Better to have it and not need it....

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Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:
It still does very little to help you stop in the slick.

Long ago a friend of mine related a statement made by one of his friends: "Don't be overconfident. Four wheel drive doesn't necessarily mean you'll make it home; it often means you'll get farther from home before you get good and stuck."

Yeah, one school of thought is that you use two wheel drive until you get stuck. Once stuck, use four wheel drive to get unstuck,then immediately retreat. I don’t subscribe to that school of thought, but …

Something as simple as wet grass and ground can leave a 2wd stuck. I couldn’t imagine getting 2wd outside of a fleet, with some 4x4 when needed.

In my mind whether or not to have 4 wheel drive boils down to its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I'm in PA near Philly and while we don't get a mountain of snow each year we've had plenty of snow storms where we get over a foot and on occasion we've had more than 18 inches on more than one occasion. It only takes getting stuck once to appreciate a 4 wheel drive vehicle, there's not a significant difference in mileage, 2-3 mpg, with a 4x4 compared to a 4x2. The cost of entry can be a few grand between a 4x4 and 4x2 but you make up the difference when it comes time to sell. If its in your budget my recommendation is to pass on the 4x2 and go for a 4x4.