Around here (Utah), we see TONS of people driving on the steep mountain roads in the winter with expensive AWD/4x4 cars, trucks, and SUVs that they bought specifically for mountain driving yet are equipped with summer or all season tires. Unsurprisingly, a lot of these people end up in the ditch. Snow tires really are a night and day difference for winter driving conditions - I'd rather have a FWD (or even RWD) car with snow tires than AWD with summers or all seasons.

Snow tires are pretty cheap compared to body work too ;)