AWD or 4 x 4 ?

[Fisherman]

1 hour ago, ecmilley said:

 looking for a new truck the 2019 ram classics are priced to move sold a pile of 3.6l trucks people seem happy with them, I would step up to hemi 8 speed myself and don't bother with ecodeisels  to many issues. 

I know you don't like the Ecodiesels, but I wouldn't drive a hemi either unless you want to visit every gas station in the country.

Edited March 21, 2019 by Fisherman

[ecmilley]

9 minutes ago, Fisherman said:

I know you don't like the Ecodiesels, but I wouldn't drive a hemi either unless you want to visit every gas station in the country.

Compared to what? No worse on fuel than any other V8 gas trucks I ve had enough to know . Seen the eagle series hemi doing 10.5lper100km with 8 SP  my own truck has better overall mileage than my LS GMC and just slightly under the 5.0 ford I had for a bit

[Rustic-Fisher]

Ive had a bunch of 4x4s and AWD vechicles over the years Jeep Rubicons ,Xterra, ,RAMS , and Subarus. Like Sinker  i Currently own a 2017 RAM  tweaked out for all my offload lake adventures , Lift ,skid plates , wheels ..the list goes on . BUT i gotta say I have taken the Subaru Outback 3.6 L through some sketchy stuff . I was amazed at how well it did with only the AWD.   We'll always have a Subaru parked in the driveway (on our 3rd) but for working and towing its the RAM hands down .  Now the jeep Rubicon was a different creature all together lol .

 

[Sinker]

22 minutes ago, Rustic-Fisher said:

Ive had a bunch of 4x4s and AWD vechicles over the years Jeep Rubicons ,Xterra, ,RAMS , and Subarus. Like Sinker  i Currently own a 2017 RAM  tweaked out for all my offload lake adventures , Lift ,skid plates , wheels ..the list goes on . BUT i gotta say I have taken the Subaru Outback 3.6 L through some sketchy stuff . I was amazed at how well it did with only the AWD.   We'll always have a Subaru parked in the driveway (on our 3rd) but for working and towing its the RAM hands down .  Now the jeep Rubicon was a different creature all together lol .

 

My forester XT was awesome off road as well, but they just don't stand up to it, and towing wears them out. My boat is maybe 1500lbs, and it tows it fine, and stops it no problem, but they are essentially a car, and just don't stand up to the wear and tear of towing OR offroading.

I've had lots of big off road truck guys question what I was doing in my forester in some of the places I've had it. Then turn around and blow cars off the line running light to light. It was a fun car, but, its a car.  Gas mileage was absolutely horrible, and always burning premium fuel too......$$$$

S. 

[aplumma]

People who look at the basics of what a vehicle is should see a few things that transcend brand names. First the lighter a vehicle is and the smaller an engine is the better the gas mileage is. The heavier built the vehicle is and the larger the engine is the more gas you will burn. You can tow with a VW bug but it will be stressed past it's design and blow up shortly after hook up. The  physics of metals and lubricants will not completely over ride abuse. Design is also important in the drive train a transmission is designed to modify the stress on the engine while attempting to deliver the best ratio for fuel economy. That translates to a light SUV or car is not designed to take on heavy loads on a consistent bases. The enemy of all mechanical things is heat it is the great destroyer. If you want any mechanical item to keep functioning as long as possible give it the best lubricant you can, dissipate heat as best you can and do not exceed the design of the vehicle. If that sounds like a 4x4 truck then that is the correct answer or if you value fuel economy over performance or brute strength then a small SUV/ car is the ticket. 

 

Art

[Rustic-Fisher]

1 hour ago, Sinker said:

My forester XT was awesome off road as well, but they just don't stand up to it, and towing wears them out. My boat is maybe 1500lbs, and it tows it fine, and stops it no problem, but they are essentially a car, and just don't stand up to the wear and tear of towing OR offroading.

