Is 4x4 worth it?

Also - I want to say most "Jumpers" are rear wheel drive only to help save weight in the front. So you always have that to look forward to.

 

Your truck will take you farther than you think it will. A locking rear diff and aired down tires combined with lots of ground clearance will get you wherever you want. Forget the Magna Flow exhaust and get a rear locker first. The owners of these trucks will get scared (of scratching the paint or rolling the truck) before a stock truck will get stuck.
Another reason 4wd is nice is that you get 4wd low for really steep stuff. 2wd with a locker is pretty great, but yeah, if you hit a LOT of snow, often, 4wd is really nice.
Personally, I think tires make a HUGE difference. Dedicated snow and or ice tires got me a lot of places. In Utah and other dry locales, 2WD was plenty fine.
I got a 4WD Tacoma because I wasn't going to buy a 3rd gen, and they didn't sell PreRunners here in Canada(maybe a few in 2005), so ground clearance was a major detractor with 2nd gen 5 lugs.
Honestly, if you haven't needed 4wd yet...you probably don't need it.

 

Fuel economy is identical until the truck is put into 4x4. 2WD is 2WD.

 

4wd weighs more, it's like carting around 400 extra pounds, no parasitic or frictional loss, but extra weight to get moving means lower fuel economy.

 

Eh, you could technically say that but I'm not convinced it's anywhere near enough for you to notice or possibly even be able to measure. Even if the 4WD equipment actually weighs that much, it would be like driving with 2 adult males in the truck.

 

Do something that will make you happy.

 

I have 4x4 but hardly need to use it because of how and where I use the truck but when I do use it, I'm glad I have it.

We also have a 4Runner 4x4. I'm the only one who engages the 4x4 on it but only for maintenance.

 

Same here.

 

Locker however, I've never needed to use because A-Trac