Slight drift but if the OP does not mind I would like to take advantage of the 4WD knowledge here. Maybe I have this wrong, but I understand there is a difference between 4WD and AWD. In AWD each wheel operates independently but in 4WD the front wheels turn at one rate and the rear wheels at another, so that with 4WD you don't want to be driving at even moderate speed for any extended period of time, even in snow, with it engaged because there is some difference with the rate at which the front and rear wheels are turning that can damage something in the drive train. 4WD is only for use at slow speed in rough off road conditions or in heavy snow. I have a home in western NC where I keep a Wrangler with 4WD and looked into this some years ago when I bought it, having no prior experience with a 4WD vehicle. So I have used it off road on steep muddy rough logging trails or for getting up my kind of steep driveway if it has a foot or two of snow but then shift back to 2WD when I get to the road. Any truth to this?

2A - I own a 2012 Tacoma - Four Door Two Wheel Drive and I own a boat. I purchased this specific truck in 2015 because the seller (owner) needed to sell it kind of quickly because of relocation NORTH (US) and decided just before being relocated decided he was going to purchase a FOUR Wheel Drive Tacoma when he was settled in his new location, so I did not have a choice on two vs. four wheel drive.

I LOVE this truck (except the gas mileage) and have wished many times it would have been a four wheel drive. The last time - was when I had to get another truck to pull my truck and my 16’ Aluminum Boat and trailer up a wet/slick boat ramp. Have not been back to that ramp since (and it is close to home so that part really sucks).

My vote would be get a Four Wheel Drive - It will cost a little bit more but your selling audience becomes MUCH larger when the time comes you want to sell it….. Just my opinion as a Tacoma Owner.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:
Slight drift but if the OP does not mind I would like to take advantage of the 4WD knowledge here. Maybe I have this wrong, but I understand there is a difference between 4WD and AWD.

Yes, there is a huge difference between AWD and 4WD.
There are also Auto 4WD and All Time 4WD systems as well which are much different than AWD as well.
In regard to your initial question on selectable 4wd systems there is usually 4Hi and 4Lo.

4Hi is generally good to 60mph presuming you are on some sort of slippery or loose terrain and not making any sharp turns. The binding of the 4wd system comes in the turns. Running 4Hi on dry pavement is not a great idea but not a big deal if you do it for short periods of time and not making sharp turns.
4Lo on the other hand you only want to run in deep mud or sand like terrain.

In my opinion the ideal system is Selectable 4Wd with 4Hi, 4Lo, Auto 4wd, matched with a true Limited Slip Differentials.

Tacoma 4 WD needs an engineering degree to understand when and how to engage the modes of traction. I keep a copy of the link above my visor for refernece.

Link for 2WD and 4WD from Tacoma World. It's 25 pages of questions/info.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/th...es-explained.530695/

Sounds like we’re heavily in favor of 4WD. Appreciate all the feedback.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGfourme:
Tacoma 4 WD needs an engineering degree to understand when and how to engage the modes of traction. I keep a copy of the link above my visor for refernece.

Link for 2WD and 4WD from Tacoma World. It's 25 pages of questions/info.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/th...es-explained.530695/

Well...
At least you don't have to get out to lock in the hubs anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by powermad:
Well...
At least you don't have to get out to lock in the hubs anymore.

Sort of. When I bought my F350 new, I drove halfway home from TN before realizing the front hubs were locked. I’m not even sure why I looked, but my hubs have two positions: Locked and Auto. The were set to Locked. Changing them to Auto got me another 2mpg the rest of the way home and made the truck handle and ride just a bit better.

But yeah, getting out in the slop to lock the hubs sucked.

Black has a fairly good explanation of 4wd in his post above that I’ll add to. The binding in 4wd comes from the front and rear driveshafts being locked together in the transfer case. With 2wd, 4-Hi, and 4-Lo, the transfer case is a fairly simple mechanical device that always is connected to the rear driveshaft, locks the front and rear driveshafts together in 4wd, and engages a different set of gear in 4-Lo.

Fulltime 4wd, or AWD as we know it today, has a more complicated transfer case. It allows the front and rear drive shafts to turn at different speeds from each other. Most of these are controlled by a computer tied into wheel speed sensors.

There were fully mechanical AWD setups in the Olden Days as my kids call it, like Jeep’s Quadra-Trac. We got rid of that on our CJ7 by installing a Doug Nash conversion kit. We also had lockers front and rear. That creates a lot of fun when you let off the gas while cruising along on the ice and snow, engine braking breaks traction at all four wheels, and you lose all directional control. For slow speed off-roading, lockers front and rear are awesome, but there’s a reason the manufacturers don’t put lockers on the front.