I've had lots of big off road truck guys question what I was doing in my forester in some of the places I've had it. Then turn around and blow cars off the line running light to light. It was a fun car, but, its a car.  Gas mileage was absolutely horrible, and always burning premium fuel too......$$$$

S. 

yup , forgot about premium fuel and also agree they are gas pigs! 

[BillM]

2 hours ago, Rustic-Fisher said:

yup , forgot about premium fuel and also agree they are gas pigs! 

Don't forget about the headgaskets which are a maintenance item on those engines, lol.

[Sinker]

6 minutes ago, BillM said:

Don't forget about the headgaskets which are a maintenance item on those engines, lol.

And the turbos that blow up constantly. Glad mine is gone lol 

 

S. 

[Old Ironmaker]

17 hours ago, ecmilley said:

it can get confusing even in rams there is a couple different transfercases 

Yes ec it can get confusing. I have no idea what you are saying but that's on me.

Drifter I guess not AWD vehicles are equal. It's not fair to compare a Honda to a GM. Maybe a Vette but they can't pull a bicycle out of a ditch. 

It's strange that as humans we know more about what makes our vehicles run than we do our own bodies. 

[DRIFTER_016]

2 hours ago, Old Ironmaker said:

It's not fair to compare a Honda to a GM.

You are 100% correct as it would be a huge insult to the Honda!!! ?

I owned a GM once and will not make that mistake again. 

[GBW]

6 hours ago, BillM said:

Don't forget about the headgaskets which are a maintenance item on those engines, lol.

Oh yeah, my 2007 impreza needed them done BUT I did drive it like it was stolen.  Damn I miss that car...  

[Hack_Fisherman]

On 3/19/2019 at 11:51 AM, lew said:

I've got what's called "4auto" on my truck which is nice as it leaves the truck in rear wheel drive but as soon as the back wheels slip it automatically kicks into 4 wheel drive. Nice when driving on roads with a mixture of snow/ice & dry roads so you don't need to keep switching back & forth.

 Mine has it too. Love the feature especially on intermittent  Snow/ice/ clear pavement.  Sometimes I forget it’s on auto which concerns me because the transfer case is still running. 

OP,  both are good  but it all boils down to your intended use.  I’m a strong believer that with the higher horsepower cars on the road now FWD isn’t good enough.  My wife’s car is absolutely Squirrley when passing Even on dry pavement. It’s definitely a white knuckler and should be AWD.  Anything 200 horse and up should be AWD imo ( regarding cars/SUV/crossover’s)

[Sinker]

I'm not a fan of the auto 4wd at all. I know 2 people who thought they were good to go on snotty roads with thier trucks in auto, but they wiped out because it didn't kick in, in time. I just lock it in 4 high and go. Your not hurting anything by turning the transfer case and front diff. Better to use it than not IMO 

 

S. 

[lew]

12 minutes ago, Sinker said:

I'm not a fan of the auto 4wd at all. I know 2 people who thought they were good to go on snotty roads with thier trucks in auto, but they wiped out because it didn't kick in, in time.

 

If the roads were that bad Shane, maybe your friends should have been in 4x4 already.

[Fisherman]

6 hours ago, lew said:

If the roads were that bad Shane, maybe your friends should have been in 4x4 already.

Or maybe stayed at home and not temp fate.

[Sinker]

On 3/22/2019 at 9:28 AM, lew said:

If the roads were that bad Shane, maybe your friends should have been in 4x4 already.

Exactly my point. The auto setting didn't work as well as they thought lol....

S. 

[bigbuck]

2-3000lbs, you don't need a full size pickup. You can get by with a Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier quite nicely. Both come in 4x4 and are more than capable enough. For the hairy snow, definitely invest in snow tires, they will be more helpful than awd or 4x4. 

[DRIFTER_016]

2 hours ago, bigbuck said:

 For the hairy snow, definitely invest in snow tires, they will be more helpful than awd or 4x4. 

100% correct!!!

For 15 years I drove Honda Civics because of the amount of driving I did.

Had dedicated snows for the winters and they made a huge difference in traction and handling.

