I still don't think that buying a brand new FWD CUV in this area is a great idea for resale. Everything I see proudly displays its awd badges....again, around here.
it's not as common due to solid marketing from the manufacturers, and the mentions in reviews...Corollas, Camrys and Accords have moved people by the millions in relative ease for decades...but all of a sudden, we need AWD or we'll end up dead...i have never been stuck in the snow...ever...and i've only had winter tires for the past couple of vehicles...i've also had a few RWD cars in the mix...i've also driven in snow so deep, it was plowing at the front and i could feel it being compacted under the car through the floor.
winter tires and driving according to the conditions is all you need...yes, AWD is nice, but to be honest, all i've found it does (and winter tires to a degree) is make you drive faster than you should be based on the conditions.