teacherman
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4wd vs 2wd
Feb 11, 2018 18:27:40 GMT -8
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Post by teacherman on Feb 11, 2018 18:27:40 GMT -8
I'm in serious need of updating my tow vehicle. I've narrowed my search down to a Toyota Tacoma basically for personal reasons so I don't need advice on that. I am curious about 4wd vs 2wd. Are there advantages or disadvantages to one or the other. I won't need 4wd for any off road camping that I'm aware of.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 18:45:18 GMT -8
I believe in most cases the 2WD is rated higher than a 4WD for tow capacity due to its lighter weight. However, 2WD would be less stable than 4WD for the same reason.
I live on the tundra with lots of snow, so would never consider anything but 4WD. Resale here for 4WD is much greater as well. Kind of depends where you live, the size of trailer you are pulling, and when else you might like 4WD to determine the best decision for you.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Feb 11, 2018 19:35:41 GMT -8
I bought a 4wd because it was all they had on the Toyota dealer's lot and they gave it to me at the price I negotiated for a 2wd. At the time I thought it would help towing in bad weather. In truth, if the weather is bad enough to need it I probably should park at a KOA and wait out the storm.
On a Tundra (I think) I lost 2mpg when in 2wd and something like 4mpg when in 4wd. Which probably explains why nobody wants the 4wd models in central NC where it snows 2 days a year.
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Post by vikx on Feb 11, 2018 21:21:38 GMT -8
We have very little snow here as well, but I would always go with 4WD given a choice. My experience has been the 4 x 4 seems to be a little more stable. (heavier vehicle) That said, there is nothing wrong with 2WD for towing.
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Post by bigbill on Feb 12, 2018 5:46:45 GMT -8
I drove 4 wheel drive vehicles for years experienced higher maintenance cost, worse fuel mileage, increased tire wear, among other cost. My Silverado is 2wd weighs 5800 lbs. and it tows great. If I lived in major snow country or went off road it would be worth the extra cost if I had to drive in it, if not I question its value. My wife drives a all wheel drive CRV and it is great to go to the grocery store in the snow but it is not a tow vehicle.
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Dave K
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Post by Dave K on Feb 12, 2018 8:23:36 GMT -8
I have a 2017 Tacoma TRD Sport that is 4wd because I live in the mountains of NJ and we get a good amount of snow. Last year I towed my camper a bunch with the Tacoma (upgraded from an 2007 4WD Highlander) and the Tacoma pulls it so much better! I never put the Tacoma in 4wd though, I left it in 2wd for towing and it was fine. Unless you need the 4wd for other reasons than it shouldn't matter. Currently I get the same (or better) gas mileage than I did with the Highlander because the Highlander was always in 4WD, but I leave the Taco in 2WD unless I need it for snow driving.
I will agree with an earlier post from bw that the resale value is a lot better for a 4wd. So if you plan on reselling in the future, I would recommend researching the costs now vs resale costs later of 2wd and 4wd to compare.
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kirkadie
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Post by kirkadie on Feb 12, 2018 8:29:38 GMT -8
Mine is a Toyota T100, 2wd, with towing package, and I towed the 21' travel trailer cross country with no problems. We get our share of snow here and I stick some sand tubes in the back for additional traction and go anywhere that's flat. I think the T is heavier than the newer Tacomas but they look about the same size. I agree with NC that if the weather is bad, stay put. And keep your speed down when you tow.
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Post by bigbill on Feb 12, 2018 15:01:07 GMT -8
People talk about mpg I just came home from a trip on the Interstate in my V8 Silverado 2wd extended cab NOT TOWING. I hadn't checked mpg for a while so I did this trip. I didn't drive like a nut and obeyed all laws, going south I got 22.4 mpg, coming back north I got 20.9 mpg. When I listen to other people talk about their mpg with smaller vehicles it makes me happy that I have a comfortable truck with 6 way seats, auto temp control, and all the other things that make it a pleasure to drive and still get reasonable mpg. Probably not the best out there but reasonable. Now to be honest if I kick the speed up and burn the tires taking off the mpg goes down the tubes. Also different trailers cause different mpg, frontal area of a trailer means much more than weight.
