Experts' best advice for driving on snow and ice: Don't, if you can possibly avoid it.
The Washington State Transportation Dept. advertises this catchier jingle: "Ice and snow, take it slow, or just don't go." It's safe to assume they know all there is to know about snow up in the Cascade Mountains, but most of the time, "just don't go" isn't realistic advice. On weekdays, most people need to reach the workplace, or at least the train station, regardless of bad weather. On weekends, a gallon of milk or that one missing ingredient for pumpkin pie can take us out of the house and onto slippery roads.
Photo courtesy of Volvo
Fortunately, there are plenty of good choices for winter driving. These include a cross-section of vehicles from most product segments -- cars and trucks; luxury and nonluxury brands; small, medium, and large. For obvious reasons, we didn't consider convertibles. Most of our winter driving choices have all-wheel drive, for extra peace of mind, despite added cost and a gas mileage penalty.
Subarus are a popular choice in snow country, and Subaru only offers all-wheel drive. Nationwide, Subaru has a market share of just over 1%. That rises to around 4% in New England, 5% in Colorado, and 6% in Alaska, according to spokesman Dominick Infante. In Vermont, where Subaru has close to an 8% share, Infante jokes that, "Subarus are standard issue when you arrive."
Wait for the Plow
Most of the cars Audi sells in the U.S. have the company's optional Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Many of Audi's more expensive cars are only offered with Quattro, including the A6 Avant station wagon, which is one of our winter choices. Overall, AWD accounts for 85% of Audi's U.S. sales, according to spokesman Chris Bokich.
For most people in most regions of the country, once the roads have been plowed, front-wheel-drive vehicles with winter tires provide enough traction, according to David Champion, director of Consumer Reports' auto test department. Note the two important caveats: "once the roads have been plowed" and "with winter tires." Champion estimates the additional cost for snow tires at around $800 for a set of four.
It's best to wait for the plows. For those who can't wait, we included the ground clearance for each vehicle. Keep in mind how much snow is on the ground, since it's best to avoid using the underside of the vehicle as an ersatz snowplow.
Best Winter Cars
Make & Model Starting Price
Subaru Impreza 2.5i $17,640
Volvo C30 $23,395
Honda Accord $20,995
Buick Lucerne $27,100
Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Sport Sedan $35,215
Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic $90,475
Subaru Outback $22,640
Volvo XC70 $37,520
Audi A6 Avant $49,000
Honda Ridgeline $28,635
Toyota FJ Cruiser $23,975 (with AWD)
Hummer H2 $56,410
Land Rover Range Rover HSE $77,250
Saturn Vue $21,450
Toyota Tundra $27,165 (with AWD
Source : Business Week
The Washington State Transportation Dept. advertises this catchier jingle: "Ice and snow, take it slow, or just don't go." It's safe to assume they know all there is to know about snow up in the Cascade Mountains, but most of the time, "just don't go" isn't realistic advice. On weekdays, most people need to reach the workplace, or at least the train station, regardless of bad weather. On weekends, a gallon of milk or that one missing ingredient for pumpkin pie can take us out of the house and onto slippery roads.
Photo courtesy of Volvo
Fortunately, there are plenty of good choices for winter driving. These include a cross-section of vehicles from most product segments -- cars and trucks; luxury and nonluxury brands; small, medium, and large. For obvious reasons, we didn't consider convertibles. Most of our winter driving choices have all-wheel drive, for extra peace of mind, despite added cost and a gas mileage penalty.
Subarus are a popular choice in snow country, and Subaru only offers all-wheel drive. Nationwide, Subaru has a market share of just over 1%. That rises to around 4% in New England, 5% in Colorado, and 6% in Alaska, according to spokesman Dominick Infante. In Vermont, where Subaru has close to an 8% share, Infante jokes that, "Subarus are standard issue when you arrive."
Wait for the Plow
Most of the cars Audi sells in the U.S. have the company's optional Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Many of Audi's more expensive cars are only offered with Quattro, including the A6 Avant station wagon, which is one of our winter choices. Overall, AWD accounts for 85% of Audi's U.S. sales, according to spokesman Chris Bokich.
For most people in most regions of the country, once the roads have been plowed, front-wheel-drive vehicles with winter tires provide enough traction, according to David Champion, director of Consumer Reports' auto test department. Note the two important caveats: "once the roads have been plowed" and "with winter tires." Champion estimates the additional cost for snow tires at around $800 for a set of four.
It's best to wait for the plows. For those who can't wait, we included the ground clearance for each vehicle. Keep in mind how much snow is on the ground, since it's best to avoid using the underside of the vehicle as an ersatz snowplow.
Best Winter Cars
Make & Model Starting Price
Subaru Impreza 2.5i $17,640
Volvo C30 $23,395
Honda Accord $20,995
Buick Lucerne $27,100
Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic Sport Sedan $35,215
Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic $90,475
Subaru Outback $22,640
Volvo XC70 $37,520
Audi A6 Avant $49,000
Honda Ridgeline $28,635
Toyota FJ Cruiser $23,975 (with AWD)
Hummer H2 $56,410
Land Rover Range Rover HSE $77,250
Saturn Vue $21,450
Toyota Tundra $27,165 (with AWD
Source : Business Week
