AWD or FWD

chetJ

chetJ

New member
Hi Guys,
As the time draws closer for my wife and I to actually go out and actually buy a 4 Runner, I had a quick question. My wife and I are going to buy a Limited (we changed are original plan of buying an SR5- if I am going to keep a vehicle for a long time, and spend some dough buying it, I definitely want to have some of the new technology in it).

Anyway, the question was this:

Should we buy a FWD or an AWD?
Are there any advantages /disadvantages to buying an AWD LTD?
Does the FWD have any advantages/ disadvantages?
Does buying one or the other affect the resale value?
Does it cost more to maintain an AWD vehicle as compared to a FWD?

I live in PA and although we got a lot of snow last year, supposedly it was not a common occurrence.

Any feedback would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you as always in advance.
Dr.J
 
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I assume by FWD you mean Four and not Front. Here's a link to a discussion about the 4Runner verse the Lexus RX - it might help, it helped me when my better half was pushing for the Lexus AWD - it was a hard sell, since every time our Lexus is service, they have always put us in a RX loaner.

Ultimately, my "need" to go off-roading, the cost savings of not buying a Land Cruiser and the Limited's full-time benefits won out.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/65361-2010-4runner-limited-vs-2010-lexus-rx-awd.html
 
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I think the OP means 2 wheel drive. Anyway, to answer the question, AWD is just like insurance - better to have your whole life and never need than need for one minute and not have. Besides, AWD helps on dry roads too.
 
When you look at Toyota's website one of the options that you get to pick under the BUILD YOUR OWN ' page (if you are picking an SR5) is whether you want 4x 2 or a 4x4.
I apologize for my ignorance here but I assumed that 4x2 meant a front wheel drive and that 4x4 meant an AWD? Am I wrong here?
 
for the SR5 and TE 4x4 means four wheel drive since the system is part time. the Limited's 4x4 is AWD since it can be on all the time. 4x2 in the SR5 would be rear wheel drive, not front wheel drive
 
All wheel drive is not equal to four wheel drive. AWD is when all the wheels have power from the engine, all the time. And four wheel drive (4wd, 4x4, same thing) is when the vehicle is normally in 2wd, which for the 4runner is the rear wheels. And when you want 4wd, engage the transfer case to send power to the front wheels also. The difference between AWD and 4wd is the power distribution. AWD does send power to the wheels, but the lack of a locking transfer case means that you can find some wheels not getting the power they may need, like when one wheel is off the ground, or has no traction, it will hog all the power and do nothing. But the the 4wd's locking transfer case, both the front and rear axles will always have power. For individual wheel power along an axle, a locking differential is needed though, that is where the trail edition comes into play.

If you are only concerned about drivablility on the road in snowy conditions, the AWD in the limited is just fine. But for offroad, the SR5 is better in my opinion (excluding the trail ed. Of course).
 
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4-Ripcord said:
All wheel drive is not equal to four wheel drive. AWD is when all the wheels have power from the engine, all the time. And four wheel drive (4wd, 4x4, same thing) is when the vehicle is normally in 2wd, which for the 4runner is the rear wheels. And when you want 4wd, engage the transfer case to send power to the front wheels also. The difference between AWD and 4wd is the power distribution. AWD does send power to the wheels, but the lack of a locking transfer case means that you can find some wheels not getting the power they may need, like when one wheel is off the ground, or has no traction, it will hog all the power and do nothing. But the the 4wd's locking transfer case, both the front and rear axles will always have power.
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The 5th Gen Limited comes with a lockable Torsen center differential. In a 4WD 4Runner like the TE or SR5, when you put it in 4WD, the front and rear driveshafts turn at the same speed. In the Limited, when you lock the center differential, the front and rear driveshafts turn at the same speed.

In other words, when you lock the center diff on the Limited, it behaves just like 4WD in the SR5 or TE.
 
Ok, so then here is my next question
Does it cost more to maintain an AWD vehicle? I read somewhere that with an AWD system if one tire goes bad, you need to replace all four..is that true?
 
Limited's are AWD with x-REAS systems
SR5 you have options.
Well at least in Canada - the only drive train was AWD - I didn't think there was any other...but I got what I wanted anyways...
 
