Do you REALLY NEED 4×4?

[Chili]

IMO it's incredibly subjective to what you plan on using the truck for.

If you plan on towing a boat out of a deep ramp with the back tires in the water, 4WD is a very good idea. If you plan to go off-roading in actual sand, mud, rutted areas, or driving in a ton of snow often, then 4WD is a good idea. On the flip side - ook at stadium and championship trucks - they're 2WD, but they're properly equipped for what they do.

Here's the catch - proper tires are going to matter way more in all of those situations than just the 4WD. I've seen 4WD trucks get stuck in wet grass and light snow because they had "highway" tires on them and couldn't get traction. A 4WD truck with A/T or M/T tires will not save you at all in the winter with ice. You may be able to take off from a stop, but you won't be able to stop the truck.

I have driven FWD, RWD, AWD, and 4WD drive in many conditions. The thing that mattered the most in all of them was tire choice, not the drivetrain. Audi's delivered to the dealership during the winter with the "sport" tires on them could barely move across the parking lot without the traction control kicking in. In contrast, I had a 13 Limited with snow tires on it - the only time the AWD/4WD was useful was if it was icy and I was initially taking off, at which point it got switched back to 2WD. If it was bad enough outside I stayed home. The problem wasn't me getting around, it was worrying about people running into me. If I did need to go out, I would just take my AWD Flex instead.

Out of the 10 or so (wild guess here) 2wd work vans and trucks I've had, the only one that was bad in the snow was when I put A/T tires on my E250. Reviews said great winter traction, looked knobby, slipped and slid everywhere. Neighborhood stop signs were dangerous, you just couldn't stop if didn't want to get stuck. We swapped them out for some General tires (Grabber HD model, looked like a highway tire) and it was a beast in the snow. Shop owner recommended them as he ran them on his 2wd tow trucks and they were the best he had found after trying a lot.

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[The_Auto_Tech]

Out of the 10 or so (wild guess here) 2wd work vans and trucks I've had, the only one that was bad in the snow was when I put A/T tires on my E250. Reviews said great winter traction, looked knobby, slipped and slid everywhere. Neighborhood stop signs were dangerous, you just couldn't stop if didn't want to get stuck. We swapped them out for some General tires (Grabber HD model, looked like a highway tire) and it was a beast in the snow. Shop owner recommended them as he ran them on his 2wd tow trucks and they were the best he had found after trying a lot.

Absolutely. My dad had a 90 Ranger 2WD 4 cylinder manual trans truck that he drove year-round in the snow and took it hunting. That truck got places you would not assume it should have, but it always had tires properly equipped for what he was doing with it.

Every time it snows here I always watch the lifted trucks with the knobby tires in the ditch because they assume just because they can get rolling, they can also stop. This is why my Raptor gets parked in the winter. The Cooper STT Pro's aren't going to do me any favors when it comes to the snow and ice. Proper tire matters far more.

 

[LA1401]

I'm ordering a 2024 F-150 XL single cab and wanted to ask yall do you really need or use 4 wheel drive for most of your back country adventures? The basic truck is a 5.0 with a 3.73 locker that I imagine is fairly capable with quality all terrain tires but I have no first hand experience. I bought 2 new 4×4 SUV's (Kia Sportage 1998 and 2002) and never actually had to use it! But I did NOT venture into really bad or muddy territory. We had family in West Virginia and snow could have been a issue but never actually was. I'm in Florida and most of the family up there moved down here so not really a factor now.
I've never owned a single cab short bed truck before but but what little I have heard is that for most back county adventures it is a great platform!
So what has been your experience? Do you find you can get around in 2 wheel drive just fine or do you engage the 4×4 as a matter of course when you leave the pavement? My thoughts were quality tires made a big difference with a rear locker and if I really got worried about getting stuck a small front bumper winch might be a viable option..But I have no real experience. Mom always said ask someone who knows lolol!

I, like you, had no need for 4WD when I ordered my 2021 5.0 Supercab F-150 with e-locker. I still have had no need or use for a 4WD. I saved the money and a mile or two on gas mileage and am happy with my decision. But it does not snow much where I live or I would have gotten the 4WD. Resale is definitely better with 4WD though.

 

[Bossharp]

LA1401 Since I'm in Florida snow is not a factor. And since this is the last truck I'll ever buy (lacking a huge windfall) I'm not concerned about resale value. I would rather take the 5 grand and right away get the bumpers grill and mirror caps painted to match with ceramic and PPF . That plus wheels and tires OR a hard one piece tonneau cover will transform the truck! Adding 4×4 on a single cab is 20% more than any other configuration.

 

[Chili]

LA1401 Since I'm in Florida snow is not a factor. And since this is the last truck I'll ever buy (lacking a huge windfall) I'm not concerned about resale value. I would rather take the 5 grand and right away get the bumpers grill and mirror caps painted to match with ceramic and PPF . That plus wheels and tires OR a hard one piece tonneau cover will transform the truck! Adding 4×4 on a single cab is 20% more than any other configuration.

I think you made the right choice. Crew cab in the north won't sell used in 2wd, but in the south and a regular cab? Resale will be proportional to the amount you saved.

Regular cab in general will be desirable in 2wd. It's not the same market as supercabs and supercrews.

