Are 4 wheel drive passenger vehicles wasting precious resources?

[bhazard]

Ive driven my RWD thunderbird through three winters, and the only time I had a problem was at the end of this winter when I put it in a ditch. However, it was REALLY bad out and NOBODY should have been going down the road I was going down.

[Arminius]

Originally Posted by diesel_john

We have the best roads in history.
Can anyone explain to me why we need 4 wheel drive passenger vehicles? I have one, an F150 it stays on the grounds, it is not licensed. It pulls wagons when the ground is dry. When the ground is wet it's useless. I use it for mobile storage.

I no longer have one as of last month, but I do need one. Were I live is about the last place to get plowed in the winter. The drifts are often 4' high and 30' across on my somewhat rural suburban street. Last year I had to walk home a couple blocks, even with a 4WD Ford Escape. Now that I'm driving an econobox, l'll probably have to walk a quarter of a mile several times a year when returning home. I'll also have to go to work very late, or skip work entirely (not an option).

[tjts1]

Well hell, why limit our selves to 2wd? Why not 1 wheel drive?

[LostCause]

Marketing is designed to create needs. All we really need is shelter, water, food, air, and companionship. Look at Papua New Guinean natives. They live the most basic lives on earth, essentially remaining a stone-age people, and they are content.

Do we need cars? Central A/C? Elaborate clothes? TV? Books? Refrigerators? Jobs? Individualized housing? Healthcare? 401k Plans? Social Security?

Needs and determining the resources required to meet them are tricky subjects. Humans don't need much of anything, but we desire stuff for a better quality of life. The question is, when do our desires overwhelm our common sense? That 4x4 driver needs his truck just as bad as we need our cars. He's defined his quality of life as have we.

I follow in all of your guys' sentiments, but I can't help feeling like a glutton ridiculing another glutton. Our industrialized lifestyles are bigger black holes then we realize...it's just that our actions have consequences thousands of miles away.

- LostCause

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

How bout no wheel drive?

Now we're getting somewhere! But I think 1 wheel drive has some real advantages over 2wd like aerodynamics, transmission loss, tire rolling resistance, weight, etc. 1 wheel drive is another way of saying, 3 wheel vehicle.

[Chris D.]

Originally Posted by tjts1

Well hell, why limit our selves to 2wd? Why not 1 wheel drive?

most vehicles are open differentials, theres your 1WD

heres another spin on it.. I'm sure this is a repost somewhere on here..
[YOUTUBE]

[johnpr]

honestly i dont think that need is the right word for 4x4's, but wasting resources is also a wrong description. its driving styles and habits that waste resources, if you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle in an area that gets no bad weather and your vehicle stays on the road then yep, you dont have a use for all the extra stuff. but for me, i do not own a farm or any other "excuse for 4wd" but i do take my vehicle off road quite often. so with using the "recreation is not a wast of resources" statement then in my case neither of my jeeps are a waste of resources.

now about the "4x4s are the ones most often in the ditches" i have driven in 4 blizards this year, seen about 75 vehicles off the road (yep i keep tallies as it is quite amusing to me) and only 6 of them where suvs and no pickup trucks (i didnt pull over to find out if they where equiped with 4wd though)

as previously mentioned by others though, 2wd vehicles are just as much of a waste as on road 4wd and awd systems because they still drive a wheel that doesnt need to be there.

ill be quite for now
/rant

[brucey]

Short Answer: Yes, but...

Long Answer: Yes, but not that much more than a prius or any other 'green' car.
It's still taking a lot of resources to make an effecient car, its still using up those resources, just with a smaller diet, etc. 4X4 isn't necessary, but then neither are cars altogether.

You can't eat 3 pieces of a pizza then get mad because your friend ate 4.

[Chris D.]

Originally Posted by johnpr

now about the "4x4s are the ones most often in the ditches" i have driven in 4 blizards this year, seen about 75 vehicles off the road (yep i keep tallies as it is quite amusing to me) and only 6 of them where suvs and no pickup trucks (i didnt pull over to find out if they where equiped with 4wd though)

my sister mentioned that just about all trucks/suv's, ect that are 4WD are the ones stuck off the road. lol

They get too cacky and sure footed and drive like idiots..

I used to have a 4x4 but I drove in 4x2 mode most of the time..
Its nice to have options tho for that just in case scenario.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by Chris D.

most vehicles are open differentials, theres your 1WD

Nope. Its only one wheel drive when you lose traction at one wheel. As long as you have traction, its still 2wd.