Early Stages of Ranger Shopping! Question on 4x4 vs FX4!

[Dr. Zaius]

Full disclosure: I have an FX4.

Think of it this way:

3 years from now, will you notice the extra ~$800 or so that you might have spent for the FX4 vs just the locker?

Will you wonder what you "could've" had?

I knew this was going to be a long term keeper for me so once I decided on a Ranger, I looked until I found one equipped exactly like I wanted so that a few years from now there would be no "What if I would've gotten xxxx instead?"

Over the weekend we got a very rare 4" of snow here (North GA) and I actually used the Snow button.

Amazingly, the Ranger performed better in the snow than my AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the tires on the GC are arguably better than the soon-to-be-replaced Hankooks on the Ranger.

I would now have Zero concerns about my wife driving this truck in inclement weather. It is VERY confidence inspiring.

So I guess my bottom line is to think about about what you really WANT instead of just what you NEED, and if the cost differential between those 2 is worth it over the next several years.

Does my truck have more than I Need? Absolutely.

Do I regret spending a bit extra for my wants on top of that? Absolutely not.

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[Deleted member 1634]

Full disclosure: I have an FX4.

Think of it this way:

3 years from now, will you notice the extra ~$800 or so that you might have spent for the FX4 vs just the locker?

Will you wonder what you "could've" had?

I knew this was going to be a long term keeper for me so once I decided on a Ranger, I looked until I found one equipped exactly like I wanted so that a few years from now there would be no "What if I would've gotten xxxx instead?"

Over the weekend we got a very rare 4" of snow here (North GA) and I actually used the Snow button.

Amazingly, the Ranger performed better in the snow than my AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the tires on the GC are arguably better than the soon-to-be-replaced Hankooks on the Ranger.

I would now have Zero concerns about my wife driving this truck in inclement weather. It is VERY confidence inspiring.

So I guess my bottom line is to think about about what you really WANT instead of just what you NEED, and if the cost differential between those 2 is worth it over the next several years.

Does my truck have more than I Need? Absolutely.

Do I regret spending a bit extra for my wants on top of that? Absolutely not.

Good take. Same sort of thing for me too. I plan on keeping my truck, and all of it's add-ons, for a long time, so might as well do it right from the beginning. Even if it costs a bit more. Things cost money, sure, but ease of use, lack of hassle, and peace of mind should also be considered in that.

 

[Snorebaby]

Full disclosure: I have an FX4.

Think of it this way:

3 years from now, will you notice the extra ~$800 or so that you might have spent for the FX4 vs just the locker?

Will you wonder what you "could've" had?

I knew this was going to be a long term keeper for me so once I decided on a Ranger, I looked until I found one equipped exactly like I wanted so that a few years from now there would be no "What if I would've gotten xxxx instead?"

Over the weekend we got a very rare 4" of snow here (North GA) and I actually used the Snow button.

Amazingly, the Ranger performed better in the snow than my AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the tires on the GC are arguably better than the soon-to-be-replaced Hankooks on the Ranger.

I would now have Zero concerns about my wife driving this truck in inclement weather. It is VERY confidence inspiring.

So I guess my bottom line is to think about about what you really WANT instead of just what you NEED, and if the cost differential between those 2 is worth it over the next several years.

Does my truck have more than I Need? Absolutely.

Do I regret spending a bit extra for my wants on top of that? Absolutely not.

I have an XLT FX4. Do I need it? Not really. But I wanted it as I have never had a 4WD before. And I could afford it. I actually ordered a 2WD XLT and then test drove a FX4 at a Ford Drive Event in Atlanta. Loved the features and for a 4WD noob like me, it's a no brainer. Went back and ordered the truck in the FX4 package. I only used the 4WD setting once to get out of a mildly steep gravel parking lot. Didn't need to use it...cars and trucks enter and exit that parking lot all the time....but it was there so I turned the knob and selected Sand.

I keep vehicles a long time...I still drive my '96 Ranger Scab XLT that I bought new, the wife has her '13 F-150 Screw XLT that she loves and wants to keep until the Ranger is paid for, then it's the Bronco for her. So the extra cash for the FX4 package is a moot point for me as I could afford it. Not planning on trading it anytime soon. I could have waited and got it a little cheaper, but I wanted one as soon as I could and ordered it.

