Buyer's remorse? No more...

The explanation is pretty simple. The rear axle is the one that receives power unless the truck has 4 wheel drive, and the 4 wheel drive is engaged. Being a pickup truck the rear of the vehicle is an open bed, made to haul things. When nothing is being hauled there is significantly less weight over that axle than the front axle, reducing adhesion to the ground and the ability of the tires to create the friction you will need on slippery surfaces to operate the vehicle.

Further in inclement weather a 4 wheel drive system is generally safer all else being equal because the front axle is powered and will generally help the vehicle resist over steer on slick surfaces.

I strongly urge you to call your dealer and amend that order preference to a 4X4.

 

I didn't realize they sold 2WD trucks in that part of the country......you may want to rethink that. I use my tundra to tow my RV, utility trailer, dump hauls and as a daily commuter 40 miles each way to Washington DC. I test drove many other brands and all had their pluses and minuses. But I go to bed every night knowing I own the most reliable truck out there and while it may not be as tech savvy or updated interior or flashy whatsamahoozits, the resale value will crush any other vehicle in its class. I am a toyota fanboy so take all above with a grain of salt.....

 

One thing you have going for you is the resale value of the Tundra
If it doesn’t meet your needs you’ll be much better off trading or selling a Tundra then a ford
But Tundras are awesome I bet you will be happy with your new truck even if it’s only 2wd

Welcome from MA
Awaiting pics of your new sweet Tundra

 

^ nailed it. Something as simple as moving a trailer across a field of grass could be literally impossible in 2WD.

 

Call your dealer and ask him to change the order to a 4x4. You will not regret that decision....ever.

 

Take reviews from major publications with a grain of salt. They love tech, new designs, and fancy stuff. Rarely do they take true long term reliability into account either. I was a GM man for as long as I can remember, but after working on cars for a living, I chose which one I’ve personally seen to be more reliable overall. And I wanted a V8 without cylinder deactivation. That’s proven to be a nightmare as well.

 

Look at it this way @CallsignKodiak if you change your order to a 4X4 you will get a few benefits:

1.) Your dealer will probably get you a truck faster because a 4X2 is going to be tough to find. They might find a 4X4 in the pipeline or have one coming sooner.

2.) Resale in Iowa will be far far better for a 4X4 than a 4X2. In the current market any pre owned vehicle that moves under its own power is more valuable than normal, but this is abnormal. In another year or two a 4X2 Tundra will be worth far far less in Iowa than a 4X4.

3.) You live in a state that gets winter weather. Just because you don’t have to drive in it all the time does not mean you never will, or that you won’t want to go do something. Don’t end up a prisoner in your own home or worry about needing to drop what you’re doing to get home before bad weather rolls in.

What is your experience level driving fairly powerful rear wheel drive vehicles? What is your experience level with those same vehicles on snow or ice covered surfaces?

 

Man I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Every time I have a lapse in judgement and test drive a Ford pu, that wrenching noise when the key goes into the ignition wakes me from my stupor and I happily exit the dealership.

 

I’ve got three Tundras, and two Sequoias. About 460,000 miles between them. Other than having to replace an alternator on one (And that was my fault since I let a bad battery go too long.), I’ve never spent a dime on repairs on any of them.
Not one time have I been broken down anywhere. Aside from that alternator and wearable parts, every part on all five of them is original to the truck.
Before that, I owned several Chevrolet vehicles. None of them made it 100k without something going out and leaving myself or my wife stranded.

I’ve never owned a Ford or Dodge, but our Ford work trucks need repairs more than they should.

 

I had the slight opposite, but still applies. I had my 17 limited tundra, from new, and sold it last fall. bought a new 4runner, then new ram, and now back to my 2021 tundra limited. I hated every day since and now I'm at peace. Extreme sellers remorse. And for the next part, I'm up in Wisconsin, and it's not difficult, but 2wd trucks are a tough sell for dealers, and for good reason. (unless your really the person who insists...). I think you should reconsider. My opinion, but basically it's a fact .

