Prerunner Good or bad??

Whats up..guys I'm from Long Island New York. I wanted to know everyone's take on the PreRunner 4x2..

do any of you have one
do u love it?
will it suck in the snow?
will big knobby tires help in the winter
should i just save a couple extra bucks and get the 08 SR5 4x4


i love this truck and just wanted to be sent in the right direction originallly i was looking at a sport but the price is just outragous..so im choosing between the SR5 and the PreRunner

 

i love my pre-runner... but if u wanna climb go for the 4x4

 

ive seen alot around ther're pretty nice. its a 4x2. so expect a little difficulty in opperating in tough climates

 

I have one and couldn't be happier.

THe 4x4 is not necessary for me. As I do light off roading. The most I need is a locker and it should get me out. My driving is 99% street, then an occassional dirt road, unpaved road, and light stream crossing and lightly muddy roads.

Perfect, if not more than what I need, as I have never used the locker because I was never stuck. Additionaly i have a tow strap, better tires and a lift.

Again, more than I'll ever need.

The extra cost, lack of need, and increased potential for problems associated with the system of 4X is yet another reason.

Some are of the philosoply of better to have and not need, but I will NEVER need it as I never do anything with my vehicle other than a light non paved road just off the pavement. This kind of thinking is more suited to those that play in the off road more. Not a strict edict for owning a truck.

Akin to saying, why get a shotgun, when a nuke is better? Well, you must realize your usage and the right tool for the task. As sometimes a nuke will never be used. My metaphor/analogy for the day.

 

4x2 with Blizzaks all the way around and some weight in the bed should be fine... That being said, 2wd on stock tires SUCKS in the snow! So at the very least if you get the 4x2 you had better swap tires before the snow flies.

With that said, I prefer being able to engage 4wd, tap the gas, and have the front end pull out of a slide around a corner. Or extra traction to punch through drifts or deep snow.

You have to figure snow can pile up in front of the tires creating a wedge that can stop you. Between that and no weight in the back (without adding your own) things can be tough. One of the reasons rwd vehicles aren't as good as fwd in general when it comes to snow.

It's your call, but would you rather have 4WD and not need it, or need it and not have it? It won't be saving you much money on gas with a 2wd instead of 4wd. You won't see much improvement unless you get a 4cyl instead of the v6.

As for tires, skinny tires are better in the snow. And you want snow tires not big mud terrain.

 

I love my prerunner awesome truck!! If your gonna do some serious offroading then go 4x4.

 

You seem to have some misconceptions here.

- Yes, many people have them.
- I don't "love" vehicles. I save that for my family and myself.
- Everything sucks in the snow if you don't know how to drive in it.
- Big knobby tires don't help on ice which you see plenty in the northeast.
- I'm assuming by "save a couple bucks" you mean buy an '08 instead of an '09. Personally, I'd buy the '09 because of all the standard options they know include.

Prerunner is not an option package but SR5 IS an option package. A Prerunner is basically a truck with a 4X4 suspension without the 4WD. If I lived in NY, I'd buy a 4X4. I did own a 4X4 Ranger when I lived in NJ.

All I can tell you is, drive them all and then decide.

 

I love my Prerunner. Its an awesome truck.

I do however regret not buying a 4x4. Living in Florida and seeing the amount of Mud and Soft Sand down here can make navigating a 2wd a little tough. I haven't done anything to intense with it yet (needing new tires, mine are almost gone), but the times I've been Off Road in it I thought it preformed pretty well. I can't really relate this to snow however because I simply do not have experience driving in snow.

 

Im not big into off roading or playing in the sand. With the locker if you have problems in the snow stay home its to bad to drive in. I like having the 4x4 susp. as the truck sits higher and for my size its a lot easier to get into and out of.

 

Your 1st question just killed me!..........LMMFAO!

 

Locker works fine in the snow. I kinda prefer it to having an LSD since I know when both tires are locked and can cause the back end to break loose. Instead of having the LSD where the back end could break loose any time if it does it's job and one tire doesn't start spinning faster than the other.

It also gives me another option when off roading. Start out in 2wd. If I get stuck or start to bog down, engage the locker. If that's not enough then 4wd. Once I'm out, start disengaging systems so I don't get stuck in 4wd, locked, and have to winch.

 

Since your on LI, if your not beach running, serious off-roading, and not heading north alot in winter, a 2wd should be fine. 09's now have Traction control, auto-LSD, and VSC too. You guys dont get much snow, so if your thinking 4wd for just winter use, you'd only use it a couple times a year.

Snow tires are probably overkill on LI, so a good set of all-season tires and some weight in the back when the snow flies you should be fine.

 

LOVE my pre-runner.... If I had a 4x4 I would just tear it up, thinking I was a tank.


U will be happy with either or.

 

It really comes down to your driving area. If you stay on the road, you should be fine, even in the snow. If you like to play in the dirt and sand, spend the money and get the 4X4.

 

Pre-runners are definitely good. Even when i was in my dropped civic stage I've always had my eye on the Pre-Runner and that was the 1st gen. I think I'm finally going to finally get one of my own instead of envying others! Do eeeetttt!

 

AWD would probably be better for people that don't want to think about shifting to 4wd or worry about fish tailing if they don't. You're 4x4 in 2wd is just another rwd vehicle with no weight over the drive wheels unless you add it so it's easier to slide around. At least with AWD you either have the fronts pulling all the time too, or kick in as soon as the rear slips.

 

It snows a lot here. When I used to commute one of the most common vehicles to see in the ditch would be 2wd trucks. They seem to be about the worst when it comes to snow. I'm sure you can help it by adding weight in the back but I like the option of 4wd for slick conditions. My other car is a Subaru Forester (awd) and that thing is awesome in snow. I haven't had my truck long enough to get it out in snow yet.