I would not want to be driving a Trail in 2WD in snow with all season tires. KDSS isn't going to make any difference in handling in snow. What KDSS does is to reduce body roll while turning on the road, but still allow greater articulation while offroad.
IF conditions aren't all that bad, AND you swap out the stock tires for something more appropriate for winter driving, then RWD will perform as well as a Torsen. Where a Torsen (as used in the Limited) makes a difference is where you have bare patches of pavement intermixed with patches of snow and ice. KDSS doesn't come into play at all. If you have a TE with stock tires and want to go play slalom on a snow-covered highway in 2H, make sure you have AAA.
You completely missed the original question, as Trail Editions do not come in 2WD, and I was very specific in how I qualified my answer. Go read the part I quoted again: not bad conditions, a trail edition, not switching back and forth between 2 and 4 WD... context is everything.
Not surprising at all.
Take a look at harper7's ride. He bought a Limited, but changed out the skirts to make it look like a TE.
The OP asked if the "Trail in 2wd still a very good option" and I said yes if you get good tires, while you said "Unless the roads are clear and dry, there's really no comparison. Even if there's a small amount of snow on the roads, the 4WD wins every time" which wasn't the question. They were asking if it was a good option, not the perfect solution. You then added "the 4Runner is horrible in snow if you only have RWD. It's just too light in the back to get good traction on snow", which I think is pure BS when there is less than 55 pounds difference between the two versions. In the scenario outlined by the OP, he's not planning to be plowing through snow drifts or driving through blizzards in 2Hi, he just wants to know if RWD is okay in "not bad" conditions... which it is.
Actually, you can compare the two. The difference between a Torsen center Diff and RWD is not as drastic a difference as you imply, especially "in light snow". Is it better in mixed conditions? Yes, but we are talking small differences, not huge differences. There are plenty of people driving around in 2WD (R or F) vehicles throughout the winter season that haven't gone in a ditch or spun out of control or skidded through an intersection, just as there are plenty of people with Torsens in their cars or trucks that have done all those things. A 4Runner in 2Hi in mixed conditions just requires more skill but you make it sound like it's a Geo Tracker and I take issue with that because it simply isn't true.
The Limiteds have XREAS, which helps with body roll so that's a wash. KDSS allows larger sway bars than you would normally get because the system disconnects them in situation you find offroad. On pavement, it's probably a wash. Things you lose buy buying a Trail instead of a Limited: dual zone climate control, leather interior, Safety Connect, potential 3Rd Row seating, keyless push button start, puddle lights on the mirrors, and most of the chrome.
Yes, the SR5 is the same basic part time system as the Trail. It doesn't have the terrain select, crawl control, etc., which aren't terribly important to me. The Trail Edition also has a locking rear differential, which is quite valuable offroad.
They may or may not swap them for the stock 18s on an SR5. You would do better selling them to a fellow with an SR5, in exchange for his 18s.
