I'm glad I traded my Acura TL sedan for a 4Runner. . . . . .

Late in March I had work in Hermosillo.  Quick drive, 4 hours from Tucson.

On the day before I was to return to the US, a cartel was shooting up some gov mil assets.  So without warning, the army shut down the roads and started inspecting every truck northbound.

The freeway had a line of trucks in the right lane than sat for more than 5 miles; each truck took about 10 minutes to get through.  

The left lane was open for cars, UNTIL some trucker got pissed and blocked it.  One of the truckers pointed toward the ditch, and told me to go for it.  He indicated I could regain the road before the checkpoint.

So I headed down into the ditch and 4-wheeled my way past about 36 hours' worth of waiting trucks.  That's my cool story.

Did you need four wheel drive or just the higher ground clearance? I've never been there but I imagine that the ground is pretty dry and hard but maybe rocky.

I too have worked in Mexico. IN THE LONG DISTANT PAST.  There is no way I would do it today.  The cartels were shooting the place up... Keep saying that over in your mind for the rest of the day. Tomorrow ask yourself,  is going down to Mexico such a great idea???

I only buy 4x4 vehicles. The first time it saves your butt like in the OP's case the extra money for the 4WD seems minimal .

Why does cost have to enter into it?
I'm curious if the OP needed the extra traction or if extra ground clearance was what saved the day.

Sand?

I said that because over years people have commented about me buying 4x4 vehicles . People have said it's not worth the extra cost for something they'll probably never use .
Their words not mine .

i dont use mine a lot. but i do use it.  heres where i have used it lately.... and not for fun.

1. garage in the backyard is downhill... with almost no gravel, and its been muddy. i needed to drop off some heavy stuff in the garage, and without 4x4 would have had a huge mess. with 4x4, didnt even spin a tire.
2. turning around on the new property. the road is very narrow and the second you get off the gravel, its gooey. iv had to use 4x4 about 4 times on trips over there, just to turn around.. only uses it to drive about 4 feet, but i used it.
3. last two big snows we had... which is about all the snow we have. there was ice under it, and my truck would not move a inch... 4x4 and i drove around like normal. i used it about 1/2 dozen times this winter..... while lots of my neighbors had to shovel their entire driveways to just leave the yard..... or not, as many had uphill driveways, and still could not get out without being towed by a 4x4.
4. pulled out three cars from ditches during the snow.......... one was a 4x4 jeep with slick factory tires, . he missed his driveway entrance and ended up in about 4 feet of snow in the ditch. the road was still covered in snow, and without 4x4 i could not have pulled any of them out.

i might buy a smaller cheap good mileage car sometime, but i cant see myself ever having a non 4x4 truck.ESPECIALLY, as i get older, i know i wont stay at home just because there is weather, and i HATE asking people for help. i dont give a fuck if theres 24" of snow on the road, if i want some beer and im 80 years old, im going to go get it myself. ............... my tractors will always be 4x4, my atv's will always be 4x4, and my trucks will always be 4x4..and probably have winches when i can.. because they are used to go places and do things cars are not supposed to do.


on the other hand, if you live in town, and drive on pavement 99% of the time, and have shitloads of snow plows, and people keeping your roads clear 24/7/365, and dont go into the woods, then you probably dont need a 4x4 at all.

Friend,don't worry about what other people think about what you drive...if it gets you home every time that's the main thing.
Those other people may truly never need 4wd because they don't leave the pavement...it's not uncommon around here to see some Yuppie or Soccer Mom driving a super nice fully tricked out 4x4 that has maybe only been in four wheel drive a couple of times because there was a little snow so they locked it in and drove like it was summertime not realizing that it's not going to steer or stop any better.

I've not been without at least one 4x4 since 1975(still own that one)but I use the front end like a winch(to get me out of trouble not to keep going and get in deeper).

The reason that I was asking about ground clearance or extra traction was simply that even though I've never driven in Mexico I have driven in several of the western states hunting  and in the drier areas I can remember very few times that we needed to lock the front end(but I remember a few times when didn't lock the hubs but used low range on the transfer case)but even being in a taller vehicle we had to watch that we didn't get hung up on a rock.

PS;
if you're going to be off roading in the dry rocky areas two spare tires can be a good thing plus a good jack.

I needed the extra ground clearance a few weeks ago when the highway was stopped due to an accident and the entrance ramp I was on also stopped.  I was able to drive over the curb and median, across the grass and and back on the road to drive to the next entrance and avoided sitting there at least a half hour or more.

