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10 best new cars for snow (and go)

With winter looming ahead, choosing a vehicle that delivers top traction in the snow can be paramount in many car and truck-shoppers’ minds.

Which vehicles fare best under snowy conditions? Those living in remote areas within the nation’s most snow-packed regions like Vermont (average yearly snowfall 89.25 inches) often find that nothing less than a rugged four-wheel-drive (4WD) pickup or truck-based sport-utility vehicle that can plow its way out of the deepest drifts will suffice.

Today’s 4WD systems run the gamut of sophistication from the rather basic part-time arrays offered on some pickups and lower-cost truck-based SUVs (the engine powers only the rear axle until the driver engages the front wheels via a button or dial) to automatic engaging full-time hardware that allow a driver to choose between rear-drive, 4WD and a safety minded “automatic” mode that engages the front axle as needed when sensors detect wheel slippage. A few models even include selectable modes that fine-tune the system’s traction for various road surfaces and conditions.

All types of four-wheel drive systems include “low range” gearing for times when maximum traction is needed, such as getting out of deep mud or snow or traversing steep hills and extreme off-road trails at slow speeds. It is important to note, however, that while 4WD helps you “go in the snow,” it does little to aid a vehicle’s cornering abilities and virtually nothing for braking.

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Author: By Jim Gorzelany