Looking to buy a used 2002 Ford Explorer and it seems like there are quite a few available in my area (Central California) that are 4x4 instead of 4x2. I really won't be using the 4x4 feature but can get a good deal on one. It looks like it only gets about 1 less mile a gallon compared to a 4x2, so I'm wondering about a couple of things.
Is there any drawbacks to owning a 4x4 when I don't use it?
Anything else I should be aware of when owning a 4x4?
- Thanks
Interesting. Finally a person that admits he doesn't "need" a 4x4. Congrats, you are one of the few. (And smarter than most!)
That being said, you are probably better off getting the 4x4 if you will be selling it at some point in the future. While most folks who buy Explorers don't need a 4x4, they think they do. Resale will be higher on the 4x4. (Now if you can find a 2wd Explorer, maybe you can get a real good price since not many folks are interested.......)
The 4x4 drivetrain should be exercised regularly to keep it functioning. If you completely ignore it, it may not work if there ever is an occassion to use it. (I speak from experience as I've got a Super Duty with auto/manual hubs that no longer work in the auto mode. Lack of use....) As you noted, mileage will be less. Service will cost more too since you will have a front diff and transfer case to service. More U-joints/CV joints to service and replace too.
That they don't handle like a sports car? Obvious to most I would hope.
Good luck in your decision.
Matt
99 V-10 Super Duty, Super Cab 4x4
You're just moving more mass than you need to, so it's slightly slower. Also, there's more moving parts that can break (which you could possibly have removed...)
Most likely it has some form of all terrain tires instead of a more street-appropriate tire, so traction may be affected in the rain (which I hear gets really bad in CA)
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As others have pointed out, lack of use is hard on the running gear. Once the novelty of having a 4x4 has worn off, it can be tough to remember to run that forward drivetrain every once in a while to keep things moving up there. I'd count on a minimum 10-15% hit on the gas mileage when going from 2 to 4 wheel drive, due to the extra weight you are hauling around.
Buy a grease-gun, and use it lots. Front end drive train components (diff, brakes, transfer case, etc) can be costly and expensive to install, so fix things as they happen to avoid having to pay for it all at once. Remember that some 4x4's are hell on tires on the front end, and 4x4 sized tires are often bigger and more expensive. The most important thing to know about 4x4's is that they don't like stopping when things get slippery. They'll take off like a dragster on solid ice, but hitting the brakes afterwards induces a very special kind of panic that almost every northern 4x4 owner could tell you at least one story about. ; ) Having said all that, I had a 78 Bronco for 10 years and it was a lot of fun. I kept costs down by doing the work myself, so the fuel was the only negative issue I had with that truck. 4x4's are fun, if you've got the money go for it. If money is tight, maybe look at a truck that's got a little less to go wrong with it.
-- Sent to you by Ken at kenwho?@sympatico.ca Replace "who?" with b2 for e-mail.
Well written, Ken.
Thing is, I once owned a '75 F-100 with a rebuilt 390 in front of a four speed and a 9 inch posi. That particular truck could go most places it's 4X4 brothers could. Even living in a small town in Montana, I didn't ever "Need" a 4X4.
I currently live in the PACNW. We get an ice storm every year. The majority of vehicles that end up in the ditch happen to be the SUV's and 4X4's.
Plasyd
The thing is, _all_ vehicles, 4x4 or not, have the same braking system. Many people don't realize the "4 wheel drive" only describes the additional driving capability and that stopping is still the same.
Could this be a correlation to the above? Could it be that the drivers thought they were invincible with their SUV or 4x4 and didn't take necessary precautions?
Speaking of which, one time a few years ago my mom was driving home on the highway in upstate New York in bad (snow) weather. Some compact pickup came barrelling past her and then lost control. It bounced off the one guard rail and slid across the road in front of her then bounced off the other as she passed it and slid back across the road.
Even if you have a 4x4, use your head while driving :-).
-D (who recently bought an old 4x4 for the winter season)
Drive your 4x4 like it is 2WD. It will probably take longer to stop than a 2WD because of the added weight. I drive my 4x4 carefully on slick roads so I won't get in trouble.
I see idiots driving way too fast with their 4x4's and it is no surprise to see them stuck in the ditch. They get over confident and get themselves stuck or in an accident.
It's actually different since the front and rear wheels can't operate independently.
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Tom: Whether you need a 4x4 or not depends on where you drive. If you never go off road or hit snow or mud, a 4x4 is a waste of money and costly to operate and maintain. I live in the heart of the moutains of British Columbia and criss/cross this province for work, and my 4x4 pickup is the only way to get around when the roads are treacherous here. I use my truck in 4x4 all the time in the snow and mud so I can justify the cost, extra weight, and poor fuel mileage but if you're driving on the highways in sunny California a 4x4 is nice to have but maybe not essential. My truck is fairly new and hasn't cost me yet, but someday that tranny, transfer case, hubs and CV joints will need service and it'll cost me big time. My brother in law owns an automotive repair shop so I pay way less for repairs and tires than someone off the street, but if I had to pay full price for my repairs I think I'd rethink owning a 4x4.
A 4x4 isn't going to help you in the rain. I'll echo the other posts about
4x4 drivers that think they are invincible. We have a section of toll highway near here called the Coquihalla and it is notorious for the ditch being a parking lot for SUV's, especially people from Vancouver. People from Vancouver drive SUV's because they are popular but run cheap tires because they never see snow. They get on the Coq and ......you get the picture. The Coquihalla is notorious for having weeks and months of glare hardpack ice and the only thing that'll save you is driving carefully with a good ice radial or light truck tire with snow tire rating. The other thing about owning a 4x4 is that they handle completely differently than a rear or front wheel drive car when both ends are locked together. Some of the other readers will recall how freaky it is to be caught in a sideways drift in a corner on snow when both ends are locked together. A 4x4 just plows mostly straight ahead until you reduce your speed enough that it turns properly. In a sideways drift, I'd take a rear or front wheel drive any day with some good tires. Just something to be aware of......'Nuff said.
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