JKent:
I surmise you are either a rally driver or a very insecure driver. We live near the mountains and we have severe weather 5 months of the year. We have 2 wheel drive vehicles with Michelin X-ICE winter tires and never miss an opportunity to go skiing or snowshoeing. Driving through snow storms here is a fact of life.
In our ski club of 85 members, there ar 5 Subarus, one Lexus SUV, a GM SUV, no pickup trucks and all the rest are 2 wheel drive vehicles.
Many posters here will agree with the above, that a good set of winter tires and a course in winter driving from the AAA will give you the confidence you need.
In any case, avoid any Volvo, unless you like spending $2500 minimum per year on maintenance.
If I HAD to buy an AWD vehicle, it would be a Subaru Outback; it has the most user-friendly and capable AWD system, and is affordable to maintain. It’s not a true SUV, and handles like a sedan. Also quite durable. Subaru WRXs are used extensively for rallying.
As mentioned, we can’t really advise you based on our personal experience, since it is very different from your needs.
I’m also puzzled why after being spoiled by the Audi handling you are even looking at a Buick or a Lincoln, which will feel like waterbeds on wheels by comparison.