4-Ripcord said:
Oh, the limted has a locking transfer case? Didnt know that. Then yeah, it would be the same once locked.
Click to expand...

Yes, it does. The 5th Gen Limited basically has the same 4WD/AWD system as the 4th Gen. It has a two-speed transfer case (lo and hi), with a lockable, limited slip Torsen center differential.
 
chetJ said:
Ok, so then here is my next question
Does it cost more to maintain an AWD vehicle?
Click to expand...
Not really. You have one more differential to have the oil changed, but that happens rarely (once every 50k miles?). If the center diff goes bad, that would be expensive to replace, but I haven't heard that happening.

I read somewhere that with an AWD system if one tire goes bad, you need to replace all four..is that true?
Click to expand...
Nah. From a traction perspective, you probably don't want one brand new tire and one almost bald tire on the same axle, but other than that I don't think it is a big deal.
 
Sorry... I thought Toyota dumped the 4X2s w/ the 4 bangers... my mistake. It all makes sense now.

And a 4X2 (which I'm sure you know by now) would be rear-wheel drive. Its interesting when you build a 4Runner in a Southern/Sunbelt state that the user-interface is completely different - and YOU CAN spec a Limited in 4X2 config.

chetJ said:
When you look at Toyota's website one of the options that you get to pick under the BUILD YOUR OWN ' page (if you are picking an SR5) is whether you want 4x 2 or a 4x4.
I apologize for my ignorance here but I assumed that 4x2 meant a front wheel drive and that 4x4 meant an AWD? Am I wrong here?
Click to expand...
 
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Apparently in the south most 4Runners sold are 4x2. I don't quite understand the purpose of a 4x2 4Runner, but then I live where it snows and take my 4Runner offroad, so I guess my viewpoint is not very objective.
 
Hi there,

I JUST had the same decision to make, and here's how I decided (after some great help from the people on this forum).

In Canada you have no optionsonce you go Limited (other than NAV). So I was deciding between Trail Edition and Limited and I wanted to know which was better for snow (being in Canada).

It turns out no matter how you look at it, the AWD (or as Toyota calls is Full Time 4WD) is safer. You can put the car in 4WD in the snow, but as someone mentioned above, that locks the differentials, and apparently this is not good if you hit dry patches. Turning on dry pavement while in 4WD (the locked kind, not the AWD kind), is bad.

So if you are driving in conditions like snow, but you'll be on snowy side roads, then dry highways or main roads, then back on snowy side roads, you really are much safer with the AWD. Otherwise you'll have to keep putting it in and out of 4WD.

I really hope that makes sense. This is the first time I've tried to explain it after having it explained to me.

Hope you love your T4R!! I've had mine for just over 24 hrs and I cannot tell you how confident I am I made the right decision. This car is FANTASTIC!!
 
In Canada, all 4Rs come with 4WD, which is perhaps the way it should be: Might be embarrassing for the entire 4R community to see one stuck on a wet boat ramp or dewy grass field.
 
MechaPumpkin said:
Hi there,

I JUST had the same decision to make, and here's how I decided (after some great help from the people on this forum).

In Canada you have no optionsonce you go Limited (other than NAV). So I was deciding between Trail Edition and Limited and I wanted to know which was better for snow (being in Canada).

It turns out no matter how you look at it, the AWD (or as Toyota calls is Full Time 4WD) is safer. You can put the car in 4WD in the snow, but as someone mentioned above, that locks the differentials, and apparently this is not good if you hit dry patches. Turning on dry pavement while in 4WD (the locked kind, not the AWD kind), is bad.

So if you are driving in conditions like snow, but you'll be on snowy side roads, then dry highways or main roads, then back on snowy side roads, you really are much safer with the AWD. Otherwise you'll have to keep putting it in and out of 4WD.

I really hope that makes sense. This is the first time I've tried to explain it after having it explained to me.

Hope you love your T4R!! I've had mine for just over 24 hrs and I cannot tell you how confident I am I made the right decision. This car is FANTASTIC!!
Click to expand...

24 hours and still no pics MP?
 
This is why I love this community...just the number of informative replies. Thanks guys..that helps. I was just getting worried that if I were to buy an AWD 4 Runner the true cost to own so to speak would be much higher than a 4X2 due to maintainence costs and such.
 
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