In the market for 2020-2022 and I have a question...

[rjohnsen]

We recently had to part ways with my beautiful 2010 Ford Expedition EL King Ranch after being hit by a distracted driver. Everyone walked away which is the most important part, but now we are shopping for a replacement. We live in PA where we get snow and as a nurse, I go to work in ALL weather conditions. I have always had 4H/4L in addition to AWD and 2WD. In our searching, we are seeing few with the 4x4 package. How good is this AWD? I've never considered an Expedition without true 4WD, but I am wondering if things have changed and my thinking is outdated? I appreciate the wisdom of this group!

 

[BigOleFordFan]

Well, as a proud owner of several "TRUE" 4WD vehicles, both past & present, and some with that "AWD" thing...I am of the opinion that for folks like us (I live in PA also) that have to endure the winter storms, snow, sleet, hail, rain etc, a "TRUE" 4WD is the only way to go....

And from my personal experiences with my wife's current 2017 AWD Acadia getting stuck and/or sliding off the road and/or having to sputter along at 15-20mph on more than 1 occasion just to make it to work & back, I would rather not have to drive it under the above conditions....

And back in January, I had to go pull my son's 2018 Cherokee Latitude out of a ditch because the AWD system just was not capable of getting him out that jam...

Have things changed in the past few years ? Absolutely, but I still don't think those changes will make up for the extra torque, power distribution, and other benefits that a 4WD provides...

Granted this is only my opinion, I'm sure there are others here that will tell you a different story one way or the other...

But for folks who live in areas with less severe weather conditions, then an AWD can make sense, as it is a fair trade off between decent traction, power distribution and fuel efficiency...

 

[bb37]

Welcome to the Ford Expedition forum!

I moved your thread to the 4th Gen General Discussion section where it might get more attention from people with direct experience.

I had a 2015 XLT (3rd gen) with 4A and 4H. I live in central Indiana where we get snow, but may not have as many hills as you deal with. I can remember one situation in my 2015 going around a 90 corner at an intersection on snowy roads. I was in 4A. I applied a little too much throttle and, initially, the rear end swung out because I was effectively driving just the rear wheels. Then, the 4A woke up and engaged the front wheels. The vehicle came into control pretty quickly.

The issue with "true" 4WD is that the front wheels are always driving with the rear wheels. This can cause some front end plow on loose surfaces if you aren't careful with the throttle. You may need a little bit of oversteer to get the vehicle to rotate. Depending on the timing of front wheel engagement when in 4A, you may get enough of that rotation before the front wheels kick in.

Of course, the traction control on today's vehicles complicates the issue. TC will start applying individual wheel brakes through the ABS to try to maintain directional stability.

And, good tires are important. Some of the OEM tires that Ford has used in recent years are pretty bad and there are several after-market tires that will do much better in the snow and ice.

I currently have a 2024 Limited with 4A and 4H. I've only been through one winter with it and I didn't have to drive every day so don't have enough snow experience with it. Time will tell.

Thank you for your service as a nurse!

 

[BigOleFordFan]

The issue with "true" 4WD is that the front wheels are always driving with the rear wheels. This can cause some front end plow on loose surfaces if you aren't careful with the throttle. You may need a little bit of oversteer to get the vehicle to rotate. Depending on the timing of front wheel engagement when in 4A, you may get enough of that rotation before the front wheels kick in.

Of course, the traction control on today's vehicles complicates the issue. TC will start applying individual wheel brakes through the ABS to try to maintain directional stability.

And, good tires are important. Some of the OEM tires that Ford has used in recent years are pretty bad and there are several after-market tires that will do much better in the snow and ice.

Yep, I agree with this, as driving in full 4WD, in the snow or otherwise, requires some practice, but after you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy. Fortunately for me, I grew up in northern WV, where we had to drive in heavy, packed snow & ice more often than not (early Aug-late May) and have LOTS of experience at it !

And having the right (& good) tires makes a big difference too, and that usually means something other than the OEM's that FoMoCo has been using lately, which are essentially BOM-cutting versions of some better lines....

 

[HILLY]

We recently had to part ways with my beautiful 2010 Ford Expedition EL King Ranch after being hit by a distracted driver. Everyone walked away which is the most important part, but now we are shopping for a replacement. We live in PA where we get snow and as a nurse, I go to work in ALL weather conditions. I have always had 4H/4L in addition to AWD and 2WD. In our searching, we are seeing few with the 4x4 package. How good is this AWD? I've never considered an Expedition without true 4WD, but I am wondering if things have changed and my thinking is outdated? I appreciate the wisdom of this group!

I used to live most of my life not far from where you say you're from (northern HarCo/Lancaster). I originally grew up in the NW corner of NJ (NJ, PA, NY), which saw a decent amount of snow in the mountains. Also spent time in northern WV during my college years, as well as driving the PA Turnpike and HWY 70 to Pittsburgh in the winters. So driving in adverse conditions is not new to me.

Any kind of 4WD system is key for the snowy winter months for the added traction. Also already brought up is the quality of tires. Not all All-Seasons are created equal. Even AT tires can/will be worse than a properly siped and grooved winter/all-season tire.

Unless you do any sort of off-roading or maneuvers that require 4LO, it's not really necessary, which is probably why most of these SUVs don't have them these days. To help in your search, any vehicle with at least an HD Tow package will include a dual range transfer case and an added benefit of a beefier rear end and several other key components. Another plus with HD Tow is the inclusion of eLSD and an electric locker, which works really well.

If you settle on a truck that has a single-speed case and has 2H/4A, this is not the end of the world. 4H can be achieved by either using the appropriate drive mode, or it has been found that the switch can be upgraded for a minimal cost. This will allow a simplistic push of a button, as most are used to engage 4H regardless of mode.

Adding 4H Switch (18-21)

So if I’m understanding correctly, swapping these out will eliminate the option of going full time rear diff lock and it will only kick in once wheel spin is detected? Yes, assuming you have ELSD option. My 21 does not so I didn't loose any functionality.. but gained 4H.

www.expeditionforum.com

 

[ZigZagFred]

We only drive vehicles with AWD. If we truly need 4WD instead, the differential can always be locked with the press of a button.

 

[Danm355]

We recently had to part ways with my beautiful 2010 Ford Expedition EL King Ranch after being hit by a distracted driver. Everyone walked away which is the most important part, but now we are shopping for a replacement. We live in PA where we get snow and as a nurse, I go to work in ALL weather conditions. I have always had 4H/4L in addition to AWD and 2WD. In our searching, we are seeing few with the 4x4 package. How good is this AWD? I've never considered an Expedition without true 4WD, but I am wondering if things have changed and my thinking is outdated? I appreciate the wisdom of this group!

I have a 2022 Expedition Platinum and I have AWD 4x4 and 4L