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Best cars for snow and ice in 2023 and 2024

What's the best car for snow? The real answer is "the one with winter tires." What do we mean by that? You could have the finest, most advanced all-wheel-drive system or four-wheel drive in the world, but if you're running all-seasons (the spork of tires), your fancy four-wheeler won't matter much. The odds are, any vehicle on the road running good winter tires will probably perform adequately in slippery, slushy and/or snowy road conditions. (Here's a more complete explanation of why winter tires are totally worth it). In other words, you don't really need any of the cars on this list. With a set of winter tires, countless others will do the job, and even these will be at their best with proper rubber. You can find a variety of winter tires for your car here at Tire Rack. Keep in mind that you will need a full set of four snow tires for safety and performance, no matter what you're driving. The days of your dad putting just two snows on the family truckster to get it moving in a straight line are long gone. Don't get us wrong, getting a car that performs well in snow and ice is still a worthy criteria for car buyers. According to the U.S. Transportation Department, 70% of Americans live in places that get snow and ice. And much of the country has been blasted with arctic air for much of the new year. So let's look at the cars. First, we're highlighting choices for a variety of buyers and price points. Second, we're not just considering snow; we're considering general wintery conditions people will experience driving to work or school. As such, these are all choices with advanced all-wheel-drive systems, usually with "torque-vectoring" systems that not only automatically shunt power front and back, but side to side between the rear axles. Most have extra ground clearance for getting through deep snow, and we prefer those vehicles with more responsive steering, throttles and transmissions that provide a greater sense of vehicle control in slippery conditions.    Acura RDX Read our Acura RDX Review Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system was one of the first to offer torque-vectoring, and besides often being touted for its ability to greatly enhanced dry-road handling, its benefits in the slick stuff can be profound. It's actually surprising that Acura hasn't leaned into this capability further by offering more rugged versions of its vehicles.

Audi R18 suffers huge crash during Le Mans practice, driver conscious and alert

Loic Duval, driver of the #1 Audi R18 E-tron Quattro, suffered a massive crash today during free practice for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Duval's car reportedly went off track backwards at high speed near the Porsche Curves and flew into the retaining fence. There is no video of the actual crash at the moment, but a video of the aftermath (viewable below) shows significant damage to the Audi and to the fence. The wall nearby the car appears unaffected.
Thankfully, it occurred quite close to a marshal's stand, and they were present almost immediately after the incident. Both the official press release from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a tweet from Audi Sport (below) indicated that Duval was conscious after the crash, and he was taken by ambulance to the medical center and then to the hospital. The press release says: "His condition is encouraging." However, any injuries he might have sustained are unknown at this time. After the crash, the course was red flagged, and practice resumed about 50 minutes later.
Duval is alert. He will be transported from the Medical Center to the hospital for further examinations #R18 #LM24 @FIAWEC @24hoursoflemans

Audi confirms Q8, electric CUV in the works

Word got out in late 2012 that the Audi Q8 was reportedly approved for production, but the company has kept the model's development under wraps since then. In a recent speech during Audi's annual meeting, chairman Rupert Stadler confirmed a little more about the vehicle and dropped some hints about other upcoming projects. With luxury crossovers remaining a lucrative market, it should be no shock that Stadler emphasized them in his speech. He reiterated that the Q1 was on track to launch in 2016, and the chairman also confirmed the Q8 as "a sporty Q derivative" that's on the way. The last member of Audi's upcoming CUV onslaught, an electric Q series, is set for 2018 with a range of over 311 miles. An earlier report suggests that the Q1 might not go on sale in the US because it's not right for the market. However, Audi of America is pushing hard to get the Q8. That crossover is based on the latest Q7 (pictured above) and is a way for the Four Rings to take on the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. The electric Q model was only officially announced earlier this year, and it might use 90-kWh batteries to achieve its performance and range goals. The rest of Stadler's speech focused on the company's future. This year alone, the company is launching products like the second-gen Q7, the new R8, and latest A4. In the next five years, Audi plans to grow its product range from 52 vehicles "to about 60 models," according to the chairman. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Neckarsulm, 2015-05-22 Speech at the 126th Annual General Meeting of AUDI AG Outlook Thank you, Axel Strotbek, for your summary of financial year 2014. Ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to 2015 – the year of the next stage of our model initiative. We will present twelve new Audi models this year; the three most important of them are: the new Audi Q7, the new Audi R8 as the sporty spearhead of our brand and our top seller, the new Audi A4. You have already been able to admire the new Q7 and R8 at the entrance. Both of them make a strong statement. Both of them stand for sportiness and top premium quality. And both of them underscore our claim to leadership. We have produced more than 540,000 of the first-generation Q7. The new Audi Q7 is more than a worthy successor. It's the lightest vehicle in its segment. By means of intelligent lightweight construction, we have reduced its weight compared with the predecessor by up to 325 kilograms, depending on equipment levels.