Since I live in Southern California, where it doesn't snow a whole lot, I settled for a 4x2- saved a lot of $$$, etc. But I used to live in Utah where it snows a lot, and I always had rear wheel drive vehicles- a small 4x2 Nissan Pickup and an old Mercedes 240D sedan.

They never plowed the roads in the town I lived in, so I just learned how to drive in the snow with what I had. I always made sure I had a heavy load of either sandbags or film equipment in the trunk or pickup bed, and I never had any problems. I only got stuck once. Anyway, you just take it slow and point your car in the approximate direction you want to go.

On another note, the 1980 diesel Mercedes sedan was one of the best off-road vehicles I ever owned. They are built like Panzer tanks. On many occasions our filming location was in a remote wilderness location, and while most of the crew left their cars and SUV's down at the designated distant parking lot and took the "Shuttle Suburbans" up to the set, I drove the old Mercedes right up the hill with all my gear in the trunk. Okay, I know it didn't have the ground clearance of an Xterra, but...