Hands down, the 2019 CX-5 in top trim levels (with turbo) are probably the best bang-for-the-buck ski haulers that challenge the true luxury vehicles. However, it's an AWD system, not 4WD. There is no full locking differential and the Mazda system can only put 50% of the power to the rear wheels. It cannot put 100% power to the remaining "non-slipping" wheels. So it has its limitations. I'm sure it's much better with real snow tires, but if you're doing mixed driving coming out of the bay area, that may not be the best play. I'm still driving mine with the M+S Toyo all-seasons and have not run into any major issues, but it certainly doesn't instill as much confidence as my last vehicle with true 4WD and the ability to lock the differential.
BTW - There are some great youtube videos of extreme drive train testing over obstacles; comparing the CX-5 to other vehicles. The CX-5 actually fairs very well (better than most of the competition). There's even a video of a tug-of-war between a CX-5 and a Subaru on dirt where the CX-5 wins.