Most cars great in snow share two things: all-wheel drive and enough ground clearance to ride over an unplowed street. Our pick for 2026 is the Subaru Forester Premium at $31,995, with the Subaru Crosstrek as the budget choice from $26,995. But spend on winter tires before you spend on AWD. They decide how far you slide.
Quick answer: Cars great in snow pair all-wheel drive with enough ground clearance to clear unplowed roads. Our top pick is the 2027 Subaru Forester Premium at $31,995, with standard AWD and 8.7 inches of clearance. The $26,995 Subaru Crosstrek is the budget choice. Winter tires matter more than either.
Last updated: October 29, 2026
Why tires matter more than AWD in snow
All-wheel drive helps you get moving. It does nothing when you hit the brakes, because every car brakes with all four wheels and the only thing holding it to the road is rubber. Consumer Reports proved the point in a 2015 test: a front-drive Toyota Camry and an AWD Honda CR-V, both on winter tires, each stopped from 60 mph on snow in about 300 feet.
The tire gap is bigger than most drivers expect. In Tire Rack’s all-weather vs. winter tire test, a 2025 Camry on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S all-seasons needed 81.1 feet to stop from 25 mph on snow. On Michelin X-Ice Snow winter tires, it needed 56.1 feet. That 25-foot difference came at a school-zone speed.
The common mistake at the point of purchase: paying for AWD and keeping the factory all-season tires. Consumer Reports surveyed 54,295 subscribers who drove AWD or 4WD vehicles in snow, and fewer than 15% had winter tires. The Federal Highway Administration says crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement kill more than 1,300 people and injure more than 116,800 every year.
Best cars great in snow for 2026, by price
We picked five vehicles you can buy new for under $34,000 to start, each with AWD standard or available. Prices come from each automaker’s latest release:
| Model | Starting MSRP | AWD | Ground clearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Subaru Crosstrek | $26,995 | Standard | 8.7 in (9.3 in Wilderness) |
| 2027 Toyota Camry | $29,700 (FWD) | Available on all grades | Not listed by Toyota |
| 2027 Subaru Forester | $29,995 | Standard | 8.7 in (9.3 in Wilderness) |
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | $31,900 (FWD) | Available, rear electric motor | Not listed by Toyota |
| 2027 Subaru Outback | $32,995 | Standard | 8.7 in (9.5 in Wilderness) |
Subaru Forester Premium: our top pick
Skip the base Forester. For $2,000 more, the $31,995 Premium adds the All-Weather Package with heated front seats, heated mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer, plus X-MODE, which holds a lower gear and tightens traction control on slippery climbs. Subaru’s 2027 Forester pricing release lists 8.7 inches of clearance on every trim. Destination adds $1,525.
Edmunds describes Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD as a full-time system, so power already reaches the rear wheels before the fronts slip. If you live at the end of an unplowed road, the $39,495 Forester Wilderness raises clearance to 9.3 inches and adds all-terrain tires.
Subaru Crosstrek: the best budget snow car
At $26,995 plus $1,525 destination, the Crosstrek is the cheapest new vehicle here with AWD standard, and it gets the same 8.7 inches of clearance as the Forester. The catch is heat. Heated seats and the wiper de-icer aren’t on the base car. You need the $27,995 Premium and its $2,245 option package, which brings the real price to $31,765 with destination.
Toyota Camry AWD: the sedan pick
Toyota offers AWD on all five 2027 Camry grades, with an electric motor driving the rear wheels. There’s no driveshaft to the back; Toyota says the motor powers the rear wheels when the system senses the fronts slipping. Toyota’s Oct. 13 release lists only the $29,700 front-drive base price, so confirm the AWD cost on the window sticker. A sedan’s limit is clearance: once unplowed snow is deeper than the gap under the bumper, it plows.
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD: the efficient choice
The 2026 RAV4 is hybrid-only and starts at $31,900 for a front-drive LE, before Toyota’s $1,095 processing fee. Cars.com lists the LE AWD at $33,300. Toyota says the AWD version adds a dedicated rear motor with 89 lb-ft of torque and raises output to 236 hp from 226. That extra low-speed shove is what gets you up a snowy driveway.
Subaru Outback: the most winter kit for the money
The new $32,995 base Outback is the only vehicle here with the All-Weather Package standard on its cheapest trim, along with 8.7 inches of clearance and 34.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. We covered the price cut in our 2027 Subaru Outback price story. The $43,995 Wilderness adds 9.5 inches of clearance and a Deep Snow/Mud X-MODE setting.
What should you skip when shopping for snow?
Don’t pay extra for AWD and then skip the cold-weather package. On a 15-degree morning, a wiper de-icer is the difference between leaving on time and scraping frozen blades off the glass. Check that box first. Then budget for winter tires, because Consumer Reports said in 2015 that a set for a front-drive car costs far less than the several-thousand-dollar AWD premium.
If you’d rather have a sportier feel, the Mazda CX-5 is worth a test drive; our 2027 Mazda CX-5 price breakdown covers the trims. For deep snow and trails, our look at whether the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is worth $7,500 more helps. You’ll find more buying advice in our car reviews.
Snow driving questions buyers ask
What is the best car for driving in snow?
For most buyers, a compact SUV with standard all-wheel drive and at least 8 inches of ground clearance. Our pick is the 2027 Subaru Forester Premium at $31,995, which adds heated seats and a wiper de-icer to the Forester’s standard AWD and 8.7 inches of clearance. Fit winter tires for the best results.
Is AWD or FWD better in snow?
AWD is better for getting moving and climbing slippery hills, because it sends power to all four wheels. It doesn’t help you stop or steer. Consumer Reports found a front-drive Camry on winter tires stopped as short as an AWD Honda CR-V on winter tires. Tires decide braking, whatever wheels are driven.
Do I need winter tires if I have AWD?
Yes, if you drive in snow regularly. AWD doesn’t shorten stopping distances. In Tire Rack testing, a 2025 Camry stopped from 25 mph on snow in 56.1 feet on winter tires and 81.1 feet on all-seasons. Fewer than 15% of AWD owners in a Consumer Reports survey used winter tires.
The cheapest way to get through winter
Of the cars great in snow on this list, the Forester Premium covers the most drivers for the least money. But a front-drive car you already own, on four winter tires, will typically stop shorter on snow than an AWD SUV on all-seasons. Buy the tires first. Then decide whether you need the new car.