10 Best Luxury SUVs for the Snow

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit ・ Photo by Jeep

Our 10 best luxury SUVs for driving in the snow all enjoy common aspects, yet each has something special to offer. Some are more spacious, some are a fun drive, and other focus more on capability. Then some provide all those things. There needs to be an element of qualification, though. Even the best SUVs need the right tires. Those who live in areas where rough winters are the norm are usually smart enough to have a dedicated set of tires. It’s amazing how much difference the right rubber can make. So let’s assume all these choices are wearing the appropriate boots. With that snow-covered playing field now level, any one of these luxury SUVs will make winter a season to enjoy rather than endure.

2018 Bentley Bentayga

Snow falls on the rich and poor alike, but where the rich have the advantage is that they can afford the most expensive (so far, at $300,000 or so) and opulent SUV one the market — the  2018 Bently Bentayga. When you’re in the most hushed cabin this side of an anechoic chamber, surrounded by sensuous leather and seasoned wood trim, listening to a Naim sound system that’s one of the finest in automobile audio-land, the exterior elements tend to become insignificant. Which is one way of dealing with snow. The other is to have a permanent all-wheel-drive system and an adjustable air suspension. When the roads are dry, owners will discover this is also the world’s fastest SUV.

Photo by Bentley

2018 BMW X1 xDrive28i

Without a doubt, the larger BMW X5 with all-wheel drive (known in BMW circles as xDrive) will cope with snow like a champ. But we’re also intrigued by the 2018 BMW X1 xDrive28i compact SUV/crossover. Not only because it represents a more affordable way to own a new premium SUV, but also because its lighter weight should work in its favor when trying to set off from home after a snowfall the night before. The all-wheel-drive system (a $2,000 option) is intelligent and quick to react. During the winter, a heated steering wheel and heated front seats are most welcome, and these aren’t too expensive. As the seasons change, an X1 is the ride that keeps on giving since it’s also a joy to drive.

Photo by BMW

2017 Infiniti QX80 AWD

The 2017 Infiniti QX80 AWD is a big 3-row luxury suv that might appear to some as a typical runabout for wealthy families, often found in parking lots outside luxury department stores for example. Beneath the distinctive sheet metal and leather-lined cabin, though, is a foundation shared with the Nissan Patrol. The Patrol is not sold in the United States, but it’s essentially Nissan’s answer to the Toyota Land Cruiser and has been a favorite of the United Nations. When UN personnel have to go into remote trouble spots around the world, they’ll often do so in a Patrol. The QX80 AWD comes with an all-wheel-drive system tough enough for the tundra, yet also easy to operate.

Photo by Infiniti Media

2018 Jaguar F-Pace

Considering Land Rover is Jaguar’s sister company, it might have been a no-brainer to install one of the former’s all-wheel-drive systems. But Jaguar decided to give its premium compact crossover suv a setup developed for sporty sedans like the XE. The 2018 Jaguar F-PACE is sweetly responsive on twisting dry roads to exploit its handling talents. However, after driving an all-wheel-drive XE in the slush, over ice, even through slaloms and figure-eights on snow-covered expanses, we can happily report that, in combination with the right tires, there’s an almost uncanny ability to obey steering inputs. We’ve yet to drive the F-Pace in those conditions but expect it to behave similarly.

Photo by Jaguar

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4

The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 is the Grand Cherokee’s most upscale trim, pushing one of the most capable SUVs into the luxury bracket. Among its standard equipment is an array of advanced electronic safety aids, a 19-speaker audio system from Harman Kardon, wood trim, leather upholstery, and self-parking. By virtue of being a Jeep, the midsize Grand Cherokee is no slouch during those times when traction is scarce. The Summit is also eligible for a 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel V6. The great thing about diesel engines, in addition to excellent fuel economy, is that the torque characteristics are well suited to slippery conditions. With snow underfoot, it’s often unwise to be in a low gear with sharp throttle responses. A diesel vehicle can be strong yet deliberate.

Photo by Jeep

2017 Land Rover Range Rover

Two things immediately stand out on the 2107 Land Rover Range Rover. First, it’s a Range Rover, therefore one of the most renowned and desirable luxury suvs. Second, it comes from Land Rover, whose expertise with tricky surfaces is a benchmark few other companies can match. It’s the Terrain Response System that piques our interest for this list, with several modes that can be selected for different surfaces. Or it can sense what’s required and automatically kick into whatever setting is best. The current Range Rover enjoys version 2.0 of this setup; Land Rover claims it has been tested “in temperatures from minus 40 to 125 degrees Fahrenheit” in 20 countries and on every kind of terrain. It can deal with snow and whatever is underneath.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

2018 Lexus LX 570

Admittedly, the 2018 Lexus LX 570 isn't the freshest designed vehicle on our list since this generation has been in existence for around 10 years. But it is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser, one of the most capable, reliable and highly respected SUVs on the planet. The key term here is “Multi-Terrain Select” and the setting for snow is called “Mogul.” This tells the all-wheel-drive system and the rest of the vehicle to calibrate throttle responses, braking, and transmission shift points for achieving optimum traction. The LX is not only luxurious, but it’s also commodious, with seating for up to eight occupants. So an average-sized family and all their skiing gear can easily reach their chalet in the mountains.

Photo by Lexus

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Formerly the GL-Class, the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class is a large luxury suv (with space for seven adults) and based on the same platform as the S-Class flagship sedan, and shares many of that car’s significant technological, safety and convenience features. It has a self-adjusting air suspension and all-wheel drive (called 4Matic) as standard equipment, so owners need never dread the cold. They’re ready for the foul weather. But they can deepen their security with an optional Off-Road Engineering package. This adds an Off-Road Plus mode to the drive settings selector, a low-range gearbox, and a locking center differential. With all that on board, snowy roads, driveways and rough trails don’t stand a chance.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz Media

2017 Porsche Cayenne

THe 2017 Porsche Cayenne isn't perhaps the first luxury suv that springs to mind when the weather turns wintry, but the simple fact that the Cayenne has all-wheel drive and useful ground clearance makes it worth considering. Car companies can never resist giving special names and initials to various features. In the Cayenne, all-wheel drive is called Porsche Traction Management (PTM.) This works in conjunction with the height-adjustable adaptive air suspension, or Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM.) What all that amounts to is an array of processors and actuators working away in the background, leaving the person behind the wheel to enjoy driving one of Stuttgart’s finest exports. Which is exactly how things ought to be.

Photo by Porsche

2018 Volvo XC90

It’s always worth paying attention to a vehicle’s country of origin. Sweden, for example, is known for having long and heavy winters. Car manufacturers often do their sub-zero testing there, so it’s a safe bet that vehicles made in Sweden, like the 2018 Volvo XC90, have been built to cope with the white stuff. Modern all-wheel-drive setups like the XC90’s are connected to the steering, brakes, engine and traction control systems to create a unified answer to the problem of low traction. Sensors monitor the situation 100 times a second. If an XC90’s wheel slips within a seventh of its revolution, the software and hardware all jump to work. Torque is distributed to the wheels with the most grip.

Photo by Volvo