Having driven loads of all 3 types, I would say that they each have their advantages. I’ve had quite a few RWD BMW’s and their handling in normal conditions is superb, but they are absolutely dreadful in snow. Frightening in fact. FWD cars tend to do better that RWD in poorer weather conditions, with the weight of the engine over the driven wheels. Personally, I don’t find the handling in normal conditions to be much less than RWD cars. AWD cars give you the reassurance that if you get caught in snow or ice you can drive safely, especially if the car has drive modes such as ‘snow’ which ours does. I drove it in bad snow a few years ago, including car parks where many cars, including some other SUV’s, were struggling and it didn’t slip at all. Very sure footed. I know that winter tyres are supposed to be the real determining factor, but I’ve never had them and never had a problem in an SUV with 4WD. I try to avoid going out in snow though as so many people are clueless how to drive in it and the risk of being hit by another motorist is just way too high to risk it!
As for preference, it’s 4WD just in case, but the extra fuel costs and the fact that we are now retired and don’t have to go out in snow means that it’s now a preference and not a necessity.