4x4, how necessary is it?

I know this mostly personal preference and I've done some research on it, I know there are threads discussing this but wanted a more specific advise.

Some of the exciting things I plan to do with my Tacoma are to go to beaches and to tow stuff in the future (light-weight things like trailers or jet skis).

My car(s) almost always get stuck in the sand at beaches, so I'm excited to have something that will hopefully take care of that while driving up and down the coast. I know tires will be a large factor here, but should I be fine in a 4x2? Sand, towing, and some rare off-road occasions are about the extent of my plans, and before I make a $40k commitment I'd really like to double check.

TIA

 

If you are planning to pay $40k, you should have four wheel drive on that truck.

 

I use my 4x4 a lot to retrieve my boat at sand or dirt launches. It's a heck of a lot heavier than a jet ski, but there are times I would have gotten stuck without 4x4. The only time I use my 4x4 aside from that is in the snow, and even that is rare. The most miles I use my 4wd is when I purposely take the long way home on the dirt road to give it a work out.

 

Most trophy trucks/dune buggies/etc are RWD; proper tires (and sufficiently low tire pressure) are the most important thing for driving in sand. 4WD is icing on the cake.

 

If you even have any doubts, you should probably just get it. Sand is tough to drive in, even with 4WD.

 

4 wheel drive makes it easy. If you're going 2 wheel drive be prepared to air down on the sand (carry a compressor to air back up) and get the offroad package for the locker.

 

We have lot of sand/mud in our date garden here in Los Angeles

Without a 4wd I would be out of luck

However the stripped down sr5 4x4 shouldn't be anywhere close to 40k

 

It's only necessary when you need it.

 

4wd really isn't needed for towing.

Having low range is probably just as helpful for boat launches as 4wd is.


Also, 4wd doesn't mean you can just go wild and not get stuck. Tires will dig in sand, whether in 4wd or 2wd.

 

Thanks for the advice. I've been looking for the perfect options (Tech, JBL, Moonroof) but finding a 4x4 hasn't been easy and staying under $40k with those options, but it does sound like I need to rethink it. Might as well go big if I'm spending big.

 

Sounds like you want the Limited 4x4. With tax, thats probably almost 44K, no?

 

Where are you looking? You can get a top spec 4x4 TRD OR premium tech for $36-39k.

I also hear that Toyota is starting to offer savings on the tacoma.

 

Honestly I spend a lot of time in the sticks but I really don't use 4x4 that often. Mostly I use it when we get hit with snowstorms in the winter. Makes a big difference when there are drifts of snow everywhere around town.

 

Correct, the limited does have that option and you are probably spot on with the price. Only thing is I will probably lose $2k on my trade-in so that needs to be tacked on. Basically I need to pick either the luxury options that I want or 4wd to stay in my price range. #FirstWorldProblems

 

That is a WHOLE different beast and should not be ever referenced when discussing stock Tacomas in need of 4 wheel drive.

 

Or save for a couple months/negotiate for a better deal.

 

I have found that 4lo is handy when backing up a trailer, especially on an incline, doubly so if you have a manual transmission. I smoked the clutch the first time I tried to back up a heavy trailer. Now I just put it in 4lo.

 

It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

It will resale better and faster with it and I seriously doubt the mileage difference is over 1-1.5 mpg. Do a search on here for people who had the hair-brained idea to convert a PreRunner to 4wd. It's happened a lot. Won't be any threads on removing the 4wd components though. It's a no brainer. Get the 4x4

 

So SR5 4x4 or 10K more for Limited 4x4?