Well, needing the AWD is what keeps me from having a car that gets better mileage. No amount of gas savings will enable me to get up my street and driveway of 10-15% grades in snow and sheer ice. Plus the downhill descent controller thing helps too. Of course, I am a snow driving wimp, given that I had to learn to do this when i was 37 years old.
I guess now I know why my son traded in the Ford Focus we bought him for a Subaru; while he doesn't live in Seattle, he *is* in California...