4x4, how necessary is it?

If it helps. We wheeled a bunch of 16 tacos this weekend in the sand and they were consistently getting stuck. No problem getting out with 4wd on.

 

Good thing is they don't have "prerunners" anymore. So it'll be easier to hide.

 

For me I go on steep mountain roads, some with cross ditches (a forestry practice here in British Columbia) , muddy rutted tracks in the interior while moose hunting and in snow, but no beaches or sand, so for me 4x4 is a must.

 

Yeah, he probably doesn't. I feel like if you have to ask the question, though, you should get it.. 2WD and sand will result in getting stuck eventually. Whether or not the extra $$$ is worth it to OP is up to him.

 

2005 PreRunner DCLB owner here (well ex-owner since I am selling it right now...). Anyways, 4x2 will do fine in most situations. I've driven that truck on the East Coast of Canada, on ice, in the heavy snow, mud, etc... and it's all about two things: tires and how fast you go(skills).

Don't know about the sand tho, never driven and don't plan to do it.

 

The majority of long travel trucks jumping dunes are 2wd.




So there's that.

 

It's true that most people don't need 4WD and can get by in everyday life without it with little or no trouble. But that's not really the point, now, is it? The questions the OP needs to ask himself are:

1) Do I want 4WD (regardless of need)?
2) Is it worth the cost to me to obtain it?
3) Will I regret not having it later? Sure, I live in Texas where it never snows, but I sometimes take (or am planning to take) my truck on trips to (insert higher altitude, less temperate, more challenging terrain destinations here) where having 4WD might be darn handy to have, especially since I'm not an avid off-roader and will be more susceptible to getting myself stuck in places where more experienced wheelers might not have a problem in a 2WD. Will I regret not springing for the 4WD during those times?

If the answer to those questions is no, then save your money.

You're planning to buy a new truck and you have one shot to get the factory installed options you want and (maybe) need. If you go with a 2WD model now and decide later, say in a year from now (after getting stuck in the sand a few times) that you really should have bit the bullet and went 4WD and decide on a do-over at that time, it will likely cost you as much or more to get out of the first truck and into another than simply springing for 4WD from the outset. As others have already commented, the fact that you had to come on here and ask for opinions, I think, already tells me what you should do.

 

Well yeah, they're not factory 2016s though.. I mean if OP wants to LT his truck this thread is gonna get a lot more interesting

 

Well that turned depressing. But $12 a day? On most Texas beaches it's like $20 once for the year.

 

When you need the 4WD Grasshopper....you will be glad it's there.

 

I will never ever buy a 2wd truck. Why would anyone ever?

 

I know several people who don't own 4x4 trucks. I owned 2 over the years and I just rarely used it. It rarely snows here and if it does it's gone the next day. Like I said in an earlier post I use to ride on the beach, but I did without that for years and I had a 4x4 then. But, if I lived somewhere like Colorado, oh hell yeah most definitely!

 

Tires are key!

 

.
I have had 4x4's w/ & w/o lockers and 4x2s (w/ & w/o lockers) and AWDs (w/ & w/o lockers).

If I was going to be a serious off roader ... it would be a Tacoma 4x4 with a locker.

I do like AWD in the snow and on rainy & wet roads ... but this is on civilized surfaces too.

My buddy said it best ... "4WD is priceless when you need it ... and very expensive to buy & maintain when you don't need it".
.

 

It only hurts once. Resale is much higher and it's easier to find buyers. It is "priceless when you need it" but not all that much when buying new and maintenance is almost nothing over the life of the truck( normal driving conditions). It all depends on how you want to use the truck. I don't off road, but I plow driveways, so I need it.

 

Resale is only higher because you paid more for it. Obviously a $40k truck is going to have a higher resale amount than a $35k truck, but the percentage will be pretty close to the same.

OP isn't interested in exploring the backcountry by himself. He's going to populated beaches. If he needs a pull, he can get one easily just as he has done every time in the past.

 

It's not just resale (which is higher with 4x4) it's much more desirable in terms of resell. There are so many 2wd on Craigslist, and not that many 4wd. I'm willing to bet 2wd depreciates at a faster rate in the market than a 4wd. Try it out, KBB query 2016 Tacoma 4x4 and 2x4 over a bunch of different mileage and see if the price drop ratio changes.

 

Used 4 wheel low this weekend pulling out 40 year old 8 foot bushes- six of them wheels were on the grass so 4wd really helped

 

You're also in SoCal where there are a lot more 2wds sold than 4wd.

There are more 4wds on craigslist up here in PA than 2wds.

 

I think I provided my take on this earlier, but let me give you a real life example of 4 wheel drive. Last Christmas me and my wife were in North Carolina visiting relatives. I had never been to one of my relatives house which was located on the west side of Durham. I followed my cousin who took us the short cut way to my cousins house which included a lot of back roads. It was getting late and the tempeture started to drop. As I was following my cousin on these back roads we started on a road with a swamp next to it. We came upon a road closure sign and had to turn around and back the other way. As I backed up to turn my truck around I misjudged and went a bit too far with my backend into the muddy swamp. Both of my back tires were in the swamp. I tried to drive forward but I could tell I was making it worse. You should have seen the look on my wifes face. It was like damn we are stuck out in in the middle of no where on Christmas day and it is getting dark and cold. I told her just hold tight let me put old girl 06 TRD Sport taco in 4 wheel drive. Once I did that BOOM.....we are up and out of that swamp.

You see if I had a 2 wheel drive truck....you know the rest of the story. I am not buying 4x4 to be some macho man. I feel like several other people on here. It is best to have it and not need it then not have it and need it.