 

The tundra doesn't have an LSD. Auto-LSD is a marketing name for brake-based simulation of LSD. You can check this in an owner's manual, but I believe Auto-LSD is only engaged if you turn it on (quickly press the traction control button once) and it will function as long as you're driving under 12 mph.

I see snow often, but even with winter tires, this thing will not move in snow without 4WD engaged.

I have my own issues with this truck (seat comfort, trans behavior), but it sounds like you're very happy with it. I think you should just opt for 4x4 and call it a day. It'll pay even more dividends on resale.

 

He did make a mistake slowest color.

 

Your buddies drive Toyotas nice!!

 

I would not regret your purchase except not getting 4x4. I have owned several domestic trucks and had major problems with all of them. I'm in my second Tundra. I had a 16' with the 4.6 and upgraded to a Limited DC 5.7 last July and never looked back. Take the above advise and get the 4x4 and drive the wheels off it! Gonna take ya at least 15 years to do that.

 

+1000 on the replies urging you to get a 4WD. One of the most often buyer's remorse I've seen over the years is not buying 4WD right off the bat.

Been there done that with my first Toyota truck, a 1990 2WD. Get the 4WD and don't look back.

 

I have a 2015 tundra platinum that I turned into a TRD pro essentially. I love the thing. It’s been trouble free except for recently in issue with the auto on headlight. Other than that for two years best truck I ever owned. Two things I hate about it it’s black which shows every little scratch and it’s horrible on gas.
That said I had two F150s in the past and I still look at them and part of me really misses the ride and a little extras. You’re never going to find the perfect truck to but you got a find what’s right for you. Thank God I have a work truck and I’m not driving the tundra back-and-forth a long distance. If that was the case I may opt for the Ford. But you’ll never beat the quality of a Tundra.

 

I bought a 2015 Silverado (back in 2015) based on all the rave reviews it got from the automotive journalist community. Did very little cross shopping on my own.

BIG MISTAKE. It was the biggest pile of s**t I ever owned. It had the Chevy Shake issue, horrible cylinder deactivation, transmission never knew what gear to be in, and the throttle response was dead. I got rid of it after 3 months - thankfully broke even on it.

Fast forward to late 2016 - got my first Tundra double cab - this was after cross shopping and test driving everything. Even though the automotive press constantly dumps on the Tundra, it was my favorite of all the trucks. It's built like a tank and I appreciate the simplicity. Upgraded to a crew cab a couple years later (needed more interior room) and my experience has been the same.

If you want a truck to do truck things and don't want to live at the dealership - you made the right choice.

 

I don't either.

But I absolutely had to have 4X4. Nothing bounces a set of DD's like a Tundra 4X4.

 

Ford still make that key pad on the doors? That was the best tech they had. Loved leaving the keys in the truck so I never lost them.

I've had a Lariat, King Ranch and a Dodge Laramie... all were great trucks but I'm now driving more highway miles so I went went with the Tundra since it has the track record to run 200k miles without much thought. You can add tech as you go too. Search Best Tundra Mods here (or google) and take a look.

As for 4x4 - this is the first one I've owned w/o it. Pretty sure I can live without it but we'll see. Most of my buddies that have 4x4 are ones getting stuck since they think they are bullet proof.

 

The only downside to 4WD on the Tundra i can think of is it lowers your available payload. But it is a big contributor to resale value.

 

New guy too. I went from a loaded 2015 z71 Sierra to a 2018 Tundra Crewmax 4x4. I was concerned about the same things you were. I lost my heated/cooled seats, independent climate control, and remote start. Here's the deal, I don't miss any of them. I was so afraid of ruining the Sierra that I never did anything with it. I perceived it as too fragile because of the luxury. I love the Tundra for a multitude of reasons; more power/instant throttle response, the seats are honestly fine, the backseat is massive for my dogs and kiddos. All around very happy with the switch.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! Your questions have been thoroughly answered and there is data out there to support all of the anecdotal evidence regarding reliability. You've driven it so you know if it's comfortable to you. There is nothing the Ford forums can say to really dispute any of this. I add another support for 4x4. I have a 4x4 even though I rarely need it, because I have found that I DO need it occasionally. And it doesn't snow very often or very much down here. It is my daily commuter and I average between 15.5 and 16 MPG's. That is partly due to very non-aggressive driving.

