10 Best Crossovers for Snow

2018 Jeep Cherokee Limited blue ・ Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Due to advances in engineering, the best crossovers for snow are capable of handling winter-weather conditions with ease. Despite their car-like unibody construction, today’s crossovers can be as sure-footed as their body-on-frame counterparts. Just look at the Jeep brand, where all models except the Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited qualify as crossovers. We'll recognize that brand’s fabled four-wheel-drive expertise by showcasing two Jeeps in our current gallery, but we’ll also feature a variety of choices from different brands, at different price points, to appeal to a wide range of customers. These options will do more than help you stay on track in cold-weather driving situations — they’ll help keep you warm with an assortment of heated amenities, too.

2018 Jeep Renegade

The best crossover for snow from the subcompact segment is led by the 2018 Jeep Renegade. Despite its size, or lack thereof, the Renegade can handle some fairly big drifts. The Trailhawk model, for instance, rides high on 8.7 inches of ground clearance. What it can’t get over, the Trailhawk can get through, thanks to a standard four-wheel-drive system with a dedicated low mode. Of course, just to be clear, all Renegade four-wheel-drive models feature a multi-mode drive system with a specific snow setting. Heat for the front seats, exterior mirrors, and steering wheel are all available to keep things cozy. Next, to keep connected, the Renegade welcomes an updated infotainment system for 2018, complete with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.

Photo by Jeep

2018 Ford Explorer

If the 2018 Ford Explorer is one of the best crossovers for snow now, and it is, that’s at least partly because it used to be one of the best SUVs for snow. Formerly a body-on-frame sport-utility, the Explorer moved to unibody construction for the 2011 model year and never looked back. The current model offers a sophisticated intelligent all-wheel-drive setup with Ford’s Integrated Terrain Management System. It lets owners dial in different levels of performance and grip for different driving conditions, including snow. Heated front seats, outboard rear seats, exterior mirrors, and a heated steering wheel are optional, as is a cutting-edge connectivity feature. For 2018, the Explorer joins the growing roster of vehicles to furnish a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.

Photo by Ford

2018 Subaru Forester

While many of the best crossovers for snow are available with all-wheel-drive, the 2018 Subaru Forester stands out by providing that technology as standard equipment. Also handy in slick and snowy conditions is the Forester’s Vehicle Dynamics Control system, which can automatically apply braking pressure to help prevent the vehicle from skidding sideways in a turn. As expected, the Forester also checks in with heated amenities, but what may surprise people is how much technology content is available. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration highlight the Forester’s infotainment system, and the vehicle’s safety resources extend to adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and not only forward automatic braking but also reverse automatic braking.

Photo by Subaru

2018 Land Rover Range Rover

If you prefer a bigger, more luxurious alternative, you’ll also find the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover among the best crossovers for snow. The Range Rover is the full-size flagship of the Land Rover brand, and it’s been significantly refreshed for 2018 both inside and out. This includes additional content for cold-weather owners, such as heated arm, foot, and calf rests, and a hot-stone massage function to go with its previously available heated seats and heated steering wheel. The brand boosted Range Rover capability as well, with a re-engineered transfer case to complement its permanent four-wheel-drive technology and standard adaptive air suspension. Leveraging that setup, owners can automatically increase the vehicle’s ride height for an extra three inches of ground clearance.

Photo by Newspress USA

2018 Audi Q5

The best crossovers for snow from the premium brands include the 2018 Audi Q5. All-new for the 2018 model year, the Q5 naturally serves up the brand’s “quattro” all-wheel-drive technology as standard equipment. Further standard content for fighting the white stuff ranges from heated exterior mirrors to heated windshield-washer nozzles. Heated seats and a heated steering wheel are optional. It’s also worth noting that the next-gen Q5 can be ordered with some of the hottest tech resources in the Audi catalog, like a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster/infotainment screen, a separate dash-mounted infotainment screen, a console-mounted control interface with handwriting recognition, a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Photo by Audi

2018 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is another of the best crossovers for snow if you need three rows of seating. Here, the difference-maker is the twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system that’s standard for the Traverse High Country trim. With this system, the Traverse can optimize torque delivery both between the front and rear axles, as does a typical mainstream all-wheel-drive crossover, and between the left and right wheels, as is the case with more premium vehicles. The High Country’s expanded list of standard content also covers the usual troika of heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a heated steering wheel then caters to second-row occupants with heated seats of their own. Meanwhile, GM’s top three connectivity technologies, mobile Wi-fi, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, are standard in the cabin.

Photo by Newspress USA

2018 Volvo XC60

The best crossovers for snow aren’t necessarily known for their fuel economy, yet the 2018 Volvo XC60 offers a supercharged, turbocharged, plug-in hybrid powertrain that can be driven for up to 17 miles on electricity alone. When combining electrical assistance and gasoline power, like a typical hybrid, the compact SUV delivers another 350 miles of range, with an EPA rating of 26 mpg in combined driving. When it comes to output ratings, that powertrain is good for 400 horsepower, 472 lb.-ft. of torque, and a 0-60 time of under 5.2 seconds. Winter drivers, however, will be happier to learn that, along with impressive performance and efficiency numbers, the plug-in XC60 supplies electrically assisted all-wheel drive as a high-tech traction resource.

Photo by Volvo

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

As you may have noticed, the best crossovers for snow often go beyond basic all-wheel-drive technologies to offer something a little more advanced, and the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is an ideal example. To improve traction in the Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi provides the latest version of its All-Wheel Control system. This setup can automatically adjust power and braking between the vehicle’s wheels for optimum handling in not just snow and ice, but all kinds of slippery situations. The Outlander Sport also has been thoroughly refreshed for 2018, adding technologies such as Android Auto/Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, a seven-inch infotainment screen, forward-collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams to a package that already came with both heated seats and heated exterior mirrors.

Photo by Mitsubishi

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee is at the other end of the pricing spectrum for the best crossovers for snow, but then again, it’s also on the other end of the performance spectrum in more ways than one. First off, the Grand Cherokee unites flagship levels of comfort with serious four-wheel-drive capability, allowing owners to stay warm while navigating snow-covered roads and trails. For 2018 though, Jeep takes Grand Cherokee in a new direction, dropping in a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that makes 707 horsepower and 645 lb.-ft. of torque. That, in turn, makes the Grand Cherokee the most powerful production SUV ever, according to the brand, which reports 0-60 times of 3.5 seconds for the Trackhawk trim, plus a top speed of 180 mph.

Photo by Jeep

2018 Subaru Outback

Jeep isn’t the only brand with two of the best crossovers for snow in today’s gallery. The 2018 Subaru Outback joins the Forester and brings many similar advantages, starting with the automaker’s well-regarded symmetrical all-wheel-drive technology. Like the Forester, and unlike most rivals, the Outback is configured with AWD right from the factory so shoppers don’t have to pay extra for extra traction. The Outback also matches the Forester with standard Vehicle Dynamics Control and optional warmer-uppers such as heated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. The Outback even can be ordered with the same infotainment and safety technologies, although it delivers them in a roomier package with a noticeably more crossover-style design.

Photo by Subaru