Would anyone like to see an "All wheel-drive" Tacoma option?

Wife insists on dual zone climate and heated seats. Ridiculous.

Bingo. Never break traction.

 

Agreed... I used to live in a town that was accessible by 1 dead end hwy. long long long steep single lane switchback gravel road leading into the valley. Only tourists would try conventional braking and they'd be toasted 3/4 of the way down. Engine breaking/transmission hold-back in 4wd is a very nice way to slow down quickly on winter roads because there isn't as much weight transfer to the front wheels. Instead of doing a lunge forward, the whole truck just kind of squats down and digs in with all 4. You can definitely feel the difference.

 

I've lived in MN my whole life and can tell you the word need, 4wd, and snow should not be used in the same sentence with the exception of DEEP snow. You best bet for ice driving is to turn off all the traction gadgets and run it in 2 hi and learn how to use the gas pedal to steer assuming you have decent tires.

 

Engine breaking happens in either 2wd or 4wd. In really bad roads, I actually stay in sport mode and manually shift. I was out in an ice storm last year (~.75" sheer ice). Even the cops were stuck. I was driving around fine because of manual mode.

 

Any rubbing?
What size wheels and tires?
Debadged.. Nice.
LED swap?

 

Lots of misinformed people out there driving subarus on bad winter roads. you must think them fools.

 

I would like to see a AWD Tacoma as an option. AWD fits the type of driving I do better than a 4x4. My 06 4x4 Sport did very well on slippery roads. My son in law has a Subaru wrx that he uses to go snow boarding. Has yet to have to chain up.

The Tacoma is still my first choice when I purchase later this year. The Honda RL as got my interest. Ride comfort is high on my list.

 

Nope, no rubbing.
450/475-21, tires.
Debadged? Hell, darn near debodied!

 

I like the older grand cherokee and durango with that case.

Awd, 2hi, 4hi and 4 low. Great combo and a manual lever. Iirc they even had a neutral range. I'd take one in a heartbeat.

 

Garrison Keillor once had these words of wisdom; "The primary advantage of 4 wheel drive is that it lets you get further back in the woods before you get stuck!"

 

I've been driving in the snow and ice since I was 14. Every single year I go hooligan it up in an empty lot at the first snow in every car I own. My wife insists I'm just being juvenile, but the reality is it's a refresher to the basic way the car/truck responds. I know my wife's car will understeer and get super heavy handed with the traction control and I know basically what my truck will do (no good snow yet), but I want that subconscious familiarity brought to the surface. I want to know how things respond when I truly fuck up, only I'd rather find out in a controlled environment.

Um, engine braking in 2wd only happens at the rear wheels. In 4wd it takes place at all 4 wheels.

 

A road built for 4wd engine braking

 

Thanks for the wisdom. Don't know how I've made it this far.

 

Exactly. There is no worse time to learn how to respond to a slide than when you're in traffic. When I was about 16, my dad took me to a school parking lot and told me to do donuts without hitting anything. It's great training. It's also a lot of fun! My wife hates it.

 

Me neither.

 

A road that 99.9% of vehicle owners will never ever drive or have a need for... In those conditions, chains would be MUCH more beneficial than 4wd engine breaking.

For the vast majority of truck owners, 2wd would be sufficient if they knew how to drive.

 

GAD! My butt just clenched looking at those pics!
Worst feeling in the world is feeling the drives on a semi break loose and the rear start coming around into a jackknife...

 

Have you ever written something and then decided it was stupid? Well, my quoted post was stupid. It should have been written in the first person. As in, "I find it better to lay off of downshifting." What works for me in the hills of Kentucky is likely not what works for you on in the mountains. Anyway, post deleted because it was stupid.

 

I live in a snow belt here in central Ontario, Canada, and there are valid points mentioned in this thread on all sides of the discussion. 4X4 can lull you into overdriving the conditions. 4X4 can give you better control, if you're under control in the first place. I've used AWD, and by the time it kicks in, it might be too late. The biggest factor, IMHO, is good winter tires. What a difference. They may not look like they're filled with testosterone but they sure do the job.

 

My dad did the same thing when I was 15, didn't even have my regular license yet (had an Ag license though). We went out twice, once in our old 80 something 4wd Subaru and again in our 84 Vanagon. He took a lawn chair and a book and sat under the store awning. When I thought I was done he informed me I wasn't and I just kept going. Probably only lasted 10 minutes per vehicle, but seemed like an eternity.

Side note: '84 Vanagon, great winter grip but for the love of everything holy, don't ever break traction. I went down more hills backwards in that thing...