May want to trade my 2WD for 4WD

^Good post. Fair and objective.

 

Yeah, 4WD is definitely handy in those situations, but it really isn't a requirement.

If you don't believe me, next time you are in Nederland - check out the driveway on my parents old house:

54 Sundance Circle
Nederland, CO



If I can do that, in an RX7 all winter long (with blizzaks)...

 

Honestly, if you want have the best setup - get a 4WD TRD Off-Road and put some studded snow tires on it.

...I just don't want you to think that you have to get rid of your truck.

 

That's fair. I think a lot of it comes down to the intended use for the OP too. I live in the mountains, as opposed to the Front Range, and I've been off-roading and using 4WD on mine just about every weekend since I got it... whether it be going up into the Flat Tops to go camping, heading up to the upper Colorado River to go fly fishing, or getting out to a remote trailhead to go hiking with my wife and dogs. I could probably do all of those things with a 2WD truck, but it wouldn't be as much fun getting there

 

I can attest. It'll rock.

2wd stock tires...My tacoma was the WORST truck I've owned in 20yrs for winter.

4wd stock tires... Could take off and go deeper in 4wd, but still bad winter handling.

So spent $500 on snow tires/rims only 2 weeks after I bought it.

2wd and Snow tires... Truck handles safe, secure, and unless going really deep snow or dead stop uphill, goes anywhere you want it. I'd take it over the 4wd with stock treads.

4wd and snow tires. Tank. Everyone else is in the way. Speed limit in summer is same for winter.
Though not an excuse to drive like an idiot.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. I thought it may turn into a 'is 4WD necessary in the snow' discussion, but interesting about the snow tires. If the move does happen it may be worth my while getting a set of snow tires and seeing how I get on. Hopefully the stock tires will last til then. I've got 28k miles on the them (not 35k as I originally said) and they've still got some tread left - I think that's pretty reasonable.

I guess the prob with doing that is moving to CO with a 2WD that won't be as easy to sell as it would in Phoenix.

 

Yup. Like I said earlier, you might as well test the waters and go see what the dealer would give you on a trade-in in AZ. You might be surprised by what they offer you.

As for the stock tires, which ones do you have? I looked at an '05 with the stock BFG's that had 35k miles on it, and they definitely didn't look like they'd hold up at all in the winter around here... they didn't have much tread left at all. The seller even agreed that they were pretty worthless in Winter, yet he wouldn't knock $800 off his price for me to replace the tires.

 

Trouble is 'testing the waters' can be a pain in the a$$ with the pressure that the sales reps put on you.

I have the Bridgestone Duellers.

 

See, I think haggling is half the fun, but I lucked out and got a salesman that really didn't want to haggle. He knew I was well informed, offered me an '09 at invoice, and at that point all I had to do was convince my wife... that may have been the toughest part

If the Duellers still have good tread on them, you could at least keep them around as a summer tire. I had the Dueller AT Revo's on my 4runner, and they were great in snow, sketchy on ice, and the performance definitely diminished quite a bit as they got worn.

 

i have the duellers...and to be honest, i think they look like they are going to blow chunks in the snow.

reviews on tirerack agrees too:

$287+ Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 II Tires

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Dueler+H/T+D684+II

 

I agree. I drove my friends Tacoma (so equipped) in the rain with those suckers... I don't recommend them for harsh weather conditions.

 

^Those things aren't any better than the Dunslops with which I slid into an intersection in the rain at about 5mph. They were gone the next weekend.

 

True! My Dunflops were gone the next day.

I HIGHLY recommend the Destination A/Ts for all weather conditions!

 

Yes, the Destinations are GREAT. Like night and day.