So, is my 2WD Sequoia along with other 2WD SUVs/trucks really that pointless?

I had my Sequoia serviced at a local dealership a few days ago, and decided to walk around the lot to kill some time. I was looking at the new Sequoias they had for sale, and ended up chatting with a senior sales agent. I eventually got a text message letting me know my Sequoia was ready to go, and I also received an email voucher from a specialist who valued my Sequoia. I was surprised it was valued at only $28,000, so I asked the senior agent what he thought about it. He asked me details about my Sequoia particularly it's specifications and mileage, then he told me $28k was actually on the higher end of the spectrum. He then informed me that 2WD Sequoias along with other trucks/SUVs are a lot less desirable because potential buyers of these class of vehicles consider them as "pointless" because of obvious reasons (2WD less capable off road, in snow/rain, overlanding etc.) I then questioned him if that applies here in CA and mentioned that 2WD have some capabilities for mild off roading and is perfect for drivers who road trip on pavement. He then told me there are better choices of vehicles for that situation and the only advantage of 2WD is a bit better gas mileage and performance that is not truly noticeable. This made me think on my drive back home. I would have gotten a 4WD, but I could not afford it at the time. Let me know what you think.

 

It’s only pointless if you think it is…

In CA - Southern CA up to the BayArea - I don’t see much advantage to a 4wd SUV that gets groceries and goes on the occasional wild life trip. 4wd is rarely used on most 4wds EVERYWHERE, but even less so in places like SoCal except for those who purposely build a rig for off-road adventure.

In snow states, 4wd SUV’s are much more desirable as the 4wd is used often in the winter. Where I am, 2wd SUV’s and trucks are a hard sell. Nobody wants them so they’re heavily discounted.

That all said, a 2wd rig with a rear locker is still pretty capable.

 

Only time I really wanted 4wd was when I lived in Reno, NV when it snowed like 4 times the 18 months I lived there. Besides that was traveling through the Sierras to Fremont for work for a month. Picked about the worst time to transfer, but I got proficient with snow chains, then upgraded to cables.

 

Yep.

All 2WD vehicles are pointless (as far as I am concerned, I can't even get out of my parking spot without putting my truck in 4wd)

It doesn't matter if it snows or not or you 'plan' to go off road. You can get stuck in a mud puddle or loose patch of gravel, or steep hill when it rains....or on grass.....or anywhere not perfectly flat and dry.

 

WorthLESS no. Worth less than a 4x4, yes.

You ever see what an El Camino, good tires and a load of firewood in the back can do in the winter?

 

Depends on the area. Sometimes an area deems them "pointless". They do have higher resales and are sometimes easier to sell cuz some people want that "what if I need it" mentality....which is fine. Keep in mind, there are people that pay a premium for land cruisers, land rovers, g-wagons, and other very off-road capable vehicles, but will NEVER go offroad. Keep in mind, the dealer will prob tell you "that's actually high" to make you feel more pressured or like you're getting a deal. Honestly, if while looking for a sequoia, I had found a 2wd I liked, I would have got it. But I bought in 2021 with limited supplies. I put mine in 4wd every once in a while to keep the components moving, but typically don't need 4wd.

 

Perfectly true, and as a 2wd owner it pisses me right off that when I'm struggling to go places off road I see all these shiny 4x4, corporate lot, bling machines that have never done anything more taxing than mounting the ramp onto the sidewalk to enter their driveways....

Edit: I suppose I ought to mention that if I know I'm going to encounter taxing terrain I get in the 4x4 Frontier and leave the Tundy at home, one day I'll trade the Frontier for a Taco....

 

How many times since owning it have you needed 4wd with what you do?

 

I specifically looked for a 2wd 4runner, it’s great for what we use it for.

 

Really good donuts….?

 

I can only think of two, maybe three times in my life when four wheel drive would have been necessary. Paying maintenance costs, and extra fuel costs, on a four wheel drive vehicle over those years makes it a losing proposition. If I were buying a four wheel drive vehicle, I'd discount the price if I felt it had spent a significant amount of time offroading and overlanding.

