My mom has a '99 Limited with the AWD multi-mode auto and in the city in the slick stuff all she ever uses is AWD but during the winter months she does put it in 4H so it gets a little use but for the snow on the roads AWD is all you really need.
I drove arouind my AWD Eclipse around the 285 corridor for 5 winters and never had anything but all-season radials on the car and never had a problem.

 

The reason I bought the 4Runner is I totaled my A4 Avant. That thing did great in the winter, but I always put studded tires on it. It just didn't handle the jeep trails very well 8)

 

just a little info to x-awdriver , in 1999 toyota didn't make a 4runner sport.................
It was a 1999 4Runner Highlander Edition, 2000 was the first year for the sport edition
Jukeit,,,,,,, Welcome 99's are the best
REGARDS,

 

Of course I knew that but I like to swap the names around a bit since they are the same model and Highlander reminds me of what actually became the Highlander.