AWD assures you always have traction, tracking means steering, therefore AWD means you retain steering in bad conditions. If you move to a snowy area the majority of vehicles have either AWD or 4WD, the few that don't NEED snow tires just to make it work.
AWD used to be questionable because of the price and fuel economy, but these days thanks to computer controls, it is close to 1 MpG, and the price has come down to within a thousand dollars of a non-AWD vehicle (in fact several manufacturers do 1-1.5K AWD upgrades).
> AWD assures you always have traction, tracking means steering, therefore AWD means you retain steering in bad conditions. If you move to a snowy area the majority of vehicles have either AWD or 4WD, the few that don't NEED snow tires just to make it work.
I have lived my entire life in areas where it snows. This is fundamentally not true.
Traction has to do with tires. Good snow tires - awesome traction. Bald summer tires - bad traction. If you need to steer around something, the tires is what matter - NOT AWD or 4WD.
The reason the majority of cars up north have AWD or 4WD is because people are sheep, and believe in marketing material over facts.
AWD used to be questionable because of the price and fuel economy, but these days thanks to computer controls, it is close to 1 MpG, and the price has come down to within a thousand dollars of a non-AWD vehicle (in fact several manufacturers do 1-1.5K AWD upgrades).