 

Four times this week...

 

I was looking at 2wd tacomas for a handyman business, you can get the bare bones SR utility package in those. It would be fine for the majority of the time on the streets here. But during snow/other events it would stay at home. People that have multiple vehicles 2wd is okay around here, but usually the truck/suv is the 4wd/awd vehicle and the fun summer/commuter car is the 2wd. Thus 2wd tundras/tacomas/sequoias/4runners are very hard to find new here, possibly nonexistent from an allocation perspective other than work trucks. All the 2wds trucks I see are often originally from out of state and the resale is 10-20% at least lower per similar model which is obviously much more of a discount than the original msrp difference.
The first gen2 tundra I saw on Matts offroad recovery was a 2wd, with bed fully loaded, stuck going up a hill on a trail. When Matts crew found out it was a 2wd out there they all smirked and had a laugh.

 

then maybe you need 4wd

 

My soap box, as a firefighter, emt, prepper, etc.....

Is that people should think in terms of getting the most capable vehicle they can find/afford, regardless of what they PLAN to use it for, because honestly, the universe does not care one bit about your plans.

There are a hundred different situations where the difference between being in big trouble, or a non-incident, comes down to the ability of your vehicle to drive through small amounts of snow, water, sand, curbs..tree branches, etc.

I'm not talking rock crawling here, I'm just talking about situations you can run into any day on normal roads where you live.

 

I’ve had multiple trucks from 2WD Hilux to 4WD Hilux, 4WD Surf, 4WD 4Runners and both 2/4 WD Tundras. My 2000 AC 2WD has served me well over 250K miles and franks it’s a better tow vehicle for my jet ski because it’s lower, gets better mileage and I can actually see my ski over the tailgate. If I need a 4WD I drive either my 2018 Crewmax or my Burb

 

Def worth less. I think Majority of people that buy trucks and suvs have purposes of towing, camping, outdoor activities, driving in weather or want the confidence of “ready for anything” feel.

 

Ah, so driving on the public road I have found zero need for 4wd, nor on Florida's unpaved roads, gated communities in the winter, yes, rough gravel and muddy building sites, yes.
It may have been handy having 4wd for the rare snow conditions that NC and SC get but not necessary to date. Knowing how to drive in cruddy road conditions is a far more useful skill to have than just flicking on the 4wd button and continuing to drive blindly on in crappy conditions as though one were on a newly paved road in dry weather.

 

I had 3 4x4 Jeeps of about 20 years. Two had to shifted to 4 wheel drive which I might have used 5 times. The third would supposedly shift to 4 wheel drive automatically. I say supposedly because I never noticed it changing. I have an X5 AWD but have never noticed if it changes if or when it shifts to 4 wheel drive. Maybe it does. I have had a 2wd Tundra for 19 years, 232,000 miles and never needed 4 wheel drive, even at construction sites. I like 4x4 vehicles and may get one if I buy another truck but I think 2wd if fine for most driving situations.

 