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Feb 12, 2018 15:30:48 GMT -8
... When I listen to other people talk about their mpg with smaller vehicles it makes me happy that I have a comfortable truck with 6 way seats, auto temp control, and all the other things that make it a pleasure to drive... My MPG in 2wd mode goes from 19mpg on the highway to 14mpg towing. But the Tundra is like driving in a giant LazyBoy chair. And after buying a truck and the cost of restoring the camper, miles per gallon is sort of irrelevant. If saving money is the goal I would have bought a Prius and a tent.
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turbodaddy
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Post by turbodaddy on Feb 12, 2018 16:38:14 GMT -8
We have a Prius that gets 45mpg+ and my really comfortable 2006 GMC 4wd Sierra that only gets 14.3 mpg towing or not. I rationalize by averaging them, which comes to about 29 mpg which is still pretty good. Most of our driving is in the Prius which has about 250K miles on it. (another story for another thread). I only drive the truck about 50 miles a week when at home, so it's consumption is insignificant until we take a trip with the camper.
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teacherman
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4wd vs 2wd
Feb 12, 2018 19:07:20 GMT -8
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Post by teacherman on Feb 12, 2018 19:07:20 GMT -8
One of the reasons that I started this thread and asked this question is that I think I saw or heard somewhere that towing is hard on 4wd. What i remember is that towing is rough on the 4wds. Anyone else heard this?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2018 19:12:19 GMT -8
In my opinion, everything is "hard" on a 4wd when running in 4wd mode. However, you will be running in 2wd 99% of the time...correct? You'll need 4wd on rare occasions. Or does this vehicle not allow you to switch back and forth between 2wd and 4wd?
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Post by danrhodes on Feb 12, 2018 19:48:57 GMT -8
I have a 2007. Toyota is not the company it once was. The black paint has totally rusted through. I have had multiple recalls, including springs so brittle, they break and puncture the gas tank. If you live in a snow area, the last two generations have been recalled for frame rust resulting in full buybacks and frame replacements. My 4 liter V6 gets worse mileage than any V8 full-size and the tow is bouncy like a trampoline. I'm considering a $500 sway system to try and minimize the bounce caused by weak springs (they bottom out at half the rated bed weight) Apologize for the rant but I promised my Toyota dealer I would take any opportunity I could to tell the world about their terrible quality and customer service. Worst part is it will probably run forever, so I'll be driving this rusty beater until I die. Finally, 4wd systems typically have more stuff rotating even when in 2wd, so reliability is lower. I have a 4wd and have always had 4wd even though I rarely use it...the small additional cost is worth the piece of mind and I have used it in certain situations.
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Poquito
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Post by Poquito on Mar 12, 2018 3:51:41 GMT -8
I have quite a list of potential new to me "beaters" to check out for a tow vehicle. One I'll be looking at today is a 2006 Jeep Liberty 4WD Limited, auto trans. Low miles, 90k, but the 4WD is in need of a new linkage cable/rod in order to use 4WD. I've had a 4WD in the past and rarely used it. My days of driving in soft sand at the beach are retired. I won't want to put a lot of money for a repair unless it will pay back when I sell it. Should I even consider looking at this thing? It's got creature comforts and looks good. The creature comforts are lower on the priority since it will be used for hauling and camping but is nice when traveling right? Just got a Subaru Forester for my daily ride. Poquito
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nccamper
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Post by nccamper on Mar 12, 2018 6:48:18 GMT -8
2006 Jeep Liberty 4WD Limited.... should I even consider looking at this thing? I like having a wider wheel base. What's the max tow weight? --- Dan, I didn't want to say anything when you first mentioned owning a Tacoma but they aren't the highest rated Toyota. You're right, they have a much higher recall rate. Based on my limited experience, Tundra is a better choice. I bought one because a few years ago it was the highest rated by Consumer Reports for reliability. I'm going on four years without problems. In way of full disclosure, my father-in-law loves the Tacoma.
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