Why get a more expensive and heavier car if you are outside the ice belt. I wouldn't. My weekly commute over icy mountain passes during winter time involves driving 140 miles each way on my C4S where I benefit from the AWD system with all electronic gizmos like PTM, PSM working along with the drivers due dilligence especially when you are engulfed by the big rigs sometimes on either sides of the vehicle.

 

Agreed on the winter tires, but the thinner concept only holds true when you are plowing through fresh snow. If it is hardpack or ice you want more sipes in contact with the surface, so wider will be better. I've tested many combinations in both fresh and hard pack. Generally if you live in snow country, most of the time you are driving on hardpack snow. The only time it is fresh snow is when you get caught in the storm - at least where I live where roads are cleared rather quickly. Where AWD helps is from a start and going up hills. If you are in the flats and don't face severe winters, 2wd with snows is plenty.

 

Not being a big fan of wikipedia for references, here is a quote on winter tires:

"However in reasonable amounts of mud and snow, tires should be thinner. Being thinner, the tire will have more pressure on the road surface, thus allowing the tires to penetrate the snow layer and grip harder snow or road surface beneath. This does not compensate when the snow is too deep for such penetration, where the vehicle will sink into the snow and 'snowplow' the snow in front. In this case, wider tires are preferred, as they have a larger contact patch and are better able to 'float' on top of the mud or snow."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire

Given that you tested different combinations, I hear what you say and it's interesting that you found the opposite to be true. Guess it really comes down to personal pereference and what works for you.

 

I think "narrower" is the the term. Not thinner. Carry on.