Talk me in to 4wd

S

sevenstorydrop

New member
Ok, I'm going to be getting an SR5 pretty soon, but I'm not sure if I should get a 4wd model. I'm near Dallas, where it's flat everywhere, we rarely get any icy or snowy weather, and any trails for explicit offroading are over an hour away. I'm just not sure that I would ever use 4wd. I understand that it's good for resale, but the detractors are a higher initial cost, higher fuel costs, and higher insurance cost. Other than the "It's nice to have" what are the reasons I should consider it?
 
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sevenstorydrop said:
Ok, I'm going to be getting an SR5 pretty soon, but I'm not sure if I should get a 4wd model. I'm near Dallas, where it's flat everywhere, we rarely get any icy or snowy weather, and any trails for explicit offroading are over an hour away. I'm just not sure that I would ever use 4wd. I understand that it's good for resale, but the detractors are a higher initial cost, higher fuel costs, and higher insurance cost. Other than the "It's nice to have" what are the reasons I should consider it?
Click to expand...

There are your trails less than an hour away.
Bridgeport, TX - Official Website - Northwest OHV Park

sandcrawler said:
because otherwise a roomy crossover is a perfectly reasonable vehicle choice for your needs?
Click to expand...

x2^^
 
Buy a car then...if you are getting a truck, you should go for 4wd. I've always found it weird that in the south if you wanna buy a truck, 4wd is an option, whereas in Canada if you wanna buy a truck, 2wd is an option. I've never seen a 2wd on the lots.

I've had two separate friends buy a 2wd truck and both have regretted it.

Isn't the 4wd on the SR5 engageable? That being the case, you are in 2wd until you need or want it. There should be no difference in mileage from that to a fulltime 2wd...unless you are in 4wd of course.

I've ditched a truck before and was lucky I had 4wd...no way I would've got out of the situation in 2wd. I would've had a large tow bill...the lockers I had helped too.

4wd is cooler. 2wd is not cool.

Resale. There is a larger market for 4wd over 2wd.

What happens if you decide to go for a little trail run with your friends..."oh sorry, I can't. My ride only has 2 wheels that move"

Come on man, you know you want it!

I've tried my best, anyone else wanna chime in?
 
I may need to tow a tractor or boat on occasion, and I don't think that a Hylander would cut it. Plus, I like the clearance in 4r for some terrain when camping, biking, and some stuff out on my dad's land. The GM Lambda twins are too big for what I want, the Pilot sucks. What else is there. Plus, I really like the looks of the 4runner, and the roll down rear window is a feature I really like.
 
I've been in Dallas during an ice storm. I managed the drive from my hotel to the client's office in Las Colinas just fine in my front-wheel-drive rental car. The rear-wheel-drive pickup trucks weren't going anywhere, and the same would likely be true of a rear-wheel-drive 4Runner.

Personally, I just don't see the point of a 2WD 4Runner. YMMV.
 
I have a v6 2wd and I am very attached and happy with her but I wish she was 4wd... if I could go back in time...I would have paid the extra 2,500 and went with the other V8 4wd that was in the lot and within my budget.

Go with 4wd unless you are 200% for sure you will never ever need it or go offroading or camping or something similar.
 
I made the mistake of buying a 2wd 4runner on my last go round. At the time I had another 4runner on 35s that was double locked and could tackle just about anything, so I figured I did not need 4wd on the new daily driver. I regretted that decision for the life of my car. It was a mistake I vowed I would never make again, it really limits you if you ever want to do anything besides drive on pavement. Sure 95% of the time you will be on pavement, but that 5% killed me every-time it came up.

Do the smart thing and get 4wd, there is no way you would regret it.
 
AWD is a superior powertrain setup regardless if you go off road. And yes, the SR5 should be your choice since you can run 2WD or 4WD.

Besides, how impressed would the ladies be if, pulling your boat out of the water, the weight of the boat made the rear wheels slip and spin on the ramp, and you had to get help?

Man up for the 4WD.
 
sevenstorydrop said:
Ok, I'm going to be getting an SR5 pretty soon, but I'm not sure if I should get a 4wd model. I'm near Dallas, where it's flat everywhere, we rarely get any icy or snowy weather, and any trails for explicit offroading are over an hour away. I'm just not sure that I would ever use 4wd. I understand that it's good for resale, but the detractors are a higher initial cost, higher fuel costs, and higher insurance cost. Other than the "It's nice to have" what are the reasons I should consider it?
Click to expand...

BTW as far as the snowy or icy weather, do you remember Christmas this past year? We had three occasions in the last three months that 4WD was critical on our roads. I would rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.
 
You don't need 4WD for a dry fields and rutted dirt or gravel. 2WD loses 300 pounds and drives a little bit better.

You don't need a real body on frame truck for that either, something like a Highlander drops another 400 pounds on top of that and drives a lot better. Will save you real money on gas too.
 
Its all about the possibilities. The 4x4 opens you up to possibilities you wouldn't have with a 2wd. You may never use it, but at least you have to option to use it if you need/want it.

Also, these things last forever, so you are sure you will not need it (or like to have it on a ski, camping, fishing trip, etc...) over the next 5-10 years? Never have any bad weather? Never need to pull a friend out of a ditch, or drive down a trail looking for a lost dog... you get the idea.

Maybe having 4x4 will get you to look for things to do and you could find a new hobby... i.e. surf fishing, camping, hiking...
 
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I'd go 4WD. You just never know when you're going to need it, especially if you plan on going camping, pulling a boat, etc. Dallas gets some pretty bad weather too.
 
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the sr5 and trail have a part time 4wd system with a two speed transfer case..

so essentially you would have a rear wheel drive truck until you need 4wd.. at which point you simply engage 4wd and carry on while others are stuck or spinning around :D

i would seriously reconsider buying a 2wd 4runner.. get the 4wd or else you may experience the greatest sense of buyers remorse ever possible in the history of your lifetime... :D
 
I have found myself in multiple situations over the years driving a 2wd car and saying to myself, "Dang I sure wish I had 4wd!"

I have NEVER found myself in one of my 4wd vehicles (since 1995) saying, "Man I sure wish I didn't have 4wd."
 
Man I say go with the 4WD. When I purchased my 4Runner in 2008 I did some hiking and camping but never was into off roading and trail riding. Two years later I am kicking myself for not buying the 4WD. It is better to have it than not to have it. Go buy the 4WD. I will assure you the next 4Runner I buy will be a 4WD. No doubt about it.
 
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