I live in British Columbia and plan on chasing some fresh snow this ski season. That means a lot of sketchy drives on mountain highways covered in snow. I’m wondering how much better 4A would perform compared to 4H in terms of safety and confidence?
I’m buying new and it looks like the only way to get 4A without the Sasquatch package is by going for the Badlands trim. I feel like that might be overkill for the kind of adventures I plan. What do you all think?
4A is better for street driving because it uses 4WD electronically (traction control and clutch packs) rather than mechanically locking it in 4WD. So, no worries about binding.
Rowan said:
4A is better for street driving because it uses 4WD electronically (traction control and clutch packs) rather than mechanically locking it in 4WD. So, no worries about binding.
I’m guessing it’s impossible to add 4A to a Bronco that doesn’t already have it?
@Sage
Way too expensive to add later.
It’s amazing! I’m in Denver, and at highway speeds, where parts of the road are plowed and others are icy, it’s super handy to have. 4H is fine, but keeping it in 4A for dicey conditions makes a big difference in my opinion.
I wish they’d offer 4A on more trims again. It’s so useful for those mountain roads that go from dry to snowy all the time. You can live without it, sure, but it’s a great compromise between regular 4WD and a full-time system like in a Land Cruiser.
Remember, neither 4A nor 4H will help you stop or slow down. Don’t drive faster than the conditions allow. Also, real snow tires make a world of difference.
As a Badlands owner, I think it’s worth it. It’s the closest you can get to Sasquatch without the whole package. When I got my '23, the only thing it didn’t have from the Sasquatch package was the beadlock wheels and maybe a lift, but those can be added later. The other stuff is much harder to add.
Where I live, we get moderate snow, and it’s great knowing I can just pop it in 4A and go. Last winter, we got about 9-10" of snow, and I was one of the only ones in my neighborhood out driving. 4A made it easy.
I love 4A here in Michigan!
Where in BC are you driving? If it’s just the local Vancouver mountains, the roads are usually clear. Snow tires should be enough. The highways only get sketchy around the Coquihalla.
Maxwell said:
Where in BC are you driving? If it’s just the local Vancouver mountains, the roads are usually clear. Snow tires should be enough. The highways only get sketchy around the Coquihalla.
Coquihalla is exactly what I’m worried about. Drove to Calgary two years ago in a Ford Focus and never want to go through that again!
@Val
Oof, yeah. We did that drive in our Cherokee last Christmas. Terrifying!
No one has mentioned the slippery/snow mode yet. I believe it automatically puts you in 4A. Not sure what else it does though.
Freddie said:
No one has mentioned the slippery/snow mode yet. I believe it automatically puts you in 4A. Not sure what else it does though.
Sport mode does that too. I usually just put it back in 2WD.
Living in Washington state, 4A is awesome when roads are wet or slippery. Definitely recommend getting it if you’re replacing your vehicle.
Can’t you get 4A in a Black Diamond without Sasquatch? My ‘23 has it. Heard it went away for ‘24, but still saw it in the build options. Could be a cheaper way to go if so.
I live in Alaska and use 4H all winter on surface streets and highways. I don’t have 4A, but if I did, I’d still use 4H to avoid slipping while waiting for 4A to engage. Bronco handles snow and ice well. I use KO2 tires year-round. The only time I slid was after it rained, froze, then snowed on top, and I took a roundabout too fast.
If you’re driving on persistent snow or ice, 4A will stay engaged, so it’s basically like 4H at that point. The advantage is convenience when switching between dry and snowy roads. You can keep 4A on and not worry, but with 4H, you’ll need to manually switch back to 2WD on dry pavement.
@Francis
The Bronco switches between 2WD and 4WD pretty easily, right? I drive a manual, so I’m comfortable managing traction and gears, but I don’t want to assume it’ll be that simple.
Val said:
@Francis
The Bronco switches between 2WD and 4WD pretty easily, right? I drive a manual, so I’m comfortable managing traction and gears, but I don’t want to assume it’ll be that simple.
Yep, super easy to switch between them, but it’s also easy to forget to turn off 4H. 4A is just more ‘set it and forget it.’ As for managing traction with gears, that’s great for straight-line driving, but 4WD helps a lot with stability on turns.