Once upon a time, living in the south meant escaping the wrath of winter driving. But times are changing, and even Texans occasionally have to deal with cold temperatures, ice storms, and snow. From our headquarters here in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we collectively agree drivers should at least be minimally prepared for the dicey road conditions winter weather can throw their way.
That doesn’t mean you need to rush out and buy an all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle. An AWD’s drivetrain is great, and it offers some distinct advantages, but especially if you’re in temperate areas of the country, you can buy a front-wheel drive (FWD) or even a rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicle and do remarkably well going the less-expensive route of buying a set of winter tires.
The best winter vehicles have a basic list of equipment, which partially happens to coincide with what the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) looks for when it gives a vehicle a Top Safety Pick+ rating: Good crash test results, automatic high beams, and driver assistance features. But we’re also looking for availability of things like heated seats, heated mirrors, heated washer nozzles, a heated steering wheel, and driving modes that start the vehicle in a higher gear for driving on snow-covered roads. And finally, fuel economy is something that takes a hit whenever the temperatures drop, so we’d like to start out with something that offers at least decent MPG.
To help with your winter driving, we’ve compiled a list of new cars that we’ve tested and driven in lousy winter weather. And remember, no matter what vehicle you choose, there are steps you can take to optimize its capability in the snow, like keeping it fitted with fresh windshield wipers and tires. For more, check our list of seven steps to prepare your car for the cold.
The Best Cars for Snow in 2024
- Compact Crossover: Toyota RAV4
- Midsize Crossover: Honda Pilot
- Three-Row Crossover: Subaru Ascent
- Full-Size SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe
- Compact Sedan: Honda Civic
- Full-Size Sedan: Dodge Charger
- Luxury Sedan: Genesis G90
- Midsize Truck: Toyota Tacoma
- Full-Size Truck: RAM 1500
- Sporty Car: Volkswagen Golf GTI
Compact Crossover: Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4—like the Honda CR-V and the Subaru Forester—is a bona-fide winter warrior, and it has been since the first one rolled out of the showroom in the 1996 model year. RAV4s work, and they work especially well in the snow.
It’s important to note that every one of the seemingly endless trim levels for this compact SUV is available in both FWD and AWD. Chances are pretty good that if you live where it snows more than a few inches every year, you won’t be able to buy a FWD RAV4 anyway, but if you’re in one of the states that get less snow, the price leader RAV4s on a retailer’s lot can often be FWD.
Most RAV4s will be equipped with 225/65R17 all-season tires, which are usable throughout the winter, but as we found out when we tested one equipped with stock tires and another equipped with winter tires on a hockey rink, a RAV4 with winter tires will stop car-lengths faster from speeds as low as 30 mph.
Midsize Crossover: Honda Pilot
The Honda Pilot was all-new for the 2023 model year and it carries over mostly unchanged for 2024. Prior examples of this midsize SUV—in both Honda Pilot and Acura MDX form—are both regular favorites and sell particularly well here, where winter shows up like the tax man every year, and we expect the latest version to do just as well.
If the high starting price causes some initial shock, it’s worth noting that the “base” Pilot Sport is pretty well-equipped, with a 285-hp V6, a 10-speed automatic transmission, connectivity features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and safety features like adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, road-departure mitigation, and lots more.
Three-Row Crossover: Subaru Ascent
One of the advantages of all Subaru products (with the exception of the BRZ) is that, unlike some of the competitors that offer FWD as the base driveline, Subaru provides its symmetrical AWD system as standard equipment, no matter what trim level you choose. The seven- or eight-passenger Ascent SUV delivers winter traction standard, from the base model all the way up to the Touring trim. The Ascent's 8.7 inches of ground clearance are also a boon for climbing over the deep snow at the end of the driveway.
There is a downside to the Ascent, though. It's equipped from the factory with Falken ZIEX ZE001 A/S all-season tires, and, depending on the trim, the tires can be as big around as a 245/50R20. Consumers who offered an opinion of these tires in wintry weather almost universally called out their poor winter performance and lack of tread life. Give that some consideration when you’re getting ready to purchase an Ascent. In particular, if the one you're considering is used, give the tire sidewall a good look before you decide to purchase the vehicle, and calculate the cost of a set of replacement tires if the factory rubber is still on the wheel.
- Who Needs Snow Tires?
- Winter's Coming: 7 Steps to Prepare Your Car for the Cold
- How To Drive Safely in Winter Weather
- 10 Things to Keep in Your Car This Winter
- A Northerner’s Guide to Winter Tires
- Keep Your Car Protected from Road Salt This Winter
Full-Size SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe is another vehicle that’s experienced a dramatic increase in price over the last several years. In 2021, the price hovered around $49,000. In 2024, that has jumped almost 15 percent to $56,200 to start, and that’s before you get four-wheel drive (4WD). And even if you do get 4WD, the Michelin Energy Saver tires that come on it from the factory aren’t the greatest winter rubber on the planet. Consumer ratings on these tires are in the mid “Fair” range for winter performance, according to Tire Rack, and based on my own experience, that's an accurate assessment.
Nevertheless, with the right set of tires, the Tahoe and its GMC Yukon twin have everything you need to climb a mountain in poor weather: 4WD, toasty heated seats, an outstanding HVAC system, and a clear view of the road ahead.
