Best Cars for Snow in 2025

The best cars for snow feature all-wheel drive and sufficient ground clearance to tackle winter weather. It's also vital to have good tires when driving in the snow regardless of what vehicle you're driving. Good cars for snow are important for the majority of Americans, particularly considering that the U.S. Department of Transportation says more than 70% of the nation's roads are located in snowy regions and that nearly the same percentage of drivers call those wintry regions home.

Good cars for snow and winter driving in 2026 include hatchbacks like the Subaru Crosstrek, popular sedans like the Toyota Camry and minivans like the Toyota Sienna. Buyers looking for cars from premium brands such as Audi and BMW also have options to consider for snowy winter conditions. There are some pickups that are also good choices for those who live in snowy conditions, and we've included our top truck choices here as well.

Best cars for snow and ice driving
What kind of car is best for the snow?
Is 4WD or AWD better in snow?
What features make a car drive better in the snow?

Best cars for snow and ice driving

Subaru Crosstrek

Subaru's popular Crosstrek — which is marketed as a small crossover but can just as easily be considered a hatchback that's been raised a bit higher off the ground — comes standard with the automaker's lauded Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, traction control, and a stability control system that uses the brakes to keep the car moving in the right direction when it detects a tire slipping. It also boasts at least 8.7 inches of ground clearance. Sport, Limited and Wilderness models get an added Deep Snow drive mode for extra capability. A 2.5-liter engine is standard on these three trim levels, and it offers an adequate 182 horsepower. The Subaru Crosstrek Sport starts at $32,440 (including destination), so if you're shopping for one of the best affordable cars for snow, the Subaru Crosstrek is the top pick.

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Read our 2026 Subaru Crosstrek review

Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 is a great small car. It blends quick reflexes and excellent refinement with strong efficiency and an affordable price. Mazda's i-Activ AWD system is optional on both the sedan and hatchback versions, and it can be paired with the standard 191-hp four-cylinder or the optional turbocharged engine with 250 hp. Either way, Mazda says its all-wheel-drive tech is predictive as opposed to reactive due to its reliance on 27 sensors that read things like road conditions and outside temperatures, which are monitored 200 times per second. It works well and makes the Mazda 3 a great snow car.

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Read our 2025 Mazda 3 review

Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is another car that is good for snow. For 2026, every version of the Camry uses a hybrid powertrain, and its optional all-wheel-drive system features a dedicated electric motor powering the rear wheels. It automatically powers up when the car's onboard computers sense slip from the front wheels, and while it's not as advanced as those offered by other cars on this list, it should still offer good traction in snow conditions, especially when combined with proper winter tires. The Toyota Camry is one of the best sedans for snow in America.

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Read our 2026 Toyota Camry review

Audi A3

The Audi A3 is our top-rated extra-small luxury sedan. It's fun to drive when the roads are clear, offering a peppy engine and sporty handling. The A3's interior feels well constructed and it boasts excellent in-car technology. And it comes standard with Audi's well-regarded Quattro all-wheel-drive system for added security and traction in slippery conditions, which helps make the A3 one of the best cars in snow. If you're the type of buyer who appreciates strong acceleration, the A3's platform is also offered in the RS 3 model, which features a strong 394-hp turbocharged five-cylinder engine and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive that sticks to the road in the summer but, with the right set of tires, can also be a useful aid in the winter. The Audi A3 should appeal to buyers who don't need a lot of rear seat or trunk space, as the sedan is definitely on the small side.

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Read our 2026 Audi A3 review

BMW 3 Series

BMW's 3 Series sedan has long been the benchmark by which other sport sedans are measured, and the 2026 edition is our top-rated small luxury sedan. Although BMW made its mark with rear-wheel-drive sedans, the 2026 3 Series can be equipped with the German automaker's xDrive all-wheel-drive system for extra traction on slippery road surfaces. Two engines are available in the 3 Series, and while the M340i xDrive's 386-hp engine is a delightful upgrade, even the base 330i xDrive sedan has enough gumption to make the sport sedan an entertaining car to drive. Either way, the BMW 3 Series is one of the best cars for driving in snow.

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Read our 2026 BMW 3 Series review

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon

The Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic All-Terrain may be the perfect car for luxury buyers who want more utility than a traditional sedan but don't want to buy a crossover or SUV. Like other E-Class models, the long-roof wagon has a lovely, luxurious interior that's packed full of technology. While not all of the high-tech features of Mercedes' infotainment system are easy to find and intuitive to use, the digital screens are bright and vibrant. The E-Class offers a comfortable ride, and the E 450 4Matic All-Terrain pairs that with an all-wheel-drive system that's always engaged, sending torque to the wheel with the most traction. Those attributes make the E-Class All-Terrain the best car for the snow for buyers seeking a traditional wagon.

