4x4 really only gets you stuck further down the trail.

Since you're going not off-road, that doesn't matter...

For most situations a 2x4 with a limited slip rear end will more than suffice. You live in a semi Metropolitian area. Roads are usually completely cleared an hour or so after. The other 350 days when it doesn't snow, you drag around unecessary equipment.

A 2WD does give a slight advantage in towing capacity, too.

It snows here but I don't drive in it. It is too far up the mountain...where it belongs. Both of my trucks are 2WD mainly for the added towing capacity (although minimal) and the fact that I saved THOUSANDS! over buying a 4x4. That buys a lot of AAA memberships in case I get stuck.

 

I understand what you are saying. Alot of 4x4's seem to be used as grocery getters and to shuttle kids to soccer practice, etc and never see 4x4. That doesn't make sense to me. However, I sure feel better having my wife drive my 4x4 to work if the weather is bad, or her front wheel drive car for that matter vs any 4x2 with LS. Also, understand my truck is used to pull a loaded snowmobile trailer on some of the nastiest roads. Then parked into a parking lot in the middle of nowhere with 10" + snow in it. Top that off with living in the country where they don't plow real well. I am not one of the victims of good marketing. If I didn't snowmobile, I still wouldn't own a 4x2 pickup, a front wheel drive car or minivan with good tires on it will still get around better IMO. Just my thoughts.

 

I pull a boat quite a bit and recently purchased a 4x4 screw. The 4x4 is nice for the ramp but I think a lower rear end gear ratio and limited slip will get you out of most ramps with out problems. The 4x4 comes into play during low water situations when the ramps are almost out of the water.

 

4x4 if you get ANY snow. No doubt about it.

 

4x4's hold their resale value better, however you pay $2-3K more initially, so it is usually a wash. Insurance rates are higher on them. They get worse gas mileage than 4x2's. IMO, if your driving in the city most of the time you won't need a 4x4. I lived in Denver for over 18 years and always drove a 4x2. I had to chain up once in a great while, but not enough to justify spending the extra $$ associated with owning a 4x4.

 

Since you're buying a truck get a "real deal" - Extended Cab (SuperCab or SuperCrew) and 4x4.

 

No way, unless your 4x2 is front wheel drive. A 2wd pickup is a nightmare in any snow/ice situation.

If you dont mind not driving on the few days a year you see snow, get the 2wd. I live in a simialr climate and have gone years without using 4wd on pavement.

 

Here's my take. Don't buy 4X4 (or anything else) just for resale value. You'll pay $3,000 extra, and get $2,000 or less when you sell, depending on how long you keep it. Not a good deal.

However, if you need it, go ahead and buy it. You still won't get all your money back, but you will have the 4X4 you need. If you live in an area where 4X2 trucks are hard to sell (like Montana, Maine, etc) then you need 4X4.

Here in Austin, TX I have not needed it once in 12 years. I bought a 4X2, and it won't be hard to sell. In Montana I used 4X4 at least 100 times a year. I really needed it, and you couldn't give a 4X2 truck away.

4X4 is like anything else. If you need it, it's worth the money. If you don't need it, it's a waste of good money.


John

 

I lived in the Northern Virginia/DC area.

Yeah, OK, so it only snows really bad maybe twice a winter.

Trust me when I tell you I've seen 2 wheel drive F150's, F250's, Explorer's and Expeditions sit there for about half an hour spinning their wheels in the snow on Route 50, as I passed them by with my 4WD on. They were cursing their trucks.

You can rationalize it any way you want, but when you NEED that 4x4, even if it is only twice a year, you will thank you lucky stars you plunked down the money for it.

Answer this question.

How much is it worth to you to get home to a nice warm meal (or delivery Chinese food), after a hard days work and traffic on a cold and wet winter day?

I'd say its worth 3 grand. Easily.

 

1. If you buy a 2WD, you won't be able to pull that Chevy out of the snowbank.
2. A 4X4 Chevy or Dodge might have to pull you out of the snowbank.
3. In parking lots, people will point and ask "gee, I thought Fords sat up higher than than."
4. Your neighbor with the Tundra pickup will finally be able to look down at a Ford pickup.
5. You're wife will love how much easier it is to get in an out of. Ultimately, she'll give you the family Caravan and take over the pickup "because it drives like a car."
6.If you move to the Pacific Northwest, people will point and ask "is that actually a 2WD Ford pickup?"

 

Polar Bear makes a funny case. I didn't like the looks of the big beige "4x4" decals on the bed of my black Lariat, so I took them off. Every once in a while, I'll hear someone say "I can't believe he got a fully loaded Lariat without 4 wheel drive!"

 

Just so you don't get confused, the FX4 does not have stiffer springs, it has different shocks(they are not RANCHO). You also get more than a skid plate. You get different wheels, different grill, different dash and different seats, along with painted bumpers.
My 4wd gets used the most after it rains, driving into my hunting lease. A 2wd will not make it in, LS or not.

 

A long time ago my friend with a 1973 F-150 4x4 asked me to go with him to bring feed to his horse after a snow storm. While we were there we went "4-Wheelin'" through fields and creeks and hills in at least a foot of snow. It was a blast. When we were done my buddy said, "you know what, we did all that in 2 wheel drive and never locked in the hubs." I now drive a 2004 Supercab 4X2 and that ride in the snow was a major factor in my decision not to get 4X4. On the road it gets 1-2 MPG better milage. smoother ride, better handling, and sits up just as high as most trucks with 4x4.

 

I lived in Northern Virginia for years and I would get a 4X2 with limited slip. The extra initial cost, increased fuel costs and increased repair costs far exceeds the additional resale value (especially with the length of time you plan on keeping it). In Northern Virginia, the roads tend to be slick due to ice and not deep snow (the cars keep the snow level down) and 4X4 is not as effective as people think with ice. A 4X2 also makes a better tow vehicle than a 4X4 and has a better tow rating. I have towed with 4X2 for 30+ years and never had a problem. I now live in the mountains in the sticks and need my 4X4 year round but if I didn't, I would have a 4X2. Before I moved to the sticks, I had difficulty finding a nice 4X2 either new or used. I could buy a really nice 4X2 or a stripped 4X4 for about the same money.

 

I don't need a 4X4- but I don't really need a truck either, most of the time. After 12 years and 202,000 miles, though, travelled in an area that generally doesn't require 4WD, I will share these observations:

1. 4WD's don't require much more maintenance than a 2WD under the same usage. In my case, I think a $50 bill would cover the entire time and distance.
2. That $3000 price difference new up balloons into $5000 in a year, at least up here. A 12 year old truck will bring $2000-3000 more, so it's not that bad an investment.

If our truck could talk, though, it'd tell you about

1. The countless times it's rescued other trucks with a tow strap (never leave home without it).
2. The times it's made supply runs for the neighborhood when a snow or ice storm immobilized traffic.
3. the time and inconvenience it's saved it's owner by being a total stranger to snow chains.

To me, the lack of 4WD limits the functionality of the truck- and that's the whole reason to own one in the first place. If I lived in a different region, I might feel differently about it- but I've never regretted having it, and wouldn't consider this trucks replacement without it.