Do I need 4x4?

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GimmeTorq

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I'm starting to do research for what is going to be my next vehicle. I'm looking at compact pick-up trucks. I'm currently considering the new Toyota Tacoma (Double Door/Short Bed) and the new Nissan Frontier (Crew Cab).
I have never own or drive a RWD vehicle in the snow. Both vehicles are available in 4x2 and 4x4. I live in the Chicago area and have a pretty decent commute (~ 1 hr) mostly in city roads. I do not off-road and I'm not planning to use this vehicle for off-roading.
Can I get away with no 4x4, and instead a limited-slip differential, traction control, ABS or some other gizmos to make this vehicle drive safely on snowy roads?
There is also a fuel economy penalty with the 4x4, which I would rather not have, given my commute.

Thanks for your inputs.
 
I live in WI and I have loved my AWD since I got it for winter driving in 1999. I have an 87 Subaru Turbo with AWD, limited slip diff. (LSD) in the rear and you can lock the transfer case to a real-time 4x4 when it gets bad out ! I always say I dont know how I lived without it before. I had one beater RWD car and all FWD cars previous and nothing compares in the snow.

I would think, however, that your option of a limited slip in the rear should work A LOT better then an open diff. Make sure you put a couple hundred pounds in the back, employ some good winter tires and you can do well.

Chad L
oshkosh, WI
 
I tested both the Tacoma and Tundra and liked the extra room and ride of the Tundra. Price was not much difference. I have a F-150 2x4, E-350 2x4 and the Tundra 4x4. When the snow gets heavy the 4x4 comes in handy if my wife gets called into work for an emergency.
cheers.gif
 
I don't think the cost of 4 wheel drive is justifiable in your case and as was already mentioned a good set of snows will do wonders..A side note,if you plan on unloading this in a few years it might hurt the resale value not being a 4x4..
 
Its one thing if, as in oldman's example, you may get called in during an emergency. I dont think this is the case in your scenario, due to your mentioned commute time. Typically, if you drive that far, if the going gets tough/unsafe, you should really consider not driving at all, 4wd, awd, rwd, fwd, whatever.

That said, a good set of snow tires is a really useful investment, not as a crutch to rely upon or to justify drivng faster than conditions allow, but as a safety measure and a convenience aid. Between an LSD, snow tires, and maybe a few cinderblocks (and some snow) in the rear, you will get along just fine. Plus, in the summer, youll save a lot of gas due to the few MPG increase that youll have by not carrying around all the 4wd stuff, and you wont have as complex a system to have to maintain, etc.

JMH
 
No, You do not need 4x4 but it can make life easier! IF you can afford a 4x4 I would get one! First it does help in a lot of situations. Second it will increase resale value a lot. 4X4's depreciate much slower then their 2WD counter parts.

I have found that Quad Cab/Double Cab etc... pickup trucks tend to better in all slippery conditions then most conventional cab pickups due to more weight over the rear axle.

If you do get the 2wd try to get it with the optional rear locking diff.! If you have the rear locking diff. and snow tires you will not have a problem at all reguardless of how bad the urban weather gets!!!

P.S. You will also find that adding weight in the bed over the axles with sand bag etc... will drasticly increase wet traction on water, ice and snow.
 
No, you don't need 4wd unless there's a real nasty hill you have to climb and can't get around. Get some good snow tires, some weight in back and you're set.
 
If you get a 4wd you will never go to a vehicle without it. Sure you can get along without one, and 4wd is no majic bullet, you can't stop anybetter of control the vehicle any better at speed. But, it will help keep you out oif trouble if you know whow to use it to your advantage. Other popints about resale value are all valid. A transfer case and a front diff don't add more weight than a passenger would. And 4wd is a great co-driver.
 
I grew up in Ohio and only had RWD trucks. I did just fine. Though as a kid I aways wanted 4x4. So when we got our new 97 F150 had to have 4x4.

Since then we've mostly only lived in the south. Alabama, Texas, Virginia and now TN. So has it been worth it, well no since I don't take it off road.

There has been 3-4 times that I did have a chance to use it and wouldn't have been able to make the trip without it.

Once was a big ice storm the night before we drove from El Paso to Colorado. Had the TDI packed for the trip but saw on the radar it was bad. So repacked the truck. About 2 2/2 hours into the trip hit the ice and then hit the snow about 6-8" of it. Cars were doing about 20-25mph. I was able to maintane around 45-55 mph. The trip would have taken 2 day with a 2wd car.