 

[JExpedition07]

Another day another 4x4 victim. This morning it was coming down, so I was going about 30 MPH in a 45 MPH. Some guy in what turned out to be a 502A PowerBoost was riding me for like 2 miles. Started high beaming me, then floored it around me in a no passing zone. He spun out, went into a ditch, and whaled the side of his truck into a big tree, at which point he fell back into the ditch again. 4A really worked out for him huh? I didn’t stop, I don’t help jackasses.

 

[Samson16]

Another day another 4x4 victim. This morning it was coming down, so I was going about 30 MPH in a 45 MPH. Some guy in what turned out to be a 502A PowerBoost was riding me for like 2 miles. Started high beaming me, then floored it around me in a no passing zone. He spun out, went into a ditch, and whaled the side of his truck into a big tree, at which point he fell back into the ditch again. 4A really worked out for him huh? I didn’t stop, I don’t help jackasses.

Is the 502A a Lariat high option? Does it have the LED projector headlights and that's how you can tell even though it was snowing heavy? I'm still learning this F-150 stuff.

 

[JExpedition07]

Is the 502A a Lariat high option? Does it have the LED projector headlights and that's how you can tell even though it was snowing heavy? I'm still learning this F-150 stuff.

Yes, you can tell a 502A by the headlights

 

[Samson16]

LA1401 Since I'm in Florida snow is not a factor. And since this is the last truck I'll ever buy (lacking a huge windfall) I'm not concerned about resale value. I would rather take the 5 grand and right away get the bumpers grill and mirror caps painted to match with ceramic and PPF . That plus wheels and tires OR a hard one piece tonneau cover will transform the truck! Adding 4×4 on a single cab is 20% more than any other configuration.

I would certainly test drive a single cab before buying. If the seat won't go back far enough or lean back comfortably, I would hate it over time. We get thunderstorms regularly and I would want space to quickly put bags of groceries or whatever during a downpour.

 

[Graygoose2021]

I would certainly test drive a single cab before buying. If the seat won't go back far enough or lean back comfortably, I would hate it over time. We get thunderstorms regularly and I would want space to quickly put bags of groceries or whatever during a downpour.

In Orlando, it seems to rain everyday LOL...be out there for 2 weeks in February

 

[Spiffy]

I would consider the market if or when you trade it in. Your market in the upper states that get snow woukd be limited. I use 4wd quite often. Even when pulling a trailer up steep inclines when road is wet. I have been on boat ramps that I could not have managed without it. The cost of 4wd initially would not surpass the loss of resale. In my opinion.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

I would certainly test drive a single cab before buying. If the seat won't go back far enough or lean back comfortably, I would hate it over time. We get thunderstorms regularly and I would want space to quickly put bags of groceries or whatever during a downpour.

Most guys that buy a regular cab truck usually have bed dividers with a cover to plan ahead for that kind of stuff, or they have a second vehicle as a grocery getter. I have a RCSB, but also have a Gen 1 SCREW Raptor and a 13 Flex Ecoboost, so if I need interior storage I just drive one of those.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

Another day another 4x4 victim. This morning it was coming down, so I was going about 30 MPH in a 45 MPH. Some guy in what turned out to be a 502A PowerBoost was riding me for like 2 miles. Started high beaming me, then floored it around me in a no passing zone. He spun out, went into a ditch, and whaled the side of his truck into a big tree, at which point he fell back into the ditch again. 4A really worked out for him huh? I didn’t stop, I don’t help jackasses.

Exactly why I tell people 4A doesn't do shit for a truck when it's going down the road in shitty conditions. I only ever used it for taking off from a stop in the 13 Limited, otherwise it did nothing beneficial.

Also, another story for the "you need 4WD crew" - in my early 20's I daily drove an 86 Mazda RX-7 through sunshine, heavy rain, snow, and ice. Lightweight sports car with 4.10 gears and RWD should be a recipe for disaster in the snow right? Not with snow tires. That car performed better than MANY of the vehicles I've had over the years.

Again, it comes down to what you NEED the truck for, and having the proper tires on it. A 2WD truck with snow tires on it is going to do better in the snow than a 4WD truck with knobby A/T's or M/T's. Sure, if you're gonna be off-road in the shit then a 4WD truck is going to be better, no doubt. But probably 90% of the full size trucks out there never see anything but pavement or a gravel road.

 

[The_Auto_Tech]

For all the guys talking about resale value on a truck - is it that big of a worry? The 2WD truck should always be substantially cheaper when you purchase it compared to the 4WD truck. It's not like you're taking a "hit" when selling it down the road, it was cheaper to begin with. For instance - when recently shopping for my truck that I just purchased - a 4WD version of the same truck was 5000+ dollars more. If when I go to sell my truck it sells for 5000 dollars less than a 4WD one I didn't "lose" anything.

 

[Samson16]

Most guys that buy a regular cab truck usually have bed dividers with a cover to plan ahead for that kind of stuff, or they have a second vehicle as a grocery getter. I have a RCSB, but also have a Gen 1 SCREW Raptor and a 13 Flex Ecoboost, so if I need interior storage I just drive one of those.

Sure, and if you're going cross country take your plane. The OP indicated it was going to be his only and last vehicle. Perhaps I read it wrong...

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