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Read our 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class review

Honda Ridgeline

Unlike most trucks, the Honda Ridgeline's unibody design means it offers a comfortable ride, car-like handling and efficient packaging for a spacious interior. The Ridgeline's i-VTM4 all-wheel drive, much like Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, is an advanced system that can send power to the wheel with the most traction. A dedicated Snow mode can be selected for its traction control system. If you're in need of a midsize truck, the Honda Ridgeline is one of the best vehicles for snow.

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Read our 2026 Honda Ridgeline review

Ford F-150

The Ford F-Series is the best-selling vehicle in America for good reason. It offers all the creature comforts drivers expect in a modern vehicle, and one of its available four-wheel-drive systems has a full-time setting for variable road and weather conditions. Both Slippery and Deep Snow modes are included too. The F-150's optional PowerBoost hybrid powerplant with Pro Power Onboard is particularly noteworthy as it offers up to 7.2 kilowatts of electric power that could be used as a backup home generator in case of a power outage. That option alone makes the F-150 one of the best winter cars in America.

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Read our 2025 Ford F-150 review

Toyota Sienna

For 2025, both the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna offer all-wheel drive. Between the two, only the Sienna is also available as a hybrid — Chrysler's excellent plug-in powertrain is stuck with front-wheel drive. While SUVs may have taken over as the darling of suburbanites across the States, minivans like the Sienna make a ton of sense for families who prioritize space and efficiency in equal amounts. Buyers who live in the snowbelt may want to consider the Sienna Woodland Edition, which combines AWD with a little extra ground clearance to get over those little drifts in the road. Those attributes make it the best minivan for snow and a great winter car for families.

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Read our 2025 Toyota Sienna review

What kind of car is best for the snow?

Nearly any car properly fitted with winter tires is going to perform at least acceptably in the snow. Still, as our list highlights, some will be better than others. If you're shopping for an electric car and plan to drive it regularly through the winter, it's important to know that EVs lose a good bit of their range in cold weather. If that's not an issue, many EVs are offered with all-wheel drive, the Rivian R1T truck has a dedicated Snow mode, and the Tesla Cybertruck has a Slippery Surfaces traction control setting.

We pointed out why the Ford F-150 might be the best truck for wintry conditions, but other full-size trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra also have good ground clearance and are all offered with four-wheel drive. General Motors' Chevy and GMC models with four-wheel drive come standard with an automatic mode that offers some just-in-case peace of mind when a little snow starts falling.

For buyers who want to save money on their fuel bills but don't want a fully electric car, a hybrid might make sense. The Toyota Prius isn't technically a sedan due to its rear hatch opening, but it too is a reasonable pick with its optional electrified all-wheel-drive system. The Toyota Camry that we recommend on this list of the best cars for snow is also a hybrid, and because it's roomier than the Prius it makes sense as a practical family car.

Is 4WD or AWD better in snow?

The difference between all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive comes down to the speeds at which the front and rear wheels turn. Traditionally, trucks and SUVs with body-on-frame construction — these include popular full-size pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 on our list — have transfer cases between the engine and transmission that split power from front to rear and usually offer both High and Low ranges. When locked into 4WD, the front and rear wheels rotate at the same speed, and that means they are best reserved for slick roads or when driving on dirt or through mud.

A few decades ago, trucks and SUVs with 4WD required manual interaction to switch from rear- to four-wheel drive. These days, full-time 4WD systems are common and recommended for drivers who live in areas often pounded by snow.

Full-time AWD is commonly offered by today's popular crossovers but is also an option on several sedans. These are mostly set-and-forget systems that use sensors and computers to adjust how much power goes to each wheel. That means they can be used on all types of road surfaces.

Which is better, 4WD or AWD? There's no simple answer. The lines between AWD and 4WD have been blurred as automakers seek to design vehicles that appeal to a wide range of buyers. For drivers looking for ultimate traction in snowy conditions, vehicles with either full-time 4WD or an advanced AWD system like those highlighted in this article will offer similar benefits. Read "AWD vs. 4WD: What's the Difference?" for a more detailed discussion.

What features make a car drive better in the snow?

It's important to note that tires play the most critical role when driving in the snow and ice regardless of what vehicle you're driving. A proper set of winter tires will do wonders for traction on cold, slippery roads. If that's not an option, drivers should ensure whatever tires they do have are properly inflated and have sufficient tread. 

Other attributes that can help a vehicle excel in the snow are all- or four-wheel drive, traction and stability control, and good ground clearance. Creature comforts such as remote start, heated seats and a heated steering wheel are nice to have, while extra features such as a dedicated drive mode for snow and ice or heated mirrors provide an extra edge to take the pain out of winter weather.