You buy a 4X4 because you want it, not because you need it. People will keep telling you how important it was that they have it for the times they have needed it. However, if they would admit it, they would not have been in that position if they only had a 4X2. I "have" to have one now even though I drove 40+ years in snowy mountains without it and never failed to get home.

 

Thats a load of BS. Maybe true for a lot of us, but when I go out in the country and need to get down a stage 2 road in the mud, 2wd will NOT make it. If you want to do chores efficiently, go hunting, etc. 4wd will get you there and 2wd will NOT. You NEED 4wd for these things or a good tractor.....

 

I can tell you my truck stinks in the snow in 2 wheel drive. But its a whole different story in 4x4. If you want 4x2 just order it. The FX2 looks pretty sweet.

 

Just remember, 4x4 allows you to get deeper in trouble...

That said, I'd never give it up, espicially with the few little snow storms we get around here in the midwest. Last weeks 12" was fun to play in, I actually used the 4lo crawling through the deeper stuff. Don't know if I actually needed it, but used it none the less.

 

Well, I have 4X4 and I live in Southern California (90+ here today, damn these Orange County winters). I travel to Mammoth and the Sierra extensively. Snowfall there can make even Buffalo look tame. I LOVE not having to put #@!! chains on. Worse, taking them off when they're filthy, muddy and nasty. Last year, I had issues getting my two jet skiis out of Lake Mohave with my old '97 2X 4.6L. Rocks were slick and I did a whole lotta spinnin' to get 'em back out of the water. Ain't gonna be that way this year. 4X4's don't necessarily hold value better. The selling price may look higher for used vehicles, but they cost more to purchase and definitely more to own/run. I can tell you this as well, when I was looking at trucks, a lot of the 4X4's ( used, of course) had been pretty well thrashed by the previous owner. They will not get the same mileage, but then again, who of us is buying a newer SuperCrew for mileage? That being said, I've already used mine 4 times this winter and didn't even drop to 4 low in over 2 feet of snow. Turning a switch on the dash while all the other guys are on the ground on the side of the road putting chains / cables on? PRICELESS!!! Long story staying long, I'd opt. for the 4 wheeler any day.

 

I have to call BS on this. You are just gereralizing, yes most do not "need" 4WD, but there are some of us that do need it. Like me, where our shop (where we keep all our tools, equipment and some materials) is located the hill is a 6-7% grade about 500 yards long and is usually the last road that gets plowed. Or if like 2 snow storms we have gotten in the last week, totaling 32-33" of snow, the village has yet to plow the road. And if where not for 4WD we would not have been to get to the shop to get our tools and some materials that we have need for work. Plus some job sites that we have it would be impossible to get to if it were not for 4WD. These are the reasons that I said I had one 2WD truck and will never have another.

 

I live here too and have a 4x4.

beach, boat ramps, hauling an RV, lots of opportunities to use it.

 

I've had both and currently prefer the 4x2 for a few reasons. One, it's cheaper tp purchase. Two, less crap to fix when transmission/transfer case starts screwing up. Three, I consider push-button 4 wheel drive "pseudo4x4"- might have it when you need, might not(esp on new F150s). Four, with the new body style sides, I'm 6'6" and would hate it being any harder to reach over in the bed of the darn thing. Five, when I had 4x4 I wished I had 4x2 b/c I never actually used it. Last but not least Six, if I need to go off-road to where I would actually need it, esp mud and water situations, I have the excuse to tell my buddy we need to take his 4x4 truck. I can't see paying 30+ thousand buck to stick it in a mud hole. Besides, I think my paid for 4x4 piece of crap jeep wrangler that can go thru anything fits the bill better. If not, my four wheeler will.

 

You fellows have something in common. You never learned how to drive a 4X2 off road. There is not a lot of skill involved in putting a truck in four wheel drive and steering. When I learned to drive in 1962, a four wheel drive was very rare (almost exclusively used for heavy business such as the railroad, etc), there was no front wheel drive and everyone had an open differential. But somehow, we all made it wherever we needed to go (as opposed to wanted to go) and nobody missed work due to the weather.

 

no, they had it right


you can't generalize like you did with any degree of accuracy, which is what they've pointed out

i've driven both 2wd and 4wd, and i don't go mudding, play around off-road, etc...however i do go back home occasionally, where people live on dirt roads that get muddy when it rains, and 4wd is sometimes necessary...i have on occasion had to drive around a field picking up hay before a storm, and 4wd was necessary when the rain came before we finished...i've driven to the slopes for snowboarding before and made it 200 miles across NM during a blizzard that closed major roads in a 2wd only to get stuck, with chains, at the bottom of the hill on which our cabin sits, 300 yards away...a 4wd was necessary then too...

i agree that some skill allows for 2wd to cover a lot of ground--but it's ridiculous to make such a broad generalization that nobody needs 4wd...

i suppose it all depends on one's definition of 'needs'--if i have a tractor handy and don't mind wading through mud to go get it and losing the time to pull out a 2wd, then you're right, i don't 'need' 4wd


as an aside--mileage difference with modern 4wheel drive 1/2 ton pickups is inconsequential in fords...there's as much or more delta between identical pickups than 4wd vs 2wd...and it doesn't weigh just a whole lot either, so unless you are hauling or towing at or near your maximum rating, not much difference there either

all in all, yes it's a premium, but it's worth it to some of us who need it or want it

 

sco440

Since you live in SW NY (I'm guessing Buffalo area) you are subject to the same weather phenomena that we have here in Cleveland, lake-effect snow. Because of that, my last two trucks were 4x4's. Having a 4x4 is not a savior or a cure-all, but it does help in poor traction conditions, they DO NOT help you on ice or during stopping. All 04-up F-150 4x4's have vacuum operated hubs (ESOF and manual) so the front driveline is not rotating in 2wd mode, therefore, gas mileage is almost identical in a 2wd and a 4x4 in 2HI.

 

Yes, it is. And don't get me wrong I think 4 x 4 is great but only if you actually have a use for it. Me I didn't, so 2wd for me.

 

I couldn't go out to the party spots without 4WD. .

 

It has become apparent to me that this is a topic of much debate among all truck owners.

My opinion:
A two-wheel drive truck is no less of a truck than a four-wheel drive. I think that 4x4s look better (taller stance, tow hooks, fog lights, etc.), and I know that they perform better when the conditions demand the 4WD, but 2WD is just as good. I live in Florida so I don't need the 4x4, but I do drive on the beach, pull a boat, and drive in torrential rain with absolutely no problems. I also think that the leveling kit and all-terrains make it look just as tough as any 4x4 out there.

The facts:
Four-wheel drive is strictly a matter of personal preference. That is the bottom line. Some people need it, some do not. You'll notice that most work trucks are 4x2s (at least where I live), so what does that tell you? Make your decision based on your needs and how you will use the truck. However, if you get a 4x2 make sure you have the 5.4 V8 and the limited slip... it really helps. Seriously.

All in all, a truck is a truck, and whether you get a 2WD or 4WD, just make sure it's a Ford.

 

4X4 Go Big or Go Home!!!!!! LOL