I live in northern Indiana and we get tons of snow. I also put a boat in and out of the lake about 50x a year. I've always owned RWD trucks, and there's only been a couple of times in the past 20 years that I wished I had 4WD:

1. Driving to work after a Blizzard in 2007 I got burried in a snow bank that had drifted across the road. I got stuck and couldn't get out, and had to wait about 5 minutes before another guy in a 4WD truck came along and pulled me out. About the time he got me unstuck, I got a call from work telling me they were closed for the day.

2. Pulling stumps out of my yard, there's just not enough traction with 1 wheel peel. My neighbor came over with his 1 ton 4WD Dually Cummins and ripped them right out.

3. Got stuck in the mud in my buddy's yard helping him with a concrete job one time and had to get pulled out.

4. Vacationing in Utah there were some places that I wanted to go that I didn't feel confident taking our RWD Suburban, not just because I was afraid of getting stuck but also because I couldn't afford to risk breaking the vehicle that had to drive us 2000 miles home.

On the flip side, I saved a ton of money up front when I bought my vehicles, saved a ton of money in gas, a ton of money not having to maintain an extra set of axles and a transfer case, and a world of headache when I have to crawl under there and work on something since I don't have to work around all that extra drivetrain stuff to get at the other things that need fixing.

I am completely happy with my RWD trucks, even living up here in the snow belt, and wouldn't change it even if I had a chance to do it over. If you pay attention and make good decisions, it's not too hard to avoid getting stuck. The two times I did were completely avoidable, and we're the result of poor decision making on my part.

The one reason I may get something 4WD in the future would be to take it out west and use it to get to some remote hiking spots, but for all my day to day stuff, RWD has been more than adequate.

Full disclosure: My squad car at work is AWD, and I am happy to have that. Back in the Crown Vic days it could get rough in the winter, and they did get stuck pretty easily. But that's kind of different as I have to take that thing places and in conditions that I would never choose go on my own time, and the demands placed on the vehicle are very different from one intended for my personal use. Thankfully, I don't have to pay for it, or work on it, so I'll gladly accept the AWD on that one.

I use the 4wd in torrential down pours while I'm on the interstate... something to think about

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
I use the 4wd in torrential down pours while I'm on the interstate... something to think about

This why I asked the question. I did read the manual and did online research but there always is conflicting information. As I said I do not run in 4WD at speed and not when I know there will be sharp turns which is a given in the mountains. So I go to 2WD when I get to the road, which is when I wish I had AWD like my other cars.

Appreciate all the responses.

My first Tacoma was a 2wd and it was great, but I needed chains on it when we used to go skiing every year. The next Tacoma, new in 2010, getting the 4X4 TRD offroad package was a no-brainer, and boy, it was nice not having to need chains in Yosemite, Tahoe, etc. Plus I used to go to secret BLM spots to shoot and 4wd was really nice to have. In Texas, we had a bad freeze a couple of years ago and having 4wd made a difference in getting my wife to work at the hospital. Plus I still use it at my buddy's private shooting range. Plus the intense rainstorms is more stable with 4wd. I have zero regrets paying the extra money to get 4wd.

quote:

Originally posted by kho:

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
I use the 4wd in torrential down pours while I'm on the interstate... something to think about

This why I asked the question. I did read the manual and did online research but there always is conflicting information. As I said I do not run in 4WD at speed and not when I know there will be sharp turns which is a given in the mountains. So I go to 2WD when I get to the road, which is when I wish I had AWD like my other cars.

Appreciate all the responses.

I would not drive a Tacoma or any other vehicle with similar drive train configurations on hard pavement in 4WD. Only on snow packed roads, gravel roads or any surface that will allow tire slippage and at lower speeds. AWD is not available on Tacomas, but there are a few 4Runners that offer it.

For those who insist on 4WD for the weather: what happens to the people in your area who have cars that are FWD? Do they stay at home in the winter?

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
For those who insist on 4WD for the weather: what happens to the people in your area who have cars that are FWD? Do they stay at home in the winter?

We pull them out of the ditch.

