Should I get a 4 wheel drive, or is 2 wheel drive sufficient?

[thisguysa]

Originally Posted by slowdog101

If you really want to explore, than a 4WD is a necessity. As important, however, are tires. If you are going where 4WD is necessary, you may run into some rocky roads that will cause a regular tire to blow. Look into 6-ply off-road tires. They can be very expensive and likely won't last as long as regular tires, but you are much less likely to get stuck 20 miles from civilization because of a flat tire. When I'm out, I always take a couple days of food and 5 gallons of water per/person.

Don't forget this. That's another key difference lots of people ignore about the AWD vs 4x4 debate. You aren't putting 10 ply LT tires on a Patriot or Subaru. I imagine New Mexico has plenty of rocky roads, so you'll definitely want to make sure you get an LT rated tire instead of a P rated tire.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by thisguysa

Don't forget this. That's another key difference lots of people ignore about the AWD vs 4x4 debate. You aren't putting 10 ply LT tires on a Patriot or Subaru. I imagine New Mexico has plenty of rocky roads, so you'll definitely want to make sure you get an LT rated tire instead of a P rated tire.

Absolutely! P-rated tires are just asking for trouble in rocky terrain. One has to be careful about what tire to put on a 4WD. For example, a "mud" tire is great in mud, but the lugs of the tire can tear off, ruining the tire, in terrain with sharp rocks. The Rockies can be tough on tires because many 4WD trails can have both very muddy and very sharp rocky terrain--sometimes within feet of each other. I typically equip my 4WD's with all-terrain LT type tires with at least a D or E rating. The more one uses a 4WD in the backcountry, the less mileage one can figure on getting out the tires--usually about half what a car can get out of a typical tire. That cost is something a lot of people don't figure into a 4WD--the tires can be considerably more expensive and have to be replaced more often. Another reason that I keep an economical car for most of my driving needs, keeping all those extra miles off of the 4WD. Tires for my 4WD pickup--and not fancy tires--run about $200+ apiece. That gets your attention.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by Zelva

IMO, maybe consider a truck (2WD) and get a side-by-side 'quad' for the exploring and 'rough road' ahead.

Second the quad idea, to really get out there and if OP has a sense of adventure.

Otherwise, wondering if a Tacoma Pre-Runner may suit OP. I had a 4x4 Taco, last generation (pre 2005), and was not impressed on-road (marginal manners), but was very impressed w/ off-road. Seems to me a 2wd is cheaper but still has that great clearance.

My first job out of college, long time ago now, we had a company ATV (quad). How cool is that? Mining exploration. So we took it to some of the prospects in the Nevada desert that were inhospitable even to F250 or Bronco 4x4. We destroyed those trucks every couple of years, the roads were so tough.

I rode that quad, with buckets of samples secured to the wheel wells, quite a bit that first winter when it was nice out in the Virgin Mountains north of Mesquite, Nevada. "Deep desert" describes it all pretty well. Nothing could beat a quad for going ten miles up some arroyo off a mining or ranching road.

In the end, I found quads a bit too dangerous for my liking, and have not to-date owned another, but I'm a cautious kind of dude and perhaps too cautious for dirtbiking and quads. The PacNW trails need a trail bike, they are otherwise utterly inhospitable due to mud and slop for anything else other than foot travel. Go east of the Cascades, desert rules are in-play which probably isn't much different from NM.

Something to consider, anyway.

[Sobefobik]

Hey guys, I almost started a new thread but I'm going to continue this one. I'm still in the market for a vehicle...I gave up on it for a bit. Any thoughts on a 2005-2011 Dodge Dakota? I'm liking the looks of their 4x4 quad cab, and I like the prices too. It looks like they have a couple four wheel drive options, one being PT 4x4 with low range.

[Nlambert]

I wouldn't do it. They don't hold their resale value. I'd also avoid the Frontier. They have issues with the transmissions and the dash cracks around the radio if subjected to heat like you may see in NM.

I'd recommend a Tacoma. Yes you'll either pay more for low mileage or get one with a little more mileage in your pricerange but they last forever and are well built. Can't really go wrong with one. In the end, remember you get what you pay for.