So it is totally up to you and what you want and can afford. If you are happy with it, then that's all that matters.

 

[Professoriate]

Some years ago I wrecked my first beloved Ranger (a 2004 EDGE stepside) on a snowy night, trying to avoid an SUV that was driving in the middle of the country road I was taking home that night. It wasn't avoiding that SUV that caused the wreck, but my inability to recover from that swerve with any control. I vowed that when I could afford a 4x4 I would get one.

My 2019 XL FX4 SuperCab is my 4th Ranger, and the first I could afford to buy with 4 wheel drive. In making good on my vow, I got the FX4 package not only to be able to take it on excursions literally off the beaten path but to maximize the chance that it doesn't end up like that first Ranger. This winter I've only had one chance to take it into some snow, and the terrain management with 4Hi more than met my expectations. The truck felt planted and stable in ways that I could only dream of with my first three 2 wheel drive Rangers. I can enthusiastically endorse the FX4 package, even if I never end up off-roading or overlanding with the truck, things I fully intend to do.

 

[ldr01rl]

Go to a dealer that will let you borrow a Ranger for the weekend. That'll help your decision. The dealer I was dealing with delivered a Ranger to my door (42 miles away). I chose the crewcab XLT4x4. The FX4 was appealing. But my truck is used as a worktruck/grocery getter/kid hauler and occasional date night ride so the chances of me using an FX4 to it's designed limits were slim.

 

[Mokume]

I've decided that I want a truck, in 4-wheel drive, and I'm a big fan of Ford products. I'm gravitating towards the Ranger, because I want my wife to be comfortable driving it in a pinch (inclement weather, if I have too much to drink out on the lake, etc.). She wont drive something the size of an F-150 or larger, so I'm not even going to look at them.

I've got a 2-wheel drive, 5.0 1998 Explorer Limited that I use for lake duties; hauling my dog and coolers to our lakeside cabin, launching and recovering our boat. I've gotten the Explorer stuck, badly, on two different occasions and had to be towed out on both occasions by our neighbor with his Tacoma. Embarrassing! On both of those occasions, it started raining while we were asleep, and the next morning the Explorer wouldn't get out of our parking spot.

Luckily I haven't had any issues on the boat ramp, but I'm really wanting something in 4-wheel drive just-in-case. The Ranger's towing capacity is more than enough for our 18.5' bow-rider.

My main question is; is the FX4 package worth spending the extra coin on?

As far as the FX4 package is concerned, I like the idea of my wife being able to have a system that could help her if she ever finds herself driving the Ranger in the snow. Also, I like the idea of possibly loading up the Ranger and heading out for some trail driving in North Georgia, and evening possibly setting it up for an overlanding/camping situation one day. Right off the bat, I plan on adding some accessories to the truck to make it work better for how I see us using it. I'd like to add a bed rack; for hauling kayaks, and spare fuel. I really would like an easy way to haul ethanol-free fuel out to the lake for the boat and the overlanding rack setups would be perfect for this. I can also see adding a more aggressive tire, leveling kit, auxiliary lighting, slider bars, and a winch at some point if I end up in a new Ranger.

Would I be well served with an XL STX 4x4, or would it really be worth stepping up an XLT FX4 for the enhanced 4x4 capabilities?

Thank you and I look forward to reading what people think about this.

Although not 4x4 or FX4 related, I insisted that my 2020 4x2 S/Cab have a locking third member which, alone costs $420.
The new for 2020 FX2 package includes the locker, raised white letter tires, an off road screen in the dash cluster and other items, all for a mere $175 more.
Opting for the FX2 package was a no-brainer for me

 

[Glocker]

Full disclosure: I have an FX4.

Think of it this way:

3 years from now, will you notice the extra ~$800 or so that you might have spent for the FX4 vs just the locker?

Will you wonder what you "could've" had?

I knew this was going to be a long term keeper for me so once I decided on a Ranger, I looked until I found one equipped exactly like I wanted so that a few years from now there would be no "What if I would've gotten xxxx instead?"

