We all know the actual act of skiing or riding is only a small portion of saying “I’m a skier” or “I ride.” There are so many other factors that we’ve covered in the Liftopia blog: Your gear, the après scene, your ‘look’, the music. But, you need to get to the hill in style, right? So Team Liftopia threw their opinions into the mixer and I’ve assembled a list of the BEST SKI CARS.
Subaru – Go to any ski town, park at the coffee shop that locals frequent and count how many Subarus you see. I’ve owned two. The first was a white with baby blue interior 1989 DL and it dominated. Later I had an Outback that had side-view mirror defrost. Side-view. So hard to scrape.
Astro Van 4WD – Any 4WD van will do. You can haul all your friends and your gear (and maybe a keg). Plus the name is pretty awesome.
New Englander – The Volvo 240 GL was Volvo’s best-selling car from ’75-’82. Plop your straight skis and maybe a mono board on top of the 4 cinder blocks in the back and you’re unstoppable in the snow.
Porsche 911 Turbo – This makes a ton of sense if you ski a lot and need to get to the mountain fast. It has AWD but not much storage. You’ll need to rent or ride short skis/snow blades.
Toyota Highlander – Some call it a family car. No, it’s a ski truck but very practical.
What are your favorite ski cars? Whatever yours may be, throw a Liftopia sticker on the back, do a donut and go ski!
Volvo XC 70. All wheel drive and room for gear, throw a Thule box on top for the skis.
Where is the good ole Suburban? Room for 4 people and a ton of gear, need more people & gear, then add a roof box
got an 05 sub with DVD. It’s a land ship but boy can it fit alot. You can drive over all those subaru’s
No doubt about it… Suburu.
My 2006 Subaru WRX Wagon with Blizzaks is an unstoppable tank in the winter!!
Mercedes R Class: 5000+ lbs., long wheel base, proven AWD system, plenty of room for people and storage, ample power to get you up the LCC access road.
Any mini van with good snow tires. Front wheel drive and room for all gear and skis inside. Room also to take some friends allong too.
Audi All-Road – Quattro plus a twin-turbo 2.7l Engine and Audi Comfort with a roof rack?! Unbeatable.
VW Passat Wagon with 4wd/ Absolutely the best
Had the ’01 Outback with 4 snow tires and wasn’t that impressed. My Saab 9-5 Aero with 4 studded snows has never let me down. I vote for the Allroad though.
Chevy Traverse can seat 4 VERY comfortably (all in bucket seats) and has PLENTY of room for gear. AWD, decent gas milage. Good stuff.
I have driven many cars and trucks up Little Cottonwood Canyon over my lifetime, I’m 43, and by far the best vehicle I have ever driven is my wife’s 2010 VW Tiguan with the 2.0T engine and 4Motion AWD system….. Much better than a subaru, explorer, tahoe, etc…..
Ya my 4-Runner never failed going up LCC during 2 700″ winters…
has everyone forgot about the one that started the suv???? what about Jeep??? they have been doing it for 90 years and still are doing it..
My 09 Gtr for pure fun factor nothing beats headin to the ghee with 800 hp of awd fun and a roof rack
SAAB
Shout out to the AUDI! Have lived in the mts all my life and it is by far the best handler in the snowy conditions. They’re so pretty too 🙂
SUBARU!! Im on my fourth and have had a 4runner, 3 lifted Jeeps and at 24 total vehicles i have to say you cant beat the MPG, Versatility, Reliability and Comfort of the Subaru!!
jeep cherokee
My Subaru Forester was better in snow and had MUCH better MPG than the Cherokee I have now. 🙁
VW Jetta TDI Wagon, manual transmission, with 4 snows, good to go!
Agreed! 1.8T works well in the snow as well. Can’t beat the hatch area for putting on boots!
Subaru Forester. Beat out my Volvo, my 2 Nissan xTerras, my Blazer and numerous other vehicles I’ve owned as a ski professional.
Chevrolet Astro Van all wheel drive, from sking snowy mountains to surf fishing on sandy beaches, to ejecting the seats and making the haul with all the goods. I have never owned any one veichle for so long.
Volvo XC-V70 AWD..sweet
Used to be Saab, now Subaru. On my 3rd Outback Sport… love it!
2005 Subaru legacy wagon GT, 5 speed. Ridiculous ski car- great Milege, roof made for Yakima system, fast, heated seats and heated lower front windshield/ side mirrors. Fold down half the rear seat and save on hotel 🙂
Yes Audi Quattro take your pick. A 4 Avant, A6 and yes the A 8. Magic!!!
5 series x drive
Suby, hands down.
Acura MDX. Goes anywhere in comfort.
Absolutely!
WRX wagon all the way sits four comfortably, five with a squeeze, throw a yakima box and a bike rack on top and you got your self plenty of storage…cheaper than an Audi, not to mention easily faster than the porsche, and with better handling…ive driven through 29″ inches of snow with all seasons
How do you clear a bar room in Vermont?
Just tell em’ all there’s a Subaru in the lot with it’s lights on.
Audi All-Road – Quattro
it’s all about the RU
Honda Element has treated me right. Not as big as a van BUT THE SEATS FOLD UP TO THE WALLS! Just don’t expect it to be a truck in any way. It’s a small van.
on my second Suby and effing luv it! winter package and the best snow tires money can buy. though Audi’s may look sickter and offer more as far as luxery…but as far as something that will get you through a NW blizzard safely… Suby’s are it. Who wins in winter testing every time, for a ride in its class…not Volvo’s or Audi’s guys, sorry
Short trips I’m jeep’n it… those longer trips for more comfort and reliability Volvo xc90
1984 Mercedes-Benz 300 Turbo Diesel Wagon: http://www.benzworld.org/forums/attachments/sale-wanted-trade-giveaway/250429d1248232028-1984-mercedes-300td-euro-4spd-wagon-hpim1664.jpg
Audi Allroad Quattro is the best
My new Mini Countryman S All4 has been killing it this year. Sure, it looks tiny, but we fit more people and gear in it than in the new Subaru Impreza. And it’s so light that it scoots over snowbanks instead of trying to plow through them! Who needs ground clearance? 😉
Jeep Grand Cherokee with Trail Rating – 4WD, skid plates (so nothing bad happens when I drive over that icy eastern snow), lots of room and a nice roof rack for my Thule pod to hold lots of skis for 5 skiers and a couple pets in the back!
[…] live up in the mountains or far north, you probably already have burly studded snow tires on your favorite ski car. But do you know which snow tires are really the best? Here are five of our […]
05 Volvo xc90. Threw some aggressive tires on that 5,500 lb AWD beast and have blasted past stuck subies and jeeps going over mountain passes more times than I can count. Not to mention I have enough space for a homie and I to crash in my makeshift bed in the back so I can be the first one on the mountain for any powder day.