Originally Posted by littlehulkster
As someone who actually lives and drives where this sort of thing matters every day for about 8 months, I think people make far too much out of this.
You can argue, technically, that the CR-V has an inferior AWD system, and I wouldn't disagree. However, the system is perfectly adequate in practical situations when equipped with the proper tires. A CR-V on snow tires will absolutely blow the doors off a Subaru, VW or Mercedes with it's OEM tires in the snow and ice. A lot of people here own them (including my mother), and I have driven them before in bad weather. They're fine. The system is not made for serious off roading, and would not perform well in such a situation, but this isn't an issue given as no CR-V driver is buying their vehicle to do that.
The key, and this applies to every vehicle, is to get and use bona fide 3PMSF snow tires and learn to drive in the weather. If you do that, you will be just fine in a CR-V, or really most things. The CR-V is popular because it's a reliable, safe, relatively comfortable, spacious small "SUV" (in reality, it's more of a jacked up Civic wagon, which is just fine IMO) that gets pretty good MPG for what it is, and rides and handles like a car. It even has decent ground clearance, which is actually a pretty big deal up here given the snow piles and ice shelves you will regularly encounter in the winter months.
You can all argue the nuts and bolts of it's AWD system all you like, but meanwhile Honda will keep selling the things by the truckload, as they are a very compelling vehicle in their very popular segment, and always have been. They're fine and will suit most drivers well.
Tires are everything, FWD with snow tires is much better choice than any AWD with all-seasons in snow.
Toyota SIenna I have has also POS AWD. It is slow to react (I really do not know how to compare to CR-V, but it is not something to brag about). But with snow tires, it does its job on the streets of Colorado Springs where elevation fluctuates between 5800ft and 7200ft, so it is up and down configuration. It does its job in the Rockies. Is it Audi? far from it. But it goes, and with snow tires it is painful to be stuck behind all AWD cars, especially Subarus who are struggling going up