Does it matter if I get a 4x4 for not??

M

MadxMan

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Hey folks,

Forgive me for being a noob here. Im in the market for a used 4th/5th gen 4runner with decent miles. I live in so cali. My question is, does it matter if I get a 4x4 or not? It'll just be city driving and occasional going up the mountains on paved road.

But im a features guy that just loves the fact that it has a 4x4 and can be used at whim when i need it.

What good is 4x4 for besides off roading fun. Towing?
 
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Yukon4Runner said:
If you get a 4x4, the terrorists win.


.
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Funny you should say that. Every time we see a bunch of terrorists in a pickup, ever notice it's always a Toyota? Google "terrorists in pickup truck" and look at basically every pic you get back.

Toyota_zpsbywgiwxn.jpg~original


"Yeah dude, I seriously want to do the anti-aircraft artillery mod but just haven't had the time." :eek:

To the OP, this is a question I faced when I bought my Xterra in '03. There are many considerations, and it's tempting to forgo 4WD when you live - for now at least - in a place like SoCal where you'll seldom, if ever, need 4WD, as opposed to wanting it, for off-roading, etc. There's some additional maintenance and typically an MPG penalty, though probably not significant enough to worry about.

FWIW, I did not buy a 4x4 Xterra and regretted it more times than I can count. Think of the possibilities for where it could take you, and check out some of the location pics in the "What Have You Done With Your 4Runner Today?" thread. After 11 years without it, 4x4 was at the top of my list in shopping for a 4Runner, but of course this is your decision to make.

If you get 4WD, just be absolutely certain you understand how to use it and that it's working properly before taking delivery. Then be sure to do your 10 miles a month in 4WD as Toyota recommends. It doesn't have to be off the pavement, you just want to be sure everything's working. If left unused for a very long time, there can be issues with a part called the actuator that are very expensive to fix. It's important enough that some kind soul actually posts a monthly reminder in this forum.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
 
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MadxMan said:
What good is 4x4 for besides off roading fun?
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Hey MadxMan ... welcome to the forum :)

Although maybe not particularly relevant to your current location, another reason for choosing a 4WD vehicle is driving in bad weather conditions (e.g., snow, ice).

This was a major factor for me when I left my rear-wheel drive Lexus LS400 (with dedicated winter tires) for a 4Runner Limited 4WD. My 03 (and now my 2011) Limited with the full-time 4WD system gives me a great piece of mind in all weather conditions.

Here's a Toyota promo video that mentions off-roading, and weather conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4ojl8t92oA
 
I didn't think I needed 4wd here in the concrete metropolis of Southern CA either. Once you have it though, it gets you out exploring in places you probably wouldn't go. There's tons of cool places I wouldn't have found without 4wd.
 
Bluesky 07 said:
Then be sure to do your 10 miles a month in 4WD as Toyota recommends.
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Very interesting! First I've heard of this. Do you have any links or literature to back this up? I try to drive in 4x4 for several miles to a couple of days every month.
 
MadxMan said:
Hey folks,

Forgive me for being a noob here. Im in the market for a used 4th/5th gen 4runner with decent miles. I live in so cali. My question is, does it matter if I get a 4x4 or not? It'll just be city driving and occasional going up the mountains on paved road.

But im a features guy that just loves the fact that it has a 4x4 and can be used at whim when i need it.

What good is 4x4 for besides off roading fun. Towing?
Click to expand...

If you have it, you won't miss it. If you don't, you might. Gotta be prepared! When I bought my last Wrangler, I got a Rubicon with nav, heated seats, etc, etc. That way the whole time I owned it I never felt like I was missing out on any options. Did I use it for its full potential? No. Did I like knowing I could if I wanted to? Yes. Oh, and I have seen 4wd come in handy pulling a boat out of the water on a slick ramp.
 
It's good for the various drive train components to be active and warm up the lubricants at least once/month. Otherwise the oil drains off the stationary gears and eventually the oil film breaks and the metal is exposed to the air, inviting rust. Tests with light aircraft engines (which often sit on the ramp for weeks at a time) suggest that that process generally takes about 4 weeks.

Not sure you need to drive as much as 10 miles, but at least a few miles is good. Definitely at least once/month, and maybe a bit more often if you can.

And, of course, there's the need to regularly cycle the actuator, for 2wd-4wd, 4hi-4lo, and center diff lock. All three need regular exercise.
 
What really matters is if you really need or plan on needing a 4 wheel drive 4Runner.
If one does not have this need,having a 4x4 gives you a lot of extra weight and a lot of unneeded hardware to keep up, and a lot more expense up front.

My old Ford Bronco was a four wheel drive, and i never used it, so when i bought my 4Runner i went with the two wheel drive and a V6. so far i have not felt i made a mistake.

So again if you need the 4x4 by all means get one.
 
I will say

its nice to have AWD 4Hi available when your driving in rain, slush or snow on the road.

I also think that 4WD 4runners hold there value better than 2WD ones.
 
CookieRoe said:
Very interesting! First I've heard of this. Do you have any links or literature to back this up? I try to drive in 4x4 for several miles to a couple of days every month.
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It is in the manual (at least for the 5th gen). The 10 mile a month recommendation is meant to keep all the 4x4 bits lubricated and in working order.
 
Intention

Some folks are fine with the horizon as a fixed point in the distant landscape.
Other folks want to see what is beyond that fixed point.

All depends on how your intentions are wired.

This also applies to the learning process involved in dealing with these mechanical systems.
Some consider problem solving enjoyable.
Others, not so much.
 
MadxMan said:
What good is 4x4 for besides off roading fun. Towing?
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You'd be surprised when it might come in handy. I did a K-turn on a narrow road earlier this year in a rural area. The side of the road was very steep and sloped downward and unfortunately was muddier than I expected. The nose of the truck was now pointing upwards, my front wheels were on the road but my rear wheels would spin even when I gently applied the throttle. I shifted to 4wd, and having the front wheels on the pavement was enough to pull me out.

If it wasn't for for 4wd, I would have reversed down a steep hill into some farmer's field....and then who knows, maybe I would have needed a tow truck to winch me out.
 
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