He didn't inform you of anything. He's a full of shit salesman, who is in no way an authority on anything and basically insulted your intelligence. He wants you to want a 4wd because they cost more and he'll make more money if he sells you a more expensive vehicle. Also, they probably don't get a lot of 2wd SUVs and trucks, if any, and would have to order one if that's what you wanted. They want to sell you what they have in stock.
The only thing that's obvious is that a 4wd costs more, for obvious reasons. Everything else he said was made up bullshit.
Like others have said, I've been driving a long time and in a region that has hills, woods, dirt roads, mud, rain, heavy snow, ice, you name it. I got through my first 20+ yrs of driving, never owning a 4wd. And between the 2 4wd Tundras I've had, I can count on one hand the times I used the 4wd. Because I wanted to, not because I needed it. The only time I actually "needed" it, it wouldn't have mattered if I had 8wd. I was stuck and would've needed a snowcat. Do some people use it on occasion? Sure. Some people may even actually need it.
As far as most of the people that buy trucks, I'd say 4wd is pretty pointless. Half the people I personally know with pickups, use them to drive to work, on pavement and never even use the bed, let alone tow anything or use 4wd. And "off road" would consist of parking on the grass once in a while. Not only don't they need 4wd, they don't need a truck. But trucks are cool and you don't wanna drive a Kia and have all the guys laughing at you, do ya? And if you're gonna get a truck, it might as well have the cool EXTRA4XTRZ sticker and the cool color shocks, right? So you can stand in the parking lot at work and bench race all the specs with the guys? Not that I care what people drive or spend their money on, but a good half the people I know would be honest and say they like having a truck for X, Y, Z, but admit that they don't "need" one. I know people that would say a 2wd is pointless just to joke and bust balls, but no one with any real diving experience and half a brain would seriously say they're pointless. Especially for how 99.99999% of people use their trucks and where they drive.
Again, not that I care what people buy or if they spend $10k building an "overland" rig to go camping twice a year on maintained campgrounds that you could use a Chevy Malibu to get to. Your money, do what makes you happy. But people feel the need to say really silly shit sometimes to justify their decisions. It's not necessary to say silly shit that isn't real, to justify anything. and that's what I'm mocking. "it looks cool" is the only reason you need. You think mud tires look cool? great, buy some. But that's the only reason most people put them on their truck. Do I think big knobby mud tires look cool on a truck? Yup. But I wouldn't put them on my truck because they suck on pavement, suck in snow and if I was ever in real mud, not having lockers and 500+ HP would make them pretty pointless on a stock truck. Most folks aren't gonna convince me that they "need" 4wd, or mud tires, or a lift, etc. It's fun to mod your truck and it's satisfying when it looks cool. I'm right there with ya on all that. I'm not saying not to do it, or knocking it. But I think most people know damn well that their truck spends way more time getting it's picture taken in the driveway than being subjected to any serious, gnarly off-road situations that legitimately require a built 4x4 rig to get out of or get through.

And salespeople are always good for saying dumb shit.

Sorry if I hurt or triggered anyone. I watched a Bill Burr special earlier and I'm in a ,"cut the shit, let's be honest" kinda mood.
I'll go start my apology letter for when I get cancelled.

 

Simply trying to drive out of my driveway....Yes. I am serious when I say 2wd is pointless.

Especially on a truck, Not because 'hurr de durr its a truuuck'.....but because as bad as FWD is, at least most of the vehicles weight is on the driven tires, on a pickup, without a load, its a joke.

I'll agree most people don't need a truck. But everybody who doesn't want to be a victim, needs a 4wd vehicle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KNYNeQg8zY&feature=youtu.be

 

Read a lot of good responses. I am glad quite a few owners here share the same logic as I do. I will admit that before my purchase of the Sequoia, I really wanted a 4X4. However, all 4X4s during that time was way out of my price range, and I knew deep down that the probably of me needing it would be very low. The closest off-road/overlanding trail from where I live is about 3 hours away, and I was going to use my Sequoia as a people hauler for highway trips and for comfort/safety of a big vehicle. I also remembered the agent mentioning about importance of 4X4 / AWD during the time it rained here in CA causing some flood with debris on the road and the time it snowed in some areas here. I then played coy and told him that Toyota SUVs/Trucks even 2WD are equipped with auto LSD for sticky situations (agent who sold me Sequoia pointed it out) and the significance of good AT tires. He simply said they can help, but it won't be as good as 4X4s or AWD. I honestly just waved him off and proceeded to the advisor's desk to pay my bill. I can see all the advantages of 4X4s, but I am happy with my RWD Sequoia. Call me crazy, but I view my Sequoia as a muscle SUV like the Durango RTs lol. Maybe one day I will be wishing 4X4 when the apocalypse hit or when CA will turn take an unexpected turn having all 4 seasons lol.

 

We have a lot of AWD Dodge Challengers in my neck of the woods if your looking for a muscle car

 

I don't think that guy has seen a few of us drive.

Anyway, it comes down to driver ability, truck ability, terrain. 4WD will get you through places a 2WD just can't. 4WD will also save a bad driver at times when 4WD isn't even necessary.

