2wd vs. 4wd - 2021 yukon

[Newby]

new to the GMC and yukon game. Taking the leap to the 2021 yukon - looking at the SLT.

i live in the midwest so won't be doing any off-roading, weather is fair, no mountains, etc.

What am i missing as to why i should get a 4wd 2021 yukon vs. a 2wd? EVERYTHING in GMC inventory is 4wd - you can't find a 2wd out there and i dont think the extra $3000+ for the 4wd PLUS extra fuel cost is worth it.

Want to make sure i am not missing anything before i click purchase on the 2wd.

thanks everyone

 

[OR VietVet]

If I lived in an area where I knew I was not going to drive in snow or ice or cold enough weather to put frost on a road, I would do the 2wd. There is a certain comfort zone with 4wd, especially the ladies that might be driving kids all over the place. If I lived in these colder areas and wanted 2wd, I would do it if I had a back up 4wd, just in case. There would be less weight as well and get a small bit better on MPG.

Here in the Oregon Willamette valley I can see myself with a 2wd, especially since I live where I work but if I want to get out of the valley, that means up and over passes at times.

Welcome to the forum from Oregon.

 

[Tonyv__]

I would of opted for a 2wd. All my work vehicles are 2wd for cost efficiency . We get snow maybe 2-3 times a year in eastern PA... but them times when you need it, I really hate being stuck. And I have a growing family. So like @PNW VietVet said, it’s comforting knowing I can send my wife and daughter in it if necessary

 

[Newby]

I would of opted for a 2wd. All my work vehicles are 2wd for cost efficiency . We get snow maybe 2-3 times a year in eastern PA... but them times when you need it, I really hate being stuck. And I have a growing family. So like @PNW VietVet said, it’s comforting knowing I can send my wife and daughter in it if necessary

@PNW VietVet and @Tonyv__ thanks. i'm in central IN so extremely flat, rain nothing like west coast, snow mild for the most part and not near Lake Michigan so don't get the lake effect snow. Sounds like it is more of a comfort thing as i do have the kids and wife would probably drive it too.

The hard part about this situation is i've read and feel that you should never buy something extra if it MIGHT happen say 10% of the time. you get something that will apply to what the situation will be 90% of the time. Will we get the occasional snow or maybe a drive to Chicago where we encounter some snow. maybe once or twice a year.

Decisions decisions!

 

[OR VietVet]

Peace of mind for the wife is worth it, IMO. Plus, resale value is higher if you decide to do so later.

 

[Holy Roller]

I suspect that my opinion will not be popular - but it is based on a lifetime of experience.

2WD with a G80 rear differential or equivalent, plus four quality winter tires, and moderate driving skills, are sufficient for 99.999% of the situations I’ve ever encountered.

I have over 34 years experience, ~350,000 miles, driving 2WD in the bitter cold of snow and ice country. Including blizzard storms in the Tug Hill Plateau, where they test snow removal equipment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_Hill

In that time, I can think of two situations in the winter - and one in the summer - where 4WD would have prevented me from calling in backup.

As well, I’m not the sort to stay at home and wait until the weather or roads are clear. If I need to get somewhere, I go. That’s just the way I roll.

2WD has many advantages over 4WD: Lower purchase cost; lower extended warranty cost; reduced mechanical complexity = lower maintenance cost; lighter curb weight = better fuel economy, reduced stopping distances, and more responsive handling.

4WD has few advantages over 2WD: It can get you out of an exceedingly rare and exceptional difficult situation. For me that’s been once every ~120,000 miles. Better resale if you’re the sort to flip your vehicles every few years.

Dealers stock 4WD because that’s what people are told to buy.

Everyone out there - and I suspect that it’s more than 90% - who own 4WD, please know that I respect your decision. You chose 4WD because that’s what you want to drive. I’m completely okay with that. It’s your dough. You can use if for anything that suits your fancy. I’m answering the question posed by @Newby based on my personal experience of a lifetime driving 2WD in harsher conditions than most ever drive their 4WD.

 

[SAdude]

Another case for 2wd..you can tow more. Lower curb weight and higher max payload. Its not a huge difference but when the margins are very slim as is the case with these SUVs, it matters.

 

[homesick]

Peace of mind for the wife is worth it, IMO. Plus, resale value is higher if you decide to do so later.

I agree with this, plus the bonus of just playing with it sometimes.

Also, in my experience, the extra fuel and maintenance costs associated with 4WD have been so minor I don't even consider them any more.

joe

 

[Stbentoak]

As a JEEP owner who asked the same question, my dealer told me I would be NUTS to buy a JEEP that was 2wd. People just EXPECT these things to be 4wd. He said resale on 2wd jeeps was pitiful except maybe in the southerly tier of states.

A few places that 4wd has helped me was slippery boat launches and traversing back and forth in farm fields to get to equipment. Not always necessary, but when you are in line at a busy launch pulling out a 6K boat on a slimed launch, its pretty embarrassing to have a huge vehicle and not be able to get the job done or ask for help...

If you don't do any of these things, 2wd may be perfectly fine. But we drive a lot of miles to family and in the Midwest, weather conditions can change rapidly or I may have to drive on the sloppy or snowy road shoulder to get around an accident, etc. All kind of scenarios can present. All of my 4 of vehicles are either AWD or 4wd. I can't say how many times it has helped me and I haven't noticed, but I'm sure its been more than I can imagine....

 

[Newby]

thanks @Holy Roller and @Stbentoak appreciate the insights. Essentially what i think we knew it all comes down to is comfortability and preference. I don't have a boat (don't plan on really getting one for some time, and maybe by then i'll upgrade to the 4wd), I'm not going over any sort of terrain, no big equipment. The only use case i could see is what you all have mentioned about midwest weather can change rapidly (hear ya @Stbentoak) and peace of mind with the wife and kids driving.

We somewhat touched on this question but from a security and handling perspective, i read some articles about 2wd vs. 4wd - granted i know some of these are opinion based but thought they had interesting blurbs...

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/do-you-need-an-all-wheel-drive-or-four-wheel-drive-car.html - Edmunds would say on the occasion of boat hauling or ski trips, rent a car with 4wd b/c that situation is happening <10% of the time. Also, more of a focus on good tires will do better in the long run. I thought this blurb about the cons of 4wd/AWD was particularly interesting...

"False sense of security: It is easy to be lured by an automaker's advertising and think that having AWD means you can drive in the snow or rain as easily as you would in dry conditions. But the truth is that AWD and 4WD help only with acceleration and traction. Braking distances and handling will be the same as with a 2WD vehicle."

Another article from consumer reports addressing whether AWD is safer (paragraph at the bottom) - https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/2wd-awd-or-4wd-how-much-traction-do-you-need/index.htm

"Drivers are often fooled when driving in slippery conditions with an AWD or 4WD vehicle, not realizing how slippery conditions may be when driving, only to discover they are going way too fast when trying to stop. Because the added traction of 4WD can allow a vehicle to accelerate more quickly in slippery conditions, drivers need to be more vigilant, not less. Slippery conditions demand extra caution, no matter what you drive."

i think i'm leaning toward the 2wd...the up front $3k+ additional cost plus the extra added yearly maintenance and potential complications with the 4wd drivetrain doesn't seem with it for my case.