I'm OK with you (and others) having an SUV ... I even belong to an Xterra forum because a couple friends of mine owned one. They are a good bunch of guys ... but most are die hard wheelers that bought the vehicle because they understood what they wanted and the Xterra has that kind of capability. I respect that.
Likewise, you seemed to have at least thought it through why you wanted your Cherokee. No problem from me on your choice.
But, when you ask
most people why they bought a 4WD SUV, the two most common answers are:
1) "Mmmm ... I dunno" and
2) "Well, it's better in the snow"
The people who answer #1 are just clueless and most are beyond hope or reason when it comes to vehicle choice. Maybe
now, with $4 per gallon gas, some of those people will
finally be forced to put some thought into what they drive and why and choose more wisely. As for the remainder? Perhaps Darwin has a fate awaiting them, who knows?
It's the people who answer #2 that I'm trying to reach with my caveats/warnings about A/4WD. In most winter conditions, FWD is just as safe as A/4WD. I say that because safety is mostly about steering and stopping ... and we both agree all vehicles with 4 wheel brakes are theoretically on equal terms. Two things that
really help with steering and stopping are physical grip (your tires) and light weight (less momentum to overcome). Of course ABS, stability control help in adverse conditions ... but they are whole other subjects.
A/4WD is better at
getting you going which most people do just fine with (at least eventually). It's turning, slowing and stopping that's the safety issue and we both agree A/4WD has no advantage ... in fact, they are a tad heavier so those vehicles will (all things being equal ... though they rarely are) have a slight
disadvantage when compared to their FWD bretheren.
So, for safely getting around a town that doesn't have steep hills and deep snow drifts, I'll put my Civic up against a Hummer H2 any day.
Now, if you consider getting yourself out of a ditch you've slid into, getting up a
steep hill/driveway or the ability to plow through snow banks/drifts
safety issues ... I'll happily concede those points.
