[kerpele]

Exactly.

I remember a few years ago I came across an article on a major car website that ranked four wheel drive as more important in winter conditions than proper winter tires. I personally don’t care if accelerating takes a little longer as long as I’m able to steer and stop, but I guess everyone has their own preference.

[kenhwang]

I think it's because you can add better tires to car with 4WD if you determine you need it. You can't add 4WD/AWD to a car with winter tires.

[deschutes]

Tires are the dominant factor in my experience. (In deep snow ground clearance is also a significant factor.) Many videos [1], [2] on youtube corrobrate this.

For the non-professional drivers on public roads, AWD is not a safety feature. It's arguably dangerous as it gives false confidence as you exceed the limits of your equipment.

It does provide a convenience at low speeds (e.g. parking lots and driveways) as it makes it more difficult to get stuck but even there tires and ground clearance are the dominant factors.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC1E2eDt1JY [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXjzYbpt9Ow