x4. I wanted it yes, but not for the right reasons. I just couldn't justify the extra expense. After reading your post, I know I made the right decision not to get the 4x4

 

i live in california and drive to lake tahoe for trips to the snow. i also plan on taking this thing to some off road trails and eventually towing a boat (that i can't wait to get). so i think the 4x4 should suit me well.

 

For farmwork i need the 4X4, my farm is straight up a hill where ever you are going.

 

My last truck was a 2WD with an open diff. I had gotten it stuck only a couple of times in mud, snow or ice. If the truck had a limited slip, then I would've never had a problem with it. When I went to purchase my new truck, I knew that I did not need 4WD but I wanted it and was able to afford it...so I got it.

 

Yes. Use it one time and its worth it, plus good resale.

 

Northern Ohio...winters, hauling wood, pulling a trailer, the feeling of independance, resale value, cool factor... No question..4X4 all the way!! Personally I would not buy a truck without 4X4. I realize that everyone is different and even if I only use the 4X4 10 times a year it is still worth it to me.

 

Jeff described it well here, I've never been to Texas but my impression is that if you have never needed a 4x4 before you wouldn't need one now. Here in western NY a 4x2 truck is an accident waiting to happen in the winter. I love being able to drive right through the 3 foot snow bank that the plow has created in front of my truck.

 

When I go to my cabin in northern Wisconsin you will need a 4x4. There were times when we had so much snow we actually had to have a front end loader come in to remove all the snow. My first year that I lived there we had snow for 34 days straight. You would drive through town and all you could see was the top of the roofs felt like you were driving through a tunnel. I had my truck in 4x4 for a month straight. Granted that is not typical but I wouldnt want to go through that again in a 4x2

 

I drive a bonestock 95 f 150 and I wish I had 4wd for certain situations. Even though I have good tires and all, I've had trouble on wet grass and wet roads here in NY and in NC. Having little weight in the rear has a lot to do with it, but I generally hate having to drive around with a few hundred pounds of weight in the back to get better traction. If you take good care of your truck I'd imagine you could minimize your repair costs with a 4x4 and it'd come in handy when you need it. Hell, when I get my next one, I'm gonna splurge for it. Why not?

 

I agree that certainly if you aren't going to use 4WD it may not be a wise investment. Anything purchased and not used is a waste. But those numbers don't jive, at least with current trucks.

Part of the $3000 extra cost does include items besides the 4WD powertrain upgrades, so if a person would be wanted those upgrades anyway (like alloy wheels), that reduces the difference in price. I'll give you the difference in fuel usage, though most people probably sell or trade theirs in by the time they get to about $300 worth (5 years). Not sure where the extra tires comes into play... Also not sure how the front end could need $1800 worth of work if it was never used? Either the truck wasn't maintained properly, it was abused, or there's something else at play here.

BTW, there's no difference in insurance costs. That's a myth. Do what I did: go to Progressive.com and get a quote. The price is the same down to the exact dollar. Maybe there used to be a difference, but not now.

Finally, regarding resale value and resaleability, that really does make a huge difference in some areas. I searched for used '01 F150's within 100 miles of my house and found 71. 6 were 2WD models. Every single one of those 2WDs was shockingly less than the 4WDs. One less than 10K, all less than 15k. Many of the 4WDs were over 20k, some well over. Granted there are different styles, trims and mileage involved here, but a basic comparison of a couple suggested that the extra money spent on 4WD is recovered on resale in my area. That's to say nothing of how much harder it would be to sell the 2WD in the first place, increasing temptation to lower the price.

Also, I gotta wonder what happens when a 2WD buyer comes back to the dealership in 3-5 years looking for a trade-in. "Oh, sorry, if you had a 4WD we could have given you a lot more, but we have so much trouble selling 2WD..."

I'm not pushing 4WD on anyone, but if someone can use it at least sometimes, it might be well worth it. For me, the cost will probably be no more than $500 during the time I own this truck, and that will be gas only.

 

Driving around with a couple of sandbags in the bag would basically take away the 1MPG gas mileage of the 2WD vs 4WD. I wouldn't enjoy throwing that weight in and out of the back as the weather switches from good to bad from day to day. I'll be glad I'm not doing that this winter. Good point.

 

Do you need a radio, cruise control, climate control?....ect. If you can afford it and think
it may at any point be useful, buy it. Personally for hunting, camping ect it's not optional.