I agree with others on the XD being a non-starter for every day carry, and for the same reason.
Has anyone tried to grip an XD of any kind?
I've never had an issue with the grip safety... even trying to grip it funky while dry fire training and I can't not get it to engage.
OP - a lot of great recommendations so far. Hit the range, rent some and see what's best for you.
For me, it's one gun, the same gun all of the time.
The threat does not change with the season or whether I'm wearing a coat or t-shirt or barefoot in shorts.
Just wanted to follow up and say that I really appreciate everyone's feedback. It prompted me to do a lot of thinking and shooting/dry-firing, as well as considering a lot of what was mentioned here. I surprised myself a little and ended up going with the Walther PPQ M1. Not only because I was able to get a great deal on one, but also because I went back to it several times and just couldn't get over how good it felt in my hand! I also was surprised that I liked the European style mag release (the difference between the M1 and M2), which I can actuate somewhat similarly to my ARs. I put the Trijicon night sights on it today (stock sights aren't great) and plan on taking it to the range tomorrow morning.
In case anyone cares, my runner-up was the Sig P320 XCompact... liked that gun a lot and shot it well right off the bat. I did not ignore any of the comments and did get my hands on a Glock 19 and the P365XL, but just decided that I liked the feel of the PPQ the best. Another thought in the back of my head was the question about a steel frame gun. I did actually hold a Walther Q4 SF at the gun shop and thought that if I want to spend the money for that in the future, it would be an easy transition from the PPQ. Basically identical to the PPQ except in all steel versus polymer.
Thanks again, I really did thoughtfully consider all of the input and appreciate it!
Glad you got your choice sorted out. And as a reminder, you don't need to get the entire XL gun. A 365 XL grip module is fairly inexpensive and if I can swap it out, a monkey can do it (yes you need the opposable thumb, but that's about it).
I guess my only concern would be (if it were me, obviously you decide for yourself) training with the different mag release (paddle vs your other carry gun the 365 having the standard button) between your 2 guns. No issue with the paddle itself, but rather the going between the 2 that would be a concern for me. I like to keep as much as similar as I can on the motor activities.