I've already used 4x4 here in TN with the ice storm.

The way I see it, with 4x4 you don't have to do some of necessary things that you would with a 2wd truck. With 2wd, you have to make sure you have weight on the rear end. You have to use snow type tires. And all of this needs to be done before the time comes to need it.

Get that snow storm in Late Nov early Dec and you are stuck. with a 4x4, just lock them in and drive on.
 
Oh and if you really want to be able to drive in the rough stuff. Get a set a chains and carry them around during winter. They take about 10 minutes to put on and will increase you drivability by 10 times in deep slipery snow.
 
You should test drive one during the winter to see if you can handle the 2 wheel drive model. I can not handle my E150 safely so it doesn't move during the winter. I wouldn't be able to get it back into the driveway even if I wanted to use it...

Cheers, Steve
 
i had a 4x2 ford ranger with locking rear end. it was ok in snow. i have snow tires on it. but i also had to include at least 200lbs of sand in the rear of the bed. also i want to add. when i had that truck, if i was to climb a snowy hill and someone in front of me Stopped.. Ohh boy. getting started on a hill with 2-wheel drive was scary. and if the hill was angled...... it will work on flat land and some hills. but even with the locking rear end i still found myself self sliding. and with 4x4 that i have now. It;s night and day. i dont care if i stop on a hill. or if there is a foot of snow..
 
If I was rich enough to have a chauffeur and was limited to a chauffeur who knew how to drive in the snow/ice with 2WD and snow tires vs. a chauffeur who DIDN'T know how to drive in the snow/ice with 4WD and snow tires, I'd take the prior without hesitating or second thoughts.

By the way, I spent my formative years in Buffalo.
 
I felt compelled to get 4wd as driving around here on ice and snow it seems that it's not unusual to see 2wd pickups doing poorly. You should still get good tires, at least for ice, should still put some weight in the bed, and still need to drive carefully. If you need 4wd then by definition you don't have adequate traction in the rear, and it'll break loose easier than you thought. I prefer an open diff on ice as a limited slip can break the rear loose, but would also prefer having a selectable locker. 4wd really comes in handy on ice covered hills, as even with studded tires and some weight in the bed I sometimes need 4wd to get started. With the stock tires I still needed chains on all 4 wheels in the last ice storm.
 
While having a 4X4 is no substitute for a good dose of caution and common sense, I would not live in the snow belt without one. Here in central Iowa it's somewhat hilly, and throw 6-12 inches of snow on top of that and it'll stop all but the 4X4's. There has been many a night that I would not have gotten home from work without the security and stability of my Jeep.

Both my wife and I have 4X4's, and use them frequently in the winter as they are intended.
 
quote:
No, You do not need 4x4 but it can make life easier! IF you can afford a 4x4 I would get one! First it does help in a lot of situations. Second it will increase resale value a lot. 4X4's depreciate much slower then their 2WD counter parts.
Click to expand...
Exactly.

We avg about 20 to 25" of snow a year. I like 4 wheel drive for the Beach/Snow and Mud. It's a fun option to have. And all the reasons JB stated above. Go for it! IL gets a lot of snow, 2 wheel drive will NOT get you far in a pickup, period. Only front wheel drive is decent. Pickups have no weight in the back and if it's only 2 wheel drive your DONE.
wink.gif
 
Very good info. Didn't think of snow tires. All my vehicles have been FWD on regular tires and never have had any major issues even in pretty bad winter weather. I have to say that I'm extremely careful with my driving under such conditions.
IL is as flat as a plate, so no issues with hilly terrain. I did live in Pittsburgh for little more than a year. Used to live on top of a hill and many times I had to leave my car 4 of 5 blocks from the house, down the hill, because there was no way to get it up the hill
grin.gif

Good point about the lack of weight on the rear too.
In reality, when the winter weather gets REALLY bad, I always have the option of working from home. Just want to make sure I make a decision I won't regret later on.
 
I bought a used 4wd and it had a limited slip differential. I took it for a test drive after getting it and could not get stuck in 2wd/ Limited slip drive mode.Finally I was able to it stuck and use the 4wd. I was impressed with the LSD as my frontier truck did not have one and i got stuck lots of places i should not of have.

I would get 4wd
 
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