Top 10s: New 2014 vehicles to survive a Canadian winter

Story by  John LeBlanc With a Canadian winter finally here in all its freezing, snowy and slushy glory, traction is at the top of the wish list for many buyers looking for a new set of wheels. And while a proper set of snow tires is the first step in making sure you and your vehicle stays put on the roads this winter, the addition of all-wheel-drive can be a huge benefit as well. For those buyers who want the best new vehicles to survive a Canadian winter, here are my top segment picks: Subcompact car: 2013 Honda Fit DX The auto industry apologises to all Canadians: There is not one subcompact car that can be had with traction at all four wheels. Instead, we’re recommending the Honda Fit. Practical, fun-to-drive and particularly roomy, the front-wheel-drive five-passenger Fit hatchback is still a great choice for winter driving. From a dynamic safety standpoint, even the $14,580 base model 2013 Honda Fit DX comes with anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and electronic stability and traction controls. Plus its 1.5-litre four-cylinder gas engine sips fuel at a parsimonious 6.5 L/100 km combined city and highway. Add a set of snow tires, and we think the Honda is the perfect winter small car. Subcompact utility: 2014 Nissan Juke SV AWD You can get a front-drive, 2014 Nissan Juke SV for as little as $19,998. Instead, get the AWD version for an additional $3,480 for traction to all four wheels this winter. Although the Nissan’s AWD system is better suited to off-ramps than snowmobile trails, its rear torque-vectoring setup can metre out power from side to side in slipperier conditions. The Juke SV AWD also forgoes the standard a six-speed manual for a CVT automatic. All Jukes come with a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder gas engine, making a healthy 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, but also score frugal 8.0 L/100 km city and 6.6 highway estimates at the pumps. Compact car: 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Touring 5-door No doubt, Canadians love compact cars; particularly practical hatchbacks. Now imagine a model that offers all that plus great fuel economy, a stellar reputation for reliability and all-wheel-drive for slippery winter driving conditions. That’s the $22,595 2014 Subaru Impreza 2.0i Touring 5-door, a compact hatch that comes standard with the Japanese brand’s excellent all-wheel drive system. With a four-cylinder matched to an efficient CVT automatic, Subaru claims the Impreza is the most fuel-efficient AWD car in North America, with 7.5 L/100 km city and 5.5 highway scores — a whopping 38 per cent improvement in highway mileage over the old model’s four-speed auto. Compact utility: 2014 Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler Edition If you’re staring down a long winter of Canadian winter driving, the new four-wheel-drive 2014 Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler Editions are serious winter driving machines. Bringing many of the off-road goodies found on the more expensive Wrangler Rubicon models, the $25,795 two-door and $29,595 Unlimited four-door models Willys Wheeler Editions are great values for Canadian winter drivers. Based on the Wrangler Sport model, the Willys Wheeler Edition adds snow bank-bashing kit like a Dana 44 rear axle with a limited-slip rear differential, rock rails, two-speed transfer case with a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio, and a new Jeep Trail Rated Kit that includes a D-Ring, tow strap and gloves in a Jeep-branded bag — not that you will ever get stuck in the first place! Mid-size car: 2014 Ford Fusion SE AWD If Aston Martin ever decided to build a family sedan, it would look a lot like the Fusion. But few winter drivers may know the normally front-wheel-drive Ford can also be had with traction at all four wheels, as in the $29,999 2014 Ford Fusion SE AWD, a feature shared only with the Subaru Legacy in this class. No “stripper” model, the 2014 Ford Fusion SE AWD gets the range’s top mill: a 237 horsepower, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine. Beyond its good looks, the Ford sedan’s ride and handling characteristics deliver the type of firm yet controlled ride Audi drivers are use to. Mid-size utility: 2014 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Like the Jeep Wrangler, the 2014 Toyota 4Runner SR5 remains a traditional, truck-based SUV with a host of off-roading features to get you through a Canadian winter. For 2014, even the base $37,900 SR5 version gets an upgraded interior with goodies like Toyota’s Entune Audio Plus system with its large, centre dash screen and backup camera. The 2014 Toyota 4Runner SR5 backs up its tall ground clearance and short front and rear overhangs with a four-wheel-drive system that offers a transfer case with a locking centre differential. Plus, with standard downhill assist control, the Toyota SUV won’t have any problem getting you to your winter destination. Full-size car: 2014 Dodge Charger SXT AWD Like the Ford Fusion, the full-size Dodge Charger sedan is not known as a winter driving machine. Yet when you add traction to the front wheels of the normally rear-wheel-drive four-door, the $35,695 2014 Dodge Charger SXT AWD becomes a roomy and foul weather driving friend. With a 3.6-litre vee-six gas engine and eight-speed automatic transmiion as standard kit, the Dodge Charger SXT AWD comes with a rear-wheel-biased AWD system that sends power to the front wheels only when the roads are slippery or snowy. This suits both enthusiasts who may want to take advantage of the Charger’s athletic suspension when the roads are dry, and drivers looking for more traction in less than ideal winter driving conditions. Minivan: 2014 Toyota Sienna LE AWD Nothing beats the passenger and cargo hauling abilities of a minivan. And for those buyers who are looking for the most traction this winter, the 2014 Toyota Sienna is the only all-wheel-drive people mover. Whether front- or all-wheel-drive, all Siennas use a 266 horsepower, 3.5-litre six-cylinder gas engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. However, because the $36,190 seven-passenger Sienna LE AWD’s part-time system with active torque control is front-biased, the minivan acts like a FWD vehicle when the roads aren’t slippery, mainly to sip fuel as miserly as possible. The result is a reasonable 10.9 L/100 combined city and highway estimate. Full-size utility: 2014 Chevrolet Suburban LT AWD/ZR1 First seen in 1933, the full-size Chevrolet Suburban is the granddaddy of full-size SUVs. And when you equip today’s version with all-wheel-drive, with its long wheelbase, standard three rows of seating and plenty of cargo space, the $65,365 2014 Chevrolet Suburban LT AWD/ZR1 becomes one of the most capable Canadian winter driving vehicles you can buy. All AWD Chevrolet Suburbans get an aluminum block version of Chevy’s 5.3-litre eight-cylinder gas engine, making 320 horsepower. Add the optional ZR1 Off-road suspension package (high-pressure, gas-charged monotone shocks, 18-inch aluminum wheels and all-terrain tires, Electronic 2 Speed Autotrac Transfer Case automatic-locking differential, front recovery hooks, a durable skid plate and high-capacity air cleaner) and the big Chevy is winter driving ready. Sports car: 2014 Audi TTS Coupe We can see why the German automaker says sells more of its TTs worldwide than its two main Teutonic rivals — the BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK — combined. With Audi’s excellent Quattro all-wheel-drive as standard fare, the $59,300 2014 Audi TTS Coupe is the rare sports car that doesn’t need to be stored when the snow starts flying. Using an upgraded version of the well-traveled VW/Audi turbocharged, intercooled, and direct-injected 2.0-litre four-cylinder gas engine, the TTS Coupe churns out 265 horsepower. With Audi’s six-speed STronic automated manual, the TTS Coupe can go from 0 to 100 kms in 5.0 seconds in dry conditions, and leave its BMW and Porsche sports car rivals behind when its slippery.  

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