Awd drive can keep you out of an accident by allowing you to accelerate out of someones way. It can prevent the dreaded backwards slide when you find yourself out of traction on the way up a hill. It can make getting stuck less likely and that is no small consideration. Once stuck someone can slide into you. I will admit driver skill is the most important thing for safety , But awd is a definite advantage if used with some common sense. Where people get in trouble is thinking they can get away with driving faster because of it.
There are usually only 1/2 dozen or so icy road days around here a year (central Okla.) so I think I will pass on the heavier and more expensive awd. Any further north I would consider it.
If I lived North of Kansas or in the Mountain West I would want it..
My only experience with Awd was in a company provided Astrovan service vehicle.
Made it lot easier to get around in the slick stuff. The rear drive only versions gave miserable traction but the awd also got significantly better traction than my Mazda 3 sedan I had at the time.