cute, and I agree in general with the OP. It's hard to follow.
I bought a 97 legacy some years ago. (this is a detail he didn't get) - in 1997 Subaru had two different AWD systems in their north American offerings. Manuals got a center differential that also had a limited slip component. That car was glued to the ground. It was the highly desirable way to go. Automatics were FWD with a limited slip clutch (not differential) to the rear.
I was recently corrected in my understanding of the automatic's operation -based on what I was told, the automatic was more aggressive however, than today's clutch-to-the-rear systems in that when unpowered, it was fully engaged. During turns, the clutch was electrified to release in variable fashion. these systems were known to chatter during turns as they got older, and people would install a service fuse under the hood to electrify and "release" the clutch. So I have to give them some credit, they biased in the direction of real AWD with part-time release rather than FWD with part-time assist.
As the prior owner of a gen 1 MDX, I must say its SH-AWD is rather limited in what it can do, purely because of the limitations of the dual-clutch spool in the back. The service spec for lockup is about 150ft/lbs of torque per axle, or 300 ft/lbs total for the entire rear drivetrain. Assuming a 30" tire, that's something around 260-270 pounds of thrust from the back axle. It is certainly effective in the snow, and adds a lot of confidence, but will reach its limits quickly in harder conditions. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same architecture used in the ridgeline. I do not know if the ridgeline gets stronger clutches, being that they claim "lockable" 4wd.
-Meep