Yeah, if there's one thing I haven't been happy with it's the AW4D. It seems almost randomly activated and on snow has nearly caused an accident as it "slips" into 4x4 and traction was momentarily lost. And I avoided any AWD vehicles I saw for the reasons you mentioned.

When I owned my old school boxy 2WD cavalier and took it out hunting, trust me when I say it had no business going where it went. I'm not saying 2WD couldn't get you where you want to go, even partly off-road or back road. Like you said, a 4x4 is yet another tool in the arsenal. I was just trying to point out it's utility as it was questioned. I've been places in a 4x4 I am quite certain would simply stop any 2WD that attempted it.

My wife does not like the idea of pulling a trailer.

We are now thinking of getting a 2006 Toyota Tacoma crew-cab, 4x4, TRD off-road. It will seat five adults comfortably and hold all our camping gear. It has a locking rear differential and a 115V AC outlet in the back of the bed. It looks like a serious multi-purpose vehicle!

Need extra range? Throw some gas cans in the bed. Need to go down nasty dirt roads? 4x4 with low range and locking differential, if needed! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I have a Mazda Tribute (same as the Escape) that I use as a run-about vehicle on the job site. I have taken the thing off road more times than I can count and I'm amazed how well it does. I wouldn't take it rock crawling, but I've got through quite a few tough spots. If it had a low range gear and another two inches of ground clearance I think it would do extremely well off road. As a bonus, it has a very high rollover rating for an SUV and handles extremely well in the snow.

Craig, I have a 2000 Tacoma TRD 2WD with a locking diff. It's quit a bit smaller than the 2006 and is a great vehicle. The 2006 is a better "mid size" than mine, but even so the 2000 tows very respectably. You hardly know you have a trailer (of resonable size of course) behind it. I've trailered my off hiway pop-up with it just this last weekend, back beyond sanity for most people. I can only imagine the 2006 would be even better. Maybe with some toutalage you wife would get used to towing, mine has. Starcraft makes a sweet off-road capable popup, check out the Startcraft 11 RT. It will pretty much go anywhere your truck will go. The 13 RT has a potty and shower which will please the wife.

Exactly. All the scenarios so far have not demonstrated the superiority of a 4x4 in a bug out situation.

Secondary roads? No problem. I have them mapped, and have ridden them to make sure they were traversable.

A SUV carries more? No problem. I have vittles, water, dog and cat food at my destination all ready.

As with any survival gear, geographic location can seriously determine the value of a particular item. Owning a 4X4 in a metropolilan area such as Denver is useless if you can't get out of town ahead of eveyone else. For someone such as myself, it is a far more viable option due to multiple, less traveled evacuation routes. I've hauled my lifted, off-road camper into and out of places that people with less testicular fortitude would dare to tread.

That doesn't mean it's right for eveyone, but it's an option that those than can take advantage of should at least consider.

I normally haul my camper with an 87 Jeep Cherokee with a modest lift, locking diffs, and 31X10.50 tires. I've drug the frame and had the tires hanging 12 inches off the ground, not a pretty sight. My Tacoma has taken it places nearly as ugly.

You can be as prepared as you want to be with $300.00 folding pocket knives and bright assed flashlights, but if you don't have the gonads to survive you'll die anyway.

Thanks for your insight DeserRat.

I live south of Denver (COS), and my bug-out location is Salida. We're ready for anything! (asteroids from space and zombies excluded)

In your case you are surrounded with a veritable maze of paved roads that can be used for evacuation. I have I-40 and route 66 which will both be clogged beyond belief in the event of a catastrophic event (earthquake, whatever). I have no choice but to use a miriad of "old" unpaved mining and back country roads to get to my Bug Out Point.

These avenues REQUIRE an off-road capable vehicle, be it 4X4 or good 4X2. A typical passenger car would never get you out. I too have pre-positioned stores which will reduce bug-out time and load bearing requirements, but if I can't get to them they don't do me any good.

Very true, I had to compromise with the wife though. She wanted a "minivan" so I bought her an AWD Pontiac Montana All the comforts of Home but built on a Chevy 1500 truck frame. I put an auxillary airbag lift on it which when pumped up lifts it 4 inches. I put a little bit larger tires, 235X75, 15s on it. It's been tested on some pretty ugly trails and will suffice quite nicely. Yeah it eats tires like no tomorrow, but as long as it's not a commuter car its OK.

Nothing says you're stuck with stock.

The Pontiac Montana/Chevy venture are not on a truck frame, they are unibody, the Astro/Safari were based on the S10 frame and the full size van is built on the 1500 truck frame.
I made the mistake of buying a Chrysler AWD minivan, I guess it was a "worldly" vehicle, the AWD system was AUDI and half of the rest of it was Mitsubishi. Nothing but problems, and even the full size SUV's beat it in gas milage. I learned my lesson, never again will i do that, give me rear wheel drive and a frame to start with so it will last more than 100k miles.