Over the weekend we got a very rare 4" of snow here (North GA) and I actually used the Snow button.

Amazingly, the Ranger performed better in the snow than my AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the tires on the GC are arguably better than the soon-to-be-replaced Hankooks on the Ranger.

I would now have Zero concerns about my wife driving this truck in inclement weather. It is VERY confidence inspiring.

So I guess my bottom line is to think about about what you really WANT instead of just what you NEED, and if the cost differential between those 2 is worth it over the next several years.

Does my truck have more than I Need? Absolutely.

Do I regret spending a bit extra for my wants on top of that? Absolutely not.

Where are you in the North GA area? That snow was nice- in that it melted before the day ended! I live in Marietta and work up in North GA.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Where are you in the North GA area? That snow was nice- in that it melted before the day ended! I live in Marietta and work up in North GA.

Up near the outlet mall.

 

[Mpro2]

When we go out into the desert there's a lot of soft sand and washes. It does change the shift points in that mode so when you're in the deep soft sand it does help with that too. I do agree that most people never use these features. When I had my Tacoma I never once used them but with my Ranger I find myself using them often.

Now I don't do anything hard core but it's still nice to have these features in case you run into unexpected trouble out there. We go up to Sedona a couple times a year and there are some rocky trails there so this is where is really comes in handy. The TM control is nice as you can set your desired speed low to like 3-4 mph so when you're going over a real rocky area you don't have to worry about your foot hitting and mashing the gas. Set your speed and just steer,the TM will work the gas and brakes for you. It's really nice going down a steep decent where your only job is to steer and not have to worry about braking pressure. IIRC the picture below showed a 26% grade on the dash.

OP if you never plan on doing much off roading with yours don't waste the money on it,just get the rear locker and save the extra money for other mods. You'll need it if you're on this site long enough. lol

Lol! Your pic looks like the average Texas driveway.....just sayin!

 

[AzScorpion]

Lol! Your pic looks like the average Texas driveway.....just sayin!

That's how are main roads are back east in MA! lol

 

[DeadSkiHead]

Nice to see some Georgia people in the thread. I was born and raised in North Atlanta but live in California now. I got the FX4 because I'm going to be using this truck a lot for overlanding and getting up mountains in the snow/ice. I plan on adding a Fox suspension kit and better tires eventually, but I knew I'd want the extra skid plates and trail modes right now. It will probably be another year (or maybe less) before I continue with the upgrades because I just spent a good bit on the Snugtop and the rest of my fun money goes to ski trips and backpacking. Some good advice in this thread (getting a 4x4 with the rear locker vs just getting the FX4) and I don't think you can really go wrong with either. Georgia is a wet state and any offroading or trailering done with a Ranger with four-wheel drive should be good for you, regardless of whether you go with the FX4 package or not.

Now if I can just figure out how to get a front locker and/or how painful a solid axle swap would be lol

 

[Glocker]

Up near the outlet mall.

Cool. I work up in Waleska, north of Canton.

 

[caprtaineddie]

Cool. I work up in Waleska, north of Canton.

We frequently go to Reinhardt College for concerts.

 

[THLONE]

If you want/ need it, get it. I did not need it so I didn't get it. Choice is wonderful.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

John, my two cents on this is that, I got a loaded FX4 Lariat because, at this point in my life--I am 66 and still working full time--I can afford to treat myself when it comes to vehicles, and my wife (who does not drive) supports me in this. I do not go off road, haul, or tow, but I like the idea of knowing that I could, and I might have to, at some point, and so I am prepared for whatever comes in terms of bad roads, debris on the freeway, snow storms, etc. I did not like the bounciness of the stock FX4 but improved it with the Ford Performance Leveling Kit, which gives a more stable ride, higher sitting position, and better approach/clearance angles. I would not worry about the complexity of the system. The snow and other modes are simple to operate and can be easily changed; run through it once with the wife, and she will be able to use it as needed. This is, of course, an individual and subjective judgement as to what one needs, wants, etc. I don't need all this stuff, but I wanted it and am happy with my choices regarding the Ranger. I hope that you end up happy with whatever choices you make....

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