Absolutely not. You don't need the lower gearing if you don't off-road or even if you do mild off roading. If you don't plan on putting massive tires on your vehicle, the lower gears aren't needed. The lower gearing is a big advantage on road as you'll get a little better gas mileage as your engine won't rev as high.
So no issues driving in the snow in MN without 4A? Did you find yourself using 4H a lot or did it go through the snow in 2wd just fine?
I'm not sure how much of a difference it really makes because I average about 19 MPG with the 4.27 gears on mine.
$550 for the parts, I take it you bought a Ford kit? The Curt parts costs about $200, and installing the hitch (not wiring) takes 5-10 minutes. I'm guessing the dealership will charge you $150 for those 5 minutes.
I’m 38 and this is the first time I’ve ever owned a vehicle that I needed to switch between 2WD and 4WD. I watched a few videos on what conditions you should and should not engage it. That was all I needed and I learned quickly. The Bronco did very well in 2WD and when needed it was super simple to swap back and forth. Auto would be better but it’s certainly not necessary.
My bad. I meant to say that the higher hearing is an advantage on the highway.
