4WD Tacoma TRD Sport as Snowbird?

Approaching my first winter with my 2016 Tacoma, manual transmission, 4WD, and standard issue tires, and am wondering how similar trucks perform in light (3") to medium (10") or so snow. I don't have any weights in the bed, don't know if I should consider some and if so, what to get. I live in Maryland, about 50 miles south of Washington, D.C.

Advice, suggestions?

 

Get proper winter tires and you will be fine.

 

You'll want some better tires. I moved the OEM TRDOR tires & wheels that came on my 16' Tacoma over to my old 4Runner and they are fine in light snow, but not so great for anything more than a few inches. The 4X4 Tacoma does just fine in heavy snow, but you will need tires that are designed for driving in those conditions.

 

Proper tyres and a couple bags of traction sand in the bed above the rear axle and you will be fine. If you are really planning on driving in 10" of snow you may what to aim for a skinner than stock tyre as well the 265s will have a harder time cutting through that much powder.

 

Tires tires tires

 

I'm in Montgomery County, MD and my 2013 Sport 4x4 6M was fine in lightly covered roads for the first two winters but the stock tires were worn out pretty slippery even in rain by 25,000 miles. If I were you I'd upgrade to better tires sooner than later, but unless you're venturing out on unplowed roads this winter, you'll be fine for now.

 

Shit I'm in Maine and I am going into my first winter with my new truck, dam should I be worried?

 

No. My truck did fine last winter in MA on stock tires. Not planning on getting winter tires this year. Just know how to use your 4WD, and be a smart driver in snow.

 

Upgraded my rubber to Michelin Defender LTX M/S 265/70 R17 on my new TRD Sport 4x4 right after I drove it off the lot. Got hit with major snow here in upstate NY over the weekend. Drove through 10"+ snow over the last several days, and couldn't be happier with the truck/tire performance. No extra weight in the rear (except for a softopper). Used 4HI a few times through drifts and coming up the slope in my driveway. I honestly didn't expect it to perform this well. OP should have no problem with a setup like this in MD.

 

Ahh, I'm down in Calvert, and the state roads seem to get plowed fairly quickly. My driveway is curvy, fairly long, and has a slight incline. I was able to negotiate it okay with my auto tran 2003 4WD 4Runner, but that car had weight in the back, which the truck does not have.Also, the truck does have more aggressive tires than the 4Runner had. I'm hopeful. I don't really want to spend $1000 on a set of four winter tires...

 

I have Hankook Dynapro ATMs as a summer set. They're severe snow rated, but aren't even close to as good as my very inexpensive Yokohama snow tires when it comes to snow or ice.

 

I would normally agree with "proper tires" because it's always a safe answer to the question but the stock wranglers on my OR were fine with me driving around like an ass in a cornfield with 6" of snow covering it on Sunday. It will be fine provided you have some experience driving in snow. YMMV disclaimers apply.

 

I ran the Dynapro ATMs on my 4Runner for a while and wasn't the least bit impressed. They were all right when new, but went down hill fast from there. They were especially bad in slush and ice. Never again.

 

I've been very happy with them in the summer, but I don't run them in the winter.

 

Agreed. Summertime driving they were perfectly fine and I had no complaints. They just really sucked in the winter, which surprised me because they had overwhelmingly positive reviews for winter driving conditions.

 

It's really all about tires. I live in western NY and we get tons of snow out here. I currently have a RAM 1500 and thought it'd be amazing in the snow regardless of tires, but that was not the case. The stock Wrangler tires made it the worst vehicle I ever owned for snow, car or truck. I replaced those with Duratracs and those have made the truck the best vehicle I've driven in the snow. I imagine the Tacoma would be the same. Solid tires and 4x4 would get you out of just about any type of snow you'll see I'm sure. I don't add any weight to the bed of my RAM. I'm sure it would improve it even further though.

 

Having lived in the snow belt of southern Ontario all my life, here is my POV on snow/winter tires:

1) As tires are a wear item - adding a set of snow tires is not that much added cost over the life of a vehicle (excepting added cost of wheels) - the life of regular tires is prolonged.
2) Snow tires on steelies or cheap alloys, protects your regular rims from salt and corrosion
3) People seem to be generally concerned about traction and getting stuck, but the biggest advantage of snow/winter tires is shorter stopping distances and better steering control
4) A lot of winter tires like Michelin X-Ice are particularly good for icy conditions - especially stopping on ice, due to tread compounds and optimized siping.

The downside is the hassle of changeover, and tire storage for some.

 

just wondering on the paved road are you guys putting the truck in 4H or 2wd? i am visiting Colorado and never driven there during winter before.

 

2WD if road is dry or just wet. 4WD if road is snow packed/covered or icy.

 

I've been looking at those tires myself for when my stock ones wear out.. good to hear that they perform well!