[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 4x4 Poll (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 1/10/2007 6:09:44 AM EDT
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Poll incoming |
+1 As I'm getting older, my interests have changed from muscle/sports cars to being outdoors a lot more ..... always nice to have a FWD to get there ...... |
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Spent my driving life trying not to waste fuel. Realization that life is too short. Had to go "off-road" a number of times after storms down here. 3 yrs till possible retirement. Never know where I might end up working. New property in Northern Michigan. Can't have a PU truck just now. (no garage/city ordinance) Lusted after a Wrangler Rubicon for 3+ years. Get to use Chrysler's $ @ 0%.  Stay safe |
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4x4 = gotta have it. Generally 4x4 is useful a dozen times a year for doing something I need to do or helping someone else out. That word need used above is to point out that those are times where I am not simply having fun because a 4x4 opens the world up to you compared to a 2wd. |
I voted not worth it. In the 4 1/2 years I've had my car, I can only think of one time when I wished I had 4x4. It's just not necessary for driving around, even when we do get a little snow or ice. Then again, I don't think anything that gets poor mileage is worth it... spoiled by my TDI and it's 40-50mpg.  That said, I'm currently looking for 4x4 Cherokee as a toy. I travel out to the desert in AZ(and CO too) every so often for work, sometimes for several months at a time. It will be great to have 4x4 so I can get to some new trailheads for hiking and stuff. Great for a toy, pointless for me as a daily driver though. |
| We just had some small snowfall here and ALL over the news everyone is saying how they are stuck and the only people making so and so hill are 4x4's, One woman on the news said "Im trading my car in on an SUV now" I think this snow fall opened up alot of peoples eyes to WHY we have 4x4 and even though it takes more gas it is VERY nice to have, On the news people abandoned their cars when they couldn't make a hill, with a 4x4, they would have made the hill because it wasn't ice, just snow. |
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The only reason I use my my truck in "4x4 mode" is when theres alot of snow or pulling someone/something out. Dont believe the myth that 4x4 helps you stop faster in the snow.....it doesnt. I agree that alot of people should stay home when theres alot of snow on the ground. People think they can fly up to a corner and stop because they have a 4x4 or ABS. I also agree that alot of people should stay at home when its 80 outside and sunny, but thats just me.  
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I have owned a 4x4 for years and love having it for the few times a year I really need it. Whether it is in winter, which hasn't been an issue for awhile, or the times I venture out into the woods during hunting season. However, if I had to do it again with the last SUV I would have purchased a car with gas mileage instead. I do keep an older F-150 4X4 around for hauling crap so this could be used in emergency situations if needed. I get tired of filling up twice a week and watching the gas drain out of my tank as I drive. |
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I've owned two 4x4's. The first one I had was a second car that was great in the snow or just to haul stuff around in. The one I have now is also great but I have put too much money in to it to just "ball around" in the snow because I can. If you get one, get it used and as a second vehicle that you won't worry about should you hit somthing. Even with 4x4 on ice with a skim coat of water you will not have the control you think you should have. Not a nice thing to go through with a $20,000 + truck. |
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In my daily drive, it's not worth it. 90% of my time is spent on pavement, and the few times I do go off road, I stay the hell away from the Rubicon and like trails that'd leave me dead in the dirt. That said, I'd still like an older 4 wheel drive Ford pickup to crash around in. |
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I believe it's dependent on the person and the use that the vehicle will be used for. My sister had a 1990 Ford Festiva. She started a job which required that she drive onto construction sites for soil testing. A little Festiva wasn't going to cut it for driving "off-road" so she got a 1996 Chevy Blazer. She had it till it gave her some problems, and ditched it for a Pontiac Vibe. She doesn't soil test anymore, but she misses having 4WD in the winter. So for some people it's for work. My mom has an '05 TrailBlazer with 4WD. She never uses it but it's nice to know it's there. She only used her 4WD in the 2000 Blazer we had one time. My dad's trucks have never had 4WD. He doesn't need it, for him if it gets bad he tosses some old brake drums in the back and he's set. Me, I'd get 4WD if I were buying a truck or SUV. It does snow here and it's nice to know it's there if I'd ever drive off-road. I don't consider it a safety net for bad driving however. |
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4WD isn't just for snow. Large boat + algae-covered saltwater boat ramp + 2WD = a very difficult recovery from a long day on the water. I've pulled a few 2WD rigs back up ramps after they couldn't move. They'll sit and spin, tires howling and smoking as they can't get traction, meanwhile people in boats are idling in line to come in and rigs are lined up waiting to launch. It's like that Mastercard commercial when everything is going smoothly until one newb decides to pay in cash, and everything comes crashing to a halt. Same same with a 2WD tow rig in over his head. With 4WD there's no drama whatsoever. |
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Better to have and not need than to need and not have. I had a 90 Wrangler, traded in for a 2001 Sierra Z71, and picked up a 92 Wrangler a few months ago. Gotta be able to make those fire calls during snowstorms. And i can't beat up the truck when I wanna go for a trail ride with the friends, and the Jeep's pefect. Mom's got a 99 Blazer 4X4. She got if after bieng stuck numerous times in the snow with the Accord. Sister's got a 2003 Wrangler Sport. She liked my old Jeep too. |
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I have an old Scout II just as a project. I would like to get some extended brake lines for it, find out why it heats so slowly, and then get the top sealed and painted cheaply. After that, I really want to take it out and have some fun. I also keep it around in case I need it for the weather or to rescue someone. So far, my old Benz with Nokian Hakkapelitia 2's does the trick. |
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I'll go the other way with this one. I own 4x4's...always have, but not so much for the 4x4 ability. I use the low gearing of the transfer case more often than actual 4wd. With a 2wd truck your limited to low1. With a transfer case you can gear down low enough for decending steep icy or slick hills without using the brakes. I'm also a fan of the pto output on some transfer cases. Woodsplitters, gennies, water pumps etc. |
| Eh, I use my truck for hauling my bike to trackdays. If I go on dirt it's on cut roads on the ranch. I'm getting along just fine with the 2wd. If I need to go to the snow (which I haven't in a couple years) I'll just take the wrx. 4x4 would have been nice but not worth the extra 4 grand it woulda cost me. |
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I spent 11 years driving 2wd trucks in MN before I got my first 4x4. I could get by fine without it, there are very few instances where I have needed it. 2wds have taken me through a lot of rough terrain. A 4x4 is a must if you want to do a lot of playing off road, but a 2wd with decent tires and some driving knowledge will get you pretty far. |
| Until this year, I had to have it to make it to work sometimes. The main road to my work would become impassable to cars during the summer monsoon rains....when we get them....but for a Jeep or Truck it was just a matter of using 4wd to make sure you got through safely. |
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Not worth it in its normal "off-road use" connotations. As for snow and ice, I've yet to need it. I am thinking about finding an early 90s 3000GT VR4, Eclipse GSX/Talon TSI, or a Celica Alltrac as a toy, but I'm having a hard time coughing up $10k+ for a 15 year old vehicle and then dumping even more $$ into it, since 90-92 camaros are dirt cheap and would be almost as much fun for me. |
| Personally I just got frustrated with the few times I got stuck with a 2-wheel drive. A couple times I was out in a field parked on a slight incline with the grass just slightly damp. I go to take off and it just spun. Now it was not big deal to has someone give you a light push and away I went, but I was pretty frustrated with the fact I even got hung up at all. With my 4x4, it will go anyplace I choose to take it without the aggravation or worry of getting hung up. Plus the low range is nice to have ready too. |
