I am not a fan of large trucks that rarely get used as trucks and much prefer mid-size SUV's like my wife's RX350. But every now and then a truck bed is handy... so, with 185kmi on my old CRV, I compromised last spring and got a Honda Ridgeline awd. Driving feel, size, and interior is very similar to a Honda Pilot so it is great running errands around town and gets 24-27mpg mixed city/hwy. After easily towing all my daughter's stuff to Illinois from AZ in a 4800lb u-haul trailer (17-18mpg), I can attest to the 5000lb tow rating and the 300hp V6's power. I get 21-22mpg towing my DG300 in a Cobra trailer. The 2-way tailgate and trunk in the bed are extremely handy (way more than I expected). Quiet, comfortable, not too big, lots of modern features, and very easy to drive and park. Have 16k miles on it now and can say it suits me and my needs as well as I had hoped. Other than pulling the Cobra through some deep sand after the dirt road to El Tiro gliderport got washed out, I haven't made much use of the AWD system. For my type of driving, I think this "activate on slippage" awd system will be more than acceptable. If not, we have a great club with lots of helpful members with hard-core 4WD capability who enjoy good beer with their retrieve dinners.
JJ