Driving in cold weather and inclement conditions like ice and snow can be a serious inconvenience, especially if your car doesn’t have features to beat the chill, like heated seats. However, if you know what you want, you can find a sedan with interior comforts and sure-footed features to keep your car snow and winter-friendly, like AWD, and ready for your cold-weather commute.  

What comfortable car features should you look for in a car for cold weather?

If you want to tackle your cold weather commute comfortably, there are a few features you should prioritize. First, heated seats can help warm passengers in addition to a fully-functioning heater. Fortunately, heated seats are increasingly popular, and even budget sedans like the Hyundai Accent Limited pack the feature. 

Next, a heated steering wheel can add a little comfort to your drive. Moreover, used luxury cars can be an excellent option for luxury car features like heated components at a discounted price, albeit a reliability gamble. Finally, remote start can help operators heat the interior of their cars without sitting in a cold cabin. Of course, car features like remote start only works with cars set to heat prior to activation, and it could add to your vehicle’s environmental impact depending on how long it’s running before your drive. 

What safety features are best for cold weather?

One of the best features you can seek in a car destined for cold weather and inclement conditions like snow is all-wheel drive (AWD) or four-wheel drive (4×4). Fortunately, many sedans, like the Subaru Legacy and Audi A4, offer AWD. Moreover, many cars offer driver assistance suites, including snow modes like the Subaru Outback. 

Of course, all drivers should ensure that their vehicles have appropriate tires for road conditions. For instance, winter tires or snow tires with studs might be the best way to prepare your car for winter road conditions depending on where you live. While AWD is a helpful car feature, a vehicle without grip is destined to slide or get stuck. 

What cars are great for driving in the snow?

Sedans with AWD and appropriate tires are well-suited for driving in the snow. Moreover, TrueCar says the Subaru Outback will “easily handle mud or deep snow.” Furthermore, any lifted AWD sedan has a greater capability to handle snow and ice than more conventional front-wheel drive (FWD) or rear-wheel drive (RWD) options. For instance, the Audi A4 allroad is far better equipped to handle hazardous road conditions than a Ford Mustang. 

What kind of vehicles and car features should you avoid for driving in the snow and ice?

Unfortunately for fans of sports-oriented vehicles, vehicles like a modern muscle cars are some of the most ill-suited vehicles to handle snow and ice. For instance, the Chevrolet Camaro 2SS might have heated seats, but it “pushes” its weight using RWD. That’s not the best platform for moving over slippery surfaces. Instead, an AWD or 4×4 application with a driver assistance suite would perform better in inclement weather than a sports-oriented muscle car. 

Of course, if you want a sports coupe to handle winter commutes, Dodge’s Challenger SXT and GT offer one of the most helpful car features, optional AWD. Be sure to keep up with MotorBiscuit and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest automotive content!