When you're driving through inches and inches of snow, assistance can be useful, and all-wheel drive provides exactly that. This system sends power to all four wheels, providing traction that can mean the difference between an uneventful ride home and getting stuck in the sludge.
All-wheel drive can be useful on clear pavement at well, as it can serve to improve traction in corners. If you're thinking sedans, you'll be happy to know that there are choices on the market that are both snow-friendly and a blast to drive.
These six models (listed in alphabetical order) are our picks for their ability to keep things fun in and out of the white stuff.
1: Audi S4
On dry roads, the S4 is quick; motivated by a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that produces 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, it hauls butt from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. And when the path ahead gets wet or snowy, the car's standard all-wheel drive is there to help you maintain a firm grip on the situation. Given that there's an almost complete absence of body roll in corners, it's clear that curvy roads are what this car was made for. Rounding things out are a sumptuous cabin and fuel economy (18 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined) that's among the best is this class.
2: BMW 3 Series
The 3 Series offers the kind of handling that inspires babbling praise; you don't become a segment standard-bearer without good reason. The model benefits from a 2012 redesign that stretches its wheelbase by 2 inches and increases its width by 3 inches; the current 3 Series offers more cabin room and better fuel economy than its predecessor. Two engines are offered: a 240-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder and a 300-hp turbocharged inline 6. The base four cylinder is plenty quick, getting the car from 0-60 mph in a mere 5.7 seconds. All-wheel drive is offered as an option.
3: Infiniti G
The G offers something that you don't always find in the sport sedan segment: tremendous value. Impeccably keen handling makes it an entertaining ally on serpentine roads. And the car's long list of standard features will leave you scratching your head at its surprisingly reasonable price tag; while the G may lack the cachet of its German rivals, it offers more bang for the buck, delivering ample tech for minimal coin. Two engines are available and both are endowed with abundant power: a 2.5-liter V6 produces 218 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque and a 3.7-liter V6 gives up 328 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are available with all-wheel drive.
4: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Evo is, of course, a Lancer topped with hot sauce. The body is essentially the same, but there's added spice thanks to upgrades like a turbocharged engine (good for 291 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque), chassis reinforcements, beefed-up brakes, a sport-tuned suspension and a bevy of cosmetic nips and tucks. In the end, you get a performance monster that roars from 0-60 mph in a scant 4.9 seconds. A highly sophisticated all-wheel-drive system keeps the tires moving in the snow.
5: Porsche Panamera
The Panamera delivers all the driving excitement you'd expect from a car with the storied Porsche nameplate. Steering is precise as a surgeon's scalpel and the sedan covers ground with grace that belies its hefty dimensions. Buyers have a choice of engines, including a twin-turbocharged V8 that conjures up a whopping 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to vault the Panamera from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds. All-wheel drive is standard on the Panamera 4, 4S and Turbo models.
6: Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Speed is the name of the game with the hellaciously quick STI. We have its turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder to thank; paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission, the engine spits out a prodigious 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque, helping the STI complete the 0-60-mph sprint in a blistering 4.5 seconds. Its most significant shortcoming is a mediocre cabin filled with hard plastics. Subaru's "symmetrical" all-wheel-drive system -- which features 50/50 front/rear power distribution -- is standard.
Which all-wheel-drive sedans would you add to this list?
blueguydotcom says:
05:45 AM, 12/11/11
Hard to imagine purposely opting for the 3 series with xdrive. x drive always feels so bolted on, unnatural and just plain archaic that it seriously ruins the 3.
Shame about the WRX and Evo as they really are fun but sadly feel so cheap inside. Dress them up a bit inside and they're far better cars than the stuff the germans put out.
transpower says:
06:29 AM, 12/11/11
I love the AWD systems of the Evo and WRX, but I agree with blueguydotcom that these sedans look really cheap inside. Supposedly, though, in the couple of years, the interiors are going to be upgraded. The German cars handle extremely well, but the first cost is high, as are the repairs--you have to pay for the German welfare state.
blindzendriver says:
09:59 AM, 12/11/11
First of all I'd take the Panamera off the list for being to big and heavy and instead put it in a boat section somewhere.
Then on the list I'd like to add the the Lexus IS350 AWD (0-60 in 5.6s or so is my motivation).