I’ve pulled plenty of stuck 4WDs. Just know/find your limits.

 

You reminded me of the time I went to Oklahoma City for training. My friend got a rented PT Cruiser, and we felt ballsy at the time and challenged him to offroad it in a patch of wet grass across the street from a bowling alley near brick town ... LOL. Damn thing damn got stuck there, we were thinking we may have to Uber back to our rooms.. Since we had class the next day... Luckily a dude in a truck gave us a nudge out with his truck and we were set free...

 

If you live in the snow belt like I do, where we routinely get 90" of snow or more, then yes, two wheel drive P/U or SUV is generally worthless. I found out my 4x4 limit years ago when I drove out into a muddy cornfield, to drop off decoys for goose hunting. Buried it in mud up to the rockers, on Thanksgiving Day about 800 feet from the road. That was fun.

 

Good discussion above covering all the relevant points. Also Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers here.

My $.02 on dealer communications:

When I am a seller, whatever I am selling is "undesirable" and not worth anywhere near what I think it is worth. (My immaculate garage queen 2002 Porsche Carrera with 19,000 miles received a ridiculous offer of $17,000 from the dealer in 2019 when I was negotiating for my 2020 Tundra. Naturally, I declined this offer.)

Whenever I am the buyer, whatever I want to buy is "highly desirable" and I must pay top dollar if I want to purchase it.

Conclusion is: Ignore whatever the senior sale rep said. As said above it is B.S. tainted by what is in the self-interest of the salesman.

 

My 2011 CM was my first 4wd (well, the first that functioned and was on the road).
I put duratracs on it just before my 3rd winter with it and I felt invincible. 20+ yrs of driving 2wds through bad winters and now I got a 4wd Toyota with duratracs?!!? Pfffft. I can climb a fkn tree with this thing!
Yeah nah.
Drove up a mile long dirt road that climbed quite a bit to the top and one spot was at least 45 degrees. There was a layer of ice and 18" of snow on top.
Luckily I slid off into the washout on the right, and not the 80' drop-off on the left.
Had to wait for one of the residents to get home, who had a crappy old Ford, but they had real 4wd and real snow tires. They were able to pull me downhill far enough to get me back on the road. Talk about being embarrassed.
So yeah, 2wd is pointless if you live at the top of that hill. And sometimes 4wd is pointless too, for that matter. But most people live in/around cities with paved, maintained roads and never have their trucks in situations like that. So, I wouldn't say 2wd is pointless across the board. Certainly not for an SUV that's mostly a paved road family hauler.
I live in a place that gets a lot of snow in winter and at least a few big lake effect dumps every year. I still don't feel that I need 4wd. The roads are mostly flat, plowed and salted and I won't be doing any real off roading, or driving on steep, ice/snow covered trails in the hills. I think most people can say the same. There's a lot of 2wd vehicles around here. There's also a lot of 4wd/AWD vehicles. They all end up in the ditch, even when conditions are flat and not that bad.
I've never ended up in the ditch in a typical driving scenario, even in snow, even with 2wd. Just that one time when me and the truck tried a situation that was above our pay grade.
But I won't be trying that again.

 

My family is from northern Ontario, CA. I think that is considered snow country. At 16 I was driving a manual 3 speed 2WD open diff in the mid of winter and up hills. But I didn't try to run it in open fields like a fool. When I move to Winterland, I will have 4WD, but most of the people used to driving normally in snow roads don't. I'm still holding at driver, truck ability, terrain. Get 4WD if you need it. You know who you are.

 

As already said several times, if you don't need 4WD for snow, or unpaved roads, then 2WD is fine. I live where it snows and I can not buy a 2WD from my dealer if I want one. That said, years ago we all drove rear wheel drive vehicles and managed to get where we needed to go in the snow by using good snow tires and learning the required driving skills.

Another thing is why are they giving you a value for your vehicle? I suppose they are trying to entice you to trade it in, and trade in values are generally much lower than retail values. If you are really interested in what your vehicle is worth then look up retail prices for similar vehicles.