99% off the time drive on roads....

I used to have a vigo with shift to 4wd which i used when it rained heavily or in the mountains of the North on a holiday

Now the choice is 2wd or 4wd with 4wd being 200.000 thb more expensive

What are the benefits of permanent 4wd in Thailand if your car is mainly on the expressway???

thanks for your opinion

4WD will always be better than 2WD, no question, the ride is pulling and pushing, but whether it is needed in daily use is really what you can recall from your experiences and the extra cost in a new ride.

I only use my on demand 4WD in the rainy season and on dodgy muddy places. For me, if I had the cash, l would buy anything with 4x4 if it were a truck or SUV, not worth the bother in a car unless you are a bit of a rally driver...

Well not wishing to rock the boat but there's  2wd rear,  2wd front,  part-time 4wd,  proper 4wd optional, Awd vehicles.

My personal choice would be Awd or 2wd front. 

Since the 80's I've always had a 4 wheel drive vehicle + a big 2 wheel drive & either a sedan or sports car - at the same time....

It's the same here with our 3 vehicles.....

Although it depends a lot on the actual driving conditions I've always found I preferred driving the 4 wheel drive SUV.....The feeling & handling feels better to me....

There's a lot of clay in the soil here....If you live in an area with a lot of dirt roads (and you're needing to be on them) 4x4 is a smart choice.....There's no worse feeling than helplessly sliding/spinning your wheels....

If you live in a paved none flooding area 2wd should be fine.....

I prefer & have SUV's as I feel they offer a better field of view & keep the contact damage at foot level....Others need the use of a truck....

Although we live in the suburbs our next vehicle will probably be a 4 door 4x4 (Toyota) pick up....Then, maybe one of the SUV's will go? Daughter do to start uni soon, will have to decide the best vehicle for her - guessing an SUV.....

 

No need for 4x4 if you do not drive of road or on unpaved roads

The top models of all pickup trucks here with all the bits and jangles are 4x4 though

Depends if you want these items and if you intend to use them or not

I've run an Isuzu D-Max 3-litre 2WD for over 7 years. The only time it didn't get me where I wanted to go was in the rain up a mega-steep hill at the south end of Koh Chang, when I was baulked by another vehicle. (It went fine up the other gradients on that island).

The lack of 4wd doesn't bother me, but I drive so seldom on dirt roads that it wouldn't be worth the extra cost.

Of course those who do not have a 4WD ride will say you don't need it, in their opinion, but those of us who do know a few times we have had a smile on our face, well l have...

 

Sure you don't use it often but that odd time you do it is priceless.....

As I said before, if cash is no problem why be without it...

 

Seems odd to me that folk want all the gizmo's on their latest ride but not 4x4 traction capability in an SUV or pickup...

 

1 hour ago, madmax2 said:

The top models of all pickup trucks here with all the bits and jangles are 4x4 though

There not buddy there part-time 4x4. 

24 minutes ago, kartman said:

 

Don't agree, good to see his got a beard around his mouth course he talks like one IMO. 

My Vigo had 4X4 in the 3+ years I had it only used it twice.

First was to get me out of some crap when I went off road to see M/C scrambles.

The other was getting up a steep gradient that was covered in shingle.

 

My Spivo had that for 8+ years, was permanent 4X4 only came in handy once when we had the foods. Enabled me to use the frontage road in BKK when it was flooded. Must say gave me good ware on my tyres, still had 2/3rd meat left on them when I changed that at 60+th and 6 years old. Had puncher in one so changed the lot.

 

Latest one has up to you 2 wheel as normal 4X4 high low as required. Will I ever use those more than likely not as never go off road. But handy just in case. As other have said if you can afford it go for it. If not just hope you don't ever need it.

19 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

 As other have said if you can afford it go for it. If not just hope you don't ever need it.

Most every one that has a car does not have 4x4 and get's along fine. So if you are using your pick-Up as a car, as most of as do...........

14 hours ago, sirineou said:

Most every one that has a car does not have 4x4 and get's along fine. So if you are using your pick-Up as a car, as most of as do...........

But folk with cars avoid mud etc like the plague, deep water too, us 4x4 guys just crack on with a smile.....

