Forester V X-Trail - Drive Setup / Luggage

Hi all,

Been doing some research into buying a softroader in the next few months. After something that is going to do the job on wet-slippery country tarmac roads and reasonably corrugated dirt roads. Nothing extreme, but something that would be mainly a sealed road country car but cope with a bit of tame off-roading on the weekend. Ended up at the conclusion that the X-Trail and the Forester were far and away leaders in this field.

However I did a bit of research into the 2WD/AWD/4WD systems (manual of course) of both and would like some advice on what people think. All details below are quoted from the official manufacturers websites and RACV/NRMA reviews.

X-Trail uses a version of Nissan's All Model 4WD system, which drives the front wheels only in normal conditions and, when in auto mode, automatically sends torque to the rear wheels via an electronically controlled coupling when required. A "Lock" 4WD mode fixes front to rear torque distribution in a 57:43 ratio only at speeds below 30km/h (above that speed the system reverts to the auto mode).

One reviewer states "It is, however, important to read the owner's manual, as there are some limitations to be aware of; e.g., if the power-train oil overheats, the system automatically drops into 2WD".

Forester on the other hand, has the AWD transmission where a viscous coupling limited slip centre differential is used to constantly transmit the engine power to all four wheels. During straight line driving the torque split by the differential is 50/50 to front and rearwheels. Torque distribution at the road however is also dependent on load distribution and tyre grip and as a result the static ratio is 60/40. During actual driving conditions, load movement when cornering, accelerating or braking etc. causes the torque distribution to also move in the same proportions. When wheel slip occurs a rotational speed difference between the front and rear axles is created and the viscous coupling automatically matches the torque to grip, in order to restore maximum traction. The Forester also has the dual range transmission with a 20% low range reduction.

I've heard about the benefits of having rear wheel drive larger cars to improve handling, but does the X-Trail overcome this with it's current setup? Can it compete with the Forester's AWD handling?

The other pros/cons that I'm considering are the extra power of the X-Trail (132Kw / 245Nm) over the Forester (112Kw / 223Nm), the fact that in the X-Trail you can put the back seats down and have a flat plastic surface that doesn't attract dog hair/dirt and the somewhat limited room in the back seat foot wells of the Forester......

Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated.