Is 4WD Really Needed?

I live in SoCal and I use 4x4 and my locker all the time. But I go out looking for places to do so.

If I lived out here (or someplace similar) and had no interest in off-roading then I wouldn't spend the money on a 4wd. Which is why 95% of all Tacomas on the roads out here in Los Angeles are all 2wd and Prerunners. It's relatively uncommon to see a 4x4 Taco out here, unless you head toward the mountains. 4wd comes with a considerable long term maintenance cost compared to a 2wd, if you never need it then why spend that money?

 

2wd - fuck mud

 

4wd is vital if you're like me.

 

analogy...

Owning a 4X truck is like owning a gun.

Ya may never need to use it for it's intended purpose...
Tho' you'll likely wished it were capable... if'n ya ever did need it.

ie: an empty, locked away gun is a useless tool if'n ya ever needed use it.
Purdy much like how a 2WD truck is subpar in it's capabilities as well.

 

When you deal with this 4-5 months of the year, you want all the traction you can find. This was near where I live in 2015. I can assure you pictures don't do it justice!

 

Thanks for all the input guys! It seems for me 4WD isn't really needed. I drive on the highway a lot and despite being in the south the only situation I can really think of needing it would be in ice, which is bad the few times it comes around. Used the locker a few times to play with it and see how it worked and its a bit of a safety net but again I really don't do much offroading.

Someone on TW is taking parts to make his Prerunner into a 4WD believe it or not

 

Those southern guys dont even know the struggle. theres a frost warning and possible icy conditions even for tonight here.

 

That's actually fairly common. The prerunners are built on the 4x4 frame so its as (relatively) simple as putting in the 4wd components. Front diff, driveshaft, cv axles, etc.

 

I remember when Montana used to get winters like that, haven't had one since '95 but that's where you need a snowmobile to get around because your truck is buried! Haha, I'd just stay home, drink coffee and take a day off if we ever got a storm like that again, no thanks! Winters are so mild here now it's unbelievable, the poles are shifting, and Montana is slowly moving further south. Now it seems New York and all those guys out in the Northeast are getting all our snow.

 

Staying home after the storm is a good idea, being in the woods 1.5 hours from home mid way through it is challenging at times. Some storms are harsh, but at least the roads don't have much traffic.

 

Sure its easy but it could easily cost more than the truck lol

 

Not at all. I've done the math and you're looking to spend around $1k +/- depending on where you source parts. It's a smart thing to do.

 

Oh I would've thought it to be much more than that, I guess just buy a cheap 4runner or rear end damage salvage taco...

 

Dam.... I live in the mountains of Southern California and the most snow we see from a storm is 2-3ft. Every one flocks up her from L.A. to play in it and my town turns into a zoo of "flatlanders" stopped in the middle of the road trying to learn how to put chains/cables on there mini vans and bmw's. It would be chaos if we ever saw that much in your pic.

 

After a storm like that, the whole town shuts down for a day or two.
The local jeep club volunteered to drive hospital staff to and from work.

 

We had a storm last year(4ft) that shut down the highways due to accidents and people getting stuck and stranded overnight. They where being rescued with snowcats from the local ski resorts. Police where mobbin around on snowmobiles which is a rare sight for here.

For a day or two only 4x4 with snow tires and chains where allowed on the highways till they could get the roads more manageable. I have seen pics from back in the day where the snow was up to second stories of houses. Never seen that much myself though.

 

4wd won't help you much there, you need a snow machine with tracks lol. Does look pretty awesome though.

 

Not needed or worth it for everyone. I had 4wd on Toyotas for years. Loved when I needed it. My last Tacoma 4wd, sold recently hadn't been in 4 lo for years. Pulled boats, waverunners on beach without needing to engage. Sold recently and got a TRD 2wd. Has been used same way recently and haven't missed 4wd. And I now don't have that extra drivetrain I'm hauling around for no reason.

 

Definitely don't get the snow like we used to here, that's for sure! I remember when I was a kid we had a real bad storm that buried the entire town. My Dad at the time had a big, jacked up '78 Ford F150 riding on a 5" lift, and 37" tires and the night we went to bed before it happened, snow had just barely started coming down and was kinda starting to stick to the ground. Woke up the next day and all that could be seen of that old truck was about 5" of the antenna sticking out of the drift, other than that, you couldn't even tell there was a truck under it, no mounds at all, just the tip of that antenna was all the evidence of a vehicle being there. Everything was blanketed, the streets had no tracks, nobody else's cars could be seen, the drifts were about level with the roof on the house. It's amazing that much snow could fall in one night! I was maybe 6 years old at the time so it was seventh heaven for me to go out and play in.
Haven't seen a storm like that since, there's been some decent ones over the years, but nothing that completely buried the town for a few days the way that one did. If we ever do get another like it, I probably won't even leave my house for a day or two, haha! I'm not as adventurous as I was when I was a kid.

 

I was having a hell of a time trying to find a reasonably priced Tacoma where I live.
I bought the Tacoma with the intentions of going on fire trails in the sierras. Nothing crazy. Just some ground clearance to access fishing/camping spots my bmw couldn't get to.
I told all my friends I didn't need 4wd and all the extra components I'd have to deal with.

Well, it only took one time of trying to put on chains for an hour and getting stuck going up one snowy road, failing and getting towed by a jeep to want a 4wd.
So I converted my taco this summer.

2WD is great for mild terrain. But any snow or any slippery situation will be tricky.