2WD or 4WD

[Drummin4jc]

As my dad would always say:

"Rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it." Go 4x4.

Adam

 

[CVX20]

Resale totally out weighs the extra cost of buying a 4WD.
2WD's where I live are worth half the money of a 4WD shortly after they're driven off the lot.

 

[Iron Outlaw]

If you are asking then get 4x4. In my opinion every household needs at least one 4x4.

 

[freefallin]

Get the 4WD. I lived in South Texas for close to 15+ years and never thought I would need a 4WD, boy that was a mistake once I moved North of Waco and now living in the Northeast.

Unfortunately, I Currently live in S. Tx. Going out to play in the mud after rainstorms has required 4x4 on several occasions (stock suspension and tires).

To the OP: Get the 4x4.

 

[lagerstout]

Get the 4x4. The MPG penalty is only 1 MPG on a HEMI model.

 

[Ram Man]

Living in FL, limited slip and all terrains have been able to handle any dirt road, washed out road, clay road, farm road, property road, etc with ease.... Now I am not going out looking for trails in the national forest in my $40k truck like others however... But like you, that's why I ride dirt bikes. My crf450 will go anywhere I tell it to!

Plus I got a decent discount on my insurance for having 2wd instead of 4x4.

 

[U&A]

In my experience, there will almost always be a time that you wish you had it/NEEDED it. it is a very helpful/useful feature in a truck. I personally would NEVER buy a truck without it. and my wife will never buy an SUV without true 4x4.

the only downside besides the extra weight and slightly less MPG is the high cost in replacing the parts. And they WILL need replaced eventually. if you can deal with that....than I say you should get a 4x4.

I work with a guy that says " 4x4 just gets you stuck further in" or " you wouldn't have gone there in the first place if you didn't have 4x4". while I understand the idea of this....I still call ********. there have been way to many times that I HAD to get through something or over something and NEEDED 4x4. there was no other option.

 

[U&A]

for example when my power went out last year in the middle of a rain storm. my engine drive welder was on my trailer in the back yard and I needed it to power the house.. my 4x4 f150 made a huge mess out of my yard. I had to do the forward revers forward revers dance many times to get out of the yard with the trailer. but i finally did and was able to power the house.

couldn't have even fathomed it with only 2x4. just wouldn't have happened. would have lost hundreds of dollars of food in the deep freeze and with a new born baby under 4 mouths... I needed power.

get the 4x4.

FRONT YARD . FENCE IS THE PROPERTY LINE.

 

[Tray Burge]

Wrong forum to ask, most here are biased to being lifted, jmo. Go 2WD and lower it.

 

[U&A]

right forum to ask, most here are biased to being lifted, jmo. Go 4WD and LIFT it.

2wd sucks


fixed it for you

 

[dexter]

for example when my power went out last year in the middle of a rain storm. my engine drive welder was on my trailer in the back yard and I needed it to power the house.. my 4x4 f150 made a huge mess out of my yard. I had to do the forward revers forward revers dance many times to get out of the yard with the trailer. but i finally did and was able to power the house.

couldn't have even fathomed it with only 2x4. just wouldn't have happened. would have lost hundreds of dollars of food in the deep freeze and with a new born baby under 4 mouths... I needed power.

get the 4x4.

FRONT YARD . FENCE IS THE PROPERTY LINE.

Get a 2wd and buy a Honda Generator - a much simpler, less expensive, versatile and elegant solution.

 

[U&A]

Get a 2wd and buy a Honda Generator - a much simpler and elegant solution.

why would i buy another generator when my engine drive welder will power the whole house.

that is not a better solution.

EDIT: and what was the problem that you needed to solve?

 

[sbarron]

Here in Alaska, t's a no-brainer. t=They rarely even have 2WD on the lot. In Florida, I'm sure 99.9% of the time a 2WD would be fine.

Let me take the U&A rain scenario a little further... though unlikely, what if you had to get out of the way of or get caught in a hurricane/tropical storm? Any chance there would be advantage to 4WD? Asking the question just for thought as I have no personal experience with either, nor any experience in Florida.

