Purchase help needed! 4x4 vs 4x2 ... and platinum vs Limited 302a

AmpForE said:

There’s little difference with the 21MY.

If you really want to be covered for snow driving, get the Limited or Platinum with the HDTT package. It includes an eLSD and that will improve handling at high speed as well as getting torque to the rear wheel with the most traction. You also get a two speed transfer case if you need it. Platinum adds CCD which makes the ride smoother.

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Both of these screenshots are from the 2021 order guide posted in a previous thread. It appears like ESLD is not available for 2wd’s.

wakeboarder said:

Both of these screenshots are from the 2021 order guide posted in a previous thread. It appears like ESLD is not available for 2wd’s. View attachment 38525View attachment 38526

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ah and they also only make the special edition available on the 302a for 2021 instead of 301a. Either way me personally I’d be buying a 2020 to take advantage of a deeper discount (or used of course).

Im still intrigued to hear if the eLSD with 2wd is bad news for deeper snow or ice (which would essentially eliminate the 2wd special edition for me as I don’t need to make a 2wd car even worse for that type of weather).

I’ve driven many a 2wd in bad weather with a limited slip. They do fine. It’s more traction. My f350 dually was great.

wakeboarder said:

Both of these screenshots are from the 2021 order guide posted in a previous thread. It appears like ESLD is not available for 2wd’s. View attachment 38525View attachment 38526

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that seems really odd. Looks to say not available, but that line about optional on all equipment groups looks to say it’s more readily available since you could add it to anything without having to buy the tow pack.

mcb345 said:

Would the 2wd with the eLSD without the locking capability cause a problem in the snow if both wheels are spinning?

Wouldnt the 2wd car handle better on extremely slick surfaces without the eLSD in this case?

I get that it’s better in everyday driving, fast turns, hitting a slippery spot on the road, maybe driving on dirt, etc, but what about the random snowfall or iced up road?

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If you want both wheels to spin with torque, or you want the either wheel with traction to get the torque while the other is spinning, you need an LSD. An eLSD allows the torque split to be 0-100 (regular LSD may be maxed out at 80/20) and it has a locker so you can lock both rear wheels to spin with equal torque.

AmpForE said:

If you want both wheels to spin with torque, or you want the either wheel with traction to get the torque while the other is spinning, you need an LSD. An eLSD allows the torque split to be 0-100 (regular LSD may be maxed out at 80/20) and it has a locker so you can lock both rear wheels to spin with equal torque.

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Thank you! Looks like the “Special Edition” 2wd is a contender then!

If you take long road trips, those massage seats start to look a bit more tempting lol

I would recommend getting the 4WD. I have to agree that a careful and skilled driver can go without it more often than not (I definitely recommend a locker, though).
I spent more than 3 decades offroading in the Army; it just wasn't all that frequent that I had to lock the hubs - part of route planning was to ensure the route was passable for wheeled vehicles, not just tracks.
Having said all that, there were many times when my choices were spend time driving around, sometimes even looking for a way around, or just put it into 4Lo and go.

Thinking back to my high school days I did have a RWD car in Rochester Ny (100+ inches of snow per year) so me personally I could handle some flurries here and there but thinking about it my wife might struggle with a tail happy vehicle on poor conditions.

I think I’m getting convinced to stick with 4wd for sure. Might as well spend a few more dollars when I’m already spending a big chunk haha.

I always buy the highest trim level available and all the options for a daily driver. I see a lot of people (and I was one myself) that end up wanting options/features available on a higher trim level after the fact and try to add them, only to find the cost doesn’t make sense. So I would rather buy a gently used fully optioned vehicle as opposed to a “lesser” new one if I had to go one way or the other. We were looking Navigator L Reserve but ended up with a Expedition Max Platinum due to a variety of factors. Primarily the fact we couldn’t find a Navigator anywhere.

4x4 vs 4x2 down there though is a tough one. I live in West Michigan so all our vehicles are AWD. I got by with FWD cars for a loooooong time, and a 2WD pickup. If you ever want to launch a boat you’ll be needing 4x4 depending on the situation.