well u just said u r goin skiing therefore snow and hills. i would definitely get one with 4wd. or even an awd. fwd will do good in the snow, however, if u get into some serious snow and hills (which is always possible) the fwd wont do much of anything when ur bottomed out to the frame in snow. thats when u would hit the 4wd button or lever and get out of that mess quick and easy. trust me, its not fun pushing a big truck out of a ditch or drift in the cold. especially when its unexpected and your ill equipped. if your paying a lot of money for a brand new explorer u might as well get one with 4wd. i think u would regret getting a fwd. remeber that your gonna be well over 5000 pounds once u count for people and equipment and a full tank of gas. thats a lot of weight for just two front tires, especially in bad weather.
