This is very interesting!

Thanks for this!

 

I have an 35T AWD. It is fantastic! What I love is that when I drive like an idiot (some old guys do, we have good insurance!) the car behaves and makes me look brilliant (except for the look on my face) lol. Realistically, IMO a couple of percent in front to rear balance difference is not likely to be felt unless you are driving it competitively, but i will differ to those who have driven both. So to sum up, Me=Idiot, AWD=Fantastic!

 

The AWD will always cost more to maintain. If your driving skills are either aren't sufficiently refined or have deteriorated to the point where your reactions cannot deal with a bad traffic situation, then AWD is an absolute must. As mechanical systems age, parts will wear out and break down. I, for one, wouldn't buy the headaches that AWD will eventually incur with the passage of time.

 

Thank you guys for your opinions. At the end, experience is all in driving, no doubt...

I definitely decided to go with RWD, as it's much better equipped and in better condition overall (though one year older).
However, that one that I picked has suspicious service history so I might be in situation to look further, but in any case, all other samples at market here in Serbia are RWD, so no too much choices.

 

That's a great resource, thanks for sharing! Too bad the engine stuff is all V6. I found the transfer case interesting, always wondered how these worked. As an engineer, it looks to me that max rear torque is 100%, while max front torque would be 50%, i.e. it can vary from 0/100 to 50/50. Wonder if that's actually the case.