Where I live when driving around the crap roads I have dealt with pot holes that would rip the sump off a saloon if it wasn't spotted, oh, and my 4x4 has a sump guard too, just in case.....

On 6/17/2017 at 0:49 PM, jumbo said:

I used to have a vigo with shift to 4wd which i used when it rained heavily or in the mountains of the North on a holiday

Question: Did you shift to 4x4 before driving on wet roads in the mountains or stay in 2wd until you got stuck and then change to 4x4. 

 

If the former then you may not know if the 4x4 made any difference?

 

Don't Ford have a Ranger with 2wd with limited slip diff. or something? 

39 minutes ago, transam said:

But folk with cars avoid mud etc like the plague, deep water too, us 4x4 guys just crack on with a smile.....

Where I live when driving around the crap roads I have dealt with pot holes that would rip the sump off a saloon if it wasn't spotted, oh, and my 4x4 has a sump guard too, just in case.....

Been driving a 2wd pickup here for nearly 8 years. The times I wished that I had a 4wd because of pot holes, mud etc 0.

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Question: Did you shift to 4x4 before driving on wet roads in the mountains or stay in 2wd until you got stuck and then change to 4x4. 

 

If the former then you may not know if the 4x4 made any difference?

 

Don't Ford have a Ranger with 2wd with limited slip diff. or something? 

The Vigo 4x4 has an excellent LSD rear axle....

7 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Been driving a 2wd pickup here for nearly 8 years. The times I wished that I had a 4wd because of pot holes, mud etc 0.

Who's a lucky boy then.....

Just now, transam said:

Who's a lucky boy then.....

Luck doesn't come into it. I don't live in a mountain village with access via a goat track, that's all.

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

Luck doesn't come into it. I don't live in a mountain village with access via a goat track, that's all.

Nor do I but I have driven on goat track roads with no ploblems...

 

Why do you think manufactures provide "on demand" front axle drive option on a pickup...?

1 minute ago, transam said:

Nor do I but I have driven on goat track roads with no ploblems...

 

Why do you think manufactures provide "on demand" front axle drive option on a pickup...?

For off-road cowboys who love to churn up the environment.

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

For off-road cowboys who love to churn up the environment.

Gawd...........

 

Quote

Why do you think manufactures provide "on demand" front axle drive option on a pickup...?

I'm guessing so they can charge minimum 100,000 baht more for a truck.

Just now, VocalNeal said:

 

I'm guessing so they can charge minimum 100,000 baht more for a truck.

There is a lot of engineering involved in providing drive to the front wheels, mine has a special auto trans box to provide drive via a drive shaft to the front axle. So that 100,000bht is not just profit, l reckon there is very little profit as l have looked at what is involved.

I also believe that Toyota has something called E-Locker locked rear axle but i can't find anything.

Just now, VocalNeal said:

I also believe that Toyota has something called E-Locker locked rear axle but i can't find anything.

Can't remember but I think they did away with the LSD and use a fancy brake system to hold a spinning wheel..

Hmmm. Vehicle manufacturers charge about 500 % more for options so if 4x4 is 100,000 more it only costs about 20,000 to add it! If the market demanded 4x4 and they can't sell trucks otherwise it might be different. 

 

If we had seasons and snow in the mountains and one lived up there then maybe. 

3 minutes ago, transam said:

Can't remember but I think they did away with the LSD and use a fancy brake system to hold a spinning wheel..

 TCS  traction control system was on later Vigo's l think you mean,  my one didn't have it also my Vigo was 40,000 extra on auto 4x4.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/848575-new-toyota-hilux-revo-e-4x2-suitable-for-dirt-roads/

24 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/848575-new-toyota-hilux-revo-e-4x2-suitable-for-dirt-roads/

Top of range 4x4 auto otherwise your neighbours will think you are poor.  

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

Hmmm. Vehicle manufacturers charge about 500 % more for options so if 4x4 is 100,000 more it only costs about 20,000 to add it! If the market demanded 4x4 and they can't sell trucks otherwise it might be different. 

 

If we had seasons and snow in the mountains and one lived up there then maybe. 

There is noooooooo way the 4x4 option costs them just 400 quid to engineer....