Best small suv for winter driving

[Trailside Trixie]

I adore my '23 volkswagen Tiguan SEL R line. Rides like it's on a cloud too. The turbo when in sport mode is great for passing and getting out of another cars way also. Fully loaded with 20" wheels and every conceivable option including ventilated cooled seats and a ski pass through for around $40k.

 

[tinymoose]

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 was a Mazda girl before I was a Subaru girl and this reminds me of their old "zoom, zoom, zoom" song lol

 

[ilovepugs]

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.

That’s too bad, my Tiguan has been super reliable and I’ve put 70k miles on it since October 2019. You might also want to check out the CX-50. It looks nice.

 

[teppaz]

Being in NYC I don't have a car but the one SUV I covet is the Volvo XC40. No personal experience with it but my sister has the XC60 and loves it. I'm just a Volvo fan in general, and Car and Driver gives the XC40 an 9.5!

 

[santacruz skier]

That’s too bad, my Tiguan has been super reliable and I’ve put 70k miles on it since October 2019. You might also want to check out the CX-50. It looks nice.

You are lucky! Mine is beautiful fully loaded and drives like a dream . I’m spoiled with such a nice interior as well. Only 33k miles on it. Oh did I mention the panoramic moonroof leaks too? And the water pump failed last year? And the turbo the year before?

 

[ilovepugs]

You are lucky! Mine is beautiful fully loaded and drives like a dream . I’m spoiled with such a nice interior as well. Only 33k miles on it. Oh did I mention the panoramic moonroof leaks too? And the water pump failed last year? And the turbo the year before?

That sucks! Totally sounds like a lemon. Reading about them online, I think Tiguans can be a little hit or miss. It’s been nothing short of an amazing snow car for me though.

 

[santacruz skier]

That sucks! Totally sounds like a lemon. Reading about them online, I think Tiguans can be a little hit or miss. It’s been nothing short of an amazing snow car for me though.

The way it should be. My last car was a VW beetle convertible and so much fun! Also had a VW bug and VW camper (Ex H's) back in the day. So my fourth VW! Drove a Volvo for many years so may look at those.

 

[santacruz skier]

I'm going to look at the Audi Q3 Premium this week as well as the Mazda CX-30 Premium - both have under 20k miles on them.

 

[alpinegal]

That’s too bad, my Tiguan has been super reliable and I’ve put 70k miles on it since October 2019. You might also want to check out the CX-50. It looks nice.

We were on the fence between the Tiguan and the CX-50 and ultimately went with the Tiguan because the sightlines were better (I'm not a fan of how cramped Mazda interiors feel). But the CX-50 interior was definitely long enough to fit my husband's 181cm skis inside and doesn't feel woefully underpowered like a lot of other SUVs due to the turbo engine.

 

[Tvan]

We’re on Team Subaru … i’ve had a Forester and two Outbacks. DH has had two Legacys - the first of which saved his life in a head on collision. My current Outback is a 2023 Limited with snow tires and it is a mountain goat in the snow.

 

[BlueSkies]

Currently DH has the ski car, an Outback with snows and I just have a Legacy with all season tires for our around town (or heading south car).

 

[leia1979]

I have a 2020 Crosstrek Limited. X-mode was super helpful getting through an unplowed parking lot. The roads were really icy yesterday but it did fine on the stock tires (mud and snow rated ones). Way better than when I used to drive my Honda Civic to Tahoe!

 

[nopoleskier]

I'm on my 15 or 16th Subaru, Learned to drive standard stick 50yrs ago when they first came to US. I"m on my 4th Outback this one is 2020- just rolled 61K. I put studded tires on it and it could climb up a wall.. Just drove in snow storm from ADK's NY to Loon NH- I had No problem while others were sliding off the road.. Also is rated one of the safest cars on the road. And I get between 29-34mpg (4cylinder)

 

[teppaz]

Any major difference in handling or otherwise between the Outback and the Forester, or is it mostly a design thing?

 

[heatherrrrz]

I know you said you don't want a Jeep, but I drive a Jeep Cherokee and it has four wheel drive which is great in the snow.

 

[Tvan]

Any major difference in handling or otherwise between the Outback and the Forester, or is it mostly a design thing?

I traded my 2008 Forester for a 2012 Outback because the Forester was noisy on the highway and I was doing a lot of commuting. Performance-wise about the same. I haven’t driven a newer Forester to see what updates may have been made.

 

[Christy]

I don't claim any special knowledge about cars but what I've always read (Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, the Car Guys) is that winter tires are the key. The tires will affect your ability to brake or turn corners in snow, not the model of car. I don't mean to say a Ford Mustang would be a great ski car but probably all of the cars mentioned above are great with the right tires and might not be so great without. What I don't know, but am curious about, is what the effect of bigger rims--which has been a trend for a while now--are on winter driving. I don't know if a person should be trying to avoid them.

When I bought my last car I focused on ground clearance (for snowy parking lots with huge potholes, plus for rough USFS roads in summer); fitting my skis inside; etc. But I know some people ski where they have paved parking lots or don't mind if the skis have to go on the roof. I also wanted a quiet car, and a very comfy car, and an EV. So you might think about that kind of stuff too.

 

[jthree]

Just jumping in to say I love my Honda CRV. I live in Vermont and the CRV seems just as popular around here as Subarus- my take is that they are just as good in snow (as @Christy said, with good snow tires!) as Subarus and often a little cheaper (at least, it was when I bought mine). If you want smaller than the CRV I think the HRV gets good reviews.

 

[Trailside Trixie]

I'm going to look at the Audi Q3 Premium this week as well as the Mazda CX-30 Premium - both have under 20k miles on them.

The Audi Q3 is what I was after before I found my Tiguan SEL R line. I was after ventilated seats so that's what started the draw towards the Tiggy. The Q3 is a gorgeous car. I know people love their Mazdas also. Definitely a couple of good options.

 

[santacruz skier]

The Audi Q3 is what I was after before I found my Tiguan SEL R line. I was after ventilated seats so that's what started the draw towards the Tiggy. The Q3 is a gorgeous car. I know people love their Mazdas also. Definitely a couple of good options.

My Tiguan is beautiful navy blue w cream seats but I've dumped way too much money into it...... I've had it about 5 years. I don't really want to sell it but will look at the Audi Q3 maybe tomorrow and see what I think. The latest repair was the intake manifold and control arm bushings that cost me $2k. Think VW will refund about $400 back to me but that's it.