AWD ior 4x4 sport or 4 door

[deves2]

I'm retired and live at the base of the mountains in NC. My wife in her old age decided she needed a 4 x 4 due to the bad winters. (not really but she thinks so)
We got a 2007 Limited with 70k miles on it and I LOVE it. everything about it. The 2007 will be totally hers and is actually to nice to beat around in the woods. ( i have an F-150 for my duties) but after driving hers I wanted to get an old explorer, 1997 - 2001 to play with. It will go on old logging roads or fire roads and only the dogs and I will probably ever get in it. So here is the problem 2 door or 4 door???are the 2 doors that much more maneuverable in tight places? and I would like to get 4 x 4 but see a lot of AWD for sale . is the AWD ok to head for the woods or is it just for a little snow or mud on asphalt roads? v6 4x4 compairable to v8 AWD????? manual vs auto trans.?????I will never be doing any Rock Crawling but would like to go into the woods on some VERY primitive logging roads that havent been used in over 10 years.
I have never owned a 4x4 prior to the wife's 07 we just got so I dont know much about them.
Any suggestions from you explorer owners

 

[Cstoliker]

There's a saying. AWD keeps you on the road, 4WD takes you off road. I prefer having the front and rear locked together for any off road use. It's better at preventing a loss of traction situation before it starts.

In my experience the sport models are not hugely more maneuverable then the 4door models. I'd go with a 4door 4x4. And if you can find it, a manual transmission will give you a big advantage off road.

My 95 4x4 (Bwm) with street tires and stock ride height could go places my 00 lifted with with 32" mud tires could only dream of. And that's all do to the 5sp manual in 95. When it actually did get stuck it was allways able to rock it's self free.

Depending on what year look in to the brown wire mod.

 

[SoNic67]

Definitely a V8 AWD.
Those forest roads are not requiring any kind of "permanently locked" axles (4x4), it would affect stability on a dusty earth and gravel type of road. Probably most of the time your wife would have to keep it in 2WD to have control over it.

 

[deves2]

ok almost 100 people viewed this and only 2 responses.....no more opinions out there???
and 1 vote 4x4 and 1 vote for AWD......hum ....I'm not getting anywhere!!!

 

[Cstoliker]

These posts often start out good then get buried quick.

But here's something to think about. There are many people here that spend a lot of money,time and labor converting their V8 AWD to 4x4. And almost none that go the other way.

 

[rathrbcruisin]

I'd get a 4 door you never know when you may want the extra room for some gear, or maybe folding the seats down for an overnight stay in those mountains. I just picked up a 98 Eddie Bauer 5.0 AWD explorer and it has a very tight turning radius I think. Easy to maneuver and get around. When I was in my 20's I was in a 4x4 mood and really got into some off roading in the Michigan woods. You can do some wicked stuff with a 4x4. There were alot of fire roads and such where we went and I'd think the AWD would be fine for that. I have not had mine through a winter yet so I really cannot attest to actually how good it will do, the only thing I have noticed so far is the extra grip I get in the rain. I have not spun the tires from a stop in the rain that I would normally get from a rwd or even a fwd car. Lots of people I spoke to about the 5.0 AWD setup is that it is a beast. I'll say that it is so far and hope it to be in the snow as well. My vote is for 4 door automatic, if you want a v8 like I did it will be an AWD not 4x4, if you want a v6 it will be a 4x4 not AWD. If you get something and you don't like it, you could always sell it and try something else.

 

[2TimingTom]

Get the 4 door. The Sports are just barely shorter.

Get a 4x4. Some for sale ads may list a 4x4 as AWD because some (most?) in that year range have the automatic 4x4. If it's a V6, then it's a 4x4 (possibly with automatic engagement), if it's a V8, then it's AWD.

I don't know the AWD that well, but from how I understand how the system works, you could find yourself in a condition where you have 1-wheel-drive if those other wheels are too stuck in something. A 4x4 will always give you at least 2wd (1 wheel on the front and 1 wheel on the rear).

The auto vs manual transmission is personal preference. For the street in a sportscar, I'll take a manual transmission any day. For a big, clunky, softly sprung, long throw shifter SUV like the Explorer, I'll take an automatic. And offroad, I'll definitely take an automatic.

 

[Lonnie-S]

[MENTION=291069]deves2[/MENTION]

I'm not very experienced with off-roading, so I don't claim to be an expert. However, given you're a newbie too, I think I have some helpful suggestions for you.

1) Get a 4-door.
Like you, my Explorer is a 2nd car and I use it for going on the truck trails and fire roads in the mountains and deserts where I live. But, the 4-door has proven to be very practical on-road and it is the official "dogmobile", building material hauler, landscaping material deliver vehicle, etc., etc. The 4-door is much easier to load and slightly longer. I even haul 10' lengths of steel tube in it routinely. Just buy a good set (3 or 4) of tarps to protect the interior.

2) Get a 4x4
You have a lot more control off road and the AWD vehicles typically don't have a low range. You will find situations where you want and need a low range.

3) A V6 will have enough power for what you want to do. It's more about being a "smart and skillful" driver and knowing which range (low/high), tire pressure, forward speed, engine revs and other driver controllable elements apply for each kind of terrain situation rather than having a high-horsepower, high-torque V8.

4) Books are great, but go to an off-road driving school if you can. I took my Explorer to one and I learned more in two days there than I could have in 3 months of reading books and trial-and-error, off-road play. Also, you have someone who can critique you in your vehicle, which might require a different technique for certain terrain (steep slopes, for example) than a Wrangler Rubicon, which is the kind of equipment most book authors have.

5) For people like us, an automatic will be fine, even an advantage, I think. Most of the vehicles in my off-road class were automatics and they did fine in situations more adverse than the ones we will be picking for ourselves. I think the added complexity of a 5-speed/clutch would be a distraction for people like us.

Good luck. I hope you find a really good rig.

 

[rkh58]

As an owner of both a Sport 4x4 and a 4dr XLT 4x4. I would go for a 4dr. Even though the over-all difference in length is barely 10" you'll appreciate the extra doors and interior space. I also definitely prefer the 4x4 because of the choice of high or low range.

 

[97exploder19]

My AWD Explorer does great in the snow. I havent had it in any serious off roading situations but im sure it would do fine offroad as long as it wasnt anything extreme.

I like the fact that when the roads are snow covered, I can just take off without having to switch in between 4x4 and 2x4.

 

[rkh58]

4x4 gives the options of 4auto (normal daily driving), 4hi and 4lo. I guess it's a personal choice. I just prefer being able to have the choice, not the truck choosing for me.

 

[deves2]

good info ....keep ideas/opinions coming
tks
Dave

 

[Mike65]

We never had a 4 dr Explorer, the one we have now is our 3rd Explorer & all have been 2 dr Sports, 1-94, & our 2nd 99. I like the look of the 2 dr Sport's better then the 4dr. Never drove a 4dr so I can not comment on how the handle compared to a 2 dr.