The interwebs are all over the place on this. I’m looking at buying a Taco, and the question comes up, buy a 2WD or 4WD? I’m not an off-roader per se, and I might use 4WD only occasionally. No snow or stuff like that here in Florida. Gas mileage difference is pretty small. My thoughts are it would come in handy if you get stuck somewhere. I don’t think it’s useful at all on paved roads.

What are your thoughts on this issue? I’m thinking I probably don’t need 4WD, but should I buy it anyway? Taco owners, I’m particularly interested in hearing your opinions.

Do you ever pull boats out of the water? If not, stick with 2wd.

quote:

Originally posted by maxwayne:
Do you ever pull boats out of the water? If not, stick with 2wd.

Same. AWD or 4WD is almost a requirement for a boat ramp if it’s slick, moss, etc. My ramp I use always has algae or some sort of greenery slimed all over the bottom of the ramp.

But OP, I like your thinking. Many just buy a vehicle based on image or some feature or function it has that they will never, ever, use. On the pavement you are correct, just not needed. You have to ask yourself if you will ever travel somewhere in it where you could need 4wd, like say North Carolina in the mountains or something. If you just need a bed and it’s going to be a pavement truck, man I can tell you my AWD Ridgeline is tattays. It does light off road stuff extremely well too as I just recently tested it in the mountains on some national forest roads. There is also the Ford Maverick, where the hybrid is pretty good.

If dead set on Yota and the Taco, I think you’d be fine with RWD only.

I have no idea why anyone would own a truck and NOT have 4wd...

Where I live we have an average of 4 snow days a year that 4WD is nice. Even without that, I would buy the 4WD as resale is a breeze. You have to find someone that doesn’t care to sell a RWD. Gas mileage difference between the two is minor.

4WD always.
Owned a 2WD once and won’t bother again.

Resale requires 4WD

Thanks for the replies.

I don’t plan on pulling a boat. I don’t even own a boat. If I ever have the scratch to get a boat, I’ll spring for the truck I need to haul it.

I’ve thought about a Ridgeline - we’ve owned Accords and I drove a Pilot for ten years. Just don’t want to get back into Hondas. I just want a small truck to tool around in. Tacos are appealing. They’re popular for good reason.

Yes - resale should be better.

Sold mine (4wd, king cab, manual trans, v6) in 2014. It was a 2001 model with 196k miles. Good shape, needed one rocker panel to be perfect. Got something like 7k for it.

If you have no use for 4wd don't spend the extra on it, 2wd will get better MPG and less maintenance.
That said, 4MUL8R is right about the resale.
You can sell a 2wd Tacoma up north, but good luck with a Chevy or Ford

quote:

Originally posted by 2Adefender:
I’ve thought about a Ridgeline - we’ve owned Accords and I drove a Pilot for ten years. Just don’t want to get back into Hondas. I just want a small truck to tool around in. Tacos are appealing. They’re popular for good reason.

From what I've seen on review videos and read, the Ridgeline rides more like a large crossover than a truck, more comfortable but can't do truck stuff as well as the Taco.

What doesn't appeal to me about the Taco is that it still has drum brakes in the rear. Toyota claims it's for offroading, that debris won't get stuck in there. I call bullshit on that because Toyota is always slow to put the latest technology in their vehicles.

I'm looking at getting a midsize truck myself next year but I'm leaning Ranger as I will be towing a double axle 6'x12' trailer.

I faced this choice in 2019. Bought the 4WD. As stated above: Resale value.

I had a 2wd truck that I put 127,000 miles on and currently have a 4wd truck I’m closing in on 140,000 miles with. 4wd maybe 8 times; all while towing a travel trailer, 5th wheel, or boat. 5 of them could have been avoided with proper planning on my part.

Other than a boat ramp, you won’t ever use it on pavement in Florida.

The better resale argument maybe true when buying new. 4wd might not lose as much value percentage wise as 2wd, but that works to your advantage if buying used. I’ve never cared about resale value as I drive them into the ground.

AWD is a different story. If I were looking at a Ridgeline, then I’d get AWD. I think it’s better in an absolute downpour. I’d rather drive my wife’s Explorer ST with AWD in the rain than my F350.

If I lived where it snowed, I’d get 4wd. I lived in Wisconsin for 20 years and drove rwd, fwd, and 4wd. I managed fine in winter with each, but 4wd was better.

I'm not really seeing much downside to getting the 4x4. My 2016 TRD is the Off Road 4x4 model.

Why limit your options?

quote:

Originally posted by dwd1985:
I have no idea why anyone would own a truck and NOT have 4wd...

Like getting a wife that doesn't cook and clean...

I've had both 2WD and 4WD Tacomas. We don't get much snow here in North Texas but do sometimes. I had occasion to use 4WD after a snow storm and it was great. Others where slipping and sliding to move at intersections and I just pulled away like I was on dry pavement. I don't off road to off road but rather go off the beaten path to get somewhere I want to go. Dirt roads and the like. 4WD makes me feel more confident, yet I could probably negotiate most of my mild adventures with 2WD.

So, resale will favor the 4WD, and there is so little difference in MPG it's a non factor. And then there's other things that come with the 4WD other than power to all wheels that make it a more aggressive truck. 4WD is what I did on my last Tacoma and I have no greats.

quote:

Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:

quote:

Originally posted by dwd1985:
I have no idea why anyone would own a truck and NOT have 4wd...

Like getting a wife that doesn't cook and clean...

Good analogy!

drove a 1st gen Tundra thru the snow for a season with a broken 4 wheel drive,

never got stuck,

fixed it and have used it a few times since,

it is worth the extra weight, if you are in snow country,

in FLa et,, maybe not,

4WD has much better resale value. Not even close.

Living and mostly driving in FL I'd probably go 2WD. But if you think you may travel north in Winter or take the truck on forest roads for exploring or camping, go with 4WD. By the time you factor 4WD's higher resale it won't cost much more to own.
A word of caution on Tacoma is make sure you sit in one, preferably drive it for an hour because they're not comfortable for lot of people. I loved my T100 and Tundra but found the Tacoma with its low seat and feet straight forward to be horribly uncomfortable after an hour. Another one you might look at is the new Frontier.