I have a good story driving home to the NWT from Alaska one year in my 2005 si. I had my snows on as I usually visit in September and October and it's common to have snow. Have even run into it on the drive there in early September. Anyway I was headed home from Alaska around T-Giving one year and while driving through interior Alasa in the mountains ran into snow. The roads were plowed but snow covered. I needed gas so pulled into this gas station that had yet to be plowed and no one had been to the pumps but the sign said open so I pulled in.

I was pushing snow with the front bumper the entire way through the parking lot to the pumps. I filled up and headed inside to pay. You paid inside the bar/restaurant. There were a bunch of locals tipping back some barleys and looking at me like I had 3 heads. 

As I was walking back to my car through the foot of fresh snow on the ground I could just imagine the ole boyz placing bets on how soon I would be back for a push. 

I hopped in my Honda, put it in second and drove out of the parking lot with no wheel spin!!!

Would have loved to see their faces.  

[16 Footer]

Yes I believe in snow tires and put them on every winter. I have talked with people who have put on snow tires for the first time on their vehicle for winter and were amazed at the improve traction.  AWD and 4 x 4 definitely improves forward traction in winter conditions but does not help braking on snow and ice.

[DRIFTER_016]

3 hours ago, 16 Footer said:

Yes I believe in snow tires and put them on every winter. I have talked with people who have put on snow tires for the first time on their vehicle for winter and were amazed at the improve traction.  AWD and 4 x 4 definitely improves forward traction in winter conditions but does not help braking on snow and ice.

But 4X4 with winter tires is a whole nuther ball game. 

I won't even mention studded winter tires and 4X4. Yes we're allowed to run em up here.

Edited April 3, 2019 by DRIFTER_016

[mamona]

On 3/20/2019 at 9:44 PM, Fisherman said:

I know you don't like the Ecodiesels, but I wouldn't drive a hemi either unless you want to visit every gas station in the country

Pretty interesting topic for me as well. No Ecodiesel, no hemi, what's good then?

[Fisherman]

Well every brand has their gremlins,  sometimes a real crap shoot.  I know some that drive the RAM with the 3.6 and they are quite happy with them, good mileage but I would check to see their towing capacity and not push it. You said your boats around 2-3K so that would be fine.    I have the Eco D and have no complaints, heck it gets better mileage than some cars even towing.   The rumour mill indicates the Ford 1/2 Ton diesels are starting to experience some emissions problems too. 

[Sinker]

I don't find my hemi hard on gas at all. Better than other full size 4x4 trucks, and even some SUV's. They are, and always have been, bulletproof engines. I'd buy another no questions. I hear more horror stories about the eco diesel to be fair. 

S. 

[Raf]

Have a look at the colorado / canyons.  I am biased as i have the 2.8 diesel colorado and its an excellent truck that gets incredible fuel economy.  Drove to bellevile and back from west of orangeville and got 6.9 l / 100 - that's honda accord territory. The towing capacity and payload is slightly higher than a comparable ecodiesel ram.

It has 4auto/hi/lo/2wd and a (auto) locking rear diff.  

I compared against the tacoma and frontier but those two now lag behind GM in this segment. 

Full time Awd biggest benefit is driving in snow.  A true 4x4 is not far behind and excels in conditions AWD gets stuck.

Edited April 6, 2019 by Raf

[Sinker]

33 minutes ago, Raf said:

Have a look at the colorado / canyons.  I am biased as i have the 2.8 diesel colorado and its an excellent truck that gets incredible fuel economy.  Drove to bellevile and back from west of orangeville and got 6.9 l / 100 - that's honda accord territory. The towing capacity and payload is slightly higher than a comparable ecodiesel ram.

It has 4auto/hi/lo/2wd and a (auto) locking rear diff.  

I compared against the tacoma and frontier but those two now lag behind GM in this segment. 

Full time Awd biggest benefit is driving in snow.  A true 4x4 is not far behind and excels in conditions AWD gets stuck.

The canyons are nice for sure, but screw GM, and guys like me who are 6'4 don't fit in them so well. I need the space of a full size anyways. 

S.