Best small suv for winter driving

[jenniferm]

Happy new year all, I’m looking for a small suv that is the absolute best for winter driving. My current car is the BMW850i, worst skiing car ever.

I’d be perfectly happy with the Subaru crosstrek sport, but since I’ll be trading in the BMW I can look at more expensive cars as well.

I m not interested in a jeep or truck type ride, and even a small SUV feels very big to me.

I’d also like to get the new car loaded with all the snow/ice/bad road condition options I can get, so fire away, ladies, and TIA!

 

[Susan L]

I have been using my Tesla Model S as my ski car for the last few years and recently bought a Model X to use for skiing. Both got me to/from the mountain safely and comfortably. Before the Teslas, we use a Mercedes GLE and it didn’t disappoint.

 

[jenniferm]

Thanks Susan—we’re going over to Mercedes tomorrow and I’ll keep the GLE in mind!

 

[lisamamot]

The Mazda CX-5 is a great little SUV and a ton of fun to drive (9/10 from Car and Driver). Unsure if you topped it out if it would be enough $, but worth a look.

Audi Q5 would be one that would be more in your target price range, but for an extra $15K you drop down to an 8/10 from Car and Driver, lol.

 

[TNtoTaos]

And you can't beat a Jeep Grand Cherokee -- it's one of the best SUVs ever, does great in snow, and has lots of room. I've had 4 of them, but downsized to a Subaru Outback with my latest car, and it's also been great in the snow.

 

[santacruz skier]

The Mazda CX-5 is a great little SUV and a ton of fun to drive (9/10 from Car and Driver). Unsure if you topped it out if it would be enough $, but worth a look.

Audi Q5 would be one that would be more in your target price range, but for an extra $15K you drop down to an 8/10 from Car and Driver, lol.

Do you know anything about the Mazda CX-30 ? My VW Tiguan has been a lemon from the get go with only 33k miles on it.

 

[tinymoose]

You already mentioned it, but I love my Crosstrek. It's 7.5 yrs old and still running great. Very reliable car and has aged well.

 

[santacruz skier]

You already mentioned it, but I love my Crosstrek. It's 7.5 yrs old and still running great. Very reliable car and has aged well.

Which model?

 

[tinymoose]

Which model?

I think?? it's a Limited. It's got the all weather package and a moonroof.

 

[santacruz skier]

I think?? it's a Limited. It's got the all weather package and a moonroof.

That’s the one I was considering.

 

[lisamamot]

Do you know anything about the Mazda CX-30 ? My VW Tiguan has been a lemon from the get go with only 33k miles on it.

Unlike the CX-5, I don’t have personal experience with it, but Car and Driver gives it a 9.5/10! Don’t get much better than that.

https://www.caranddriver.com/mazda/cx-30

 

[skibum4ever]

Another vote for the Crosstrek.

 

[contesstant]

Mazda's are a ton of fun to drive! We are on our fifth one in our household--two CX-5s, two 6s, and now a CX--9. Never an issue with any of them.

 

[ESGCO]

We just got a Toyota Rav-4 Prime plug-in hybrid, and love it. https://www.toyota.com/rav4prime/
It gets around 40 miles on the battery, great for around town/commute, and when you run out of battery (or accelerate at an on-ramp or uphill) it switches seamlessly to gas. Very nice ride and handles great in the snow w/Blizzaks.

 

[santacruz skier]

Mazda's are a ton of fun to drive! We are on our fifth one in our household--two CX-5s, two 6s, and now a CX--9. Never an issue with any of them.

I just thought of Mazda today ! I was thinking about a Crosstrek but there are a million of those here in SC... I like Audi (I like german cars but they are becoming cost prohibitive.) My Tiguan is very nice to drive and the SEL model so has all the bells and whistles. That darn check engine light goes on constantly and it's another $1k. I've probably spent $5k in the last two years on a car with very low mileage. Should not be happening.
Looking on line and thought the CX-30 was similar in size to my Tiguan....Think CX-5 is larger? And CX-9 even larger?

 

[marzNC]

My RAV4 Prime has done fine on somewhat snowy roads. But I haven't driven it that much in the snow. I have the stock M/S tires. Worked well enough in South Fork during the Wolf Creek trip a month ago when there was 4+ inches of fresh snow that hadn't really been plowed much yet.

On trips away from home, I use the R4P as a hybrid. Although if I'm staying somewhere I can plug in overnight, I do.

 

[MissySki]

We just got a Toyota Rav-4 Prime plug-in hybrid, and love I it. https://www.toyota.com/rav4prime/
It gets around 40 miles on the battery, great for around town/commute, and when you run out of battery (or accelerate at an on-ramp or uphill) it switches seamlessly to gas. Very nice ride and handles great in the snow w/Blizzaks.

I have a strange question perhaps.. but does your car do a very rough restart sort of thing after stopping at a stop sign or red light and want to get going again? I rented a Rav 4 hybrid in CA in November and found it quite annoying due to this. It felt rough and then would have a slight lag in getting going. Though once it is already going it was very peppy when stepping on the gas. I was excited to rent it because I have been thinking about the Rav 4 Prime as a potential new car and haven’t gotten to test drive anything except the regular Rav 4 yet. Figured the hybrid would be similar to the Prime in how it drives. I’m not sure if it is the way hybrids behave in general since I hadn’t driven one before.. perhaps there is also a setting to lessen the shut off, rough restart, and lag I was feeling? Or maybe there was something extra wrong with this car, it really didn’t feel right.

I have been driving my current car since 2012 and over 200k miles.. I was planning to get a new car right around when Covid hit, but since then I’ve worked from home and that slowed down my need for it.

 

[marymack]

Big fan of my Subaru outback. It handles great in snow.

 

[beane]

Crosstrek (one of the models with bigger engine) with snow tires is amazing but a little small. Really any Subaru with snow tires would be a solid choice. It will not feel like a luxury car, though.

 

[contesstant]

I just thought of Mazda today ! I was thinking about a Crosstrek but there are a million of those here in SC... I like Audi (I like german cars but they are becoming cost prohibitive.) My Tiguan is very nice to drive and the SEL model so has all the bells and whistles. That darn check engine light goes on constantly and it's another $1k. I've probably spent $5k in the last two years on a car with very low mileage. Should not be happening.
Looking on line and thought the CX-30 was similar in size to my Tiguan....Think CX-5 is larger? And CX-9 even larger?

Yes, they get bigger as the numbers go up. The CX-9 is discontinued and is now the CX-90. I think the CX-5 is more comparable to your Tiguan. There is also a CX-50. I'm guessing they'll discontinue the CX-5 and replace it with the CX-50, but who knows. All I know is Mazdas are really fun to drive and have very nice interiors and features for the price.