Need a new daily driver for the commute to work. I drove a RWD BMW 5 series last winter and my issue was only on the greasy winter days on highway 2 south of Edmonton. Lots of vehicles in the ditch so I want something with a bit of weight and a decent wheelbase. I also want a daily driver that doesn't burn premium and preferably an auto because my other car is a manual too.
Assuming I get a quality set of winter rubber, do I need the AWD? I am biased towards 4WD if I can, but there are almost no used Elements on the market and the prices being asked for high mile cars is eye popping. The FWD cars are nearly not so pricey. How are you FWD finding them compared to other cars you have owned? Thanks for any responses.

Edit. I REALLY don't want a manual but are these things a bit underpowered for an a/t? Is it worse with the AWD cars because of the weight? I read somewhere a 0-60 for the a/t AWD of over 10 seconds.

My takes:

I haven't driven a 2WD in snow, but when I drove my 4WD in the snow, it was worth every penny. I actually went out looking for unplowed roads last winter just to watch the 4WD perform. I would guess that the further north you go, the more valuable the 4WD becomes. I also wouldn't buy an automatic Element, but I REALLY don't like automatics, so that probably doesn't help much. I drove one once and wasn't impressed. Searching for a used Element that has all of your requirements can be daunting, but it is definitely possible, so keep trying.

If in your commute you see lots of vehicles in the ditch, you do want traction in as many wheels that you can.

If you were down here in south texas where is flat as a tortilla and have winters in the sixties, then you will not need it.

Just remember that 4WD won't improve braking at all, and most of the cars you see in a snowy ditch were simply going too fast.

Just remember that 4WD won't improve braking at all, and most of the cars you see in a snowy ditch were simply going too fast.

^ Absolutely. Also the rubber. Don't want to eat it because i was too cheap to buy proper tires for greasy roads. Thanks for the responses.

Bought the AWD. Thanks for the responses.