My 09 is 4x4, love it, have owned 2 wheel drives before with locking rear diffs. In florida a 4x4 comes in handy due to sugar sand. When u go to the beach or back in the woods, it comes in real handy. A few times I have been stuck with my last truck, despite trying not to place the truck in the situation. Went to a campground last year and almost got stuck in wet grass with my 2 wheel drive truck. Anyway I can see both sides of the issue, but prefer 4x4, because when I need it I got it. I do throw it into 4x4 mode once a month in order to keep everything in check and working right. Maintenace is not really an issue in my eyes. One thing people forget is that a 4x4 will get stuck just the same if your not using it right. Best thing is when your starting to get stuck in 2 wheel, drop it into 4 and back out....