No matter which one you choose, go for full-time 4WD. You really don't want the hassle of switching manually between 2WD and 4WD when the pavement change from dry to snow to dry as you drive around. With part-time 4WD you can't leave in 4WD all the time because you will wear out your tires and potentially can damage the 4WD when you drive on dry pavement. And then you forget to switch from 2WD when snow starts, take a curve, your rear swings out and you end up in the ditch. Driving with rear-wheel drive only in snow is not fun. So if you buy a part-time 4WD 4Runner your driving will look like that:
- Snow on the road: manually engage 4WD
- Dry pavement ahead: manually switch to 2WD
- Oops, snow again: manually switch to 4WD
It's easy to forget to do this "dance" all the time.
With full-time 4WD with Torsen central differential driving in snow is a breeze. You instantly get more torque to the axle with better traction. It's convenient and safer.
As for 4Runner Limited vs. LC, give both a long test drive andhet the one you like better - in the end you will spend many hours driving it. I wouldn't worry about load capacity - LC has a plenty, unless you regularly transport tons of cement bags. From experience, the LC is more comfortable, has better ride, is quieter and overall feels more refined on highway. The 4Runner Limited will have more gizmos, but I prefer LC interior esthetics, it looks more refined, while the 4Runner interior look cheesy. 4Runner Limited doesn't have low gear (4L) which is essential if you want to do some serious off-roading. Overall, I find the LC to be a more do-it-all vehicle: it works well as a family hauler, road trip vehicle and off-road SUV. The 4Runner is more "speciallized": Limited trim is a good city and highway option but lack of 4L limits its off-road potential. Other 4Runnef trims are good off-road, but part-time 4WD is not the best option for city and highway driving in snow.