It really comes down to how the OP is going to use the truck. I have 4wd now and wouldn’t be without it for use on the ranch, but was perfectly happy without it for years before buying the ranch.

Edit for clarity: s/fwd/4wd/ Meant Four Wheel Drive, but FWD is more commonly associated with Front Wheel Drive. My bad.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: slosig,

Is 4WD or AWD better indicated for the OP. I'm not an expert but seems like AWD would be better indicated. Not sure about availability of AWD Taco's though, especially in the secondary market. That Taco mode manual is too complicated for me and my usages and more so for my wife. My truck is AWD - it see some light offroad / off pavement (including water, sand, mud, gravel). It sees wet and snowy/icy conditions on pavement (ie - Tahoe). It's simple yet fairly capable. Only thing vs 2WD would be the additional attention to tire rotations and tire pressure (including spare).

I won’t own a truck that isn’t 4 wheel drive. It’s not even just location dependent, I could move to Houston or Phoenix, or someplace that doesn’t get snow and I still wouldn’t own a 2 wheel drive truck. You just leave too much capability on the table by not getting 4 wheel drive if you get a truck. I know of some people that are perfectly happy with only 2 wheel drive, but to me 4 wheel drive is a no brainer.

Generally tend to agree. I've only had 2WD (both FWD and RWD) all my life. Only recently have I had an AWD (and my first truck). After using it off pavement and in snow, I'd probably look to have AWD in all my cars and trucks moving forward. When the time comes to replace my car, top of the list is AWD Camry or IS. May look at Subaru but inertia is against it.

What still eludes me is whether, for trucks, AWD or 4WD is better suited for my needs. I think AWD but there are times I won't go where other people in 4WD go because I'm not sure AWD can handle it. But on pavement, I think I like AWD better than available 4WD.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Is 4WD or AWD better indicated for the OP. I'm not an expert but seems like AWD would be better indicated. Not sure about availability of AWD Taco's though, especially in the secondary market. That Taco mode manual is too complicated for me and my usages and more so for my wife. My truck is AWD - it see some light offroad / off pavement (including water, sand, mud, gravel). It sees wet and snowy/icy conditions on pavement (ie - Tahoe). It's simple yet fairly capable. Only thing vs 2WD would be the additional attention to tire rotations and tire pressure (including spare).

It seems since the OP want's to drive highway speeds without regard to the surface, AWD is the best. I wish Tacoma had that option, but they don't on the most popular models. Still, it seems to me that if you're going 40+ MPH you're not going to get stuck in the middle of the road. 4WD does nothing for you when you're cruising along. It doesn't make your vehicle much more stable the way AWD might. Now, you'll get stuck when you park for a long breakfast at IHop and it snows like crazy then you try to get out of your parking spot. Yeah, kick in 4WD, get on plowed payment and be on you're way.

If you don't need 4wd, there's no sense in buying it. If it is still available you might consider a Prerunner. It has the bigger tires and increased ground clearance like a 4wd and the electric locking rear diff. This is for slippery conditions, low speeds and straight lines only.

I've had both and currently have a 2018 TRD OR 4x4. I use it occasionally for off road adventures and like the 4WD for snow winters but I also live in Colorado.
I see no problem with a 2WD truck as you still have the hauling utility of the bed if that is what you intend to use it for.
You can get a screaming deal on them if you buy in a state that gets a lot of snow since everyone wants the 4WD.

^^^^
Yeah, those Pre-Runners were super cool but I don't think it's a factory option any more.
The reduced weight and extra mpg's is nice too.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
If you don't need 4wd, there's no sense in buying it. If it is still available you might consider a Prerunner. It has the bigger tires and increased ground clearance like a 4wd and the electric locking rear diff. This is for slippery conditions, low speeds and straight lines only.

Prerunner when by the way with the intro of the Gen3. I had a Gen 2 prerunner 2wd and it was a great truck. Everything the 4WD version had except 2WD. The theory was as a practice for the Baha race, contestants entering with Tacomas would "pre run" the course with a 2WD version. If they did well with it, they felt confident 4WD could negotiate the course.