I learned to appreciate 4WD. I dont need a monster truck but I want ground clearence and 4wd when needed. Going up sidewalks, bulevards, dealing with some mud, a bit of flooding, snow. It just makes sense. I dont think you need a massive 4x4, a CRV like the one I have or a Rav4 does it IMO, hitting that sweetspot of capability and functionality for everyday driving.
FerFAL

Same here. Sometimes just the clearance is good enough. We jumped a curb and cut across a median & ditch that had other cars stuck in it. I didn't have to use the 4wd.

When it was icy though, I liked having the 4x4 capabilities on my old Jeep XJ, as I had no traction for some wheels, and traction for at least one wheel was very helpful.

Yep, first got 4x4 in the mid 80's and never been without it.

My Father had it way back to get to the microwave towers in the mtns he was responsible for, and I got to watch as a youngster.

We use it a lot in the mud and snow getting to the mtn. More importantly, getting back down

This is why I have a jeep and I bought my wife a Subaru Forester.

For those wondering about 2wd, do some reading on people using cargo vans as campers.  Many install a locker in the rear axle before they get around to paying for the 4x4 conversion.  



Tires make a heck of a difference as well.



A 4x4 might get by with a more mild tire since it has more tires doing the work.



On a 2wd I tend to see more people putting serious tires on the drive axle because it is doing all the work.

all I can say is yer lucky some trucker, drug runner or soldier did not just shoot your ass.    

I have had 4x4 since I was 16.

When we bought a new vehicle for my wife and new baby I insisted it be 4x4.
She picked a Xterra and has been happy she got a real SUV. Being on a truck frame and stting higher up is add protection for the kids I feel.
For me I have always had 4x4 trucks going to the cabin and hunting its been needed.

My time in Iraq driving in 4x4 2500 Suburbans 4x4 was a must even in baghdad.  
Ground clearance can keep you out of trouble.
Being able to jump curbs, medians and center island's at will is a good feeling.
Adding and good push bumper brush grill will protect to an extent your truck, suv if you need to bump or push another vehicle out of your way.
If you add good off road tires to a 4x4 and have rear diff lock you will be almost unstoppable

As for the cost of 4x4 and the less miles those vehicle's get is well worth there capability and for peace of mind
Posting from my shit phone

Both were comforting.  Not sure I woulda had the cajones to take a Camry down there.

I guess the point of starting this thread was to congratulate myself for stepping up.  I enjoyed my Acura TL sedan, but my 06 T4R 4WD is a comfort, even if it's on pavement 95 percent of the time.

The biggest howlers against 4x4 were my wife-- ex now-- and car salesmen who didn't have a 4x4 to sell me.

The implication was that anyone who wanted a 4X4 is a poser.  I'd say it's a hell of a lot better chance you'll need 4 wheel drive and ground clearance than you'll ever need a gun.

Of course, both are a good idea to have before you actually need one.

"The implication was that anyone who wanted a 4X4 is a poser."


Many I suppose, but certainly not all...

Growing up, I lived in the country. We would go hunting in the mountains, cut trees in the woods, etc and only had a 2WD. I was a little kid (4 or 5) and still remember having to unload a stuck C30 loaded with firewood in the rain.

I'll never go without a 4WD. It doesn't have to be a huge bro dozer. I have Cooper AT's on my Commander and without it, I wouldn't have been able to get my son to the hospital this winter. The ambulances weren't doing too good and their response time is shit around here anyways. Without all terrain tires and 4WD, my son may have died 2 months ago. It makes the higher sticker price and the years of shitty gas mileage well worth it.

4WD saved our butts the other day...

Was going down a treacherously muddy mountain road cut into a steep slope, and was sliding [hell 1/5 the trip down was sliding  

...towards the over the hill side.

Got stopped, surveyed the situation, and cut the steering to the left away from the cliff and carefully pulled the front back to the main area of the dirt rd.

Had it not been for the 4WD, it would have been walking time, a long ways in cold rain. There wasn't an alternative.

Well, over the hill if I had acted like a youngster...  


I think this is the muddiest we ever drove that road, without chains....  Made it but in retrospect, shoulda put them on...

 

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Oh shit...  

Had a mountain road blocked by an accident with a little over a foot and a half between the bumper and guard rail.
Everything with more than two wheels was stuck there until the wreckers cleared the road, just another option.