I really dig the Subaru and the Mitsubishi and the so-so interior on those I can live with because you don't buy those cars for that. They are both rallye cars and that's what you buy and you get a lot of driving fun for the money - much more than their price tags indicate so of course some corners was cut to keep the prices down.
bodyblue says:
10:07 AM, 12/11/11
The Taurus SHO EcoBoost should be on the list...the Panamera is too expensive for 99% of people and too ugly for 99.9%.
church123 says:
10:14 AM, 12/11/11
First of all, I don't think the standard tires on the Evo, STI, Panamera or the S4 are all that up to handling snow as they are summer tires only. Even with AWD, summer tires don't do you much good when temps get below 40 deg F. The Infiniti and BMW do come with all-seasons standard on the base models.
That said, in terms of sportiness, the Evo X is _uncompromisingly_ sporty - more so than any of these other cars IMO (although admittedly I have only driven a base Panamera, not the turbo). From the seats, to the turn in response, to the character of the engine it is all sport, all the time. I still miss mine sometimes when I'm not driving 600 miles in a day.
In terms of overall balance of bang for the buck, looks, interior, performance, etc. then I'd have to select the S4 from this group. The only car that can do it all better is the Panamera, but for 2x-3x the money.
Other sporty AWD sedans that I'd add to the list? The Acura TL SHAWD 6MT is pretty sporty. The SH-AWD system masks the weight, the tires are grippy, the transmission is sweet and the engine is reasonably peppy. The interior is pretty nice too. Yeah, it's still kinda homely and the difference in acceleration vs. something like the S4 indicates a power difference well in excess of 30 hp, but it is about $10k cheaper on average than an S4, so it's a worthy option.
sniperruff says:
12:27 PM, 12/11/11
No love for the S60 AWD? The LT crew seems to love the T5 FWD variant in general.
teampenske3 says:
12:44 PM, 12/11/11
@ BB
The list says "seriously sporty" for a reason. Lifeless steering and poor brakes does not equal "seriously sporty". The original was "seriously sporty" for it's time, the new one, not so much.
zoomzoom22 says:
01:03 PM, 12/11/11
SHO Ecoboost ain't sporty....fast, ya, but not sporty.
inlinesix says:
06:44 PM, 12/11/11
The SH-AWD TL was our choice for a sporty sedan... it hasn't disappointed
ddark13 says:
09:50 PM, 12/11/11
the audi, subaru, and evo have roots in rallying so it makes their awd systems seem like a handling advantage rather than something that was tacked on to sell cars in the snowbelt
t10 says:
09:52 PM, 12/11/11
I don't think the 3 series or Infinity belong here, else you could put a AWD Charger RT here as well, but neither is in it's best form with AWD (nothing wrong with these cars but you don't think of the AWD version when you think of them for performance). It's no longer sold , but how about the Mazda Speed 6 ?
I'm not sure about the Panamera, but I believe only the EVO and S4 have AWD system designed to enhance performance not just grip (read torque vectoring for cornering). Realistically the BMW and Infinity have AWD so people in northern climates can drive them in snow and ice without ending up in a ditch.
DLu says:
07:59 AM, 12/12/11
IMO the article is for people who want an AWD sedan and looking for some sporting personality, not so much the other way around (ie, not for those who want sports cars and are somehow trying to ENHANCE the experience with AWD.)
If you compare an AWD 335 xDrive with the Taurus SHO or Lexus IS, I dare say 9 out of 10 people will say the 3 series is more sporty than the SHO or the Lexus. Sure, the xDrive version is probably less fun than the RWD, but some people just want an AWD sedan (look at the sales numbers in New England, for example. AWD luxury vehicles far outstrip the RWD versions. I don't think you can find a RWD G37 in New England).
kshankar says:
08:22 AM, 12/12/11
blindzendriver,
I do not believe you can get an IS350 in AWD form. I know you can get an IS250 AWD and a GS350 AWD.
duck87 says:
08:33 AM, 12/12/11
I can tell you as a snow-belt resident that you're fine with FWD and RWD up to about 6" of snow on the surface, at which point you should be staying inside and firing up the game console, because even AWD won't save you at that point if you don't have ground clearance, and because it's probably late and night and many stores would be closing early!
The Evo might seem like great fun but it's a really poorly built machine (like most of mitsubishi's offerings), unreliable, unrefined and with a pretty bad interior. I know that's not what a lot of people purchase this kind of machine for, but it's not even really that cheap either.
DLu says:
09:54 AM, 12/12/11
"I can tell you as a snow-belt resident that you're fine with FWD and RWD up to about 6" of snow on the surface." Seems like an answer to a question not asked ...
@ kshankar,
the IS350 is available in AWD trim starting this year for the first time.
e90_m3 says:
10:07 AM, 12/12/11
"The Taurus SHO EcoBoost should be on the list...the Panamera is too expensive for 99% of people and too ugly for 99.9%."