 

Great replies guys. Keep it coming. I appreciate all input. Calling the salesman to change the order to 4WD after work. Might also considering changing to a different color other than black.

All of this is the exact input I am needing...

 

Yes the Tundra bed bounce..

 

My only concern when picking up a Tundra was that it may be outdated and of course is about to be replaced by the new model. I'm not typically one to shy away from first year models, especially Toyotas, but the 3.4 TTV6 that's going in to the new Tundras has not been super stellar in the LS500s that it is currently used in. But aside from that, I really wanted to own at least one more V8, and this 5.7 is so incredibly satisfying (fuel economy be damned). I did not want some 2.7 liter ecoboost...which was all I could currently find from Ford.

One drive of the Tundra dismissed all of my concerns. I feel that it is really underrated. If you want a real truck that is strong, comfortable, and capable, then the Tundra works well. It's only if you need more payload or are really tickled with digital gadgets that the Tundra may not satisfy. I just got back from a 900 mile road trip with the travel trailer, wife, two kids, and dog, and the Tundra was amazing. The seats in my 1794 felt incredible, the kids had plenty of room, and it had power to spare, despite pulling the trailer.

My brother in law has an F-150. I was looking at his the other day and there was nothing compelling about it, other than more payload.

I do not think you'll regret this purchase.

 

The Tundra is definitely more reliable and should last longer. F150s have been particularly bad since about 2017. Lots of media folks like to complain that the domestics have more features and tech than the Tundra but they neglect to mention that, in the same price range, the Tundra has pretty much the same features. Toyota just doesn't have a $70k luxury trim.

As mentioned above, if you like the Tundra interior (I do), then you made the right choice.

 

I hadn't heard this part but I believe you need to be between 1800 and 2200 rpm for it to engage.

 

I put the money down this last Saturday. Build doesn't happen till about Sept 1 or Sept 2 or so. Will they allow this order change?

EDIT: Just called dealership and they said no problem at all. So freaking relieved.

 

I live in south TX and decided to buy a 2-WD. IIRC in the 13 years I lived here, there have been 5 days with any form of frozen precipitation on the roads. And 4WD or not, frankly you do not want to go out because 99% of the other drivers have zero clue how to drive in snow/ice. So even the baddest 4WD on the planet will do you zero good when the guy driving the Amazon Van t-bones you in the intersection. And beyond that, they close everything down so really no place to go anyway!

I grew up in MN. I was stuck all the time with my 4WD. I got around much better in my rear wheel drive V8 Grand Prix. Let's be honest, guys with 4x4's tend to over-estimate their trucks capability..but even more their own driving capability. 4WD can lead to bad decisions because ego's get in the way.

4WD's are as useless as anything else on ice. As for hydroplaning, a number of other factors are more critical than 4WD vs 2WD.

As for light rear ends, yeah sure the rear end is lighter than the front. BUT the Tundra is a heavy beast. Even when empty my guess is the back wheels still have some substantial weight on them from a gross poundage perspective. It is not like you and two drunk buddies can pick up the back end of a Tundra. Would be interesting if someone with access to a scale was to actually take some measurements.

All that said, today, if I live in IA, yeah I would probably buy a 4WD.

 

I just came from a 2014 Ford F-150 Limited, switched to a 2021 Tundra in January.

I bought the F-150 with 61k miles, sold it at 108k miles.

In that time:

Serpentine belt broke
Alternator failed during a trip between Houston and Austin
Power Running boards started failing
Reverse camera stopped working
Transmission started failing

Once that last one happened, I sold it the next day. 108K miles. Read that again.

You made the right choice.