Is it a mistake to not take the 4WD option?

[UncleBob]

I've never been a "truck guy", and am considering this being my first. I have no plans to go off-roading or pull crazy heavy loads, but do live in a place that can get a little nasty in the winter. I think it'll be the typical "Pavement Princess".

When pricing this out, the 4WD option costs an extra $4000. Compared to the cars and crossovers that I'm used to that are half that price, that's a pretty tough pill to swallow. $4k seems awfully high, especially if there's no automatic kick-on.

Should I just look at picking up a set of snow-tires, and call it a day with a 2WD truck?

It’s not just the extra $4K at purchase. The insurance takes a hit with every policy. The insurance will always assume a higher risk of off-roading even if you never intend to ever do any.

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[VAMike]

Safer on snow/ice . . . so insurance should be lower ?

Probably net more expensive to insure for snow/ice. Getting stuck isn't chargeable--not being able to stop is what causes expensive accidents. (And 4wd doesn't do squat for stopping.)

 

[FX4inDE]

I can't dispute this but I can never understand insurance rates. My 2020 4X4 Ranger is $10 cheaper per month than my 2010 Chevy Silverado 4X4 for the exact same coverage. Go figure. Maybe it's the lane assist and other safety features.

 

[ScrappyLaptop]

I've never been a "truck guy", and am considering this being my first. I have no plans to go off-roading or pull crazy heavy loads, but do live in a place that can get a little nasty in the winter. I think it'll be the typical "Pavement Princess".

When pricing this out, the 4WD option costs an extra $4000. Compared to the cars and crossovers that I'm used to that are half that price, that's a pretty tough pill to swallow. $4k seems awfully high, especially if there's no automatic kick-on.

Should I just look at picking up a set of snow-tires, and call it a day with a 2WD truck?

My prior Ranger was a late 90's 4x4 and I used 4wd every day in December and January for the first few years. Maybe two weeks in November and February. But then, we lived up in the mountains and I needed to go over a 3,000 foot summit to get to the nearest big town (now a small city) for work or to go to stores. I was younger and on the few safe sections I loved to throw roostertails from all four corners if the plow hadn't been through in a while. We also lived on a gravel road that occasionally got sloppy in the rain.

After we moved, I needed to use 4wd maybe twice in twenty years. I'd use it any time I was off pavement like going to the dump or at the in-laws just to keep the moving parts moving, but really only needed it twice. Even then I could've gotten around it. I had a good mechanic that I trusted and about half the repairs (or extra maintenance) were in some way connected to the extra complexity of 4wd.

So now my 2020 is 2wd. But it's got four doors for the kids and an automatic so my wife can drive it if she needs to (not that a manual is available). The bed is big enough for what I need to haul and it'll tow what I need to tow. It's a good fit.

Match your truck to your life and you won't be sorry.

 

[OFC Ranger]

I can't dispute this but I can never understand insurance rates. My 2020 4X4 Ranger is $10 cheaper per month than my 2010 Chevy Silverado 4X4 for the exact same coverage. Go figure. Maybe it's the lane assist and other safety features.

Trying to understand insurance company calculations is a fruitless act.

My wife's 2011 Lexus RX350 with 75k miles cost nearly the same (like a $10 difference) as my 2019 Ranger with less than 1500 miles. Same coverage on both.

 

[jsphlynch]

It’s not just the extra $4K at purchase. The insurance takes a hit with every policy. The insurance will always assume a higher risk of off-roading even if you never intend to ever do any.

Before I bought mine, I got insurance quotes for both 4x4 and RWD. 4x4 was slightly cheaper. I would have thought it would be more expensive if for no other reason than the replacement cost was higher.

Trying to understand insurance company calculations is a fruitless act.

Exactly.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

My prior Ranger was a late 90's 4x4 and I used 4wd every day in December and January for the first few years. Maybe two weeks in November and February. But then, we lived up in the mountains and I needed to go over a 3,000 foot summit to get to the nearest big town (now a small city) for work or to go to stores. I was younger and on the few safe sections I loved to throw roostertails from all four corners if the plow hadn't been through in a while. We also lived on a gravel road that occasionally got sloppy in the rain.

After we moved, I needed to use 4wd maybe twice in twenty years. I'd use it any time I was off pavement like going to the dump or at the in-laws just to keep the moving parts moving, but really only needed it twice. Even then I could've gotten around it. I had a good mechanic that I trusted and about half the repairs (or extra maintenance) were in some way connected to the extra complexity of 4wd.

So now my 2020 is 2wd. But it's got four doors for the kids and an automatic so my wife can drive it if she needs to (not that a manual is available). The bed is big enough for what I need to haul and it'll tow what I need to tow. It's a good fit.

Match your truck to your life and you won't be sorry.

I don't go off-road much, but sometimes off-road can come to you in the form of bad roads, misplaced obstacles and debris, and the occasional wild snowstorm we get in DE. Sure, the FX4 costs more up front, and may cost more in insurance (or not), but the peace of mind that comes with being prepared for anything is worth the price of admission for me. No regrets!

 

[UncleBob]

Safer on snow/ice . . . so insurance should be lower ?

You'd think, right? But that is just common sense logic.
Insurance companies use bottom line $ logic.. If you have 4x4, you 'might' take it off road and break something that they might have to cover under their policy so that want to raise the premiums.

 

[VAMike]

You'd think, right? But that is just common sense logic.
Insurance companies use bottom line $ logic.. If you have 4x4, you 'might' take it off road and break something that they might have to cover under their policy so that want to raise the premiums.

They don't base anything on "might", they base it on how much they've paid out in the past for similar vehicles.

And, again, there's nothing "safer" about 4wd in the snow. Safe is staying off the road.

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