 

[ColdCase]

A 4WD in auto or locked mode much less prone to hydroplaning. It will pull you through deep puddles with much more stability (or more speed). Even more dramatic is travelling over those piles of slush that piles up between lanes, just apply a bit of throttle as you change lanes... but thats not a scenario seen in fla.

I have a 4WD jeep to use in those conditions I see rarely, which changes things quite a bit. If the RAM was my only driver, it would have to be 4WD so I can get around when I need to without much drama/anxiety

 

[Tray Burge]

Get a 2wd and buy a Honda Generator - a much simpler, less expensive, versatile and elegant solution.

The smartest solution stated, like I said, the majority of guys here are lifted and 4x4.

 

[U&A]

The smartest solution stated, like I said, the majority of guys here are lifted and 4x4.

so what do I do when I need 4x4? grab my Honda generator?

 

[Tray Burge]

No, go hop in your Jeep like I do. lol
Your taking this way too serious "what she said", I just said they're mostly 4x4 and lifted guys here, not putting anybody down, just an observation.

 

[crash68]

A 4WD in auto or locked mode much less prone to hydroplaning. It will pull you through deep puddles with much more stability (or more speed). Even more dramatic is travelling over those piles of slush that piles up between lanes, just apply a bit of throttle as you change lanes... but thats not a scenario seen in fla.

It doesn't matter whether your in two or four wheel drive when it comes to hydroplaning. Once your tires can no longer displace the water from under it and you have enough speed for the water to lift the wheel off of the ground, your going for a ride. Almost like on ice, four wheel drive may get you going but when it comes to traction to stop or maneuver, good luck with that too.
I usually see more 4WD in the ditch or smashed along the center divider when the weather is bad cause the driver's think their invincible. We get our fair share of crappy weather here in Michigan.

 

[sbarron]

It doesn't matter whether your in two or four wheel drive when it comes to hydroplaning. Once your tires can no longer displace the water from under it and you have enough speed for the water to lift the wheel off of the ground, your going for a ride. Almost like on ice, four wheel drive may get you going but when it comes to traction to stop or maneuver, good luck with that too.
I usually see more 4WD in the ditch or smashed along the center divider when the weather is bad cause the driver's think their invincible. We get our fair share of crappy weather here in Michigan.

This. 4WD only helps with going, not stopping.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ColdCase]

It doesn't matter whether your in two or four wheel drive when it comes to hydroplaning. Once your tires can no longer displace the water from under it and you have enough speed for the water to lift the wheel off of the ground, your going for a ride. Almost like on ice, four wheel drive may get you going but when it comes to traction to stop or maneuver, good luck with that too.
I usually see more 4WD in the ditch or smashed along the center divider when the weather is bad cause the driver's think their invincible. We get our fair share of crappy weather here in Michigan.

The rest of your post may be Ok, but its dead wrong about fluid dynamics, hydroplaning and 4WD, and thats from 50+ experience on wet roads with 4WD and decent tires. Because 4WD applies power to the front wheels, they will start to spin a bit as they start to lift, shed water, and dig in. So there is much less tendency for uncontrolled hydroplane. Now as far as stopping thats another issue as the tires in the water without traction are not spinning, just pushing water and acting as a hydrofoil. Think of what you would do in mudding. You want the tires spinning to shed mud, dig in to more solid earth, and perhaps grab enough traction. Water is thin mud .

Anyway, I was just commenting of what advantage, albeit minor, that 4WD would have in wet weather. You can believe it or not, as its just fluid dynamics and physics that not everyone can get a handle on. Of course there is a point where you will hydroplane regardless, but spinning wheels shed water better, dig to the bottom of the puddle better and make for just a tad more control... but you don't want too much spin either. Spinning tires will also grab traction earlier than a stopped tire. So 4WD is better. The effect is more dramatic in slush ridges than water puddles.

Many of the folks you see in the ditch are those that have a tendency to panic and slam on the brakes when in trouble and then go for a spin. If you accidentally get into a bad situation (poor planing) using a bit of finesse or powering through may a better approach (but in traffic you also want to get away from the morons driving too fast and slamming on the brakes). Sometimes you are just screwed regardless.