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Are You Prepared? NADAguides.com Names Top Winter-Weather Vehicles
While falling snowflakes may provide a picturesque winter wonderland, the powdery precipitation — along with sleet, ice, and rain — can wreak havoc on the roadways.
With such frigid-weather preparation in mind, NADAguides.com announced its "Top Ten Go-in-the-Snow Vehicles."
According to the company, the list, which included cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers, is composed of vehicles adept at handling winter nuisance situations and also have the special features necessary to brave winter's chill.
The top 10 are as follows:
—2008 Audi A4 Sedan, $28,000 base MSRP. The A4 was designed to handle a multitude of road and weather conditions, based on its all-season tires, rain sensors and heated exterior mirrors. Its cold-weather package includes heated seats, a removable ski rack, headlight washers to improve vision in blurry wintry weather, and an optional feature of Quattro all-wheel drive.
—2008 Cadillac STS, $42,390 base MSRP. Luxury, stability and control are the trademarks of the STS, according to NADAguides.com. While its luxurious amenities may please the eye, its all-wheel drive, traction control, computer-controlled stability system and ABS brakes allow for improved handling during poor weather. To improve vision, STS has a rear-window defroster and heated exterior mirror. Also, it has a remote vehicle starter.
—2008 Chevrolet Tahoe, $34,095 base MSRP. Power and controlled handling helped the Tahoe make the company's list. The Tahoe combines a 5.3-liter V8 engine with four-wheel drive capability and an AutoTrac feature that helps make adjustments based on weather or road conditions along with a StabiliTrak electronic stability control in emergencies. Halogen fog lamps to improve visibility as well as heated exterior mirrors and remote vehicle starter systems are additional features.
—2008 Ford F-150, $17,345 base MSRP. The F-150 combines enhancements for power, visibility and towing. It has a 4.6-liter Triton V8 engine, with control features like four-wheel drive and rack-and-pinion steering. The F-150 comes with an optional snow-plow prep package and has the largest towing capacity in its class (maximum: 11,000 pounds). For clearer vision, the F-150 includes heated exterior mirrors and fog lamps.
—2008 Hummer H2, $55,510 base MSRP. The H2 made the group's list for its strong design and handling. The 325-horsepower V8 H2 allows for better control with its two-speed electronic four-wheel drive system, traction control and all-terrain tires. It also comes with dual-zone heating, tripled-sealed doors, heated exterior mirrors and a hitch/winch receiver.
—2008 Jeep Wrangler, $18,660 base MSRP. Similar to many of the vehicles on the list, the Wrangler comes with electronic stability control and remote vehicle starter. Making the Wranglers unique is its electronic roll-over protection, drain plugs for cleaning out mud and a Command-Trac four-wheel drive system. The Wrangler has a 202-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 engine.
—2008 Land Rover LR3, $48,525 base MSRP. Control and stability features on the LR3 include cornering brake control, four-wheel drive, emergency brake assist and anti-lock brakes, rack-and-pinion steering and terrain response for snow and mud. The LR3 also includes rollover protection, and to improve visibility, heated windshield, heated windshield washer jets and fog lamps in both the front and back of the vehicle.
—2008 Subaru Outback, $21,995, base MSRP. In addition to its symmetrical four-wheel drive capability, the Outback has a tire pressure monitoring system and a computer that notes temperature information and surface-freeze warning on specific roads. Additionally, the Outback comes with vehicle dynamics control, heated seats and mirrors and traction control.
—2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, $22,545 base MSRP. Along with its traction control and four-wheel drive, the FJ Cruiser comes with such amenities as water-resistant seats, rubber-like floor and deck map for easier cleaning, an emergency and first-aid kit, weather mats and a roof rack for snowboards and skis.
—2008 Volvo XC90, $36,210 base MSRP. The XC90 includes all-wheel drive, an anti-skid system and roll stability control to allow for improved handling. Rear fog lights, heated exterior mirrors, rain-sensing wipers and rear rain wipers allow for improved vision.
NADAguides.com also stressed all vehicle owners to have an emergency preparedness kit, safe driving and having snow chains (in case of emergency) and proper maintenance of tires at all times.
"One of the most important things people can do to prepare for bad weather is to equip their vehicle with proper tires," explained Don Christy Jr., president and chief executive office of NADAguides.com. "In fact, if you own a real-wheel-drive vehicle, a good set of snow tires may be all you need for improved performance."
"However, if your vehicle comes equipped with every safety feature on the planet, there's no substitute for safe driving," Christy added. "When it gets right down to it, careful driving is the most important safety feature of all."