Best Cars to Drive in the Snow
Living in New England or the Midwest? Then you already know it’s Winter. Snow is falling and roads are icy – time to get in your car and (safely) drive around looking for streets with elaborate Christmas light set ups, or just to see how your neighbor’s vehicle favors the streets compared to yours in this rough weather. If you have a daily commute through Vermont, New York State or North East Ohio we recommend checking out our picks for best and worst cars to use during snowy travels.
Subaru Impreza WRX
Subaru has been awarded countless off road certifications from year to year. It’s no wonder more teams are headed towards this auto maker for their rally car concepts. The Impreza WRX Sports Wagon accommodates snowy driving by having a wide frame base and powerful torque. All Wheel Drive capabilities and the optional 6-speed manual are a plus with this make of Subaru. The car company has a special presentation on their site, showing off their state of the art suspension and transmission technologies used in each vehicle.
Plymouth Acclaim/Dodge Spirit
Front Wheel Drive is second best to AWD – but when it comes to a power house like the old Dodge Spirit & Plymouth Acclaim sedans FWD can get away from a few snow mounds. It was easy to get out of a few frosty feet by just clearing the front end of your Acclaim. Start it, let it warm up and shift into drive – your Dodge engine and forward wheels will pull the vehicle right out of any snowbank. This blogger is speaking from years of personal experience.
VW Golf R32
Much like the Impreza, Volkswagen’s Golf/Rabbit comes with a wide array of drive trains and transmissions perfect for the snowy weather. It may look small and light weight, but don’t be fooled. This little rabbit can hop out of icy conditions with little effort.
Lincoln MKX
Lincoln may not produce the sexiest SUV’s, but the new MKX crossover handles more than sufficiently during winter months. MKX moves more like a large car instead of a small truck, a decent body weight helps tires form to the slushy ground, without sinking you down. And a powerful V6 under it’s hood doesn’t hurt.
Subaru Outback
Subaru Outback (along with Forester) rounds off our Best in Snow list. Outback brought off-roading to the parkways and city streets of suburban USA – without having to opt for a full sized sport utility vehicle. Outback’s All Wheel Drive, like the Impreza, along with powerful torque boosts from its engine make it a darling of ice covered roads.
Dishonorable mention – Worst Snow Driving Cars
Nissan Altima (Gen II: 1998 – 2001)
Nisan’s older Altima’s were less than sensational in slippery weather. The flimsy steering and light weight made it quite difficult to manage during large amounts of precipitation. This generation of Altima’s has minimal pick-up, leaving you to dig its entire chassis out before leaving your driveway.
Dodge Neon
Dodge’s Spirit may be higher up on the list of great snow cars, but their Neon brings the Chrysler owned company back to the bottom. Poor handling, cheap manufacturing and light weight make this vehicle a nightmare to drive in general, let alone while the sky is falling.
The plymouth acclaim made the list but there is not a single mention of Saab or Volvo… wtf!?