Best vehicle for driving in the snow

A Range Rover or Land Rover LR3/4. They truly are unstoppable. I've trudged ahead on roads without a problem where everyone else was stuck. And they've come a long way in terms of quality and reliability.

 

A Porsche Cayenne with air suspension can be raised to a pretty impressive ride height if need be. We didn't have ours long enough to do any real off-roading but the car seemed very capable.

My old '03 ML500 was probaboy the best car for that type of weather I have had though.

 

Defender 110.

Edit: It is available in the US, but not "widely." And certainly not brand new. Otherwise I think a G-wagen would be fun.

 

4 door Rubicon I have parked in the driveway.

 

My 94 range rover was amazing. It did not care if there was 8 inches of snow on the highway...60mph was done with ease! It simply did not care. Torque sensing diffs were key.

 

take your pick of model.

we love our '01 S8.

import an RS6 wagon into the us, and put snow treads onit.

 

I have to disagree. I had an LR3 and it was so bad in the snow I had to get rid of it. I have a very steep driveway and as soon as the LR3 so a drop of powder it would start slipping and the computers would jump in and make a mess of things. I replaced the tires, etc, nothing helped. It was great off roading, but its mass, and lack of a true old school locking differential made it a poor choice for snow. Actually, consumer reports mirrored my complaints in their review at the time.

Prior to owning the LR3 I had a Discovery. If there is a better snow vehicle I haven't seen it. I actually did Land Rover's obstacle course while it was covered in snow! including the 28 degree inclines, banked turns, etc, in the discovery. I drove around through the hills of my area in over a foot of unplowed snow and it was just amazing getting up my steep driveway in icy conditions.

The best snow 4x4's have old school locking differentials, live axles, Low range and meaty tires... The best I have driven are the Discovery, Hummer H2, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and Land Rover Defender. I also have to give a nod to the first generation Porsche Cayenne. While not in the same league as the others, it was far and away the best of the rest.

As for cars...the best snow car I ever drove was a BMW 318ti....No torque= great snow manners. I zipped around all day in the snow and had a blast sliding the tail out on command....Those were great little cars that got a really undeserved bad rap.

 

After commuting between two cities during Canadian winters for over two decades, I have preferences. I'm pleased my days with a yellow MGB dd complete with duct taped roof, yellowed plexiglass and fibreglass pink insulation (thanks Dad..) throughout the interior are in the past. Btw, the singular benefit of an MGB in winter are the three standard windshield wipers, offering plenty of options for yoga positions when two aren't exactly working.

Hello ????? Land Rovers IN WINTER ???? Umm, no. For slushy crud you want Japanese.

SUVs offer nice high chairs but physics can't be denied. Braking distances due to their lardish components and a higher center of gravity work against any Senna-reflexed emergency move. I do like the height and girth of an Suv but light weight, manual transmission and natural aspiration is where I'd want to be sitting in a nasty storm and there aren't many choices available for 2013.
For basic transport I'd be forced to go with an Impreza or Legacy but my ultimate pick would be the hideous Acura TL SH awd w/ 6 speed.

 

If those are your conditions, a stock vehicle with stock tires isn't going to be a good choice. A few miles maybe, but 100 miles is a long way at slow speed in ice and snow. Honestly looking at about 4 hours of driving in those conditions. What if it is dark, too? What is your experience and skill in those conditions? I live in Alaska, and have really only done that distance in those conditions a few times...and not without another vehicle along.

Two feet of snow? Some lift to clear larger tires and get those bumpers and axles up. Hard pack ice and hills? Studs, winter tires, or a very good all terrain M+S. Locking or limited diffs, some recovery tools for the unplowed, which means at times unmarked edges of the road.

A Jeep Rubicon would be a good starting point, if you are not going to invest a lot in modifications. The unplowed one to two feet of snow is your roadblock, not the hard pack. Stock trucks and 18-wheelers go up and down the Alaska Dalton Highway all winter, but it is plowed.

 

Got one in the garage (2012, so it is not as hideous as before), but it can't get through the deep snow.

So, left to right - ice, deep snow and ice, summer.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

If there's two feet of snow on back roads, the only thing your going thru it is with something like this:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I recommend a snowmobile. Second choice would be something with a diesel, 4wd, manual shift.

I once drove a Toyota diesel 4wd crew cab pickup over a snow choked pass in the Andes. We had got surprised by an early season storm. No plow at all for 150 miles. Mostly unpaved road. Sometimes through drifts as deep as two feet or so. Kept it in low range and second gear and did not make any quick moves. Gave rides to a few locals along the way whose cars had got stuck. Still would have missed my flight back to the USA but the airport was closed anyway.

 

Another thought - if it is a 200-mile round trip, and you are in 4LO pushing snow, you may need additional gas to get home. In 4LO, I am sometimes in single digit MPG.

 

I had an H2 and it went through everything.

 

Ron,
All good vehicles, but remember the difference between snow and two feet of snow. The trailer hitch on the truck in my picture a few posts up is only 22 inches off the ground.

We had 30 inches of snow overnight a few years back. I opened the garage door, laughed and went back to bed.

 

"Would you be my, could you be my...neighbor?"

 

Arctic Cat

 

I think Subaru makes great cars fo rthe snow.

 

Any paint left on the luggage rack of the middle one ?

 

Pulled quite a few cars over the mountain in it's day. It ran great, felt good, handled like crazy. This was one of the first 500 ever sent over. Paid about $37,000 seems like, it was a ton of money at the time. And, it was the first car we ever lost money on.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

100's of miles with 1 foot + unplowed snow.

If your going to use a hammer, use a big hammer.

Not affiliated with but just an example of:

$8,750
M35A2 Deuce and a Half 6x6, Hardtop. 1987 model! One of the last ones made. Super low miles, around 8,500, less than 400 hours. Clean with desert tan paint and in great running/operating condition. New batteries, good tires and spare. You probably know that the military has about liquidated all the old dueces. I'm having a really hard time finding them. This one is an incredible find. It should be ready for delivery around mid-June.

If you live in Oklahoma, I'll title and tag it for you, otherwise you can do it in your state
Payload: 5,000 lbs cross-county, 10,000 lbs highway
GVWR: 23,000 lbs. No CDL required
Engine: Turbo Multi-fuel (runs on diesel, gasoline or kerosene)
Mpg: from 8-10 highway
Fuel capacity: 50 Gallons
Five-Speed Manual Transmission
Two-Speed Transfer Case
Miles: all around 8,500
Cost of ownership: Liability insurance $10-$40 per month. OK tag from $30-$35.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

1/4 inch clearance, built to fit a standard 7 foot garage door. VERY slow entrance.