You've got to come to New York more often. You cannot throw a rock without it bouncing off a Panamera 4S and hitting a Panamera Turbo.
DLu says:
10:10 AM, 12/12/11
Oops, need the edit function! I apologize for the "Seems like an answer to a question not asked ..." sorry!
evodad says:
10:11 AM, 12/12/11
@duck, the evo is far from an unreliable machine. People mod the crap out of them which makes them unreliable (same as was done with DSMs). There are many evos out there with 100k+ miles, and there is one running around the NE with 260K+ miles (which did require a rebuild somewhere north of 200k miles).
My evo is completely stock bought new and I have driven it with virtually no problems for the last 5yrs and 85k miles including a few track days. I've had a few issues here and there as with any car, but the car has never left me stranded and still puts a smile on my face when I go wot or tackle my favorite on/off ramps with some vigor.
With that said after those 5 years, I'm tired of it being a DD (maybe I'm just getting old), it's very noisy and bumpy with a remarkably cheap interior (although I love the recaros). It is however still the most practical fun affordable car for me. Maybe I'll trade it for a used cts-v or something...
csubowtie says:
11:37 AM, 12/12/11
The EVO and STI are both pretty expensive for the crap interiors you get. However, the WRX is pretty much just as fast, comes with All-season tires that do a little better in the snow than the STI's Summer only's, and at around $25k, justifies the interior. Or should I say, the interior feels suitable for a car that cheap, that goes that fast, on that many surfaces. Same probably aplies to the Lancer version of the WRX as well (I think it's the Rallye Sport).
joemt says:
01:04 PM, 12/12/11
As church123 alluded, I immediately thought of winter tires when I read 'snow-friendly'. While many driving the listed vehicles above in colder climes may not opt to do so, I choose to the get the best out of my S4 by swapping a set of winter tires/wheels with the stock summer tires/wheels twice a year. They are superior, in the appropriate season, to all-season tires. This is a pricier way to go, although I 'extend' the life of my summer tires and save my fanny in the winter.
kshankar says:
02:24 PM, 12/12/11
blindzendriver and Dlu, my apologies. I was thinking of 2011s not 2012s. I forgot they are out all ready :-)
bassrockerx says:
02:22 AM, 12/13/11
audi a7, nissan juke, legacy GT, lexus IS, FORD TAURUS SHO, jaguar just to name a few
panamera4 says:
09:40 AM, 12/13/11
People you're forgetting this article is talking about seriously sporty! The SHO drives like an SUV it is a huge let down for what its name is supposed to represent. The IS nor the A7 are seriously sporty either.
"the Panamera is too expensive for 99% of people and too ugly for 99.9%"
Do you have a link to those statistics? This article has no reference to pricing, just a complied list about seriously sporty AWD sedans, which the car definitely fits under...
As I have a Pany 4, I can attest that the AWD system is indeed designed to enhance performance and with PTV, it does have a torque vectoring function. If you floor it around a corner you can sense the car moving the power around to put it down most efficiently and when you power out of a corner you can apply the power sooner and more vigorously. If you look at recent performance numbers and track times you will see that the AWD Porsche usually outperforms the RWD equivalent.
bimmerjay says:
10:10 AM, 12/13/11
"The list says "seriously sporty" for a reason. Lifeless steering and poor brakes does not equal "seriously sporty". The original was "seriously sporty" for it's time, the new one, not so much."
Agreed. The SHO is quick but it's as big as a house and doesn't handle at all like the cars on this list. It is not "seriously sporty".
famof3kids says:
09:57 AM, 12/14/11
I have to agree, as a new SHO owner, I wouldn't classify it as 'seriously sporty'. It's more in the realm of E class and 5 series sporty. As fast, or faster, than those listed here, yes, especially with the Livernois tune, hitting 1/4 mile in near 11 seconds and 0-60 in ~4.8. But, it is a heavy car geared more towards fast luxury with the confidence of standard AWD.
I am surprised one of the Mustang variants aren't on this list!
drivingdesire says:
10:15 AM, 01/16/12
As much as I enjoy my Subaru on the track, I rode with my instructor in his EVO and that thing was hella fast. He was getting around BMW's and Porches driven by skilled instructors with relative ease. Thank goodness for 5 point harnesses!
carrao33 says:
07:35 PM, 03/ 2/12
Volvo S60 T6 definately deserves a spot on the list!! However, if everyone discovers how great of a car it is then the Volvo family will lose its exclusivity, uniqueness, and pure awesome swag.