[s-cars] NAC - Why is manual and full-time 4wd or AWD mutually exclusive ...

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

CAFE most likely.  You run a manual with PT AWD in a given chassis and  
engine, you can say in your Maroney sticker and ads that the mileage of an  xterra 
is higher (fine print, with lockout hubs and PT 4wd).  When in fact  it's 4mpg 
less when you get the more common autobox and full time awd.  It  could also 
be target market, where the manual shifters in trucks like to  manually do 
things?
 
SJ
94 Supercharged Landcruiser with full time awd and crap for mileage + a few  
quattros
 
In a message dated 6/26/2007 5:41:07 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
audi.ed at gmail.com writes:
Hello all,
Very unrelated to UrS, but I am  trying to find a high-clearance vehicle to
tackle water bars so I can stop  abusing my poor 95 S6...

Much research has landed me the conclusion that  the few high-clearance
vehicles available with a manual (xterra, for  instance) are part-time 4wd
only.  Vehicles that in the recent past  offered full-time 4wd or AWD and a
manual (pathfinder, 4runner, explorer)  only offer part-time with the
manual.  (I'm looking at SUVs of this  nature as vehicles like all-road and
outback, while higher clearance than a  car, do not really offer enough
approach angle to actually clear the average  BC water bar...)

Is there some challenging technical reason for this that  audi & subaru have
overcome to get AWD and manual in their cars that  doesn't scale to a bigger
vehicle?  Or is this just a function of  market?  Am I only one who wants a
manual and on-dry-road 4wd?  Is  there some vehicle I'm missing?

Found myself curious and unable to solve  on google... figured someone here
*must* know!

Thanks (and sorry for  the NAC  question),

Ed
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