Compact Sedan: Honda Civic
The 11th generation Honda Civic debuted in 2021 as a 2022 model year. Gone is the coupe, gone is the manual transmission on the cars south of the Si on the trim ladder, but the basic formula is the same as it always was: an unfailingly competent automobile that isn’t priced so outlandishly that most people can’t afford it. The price goes up once you get beyond the base LX trim level, but that car is very well equipped. Unfortunately, in order to get heated front seats (a winter necessity) you need to step up to the EX trim level which increases the price by $3,000.
One of the advantages of the Civic over its competition from Ford, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai and others is the standard tires with which it is equipped. The Civic Sport and Touring are equipped with Goodyear Eagle Sport all-seasons, which consumers suggest have good snow traction.
Full-Size Sedan: Dodge Charger
While we await details on the all-new 2025 model, the 2023 Dodge Charger continues to impress as a solid daily driver, winter or summer, and you may be lucky enough to find one still available on your dealer’s lot. In the New England states, you’ll mostly see the SXT trim level equipped with AWD with the Pentastar V6. Even with the original equipment Michelin Primacy MXM4s in place, the SXT with AWD tracks through the snow with confidence.
The challenge is getting heated seats. They’re not standard, and they’re only available in packages on the SXT. The Cold Weather Package is the cheapest way out for a reasonable $695, which also includes a heated steering wheel and heated exterior mirrors. The Plus Group also contains the butt-warmers, but that’s up to $3,095. Granted, it provides 20-inch wheels and tires, a better audio system, 4G Wi-Fi, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen, along with Nappa leather sport seats and a whole host of additional equipment. Despite the cost, it’s probably worth spending it for a more pleasant drive all year long.
Luxury Sedan: Genesis G90
The Genesis G90 is a flat-out amazing automobile. It has gorgeous styling from every angle, provides dramatic power from its standard 375-hp 3.5-liter V6, and has all the luxury and driver assistance features you’d expect from the European brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, without overburdening the passengers with weird technology they never asked for.
It also offers AWD as a standard feature, whether you choose the base 3.5-liter turbo, or the hybrid-ish e-Supercharger which adds another $10,300 to the price, but delivers 409 hp. You also get some nice features like easy-close power doors, power reclining rear seats with massage, and a Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound system.
Our recent tester was equipped with Michelin Primacy Tour A/S rubber, which gets a “good” rating from consumers on Tire Rack for winter/snow performance.
Midsize Truck: Toyota Tacoma
The Tacoma enters its fourth generation with a ground-up redesign, but it still reigns as the benchmark for what a midsize truck can offer. The competition however, is not without merit. The Nissan Frontier gives it a run for its money, the Ford Ranger is a surprisingly nice truck, and even Jeep has a competitor in the Gladiator.
The Tacoma is now offered in no fewer than eight trim levels, in two cab configurations (Xtra Cab, Double Cab), and two cargo bed sizes (5-foot, 6-foot), so choosing the right one is going to take some time. Starting at $39,400, the TRD Sport version seems to split the difference between a decent amount of equipment and a reasonable price. The bummer here is that if you want heated seats, it’s going to cost you more; they’re available or standard on all models except for the base SR.
We’re assuming you’re looking at 4WD trucks and have passed on the RWD versions if you’ve gotten this far. Depending on the trim, Tacomas may be equipped with the BFGoodrich Trail-Terrain T/A or General Grabber HTS 60, which, for all-season tires, get pretty good marks for winter performance.
Full-Size Truck: RAM 1500
The RAM 1500 is soldiering on for its final year with the oldest full-size truck platform in the market, but it’s exactly what you want in a pickup truck. We’ve sampled a good number of trim levels, and the Rebel splits the difference between a bare-bones pickup and something super expensive like the TRX. At $59,595 (available in only the crew cab short box configuration), the Rebel is the best of both worlds and we see tons of them cutting through the worst winter has to offer in New England.
If you’re in the northern part of the country, though, scour the used car listings at CarGurus for a RAM 1500 Big Horn North Edition. The equipment in that trim level easily outweighs the relatively modest price increase over a standard Big Horn, and includes some equipment you’re going to wonder how you lived without.
Along with heated seats and heated mirrors, you get an engine block heater, an E-Locker rear axle that will make you forget you have 4WD, and a full set of 275/65R18 off-road tires with the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol, indicating their prowess in the snow.
Sporty Car: Volkswagen Golf GTI
The Subaru WRX is the go-to choice for winter sporty cars, but don’t sleep on the VW Golf GTI. No, it doesn’t have the WRX’s standard AWD system, and you’re going to have to evaluate whether or not you’re willing to give that up. What you do get, though, is a more sophisticated, upscale interior that you’re going to enjoy in the colder months.
The Golf GTI’s plaid cloth seats make us smile every time we open the door, and that’s before you get into the leather seat treatment in the Autobahn edition. VW also does a nice job of offering a whole range of accessories like snowboard carriers and roof bars at a reasonable price. It’s also one of the few cars left that comes with a six-speed manual transmission.
The only issue with the Autobahn is the tire selection, which forces you into a summer tire, and that is wildly inappropriate for the winter. Either stick with the S or SE trim or plan on buying a set of winter wheels and tires. Honestly, we recommend winter tires regardless of the trim (or vehicle) you choose.
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