Why 4x2?

SSingh1975

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Any reason why some folks are buying a truck but 2WD? Other than ground clearance, you don't get any benefit over a rear wheel drive car?

I'll be trading my 2011 AWD BMW X5 diesel (live in California) and trying to determine why I should get 2WD other than lower cost.

Sorry for the stupid post ..all my past vehicles have been AWD so not sure what I'm losing going with a 2WD truck.

PS: Was looking at the Tacoma but 2 things bug me considering both the Taco and Ranger are in the same price . Lack of power and outdated plastic interior/cloth interior. Looks wise, I still prefer the Taco (especially the Off Road) but haven't seen the Ranger in person. I did sign up for the demo that's coming to Sacramento on Nov 11 in a car show.
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DHare

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Big benefit over a car is that trucks have a bed that you can carry things in. Try carrying a load of lumber, sheetrock, firewood, furniture....in your car. As Rangerdanger says, most of the time you'll be in 2WD as it is damaging to the truck to use 4WD on dry roads. Some people don't feel the need for 4 wheel drive where they live - i.e. little or no snow, no off roading, etc. Both of our vehicles have to be 4 wheel drive or we can't get out of our steep driveway when it's slick, so that is a requirement when we buy. 2WD also generally gets a little better gas mileage that 4WD.
 
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kep

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Unlike an AWD a 4x4 truck needs to be manually put into 4 wheel drive when conditions need it and put back into 2 wheel drive when on dry pavement to avoid damaging the transfer case. I have had 2 wheel drive truck all my life up here on the frozen tundra of South Dakota. This will be my first 4x4. :)
 
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SSingh1975

SSingh1975

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Thanks guys. What about heavy rain, etc. Does 4WD (even in 2wd mode) handle better than a typical rear wheel drive truck?

Trading my X5 mainly for the offroad trails, camping, etc. And the high cost of ownership. My extended warranty is running out next year and I've already spend about $5k in repairs (covered under warranty..PHEW!).
 


rangerdanger

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Thanks guys. What about heavy rain, etc. Does 4WD (even in 2wd mode) handle better than a typical rear wheel drive truck?

Trading my X5 mainly for the offroad trails, camping, etc. And the high cost of ownership. My extended warranty is running out next year and I've already spend about $5k in repairs (covered under warranty..PHEW!).
The optional locking rear differential on the new Ranger will probably be more useful off-road than the 4x4 drive.
 

DHare

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Re heavy rain: 4WD is intended for consistently slippery surfaces, so heavy rain probably doesn't meet that criteria. To your other question, in 2WD the truck will handle like any other rear drive vehicle as the front axle/transfer case is disabled. There will be more weight in the front of the truck, but the 4WD won't factor in if it is not enabled. The 4WD will be very useful for off-road activities.
 

jsphlynch

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I've got a little bit of experience here as I've been driving a 2WD pickup for 15 years, and during that time I've lived in both wet (pacific northwest) and snowy (inland northwest and midwest) areas.

I've never had issues in the rain. Honestly the thought had never occurred to me that it might be nice to have 4WD on wet pavement. Snow does sometimes become an issue, especially when trying to start on a hill. The problems in the snow are minimized by throwing a little extra weight in the back to press the drive wheals down better, and by opting for tires with a more aggressive tread. Even with those precautions I probably resort to chains more frequently than I would with 4WD, but I've never felt that 2WD has actually prevented me from doing anything that I wanted to do.

Bottom line: the Ranger configuration I'm eyeballing is the 2WD. Since my off-road driving is minimal, I just can't justify the added cost of 4WD.
 

GStar

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The optional locking rear differential on the new Ranger will probably be more useful off-road than the 4x4 drive.
Would getting the locking rear diff still be useful with 4x4? Or will it only make a big impact with the 2WD Ranger?
 

rangerdanger

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Would getting the locking rear diff still be useful with 4x4? Or will it only make a big impact with the 2WD Ranger?
FX4 package comes standard with a locking rear differential. It's an optional upgrade on 4x2 and 4x4 Rangers.

Here's why a locking rear differential is important on any Ranger. Skip to 1 minute mark.

 
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jjmanzano

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Great thread! Reposting it because it really helped me make the 4WD vs 2WD decision.
 

StAugKid

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I don't need 4x4 but for me, especially if I get a midsized truck, I'm going all in for 4x4. With the size and the capability that the Ranger seems to have, I'm going to find a reason to use it.
 

Tomsriv

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I live in southern California where it never rains. My last SUV was a 4runner I bought used with 113,000 miles. It was some kind of company car so I know it never went offroad. I drove it up to 230,000 miles before I sold it. It took it to Arizona once on vacation and drove 100 miles off road. I even followed a jeep tour truck on a sight seeing tour. It was rear wheel drive and I never had a problem. I wasn't out there in the rain, so traction wasn't a problem. I don't ski or care much for winter sports so no need for those occasions. One hundred miles of off road driving out of 230,000!!!! The advantage of 2 wheel drive? It saved at least $2000 in fuel over the life of the vehicle. Less things to break. But the big one for me was not having to remove skid plates when I did oil changes. Saved me a lot of time!
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