Phokaioglaukos

For what will be pretty much a dedicated tow vehicle (think Toyota Tundra) with a bit of around town driving, would you get 2WD or 4WD?

The 2WD is a bit lighter with a bit less to go wrong and has a slightly higher maximum towing limit, but I understand that 2WD pickups have low resale value compared to 4WD. I do not expect that I would use 4WD--all roads around here are paved, heavy snowfalls are unusual and short-lived and I take the train to the office, so this is mostly a resale and "how does it tow" question.

What do you think?

BostonDMD

How much would you be saving with the 2WD?

ltc

From a capacity perspective, RWD is preferred.

From a resale perspective, it depends on your resale market. AWD/4WD always has a slightly higher resale in areas where 4WD is preferred; also simply due to the fact that AWD/4WD vehicles have a higher sticker MSRP to begin with.

The resale value will also depend on how long you intend to keep the vehicle, the mileage when you get rid of it and whether it will be a private party sale or dealer trade.

If you are buying it strictly for towing and nothing else, then RWD (since you likely won't be towing in snow/ice). If you are buying it for a daily driver and tow vehicle and you get enough snow/ice to warranty AWD/4WD, then go that route.
Also keep in mind that rear axle ratios are sometimes dependent on RWD vs 4WD; the ratio will help determine towing capacity as well.

FWIW, my bride's Excursion is a 4WD and it is the family tow vehicle and he daily driver.

FlyingDog

rwd will also get better gas mileage even if you never engage 4wd.

SundayDriver

Other than what you mentioned, the only other thing to consider is the possibility of getting stuck in the paddock. 4WD can save your butt in those cases.

smankow

I'd look at 4wd over AWD. I agree with Chris that Philly doesn't get too much snow, but I'd prefer to have it in case you need to get somewhere or out of something.

J Silverman

I bought a RWD truck to tow with. Less maintenence, less stuff to break, and better gas mileage. We dont get huge amounts of snow here. With that said there are times when 4WD would be nice. The trailer I use can be difficult to get out of its parking spot if the ground is wet. Once I had to use my friends truck to pull mine out of the mud where the trailer was parked. Also my friends like to paddock in the woods at Summit Point and that can get pretty nasty after it rains. WIth that said I dont regret RWD at all. Most of the time, I wont need it.

IcemanG17

as long as you don't live somewhere with lots of snow......might as well get the 2WD....its almost $4K cheaper and gets slightly better gas mileage......its lighter too so it can tow a touch more and should perform a touch better

Speaking of the Tundra.....at SEMA this year they had a custom Tundra 5.7 with a supercharger.....381 hp is just not enough....so try 500hp with full factory warranty!!! I'm sure the mileage sucks....but damm that would be fun......might need 4WD with that kind of power

renvagn

Enough said.

jerome951

Chris, here are my thoughts based on your situation (I own a 2WD '06 Tundra as a daily driver and tow vehicle).

The 2WD rides nicer than the 4x4 (expected). The higher-rated towing capacity shouldn't be a factor as if you're that close to the max rating, you're looking at the wrong truck anyway.

Since you likely won't put a lot of miles on it, the incremental mpg increase of the 4x2 isn't that beneficial and you'll likely sell it before it is heavily depreciated (so still some higher value of the 4x4). Plus, the Toyota front drive systems are pretty robust, so besides a little extra maintenance in lubrication and fluid changes, I wouldn't expect any additional costs beyond the initial purchase price.

When I was looking at the '06s when they were new, I couldn't get a fairly loaded truck in the Northeast that didn't have 4WD. Regional dealers defined their SR5 and Limit trim packages to include 4WD in extended and double cabs. I would have had to special order it from the factory as a 4x2 (but it was too late in the model year to order for me, so I had to travel to NC to get mine). Even in the Mid-Atlantic, with its minimal snowfall, you can have difficulty selling a 2WD as everyone seems to want the 4x4.

Also considering the rest of your stable, I don't see any other good snow/ice vehicles there.

With that in mind, I think the 4x4 is the better choice.

For me, the 4x2 was better because I drive 17k miles/yr, see less snow, and plan to keep it until the wheels fall off.

Professor Helmüt Tester

And LSD ain't necessarily a drug !!! Those innocent looking relatively level spots in the grass paddock at Mid-O will sometimes require a limited slip...or 4wd.

Tracks where I've either been stuck myself, or seen other people stuck:

Mt. Tremblant
Lime Rock
Mid-O
Nelson Ledges (oh...the stories....)
Summit Point
The Poke
Sebring

I've even managed to sink a 4wd dually. Cool, huh ?

Phokaioglaukos

All good data. I, too, have heard of people getting stuck in a soggy paddock and needing to engatge 4WD to get out. That would be the only time I think I would ever use 4WD. In this area everyone thinks 4WD is needed for the occaisional snowfall. I think that's ridiculous--winter tires on the BMW are just fine. But, if that's what the market wants I'll probably go there for that reason and for the occaisional trouble getting going in a wet paddock. The increased towing capacity of a 2WD is inconsequential and the increased cost and maintenance of a 4WD should be relatively small, so none of that decides it. This all came to mind when I read on another thread about greater rear wheel tire wear and the concernt with 4WD of not replacing all four tires. That did get my attention, but maybe it's an aberration?

Geoffrey

Chris,

I have a 2wd cummings diesel and I like it because it gets better fuel mileage, partly because it is lower than an 4wd, but also because it doesn't have all of the 4wd stuff to turn. I use it all year around, but it doesn't go well in deep snow. If I were to buy again, I'd probably look at 2wd again.

Bull

In our area, not that many miles from yours, you need to order and wait for 2wd trucks, and resale is difficult even at a lower price. While not necessary for our winter driving, many people BELIEVE 4wd is necessary, and also many families are involved in Winter snow sports.

I have owned 4wd trucks for many years and used them for towing tack cars, race boats, horses, etc. In no case have I encountered the tire wear issue being discussed in the other thread.

Veloce Raptor

Couple things:

-never buy a depreciating asset for resale value
-RWD is also much less expensive to insure (due to lower repair costs)
-do you tow in the snow? if not, there is no real reason to buy a 4WD dedicated tow rig IMO