4X4 or 4X2? what should i get?

Unless you plan to do some offroading, I say stick with 2wd. Less fuel consumption, less stuff to break and less money. I live in TN and we might get 2-3 snows a year that have posed no problem for me so far. You'll be fine on gravel/dirt trails too.

 

I’m not sure anyone has mentioned the difference in insurance premiums. Check with your insurance carrier. That plus the difference in gas cost are definitely factors.

We have four 2017 Tacoma’s in my family. Two are 2wd SR5s. Then we have a longbed and shortbed 4x4 OR. A 2wd SR5 works fine for what I do and it has the silly road tires with zero nubs. The other guys have never taken theirs off the pavement. Your call on want versus need.

 

I didn't say 4x4 was or wasn't worth it for OP. Worth is subjective.

I was merely showing how OP doesn't need to be going through off-road wilderness to find 4x4 useful.

Looking at Southern Texas precipitation days (78) vs Orlando (114), it looks like it rains about 2/3 of the time in OP's neighborhood as it does mine. I assume there might be some neighborhoods OP could find himself in where there's a grassy/soil ditch on one side, and houses on the other.

Is it a high likelihood OP would wind up in the exact situation I was in? I don't know.

Is it a high likelihood OP could wind up in a situation where he could use 4x4? I don't know.

Could OP always use traction boards or get assistance from someone else if he found himself in that situation? Definitely. These are things they'll have to determine for themselves.

LOTS of other people talked about the cons of 4x4 already: more expensive to buy, maintain, and fuel. I didn't feel it necessary to rehash that. The only real nugget of wisdom I wanted to highlight, was just pointing out 4x4 can be useful, even in suburbia.

I hope OP reads everyone's responses and decides for himself.

 

Do you know which is more expensive? 4x4 or 2x4? I didn't realize insurance companies would charge different premiums.

 

Might be late to the party, but...

if you have to ask yourself this question at all, get 4x4. Better to have and not need than wish you had.

 

If you have to ask yourself this question the answer is always Ridgeline

 

And this is a question?

 

I understand and agree that hopefully OP reads thread in full and can make a decent judgment call for themselves

Edit.. my 1995 tacoma is 2wd and about a year ago got a 2015 4wd. Guess I'm lucky to have the best of both worlds. I definitely will not get rid of the 95 (rather give it to a friend rather than sell it to a stranger)... anyways what I was getting to is that I did get into a quite a few crazy situations with the 2wd and made it out just fine (snow and ice) but scared the shit out of me. Since i keep my vehicles for many years and travel alot I went with the 4wd.
Good luck with your decision OP

 

My first new vehicle was a 73 Ford F100. Didn't really need 4WD at the time so bought 2WD to save money. I had that truck for 29 years and always wished that I had bought the 4WD. The per year costs of the 4WD vs the 2WD over all those years would have been virtually insignificant. I found that people always are interested in a 4WD truck if you want to sell or trade. You won't see similar interest in a 2WD. $2500 difference in a truck that costs as much as a new Tacoma does is nothing. Don't get cheap. Get what you want and you will like it just as much 4-5 years from now as you did when it was new.

 

Well there U go! Nice! Except for the last sentence!

 

My advice would be to get what you want. Earlier this year I was trying to make the similar decisions. I really like the look and ride of 4-wheel drive Tacomas - but really don't ever get off the pavement. So a 2WD TRD Off-Road was the perfect choice for me.

 

And thus the term Mall Crawler! Just me!

 

The main reason to get a truck is because of the bed space for cargo... I'm just saying

 

Exactly, this is very typical

 

If you want true cargo space, a van is the way to go. However, a truck will go more places and has better clearance.

 

It varies depending on your region and insurance, of course. But if one is going to be more, apples to apples, it’ll almost certainly be the 4x4.

 

Look here's the thing. Only you can answer this question.

I had a 2016 Tacoma 4x2 SR5 for about a week while I was making the deal on my 2020 Tacoma 4X4.

I knew in the bottom of my heart that I would not be happy with a 4x2 pickup for my outdoor "lifestyle". I hunt, camp, fish and kayak. 4WD gets me to where I need to go.
It's also fun to go out and spend a day 4 wheeling in the sand and mud.

If you're someone who can live daily with a car then maybe you can live with a 4x2. Again only you can answer this.

Looking back, there is no way I would have been happy with that SR5 4x2. I would have always regretted it.

 

Since you asked, the answer is 4X4... it's always 4X4.

You get weather, need to take a dirt road or trail; you're good. I use 4WD for lots of stuff. Besides trails, when we go the Sierra or the Rockies, weather can change quickly, you get snow, heavy rain and so on. I like the additional capability. I have only had 4X4s for more than 30 years. We live in So Cal, and it doesn't snow at our location or even rain that hard, but it does in lots of places we travel to. I have found it's well worth the money and I do use it.

 

Do you know if thats just because 4x4s are worth more, therefore insurance companies charge a higher premium to insure the added value?

Or is there some added risk of behavior the insurance companies are charging for that they associate with 4x4s?

I'm sure you probably don't know, but I just find the premium difference really interesting.

 

4x4