Best car for winter driving
British winters aren’t as severe as those in some other countries, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have our challenges on the road
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By Craig Hale
Last updated: 17 July 2025
Winter – a season that should be defined by picture-perfect snowscapes, but is instead characterised by torrential rain for many of us. Whatever the weather throws at us, you'll be wanting something grippy, so what is the best car for winter?
Well, that depends on what you're after. Four-wheel drive? Heated seats? A boot big enough for a sledge and your dog, and maybe a sledge for your dog too? These eight cars have got you covered.
Here are eight of the best cars for winter driving.
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What is the best car for winter?
Subaru Outback
Volvo XC40
Audi A4 Allroad
Dacia Duster
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Mazda CX-5
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan
The best cars for winter driving
Subaru Outback
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Let's start with the winter driving MVP – with a full-time symmetrical all-wheel-drive system as standard, it's hard to imagine anything more suited to slippery conditions.
The Subaru Outback feels planted and confident on slippery roads, and its low centre of gravity (compared with other SUVs) and clever X-Mode are like a cheat code to make the 4x4 system even more capable in the winter months.
With heated seats and wing mirrors, it feels like a car built by people who spend half the year in snow boots. The chunky controls are also easy to operate in thick snow gloves, but newer models have a large touchscreen if your style is more minimal.
Volvo XC40
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You can trust the Swedes to know a thing or two about driving in cold climates, and all-wheel-drive versions of the Volvo XC40 are understandably well-suited to winter driving.
A byproduct of being a safe car is that you also get plenty of active and passive safety systems to make sure you remain pointing in the right direction.
The cabin is fairly snug, which means it's pretty quick to warm up and is insulated from the howling winds outside, and you can choose varying levels of heated equipment from mirrors and front seats to rear seats and the steering wheel.
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Audi A4 Allroad
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Think of the Audi A4 Allroad as the undercover expert – to the untrained eye, it's just an A4 Avant (estate), but it's so much more than that.
Quattro all-wheel drive keeps things sure-footed, and the raised ride height adds extra confidence when you're contending with built up piles of slushy snow.
Inside, it's all understated luxury. It's the more refined way to conquer winter, blending premium German precision with a touch of rugged flair.
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Dacia Duster
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Not all heroes wear capes – the Dacia Duster saves the cost of the cape by being one of the most affordable SUVs you can buy, new or used.
It might not have all the bells and whistles of its more expensive rivals, but it has all the right running gear, including efficient engine options and a 4x4 system that certainly punches above its weight.
Heated seats are optional, but the budget price tag leaves plenty of room for a good pair of gloves. Thankfully, physical knobs and dials are easy to operate even behind all that insulation.
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Land Rover Discovery Sport
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If you're after something a bit posher with a heritage of off-roading, the Discovery Sport could be for you. It's a boiled-down version of bigger Land Rovers, but with the same off-road tech, like the Terrain Response 2 system with a specific drive mode for snow.
Permanent all-wheel-drive on all but the lower-end models and a raised ride height mean it can go whether other SUVs daren't.
Inside, it's plush and packed with cold-weather luxuries like heated seats – and, yes, some models do have a folding middle seat or ski hatch to accommodate your winter sports gear.
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Mazda CX-5
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Here's a car that proves you don't have to sacrifice driving fun for winter readiness – it's often overlooked, but the Mazda CX-5 is a genuinely enjoyable car to drive thanks to its accurate steering and rigid body composure.
Its i-Activ 4WD system monitors road conditions constantly, preemptively sending power to the wheels that need it the Mose.
The cabin is also one of the nicest in its class, easily keeping up with more premium German rivals, plus the boot's big enough for winter emergency supplies.
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Toyota RAV4
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You don't have to burn gallons of diesel to survive the winter – especially in the plug-in hybrid variant of the Toyota RAV4, which uses a combination of two electric motors and a 2.5-litre petrol engine to create a smart and efficient all-wheel-drive system.
It's the thinking person's car, with over 40 miles of electric range for town driving and equally impressive fuel economy from the petrol engine on longer runs between charging stops. That 10-year warranty (with annual servicing) helps seal the deal.
The RAV4's chunky build, high driving position and generous equipment list make it a comfy, capable winter warrior.
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Volkswagen Tiguan
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Rounding off our list is a true family favourite, but you might not have realised that the 4x4 version of the Volkswagen Tiguan could just be your ultimate winter car.
It's typical VW – well-built, comfortable and quietly upmarket. It doesn't shout about its abilities, and it doesn't struggle to keep ups with the rest of the pack.
Newer 4x4 models are petrol-only, but previous-generation diesels are still plentiful on the used market if you like the sound of higher MPG on long road trips.
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Useful features for winter
Not many of us have the luxury (or the funds) to own different cars suited to different times of the year, so when buying a car, we need something that works all year round.
If you live in an area of the country which takes a particular battering from the winter weather, you could find your car battling the elements, to some degree, for as much as half the year.
If this is the case, you might want to prioritise a number of features that will be useful in autumn, winter and early spring, including:
Heated windscreen
Heated wing mirrors
Heated seats
Heated steering wheel
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive offers real benefits in autumn and winter, not only when roads are snowy, but also when they're icy or slippery because of rain.
It helps improve traction, giving you four opportunities for a tyre to get some grip on the road and for the engine’s power to be put down on the road, instead of getting the wheels spinning.
Don’t assume an SUV will have four-wheel drive – many models only have 4x4 capability on higher trim levels, so make sure that any car that you're considering actually has it.
Similarly, it's not just SUVs that come equipped with four-wheel drive, as you can see from the list above, which even includes estates.
Expect to pay extra for a car with four-wheel drive, and it might also affect your fuel consumption, so running costs could also increase slightly. A fair price to pay for added safety.
Tackling flood water
With the increased danger of flooding in recent years in some areas of the country, it might be worth thinking about cars with greater wading depths.
What you want to look for is a car’s wading depth. Anything over 400mm is good, over 500mm is impressive and over 800mm is seriously capable.
This is partly guided by a car's ground clearance, so taller SUVs tend to be better suited to fording through floods.
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What is the best car for winter to buy?
As you can see, there's no single answer, because people need different things from their cars. Whether you want luxury, ruggedness, budget value or eco-friendly credentials, there's a winter-ready vehicle out there for you.
The real secret? It's a grippy four-wheel-drive system. So if it's one of the above you're after or something completely different, browse our range of used 4x4 SUVs for sale to scout out your next winter car.