The Right Vehicle for Winter Driving

When you live north enough to need to worry about road salt and snow tires, you also need to have a vehicle that can handle the challenges that winter can throw your way. Most of the time this boils down to wanting a car that has the ability to give you the heat you want, the traction you need and at a price that makes it easy to understand why this is the vehicle you choose for winter driving. You can drive these cars in the summer too, but when it gets cold and the weather turns foul, these are the bests that can get the job done.

Subaru Outback – This wagon that wants to be an SUV has been around for a long time and you can pick one up for a great price to have the winter driver you need. This vehicle is unstoppable with snow tires on it and has the low center of gravity to keep it balanced and grip the road for you. There may not be much to these cars, but there’s plenty of reason to drive one in the winter, including the fact that Subaru offers it with full time AWD.

Dodge Grand Caravan – This one may be a bit more challenging because you should find one with AWD and the last year it was offered was 2003. If you do find a good model with this feature you’ll have a vehicle that can handle the road like a car and give you the added benefit of being able to take cargo with you and the family wherever you need to go. The Chrysler Town & Country makes a great choice as well for the same reason and can be the snow vehicle that will help you avoid needing a tow.

Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic – Put some sandbags in the back and add the snow tires needed and this brute will get you through the snow in the lap of luxury. This is a car that you can abuse and use the way you want to be able to plow through the snow or handle any drive. Winter weather doesn’t mean your favorite luxury model has to be left behind; you can drive your E320 through nearly everything that comes your way as long as you have the right tires and the 4Matic AWD to give you the control you want to enjoy.

Volvo 240 DL – Here is a car that comes from the yesteryear era of Volvo and the boxy shape with the safety items that make a difference. Yes, this car is old, but you can feel confident it will give you the ride you want and keep you from becoming a side of the road statistic along the way. Because you can find one from nearly twenty or more years ago you won’t pay much for it and will feel just find if you beat it up a bit and have a great time driving.

Dodge Colt – One of the early hatchbacks on the road the Colt is a car that can plow through a blizzard if it has to. This is one of the few FWD models that can actually handle the road and the challenges of driving on the snow and ice without the added control of AWD. This car was built with a balanced weight ratio and a low center of gravity which gives the grip to all four wheels even though the only drive wheels are found up front. This is an inexpensive car you can trust to push through the snowstorm.

Nissan Sentra – One of our favorite compact commuter cars can also be the ride you trust to handle the snow and ice to give you the control and the confidence to drive where you want to go. This car keeps on going with the only thought in mind of actually making it to the destination you’ve chosen for the ride in this workhorse. It may be light, but it’s built to handle the drive where you need to you can put on some snow tires and see how this car can really perform on the white powder before the roads are plowed.