I never minded getting out to lock the hubs.
My 91 Land Cruiser is AWD with drive plates on the front hubs.
I thought it was high tech with the 4x4 switch.
Mine was the last Gen with that drive train.
No more push button 4x4, the transfer case got a viscous coupler that automatically locked into 4x4 when either the front or rear started to spin, 4x4 on the fly.
You can add a switch later to lock it up when the VC takes a crap.

I had older Chevy trucks with the 203 full time t-case.
Never did have one that wasn't converted when I got it.
Trans and t-case usually got swapped out along the way though for better stuff.
My last one had a twin stick 205 t-case already and I had a 203 range box to use as a doubler but never got around to getting it in.

Is the Taco a belt or chain?

Does the V6 layout make it difficult for the home mechanic to change the rear 3 spark plugs like many Toyotas are notorious for?

Has there ever been a rwd vehicle let alone a pickup with a transverse engine?

OP has no need for 4WD, and he will pay significantly more to buy a truck with it, which negates a lot of the resale argument. Plus, he lives in an area where 2WD makes sense for a lot of people, so resale is not like it would be in the snow belt.

Traditional 4WD should only be used off road or you risk serious damage to the drive train. Yes, you can get away with using it on roads going less than 50 mph and in a straight line, but 4WD trucks are often damaged by people ignoring the limitations. Toyota also recommends using the 4WD system once a months for about 10 miles to keep it lubed and properly functioning. Are you able and willing to do that? And, don't forget about the additional maintenance costs and lower fuel mileage of 4wd systems.

I owned a first gen 2WD Tundra for 13 years and racked up 344,000 miles before I sold it. It was a stripped out base model Access Cab with the 4.0 V6. I paid $20K new and I sold it for $8K. How's that for resale? I currently have a second gen 4WD Tundra with 249,000 miles. I'm in VA and have almost never used the 4WD. On the rare occasions I have, the 2WD would likely have sufficed.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Is the Taco a belt or chain?

All 4 cylinder Tacos = chain

Pre-2005 6 cylinder Tacos = belt

2005+ 6 cylinder Tacos = chain

My opinion, get AWD / 4WD as the resale value will always help you in the end when you sell or trade in. God Bless

Looks like 4WD costs an extra $2,800.

I would not use it once a month.

4WD pickups are pretty popular, even in south FL. Lotsa folks live in rural areas who like them. Plus the folks who tow boats or horses.

“Should I get the 4WD or the …”


4WD, if you ever resell it the 4WD will pay you back. Most people who have 4WD only use it a few times a year at most, if at all. When you REALLY need it that $2800 wont seem so bad.

Personal experience here... get the 4WD.

I wouldn't even consider a 2WD again after owning one.

I know you don't get much snow/ice in FL, but you do get torrential rains, hurricanes, hail, tornadoes, and mud. The 4WD Tacoma gives you a capability that the 2WD cannot even begin to approach.

I'm in the south, too (Arkansas), and our winters have gotten stupid. We've started having big snowstorms in early spring. Tornadoes & hail, too. A few years ago, when I owned my 2WD SR5 Tacoma, I couldn't even get out of my driveway after a bad snowstorm. My co-workers in 4WDs had to come pick me up. Embarassing and inconvenient for everyone.

Wife asked me to get a 4WD Tacoma. Got a new TRD Sport. Last year, when we got another big snow, I put sandbags in the back and was able to help others in my neighborhood. We also had a early spring tornado with freak hailstorm. Some drifts were 2-3 feet high against buildings. I went to Williams Baptist University (ground zero) to help. Hail and fog were so bad that my 4WD Tacoma was one of the few vehicles that could get around.

My gas mileage is 22-23 mpg and I have resale value if I want it, but selling it is not even an option.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Has there ever been a rwd vehicle let alone a pickup with a transverse engine?

I'm sure you are talking about production vehicles, the only transverse engine rear wheel drive vehicle I can think of is Don Garlits sidewinder dragster.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:
Slight drift but if the OP does not mind I would like to take advantage of the 4WD knowledge here. Maybe I have this wrong, but I understand there is a difference between 4WD and AWD. In AWD each wheel operates independently but in 4WD the front wheels turn at one rate and the rear wheels at another, so that with 4WD you don't want to be driving at even moderate speed for any extended period of time, even in snow, with it engaged because there is some difference with the rate at which the front and rear wheels are turning that can damage something in the drive train. 4WD is only for use at slow speed in rough off road conditions or in heavy snow. I have a home in western NC where I keep a Wrangler with 4WD and looked into this some years ago when I bought it, having no prior experience with a 4WD vehicle. So I have used it off road on steep muddy rough logging trails or for getting up my kind of steep driveway if it has a foot or two of snow but then shift back to 2WD when I get to the road. Any truth to this?

Your vehicle should have an owner’s manual that can answer this question. If not, the manual is probably available online as a downloadable pdf.