So I am debating on 4x4 or 4x2. I live in a semi rural area in N TX (Denton County) and while I am not a 4x4 enthusiast, I like to go out and shoot and am sorta outdoorsy. I don't expect I will NEED 4x4, but with the ice we get here during the winter, and the rain (wish it would come back) I am wondering if I should get 4x4.

Something in my head says "I would rather have and not need it, than need and not have it". I am from So Cal originally and my current 150 is more of a street truck. But now that I am in TX it might come in handy.

So the question begs, have you been that situation where you think "I should have got the 4x4!" What do y'all think?

 

I have never felt that I "need" a 4x4. There have been a few times over the years when it would have been nice, icey roads, but not near enough to justify the purchase cost plus the additional maintenance. I live in rural East Texas during the week and have some farm land. Don't have enough need there, even, to justify the cost.

 

I still drove my lowered 2wd (open diff) when it was icey/snowy out. A good driver in a 2wd can go further then an idiot with a 4x4

 

I have lived in Texas for 34 years. I have always bought 4wd trucks other than Lightnings and Corvettes. I just like the utility. I have needed it a couple times a year be it camping in Colorado, a few ice days or hauling a trailer. One year at Fun Ford Houston it there was dew on the grass lot and people were stuck one wheeling on the wet grass with loaded trailers. Coming up off slick boat ramps also helps with 4wd. I also enjoy 4wd going to the coast and driving along the beach. For the little extra cost it is nice to have the bigger looks, higher resale and utility if you live an active lifestyle.

It also worked out for us since we are active military. We are getting transferred to Missouri this year so there will be bad weather for sure.

 

I bought an 4x4 f250 but the only times I used the 4x4 was when doing 4hi boosted launches...and yeah every time I said "i needed 4x4 there" I decided to go with 2 wheel drive this time but it really comes down to what your needs are

 

you don't really need 4wd unless you will be going offroad of some sort often.

1/2 the guys i work with in the summers own farms as well and have 2wd's with no issues.

i have 4wd due to the rather have it than need it, and also i plan to be towing my toyota to trail heads and don't want to risk getting stuck in muddy parking lots.

where in denton county are you? i'll be moving to krum in a few weeks.

 

I'm in the same boat as you, so to speak. I live in Rowlett and the vast majority of the miles on my truck are 'around town' miles and commuting. I have a lakehouse on Texoma, I fish tournaments (lots of boat ramps and have NEVER once needed 4x4 to get out) and I ride dirt bikes. In all my years driving around the various off-road parks and tracks, I've only once wished I had a 4x4 because of a long uphill on wet grass. Two buddies sat at the rear of the bed and we made it out with a bit of tire spinning.

I 'wanted' a 4x4 F250, lifted on 35's or 38's, but the practical side took over and I bought (ordered) a 2WD EB screw max-tow Platinum with the 6.5' bed. I don't have the extra weight of the 4x4 system and I'll never worry about maintenance on something I might use once per year. The economics simply don't make sense for most people to own a 4x4.

And LOL at higher resale value. If you pay more for the 4WD vehicle up front, who cares if the resale is a tad higher than a comparable 2WD when it comes time to sell it?

 

Have 2wd and my truck's a daily up here in MA. You don't need it unless you just go out in storms. If the roads are that bad, you probably shouldn't be on the road anyways. A smart driver and a load 150-200lbs of sand/quik cement etc get the job done.

 

on diesels, from what i've seen it really does pay for itself. 2wd truck with equal optioned 4wd always seem 4-5k lower in price around here. on a 1/2 ton though i don't see it every paying for itself.

 

Everyone has an opinion. Myself, I had a 2wd 2010 and just traded it for a 4x4 2011. We have a lake house where its all gravel and dirt, other than my launch ramp. I had a 4x4 before and hardly ever used it, so I bought a 2wd. After having hard times trying to get up a steep ramp in the rain twice, and getting the truck stuck ALOT, I had enough. Never again.

 

Owned a 2wd 2001 f150 screw, got stuck a few times (beach, snow, mud). Next truck was a 2010 screw fx4 with a 6in lift and 35's, so you see what I decided. I dont use 4x4 all that much, since I live in the city, but I like to make trips to the beach and north into snow. If I didn't do that I would have stayed with a 2wd.

 

If you're on the fence you might consider a 2WD and then add a better LS or locker to the rear end. This would give you the ability to put a lot more power down to the back tires without going the 4WD route. You can get a good LS put in for about $800 or so. This is well under the cost of 4WD and might be all that you ever need.

I always spring for the 4WD. Yes, does add a few $$$ to the price but a good bit of that will come back when you sell or trade it in. More than likely I could get by without it but there are times it is well worth having. Pulling a boat out in the summer it is nice to have but not a necessity. The scum line at most lakes is normally only a foot or two wide and with a little driving skill can be gotten over. However, launching a duck boat in the winter time is a different story. The entire ramp can be covered in black ice, frozen reeds and dead lily pads. Then it is well worth having the ability to put power to the front wheels.

 

LOL at higher resale? Lets do a quick comparison of what 4x4 really costs you. Both examples are for a XLT crew cab truck with 5 & 1/2ft bed, no additional options, with the '07 sporting 60,000 miles, and NADA used as the pricing guide for the used truck. The difference between a 4x4 and 4x2 F150 is $2,855 for the 2011 model year. The difference in trade in value for an '07 is $3,250. SO, that is a $395 INCREASE in value over 5 years. So even if you spend $1000 to service the 4x4 equipment(which is outlandish), you still spent about $600 to have 4x4 for 5 years, or about $120 a year. Well worth it in my opinion. With all of that said, I don't "suffer" from having to make a choice. Living somewhere where there is snow on the ground 5 months a year, 4x4 was a necessity for me. Come to think of it, I am almost positive you have to special order 4x2 trucks from the dealers around me as they dont stock any.

 

That's great, but I still stand behind my comment. If it costs me $600 plus lesser performance (maybe minimal, but it's still added weight), lesser fuel economy, etc., AND it gets used maybe 3-5 times per year, I'm not buying it. Up north, maybe it makes sense. Down south, not so much.

In the end, people still buy the 4x4 so they've got it, but I'm not jumping on the bandwagon.

 

Sure, you're going to wish you had a 4x4 when it does snow or ice over. All truck owners do. But we just don't get enough of that type of weather to warrant the upgrade, in my opinion. If you had other reasons to justify the cost then it might offset the price, but weather in DFW wasn't enough to push into the upgrade.

In 3 years, this is the worst weather my F150 has seen: