new GMC 1500 2x4. No one needs 4x4 anyway

for those few times a year the avrg person really needs a 4x4 it is nice, I have one and have had 4x4 for a lot of years, but you can do without, you just can't mindlessly pull off the road without thinking about it, you need to look at the situation and act accordingly.


We just bought my wife a truck that is not 4x4, this is the first driver she has had in 15 yrs without all-wheel drive, if for some odd act of God we get more than 5-6 inches of snow at a time we can drive my old 4x4, but that has not happened in 8 yrs.


In the last 15 years of owning a subaru we really needed it 4 or 5 times, we have decided we really don't need a 4x4 to tow the camper because in 30 years of camping we have never needed a 4x4.

Ron3rd wrote:
I opted not to get the 4x4 model because where I live in So Cal it would not be needed. In other parts, it's essential.

I live in So Az - but we still have dirt roads and wilderness - so I need 4x4.

Ron3rd wrote:
I opted not to get the 4x4 model because where I live in So Cal it would not be needed. In other parts, it's essential.

bikendan wrote:
yep, bought my 4x2 Avalanche when i lived in California.
now that i live in the PNW, i had to buy a 4x4 and my 4x2 Avy isn't sellable here.

My son traded in our 4x2 Av just yesterday for a 4x4 RAM Hemi - night & day difference in how well the 4x4 deals with heavy snow that we're now inundated with here in Ontario. :B I'm just hoping it doesn't snow any more between now and tomorrow when we have to take the Av over to the dealership for the exchange. :E

Ron3rd wrote:
I opted not to get the 4x4 model because where I live in So Cal it would not be needed. In other parts, it's essential.

yep, bought my 4x2 Avalanche when i lived in California.
now that i live in the PNW, i had to buy a 4x4 and my 4x2 Avy isn't sellable here.

Supercharged wrote:
Got wife 2018 GMC 1500. No one but famers,ranchers, ult. company, cops, logers, and people up in Canada need 4x4, just something saleman sell people who have good credit anyway. Waist of money.

I agree, but do,youmlnow hard it is to,find a 2whd. Especially in a 250/2500 gas or diesel.

I opted not to get the 4x4 model because where I live in So Cal it would not be needed. In other parts, it's essential.

campigloo wrote:
It was explained to me that 4wd is only good for getting stuck farther back in the woods.
I like mine anyway.

Ha ha, just makes the tow bill more expensive!

This past spring I bought a 2012 Silverado 4x4 to replace our 2005 Avalanche 4x2 for towing, gifting the Av to our older son. However, it's a real handful in the snowy conditions we get here in S Ontario at this time of year, even with additional weight in the back. :M Just yesterday we were out in the country in the Silvy and on our way to our destination I intentionally took a really steep road as this was the first opportunity I've had to see how the truck would handle in these conditions. The truck is equipped with electronic 4x4 which means I can select 4x2 for use on dry surfaces, 4x4 Auto for use on varying surfaces, 4x4 Hi, or 4x4 Lo, just as I used to be able to do with our previous 2006 Silverado 4x4. I have no idea what the slope on this roadway is but it's really steep so I wanted to see if it would negotiate these slippery conditions any better in 4x4 Hi than 4x4 Auto. Using Manual I slipped it into 2nd and alternated between the two settings - surprising to me but 4x4 Auto handled the task just fine, no slipping at all on our way to the top of the hill, so I'm not sure I'd ever have a need to use 4x4 Hi. 4x4 Auto is also much simpler as I can now confidently tell my wife to just use 4x4 Auto anytime the roads aren't bone dry where 4x2 would be sufficient and just ignore 4x4 Hi which GM warns against using on dry roads. Having suffered through many winters with the 4x2 Av I have no interest in ever again owning any truck that's not 4x4.

Was in Northeastern California for 35 years and now am in North Idaho. 4x4 is needed!!

fj12ryder wrote:
We've watched rear wheel drive cars trying to slow down on packed/slick snow rolling with the front wheels locked and the rear wheels driving the car along. A lot of people don't realize that they would have better luck stopping or slowing down if they put the car in neutral rather than Drive going down slick hills.

Yup...ain't that the truth. Just being in drive, at idle, foot off the gas, gives a big push on ice, even on flat ground. Downhill, or towing on ice, putting in neutral, can save your a$$. Saved mine, many a time!

Jerry