Do I REALLY need 4WD?

[peter78]

I haven't talk much about 2WD, but for me it works. 90% of the 4Runners sold in Atlanta are 2WD. They get better mileage, less cost and they do great for what I need. I go camping, tow and daily driving. So, for me it was the right choice.

Now, having said all that, I suspect the dealer does not really have any 4WD, just like Atlanta. Plus, you may never need there in Texas.

In Colorado or Utah, my guess it would be hard to find a 2WD, why becasue a 2WD would be dumb.

There was a line from "The Bandit", being smart in one location of the country is most likey dumb in another part of country. Now, I am really paraphrasing the line.

Bottom line, if you feel you MAY live up north, get 4WD. Also, I got stuck in mid-June in Colorado on my vaction in snow, but that is another story. To get out, I turned OFF the traction control. so, yes, I could of used a 4WD in June, who knew???

 

[JB.]

...NAdams65


Asking that question about a 4Runner is very different from asking it generically. Feature and value comparisons of 2WD 4Runners vs other 2WD SUVs net out, naturally, pretty close. Do the same comparison for 4WD and the 4Runner runs away from the pack. Why? The Torsen center differential which allows 4WD on pavement. You'll have far more opportunity to use the 4WD than you would with most other brands. So much so, in fact, that, even with the multi-mode, a case could be made for running in 4WD all the time. A 4WD 4Runner is an exceptional value, imo.

 

[LandRvr Convert]

OK kind of beating a dead horse here but get the 4WD. Better to have it when you do need it even if it's on a rare occasion. You never know. 4WD can not only benefit you but can enable you to help out another motorist who is stuck. I always have a tow strap in my Runner......just in case.

I live in Atlanta, don't off road much, and don't tow anything, but I have the V8 4WD. If I were buying today, I'd get the exact same 4Runner I currently drive.

BTW, we had 6 inches of snow in Atlanta one week ago........needless to say, the 4WD Runner performed fantastic to say the least!! I drove around all day and had a blast!! I really had to make an effort to get it to slide around. Amazing traction!

Get exactly what you want, even if you have to special order it and wait weeks or even months (like I did) for it to come in..........it's well worth it.

 

[peter78]

BTW, we had 6 inches of snow in Atlanta one week ago........needless to say, the 4WD Runner performed fantastic to say the least!! I drove around all day and had a blast!! I really had to make an effort to get it to slide around. Amazing traction!

Well, I live north of Atlanta by about 25 miles and we got 0" of snow. Sure it snowed for awhile, but no accumilation. Parts of the city got 1".

If we got 6", it would shut down Atlanta for a week. Last time we had over 4", was the 100 year storm in the early 90's. My Son was very dissapointed when he had to go to school the next day. But, if you got 6", more power to you.

 

[hoggy]

I too vote 4wd. In fact I don't even understand why they make a 4runner with 2wd. Seem like a waste of time and money. There are better station wagons out there if someone wants 2wd that get better gas milage than a 2wd 4runner. And to me that's what a 2wd 4runner is. An expensive station wagon. JMO. And of course no offense to those of you who own 2wd 4runners. If they transfer you to the great northwest you'll be glad you got 4wd. Lots of hills here and we had unusual amounts of snow this year. In fact it snowed just yesterday.

 

[chaz]

wait

wait for the V8 with fulltime 4wheel drive, (test drive one) the salesman is just wrong if he says 2wd is all you need.

 

[LandRvr Convert]

Well, I live north of Atlanta by about 25 miles and we got 0" of snow. Sure it snowed for awhile, but no accumilation. Parts of the city got 1".

If we got 6", it would shut down Atlanta for a week. Last time we had over 4", was the 100 year storm in the early 90's. My Son was very dissapointed when he had to go to school the next day. But, if you got 6", more power to you.

Hey Peter78, yeah man we had 6 inches in Tucker and my parents who live in Athens got 7 inches and even lost power briefly. It was a strange storm though since areas intown and south of the airport got so much while folks in the northern burbs got no accumulation at all.

The snow stayed on the ground 3 or 4 days following, but melted off the streets really quick.

 

[Atlanta_man]

Global warming finally set in. My three big snowmen took 4 days to disappear.
(Dunwoody, GA 285/400)

 

[jpalaska]

Yes, you do.

 

[NAdams65]

Thanks guys for all the feedback...seems pretty unanimous about getting the 4WD. I've got my eye on a couple rigs for sale....just need to sell my Jeep. I'm going to give it a couple more weeks and then I might bite the bullet and trade it in.
Kinda off topic but since we're here....do I understand correctly that the X-REAS system is avail on the Sport models and not the SR5? Seems folks doing a lift and sliders have some limitations due to the funky shocks. Both the vehicles I'm looking at are SR5 models FWIW.

Thanks again....

Nate

 

[chaz]

sr5

are they v8? you will like the fulltime 4wheel drive it comes with & gas milage is the same as the 6 (depending on year) .if you get the sr5, just put on adj. coilovers or new springs & shocks, ( the stock units were a too marshmellowy for me) you wont even miss the x-reas, if you get the sport, (x-reas is way better than standard sr5 ) a small lift is still doable. sport has the cool scoop too. mine was an sr5 , (06) till i changed her. either way theyre all great! hmmm, my last vec. was a jeep also. well, good luck.

 

[Vizwar]

Re: Re: Do I REALLY need 4WD?

Always remember that a salesman will tell you anything to get a sale, it could be worth hundreds or thousands to lie to you and tell you that 4WD is not better than 2WD.

Yes, Toyota has an excellent traction control and skid control, you the driver probably cannot beat it, BUT if there is no power going to the front wheels, the rear end will always be prone to slipping out and traction and skid control will do NOTHING to help you get up a slippery hill. Its physics, those fancy electronic nanny controls do not add traction.

Here's a good situation: I was back home in Idaho driving home from a movie with my dad in his 4Runner. His is a V6 and I just forgot that it isn't always in AWD. It was snowing hard, coating the road, so I backed down to about 35 (limit was 65). I touched the accelerator and the rear end swung out and we were going backwards into the oncoming lane.... He has a new 4Runner now.

I'm an engineer and I did my grad work on advanced drive trains. By advanced, I mean that the stuff in anything you can buy today might as well be from the stone age. I have an in depth understanding of traction, and the more wheels that can be driven, the better for performance.

Even if the salesman is telling you what he believes to be the truth, he is wrong in this case. I'd go with the 4WD if you will be moving to snowy climates

Amen! :awais:

 

[Vizwar]

Although 4-wheel drive is awesome in the snow, it sometimes can make you over confident in the snow/icy conditions, too. I drove from Colorado to Minnesota in a wicked snow/ice storm and we saw hundreds of cars in the ditch - most were 4-wheel drive.

That being said, I still absolutely WOULD recommend a 4-wheel drive, but I would also recommend that you know it's limits and not get over confident with it.

Correlation does not equal causation.

4WD can't fix stupid.

 

[pickerdd]

Buy the truck that you want. Hell with what the sales person wants to sell you.