I’ve had AWD vehicles for many years - drove an AWD Honda Pilot for ten years, and a Subaru Outback for the past nine years. AWD is an awesome system, but there are no AWD Tacos out there.

That’s why I started this thread. The choice is 2WD or 4WD if I go with a Tacoma.

If I lived in a mountainous or snowy area, of course, there would be no question. But most of my driving is on hard, dry paved roads, though we do get some rain. Most of the off-roading I encounter is the unpaved parking lot at the beach, or at the range. We’re not even allowed to drive on the beach around here.

2WD would probably make more sense for me, but I do appreciate the arguments about better resale for 4WD, an so forth.

That’s too bad. T4R has awd models, I’d have thought that the Taco would too. I’d be interested in one if so as an alternative when replacing my car. I want something with an open bed to complement my suv. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.

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?

You are correct about not driving a true 4x4 gear locked truck on dry roads,the wheels all turn at the same rate but when you are turning that is when wheels are turning at different rate causing load on the gears, although on snow packed roads where there is enough slippage you can drive, and not just slow, I think a 80's truck owners manual said not to excede 55 mph (that was the speed limit at the time), I have driven 60-65 ahead of the plows where there was no other traffic and only deer to worry about. GM's has an autotrac transfer case available in 1/2 ton trucks since 99 that has an auto range that you can drive on mixed dry/snow that engages the front at wheel slip between a clutch in the case and computer engaging using the abs data. not sure about the others. AWD has viscous couplings or clutches that allow for driving on pavement, there is so many different AWD systems these days that it would take me to next year to explain the differences and they are designed to be driven on pavement and many wont help you much off road

If you ever plan to sell it, I'd get the 4X4. If not, RWD will do everything you need, especially if you can spec a LSD.

In NC, where we sometimes get snow and have the option of driving in sand on the beach (plus boats, though I've only pulled my father's out of a lake on occasion, always with a full size SUV or pickup in 4WD mode - not that it was definitely needed), I've had FWD, AWD, 4WD vehicles. Only RWD vehicle is a BMW MZ4, which is never intentionally going where it's slick. Having an option to put power to more than one wheel is a very good thing. I would never consider any vehicle without at least a LSD, even for tarmac. Not sure about the laws in Florida, but any beach needs 4WD/AWD. I did fine with an Acura MDX provided I watched the depth of the ruts closely (and was able to back out when I didn't). My current Expedition just eats the sand up (and snow) in 4HI. I toyed with the 4LO option two summers ago more for keeping the speed on the beach down than being needed.
Personally, I'd get the 4WD option, even if I couldn't really justify it. However, in FL, I wouldn't think you stupid for getting a 2WD truck either. Do what feels right to you, especially if you don't plan on ever selling it.

2WD in a Tacoma has a Limited Slip differential which will aid in traction control. Traction Control is VERY complicated AND NOT automatic. Here are excerpts from Tacoma World Forum that pertain to 2WD:
AUTO LSD (Automatic Limited Slip Differential) is a 2wd only mode that has TRAC turned on and VSC turned off. Meaning you get the brake simulated LSD functionality from TRAC while preventing VSC from intervening and cutting engine power. This is useful for powering out of situations where VSC is preventing you from getting out/started because it is constantly cutting engine power.
VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) is solely responsible for maintaining vehicle stability. It will accomplish this by cutting engine power as well as applying brakes to individual wheels as it sees fit. It is important to note the difference between stability and traction here. VSC is more concerned about the truck sliding out of control. It is not concerned with a wheel losing traction while crawling through a trail. VSC will kick in for things like swerving for a deer in the road or sliding from a patch of black ice. A yaw sensor and possibly other sensors are utilized to determine if the truck has lost stability.
TRAC (Traction Control) is solely responsible for maintaining traction. Making sure that none of the wheels are needlessly spinning because they have lost traction. It accomplishes this by applying brakes to individual wheels as it sees fit. TRAC will kick in anytime it detects wheels rotating at significantly different speeds – such as starting in icy conditions, driving through mud or snow and lifting a tire while offroading.
Full description is here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/th...es-explained.530695/