So I'm a gear head who likes driving cars fast at race tracks. Have always been into cars. I know some things about vehicle dynamics and the physics of driving.
Growing up in WNY, I can't tell you how many times I saw a 4 wheel drive vehicle FLYING down the road way too fast for conditions in the winter. Sure, they have excellent traction and it's easy for them to GO.
The problem is STOPPING, and TURNING, where they have no traction advantage, and those vehicles are usually softly suspended trucks with very high centers of gravity, making them actually much worse to control overall than a normal car.
Used to be a huge pet peeve of mine.
My favorite are these guys who jack up their pick up truck to ridiculous heights, while doing nothing to modify their drivetrain. So the weakest link/lowest point of the vehicle REMAINS THE SAME but now the body work sits way up high on the chassis. So zero advantage for off-road ground clearance duty, while horrid on-road performance with that gigantic CG.
I guess they do it b/c they think it looks cool. I just don't understand it.