Pathfinder and a 4WD system all day long......AWD is nothing but a crap system disguised to sell more and a marketing gimmick IMHO.....a 4WD system will make circles around an AWD all day long......just the fact that you can lock the differential and get all the juice out to all 4 wheels at all times and have the option of 4WD low gearing to get you out of the most difficult terrain is unparallel......stuff all ur gear in the rooftop box and enjoy the 4WD, in fact, you can also explore some trails 4 wheeling and go further......
javvy
Javvy, It looks as if you probably do a lot of off-roading, and that informs your ideas about AWD vs. 4WD, but I'd like to offer a different viewpoint, based upon my experience with both. We have lived in the western Nevada/Tahoe area for about 40 years, and regularly drove over the passes to the SF Bay Area to visit family. We struggled with 2WD vehicles and the hassle of chains until 1990, when we bought a used F-350 4WD truck. We really liked the 4WD in the snow, and when we went to cut wood, it was great for hauling us and our tools. It also meant that when we got to chain controls, we just sailed on through. However, 4WD was only comfortable off-road, or on snow/ice. If I forgot to take the transfer case out of 4WD when we were on dry pavement, we were reminded at the first sharp turn! Also, the truck had open differentials, so in very low traction, it would just spin one tire in the front, and one in the rear. In 1997, we bought a GMC Safari van with AWD, and a GM locking rear differential. That van has never gotten stuck, whether in snow, mud, or sand. If it had more suspension travel, it would be fun off-road van, even without a low-range. We still use it when we go up to the lake in the winter. In 2008, we bought an AWD Dodge Avenger. We drove to Portland on Christmas Eve that year in a very heavy snowstorm on many unplowed roads, and that AWD system worked like a champ. In Portland, the snow was about a foot deep on many side streets, and even with all-season tires, we were able to get around with very little trouble. That car was traded in recently on our 2015 Sienna AWD, and with the incredible amounts of snow we have gotten this year, the Sienna (again, with all-season tires) has performed without a hitch. Our final vehicle is a 2002 Suzuki XL-7 4WD that we tow behind our RV. It does well in snow/sand. but again, you have to constantly switch the transfer case as you transition from unplowed side streets to plowed, dry main streets. Because the Suzuki is a small car, and has decent clearance, we use it for our occasional off-road jaunts, and yes, the low range has been a help every so often. I don't think any of the AWD systems I've use have been "crap", they have all worked well, and we have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles with them with no problems.
Some told us that we would get worse fuel economy with AWD, and that may be true, but our Avenger regularly got 27-30 mpg on long trips, and our Sienna gets 25-27 mpg, so not bad at all.
Most of all, I like the fact that my wife will not have another disaster as she did when trying to drive our old Dodge van over the hill in winter, with 3 small children, and dealing with chains, then chains coming off, then chains getting wrapped around the axle, and having to hope someone would stop and help. AWD systems are great for what they are designed for. I realize this is a long post, but I wanted to offer a different perspective. YMMV!
