These Are 5 Of The Most Affordable New AWD Cars For Snow Season

Don't be fooled by the statistics. Yes, there are usually fewer car crashes and related deaths in the cold weather, but it's not because the winter months are any safer for driving. It's just that, according to the National Safety Council, the number of accidents is associated with how many miles are being driven, and people tend to drive less in the winter. For drivers who have no choice but to fight the white stuff — and don't want to spend a lot of money doing it — we've tracked down five of the most affordable new cars with all-wheel drive.

Now, we know that none of your winter driving hacks beat simply buying winter tires. But that's not always a realistic option, especially if cutting costs is part of the picture. And while some folks argue about whether AWD or 4WD is better for winter driving, the always-on nature of most all-wheel drive setups is a notable advantage. The typical four-wheel-drive SUV requires you to make a conscious effort to engage the system, while AWD can constantly monitor traction conditions to help without drivers needing to think about it.

As far as actual pricing goes, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Subaru Impreza, Kia Seltos, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, and Nissan Kicks all start under $30K with AWD, which is a huge savings as compared to the average transaction price at time. Per Kelley Blue Book, that number was $49,766 for October 2025.

When an efficient package like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid adds all-wheel drive while keeping its price at $27,170, including destination fees, the result is both one of the least expensive and most fuel-efficient AWD cars for winter driving. The 2026 model can post an EPA line of 44 mpg highway/51 mpg city/48 mpg combined, rivaling the front-wheel-drive model's 53/46/50.

The Corolla's hybrid power train is also the key to its AWD benefits. The system pairs the Corolla's 1.8-liter gas engine with two electric motors, including one that operates as a starter/generator to assist with the front wheels. The other is dedicated solely to driving the rear wheels and kicks in if the front wheels start to lose their grip.

Despite its price, the Corolla Hybrid isn't some kind of low-cost penalty box without the popular features customers crave. The entry-level LE trim comes standard with a digital cockpit including an eight-inch touchscreen, a seven-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, Wi-Fi, and a full range of Safety Sense technologies. Backed by those features and a strong reputation for reliability, the Corolla Hybrid was named one of the best new cars and trucks under $30,000 by Consumer Reports, too.

The Corolla Hybrid (and the Subaru Impreza, found further down this list) proves you don't need an SUV to get through the snow season, but if that is your preferred body style, you can check out the 2026 Kia Seltos. It does more than look the part, too. We won't try to convince you it's ready for the Rubicon Trail, but its all-wheel-drive system features a center-locking differential that will keep the same amount of torque going to each axle, handling what Kia calls "more severe environments."

That hardware is an optional add-on for its base model starting at $26,335 (which includes destination charges of $1,445). Also included is the kind of content that splits the difference between the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Among the highlights are an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity, a six-speaker sound system, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Kia serves up its share of advanced driver-assistance tech as well, although the Seltos can't match the Corolla Hybrid's standard blind-spot monitoring.

Of course, regardless of the weather, that kind of stuff is no cure-all for unsafe travel. Seltos owners shouldn't rely on them if they decide to drive onto a busy beach in Australia, for example.

Like Subaru, Mitsubishi has its own specially branded all-wheel-drive technology with rally-backed roots, and it's a top differentiator for the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. (To be clear, this is Mitsu's compact SUV, not the non-Sport Outlander that launched as the cheapest three-row vehicle on sale in the United States.) The company's All Wheel Control goes beyond typical AWD systems by adjusting how much power goes between the front and back axles — courtesy ofactive center differential and active yaw control equipment.

The Outlander Sport further serves up another little bonus for living in wintry parts of the world. It comes standard with heated power mirrors as part of its $24,445 MSRP; destination charges of $1,745 are a separate expense. Unfortunately, other normally-standard features aren't as easy to come by, as any form of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto — wired or not — is also a separate expense. Safety-wise, adaptive cruise control, which is found in base models of the Toyota Corolla and Subaru Impreza, is unavailable for the Outlander Sport.

But it's also worth noting that the Outlander Sport is a fairly reliable choice. According to iSeeCars, the Outlander Sport ranks No. 4 for reliability out of a class of 21 subcompact SUVs.

From a practical standpoint, this one needs a bit of an asterisk. As of November 2025, the Subaru Impreza of that model year is still at U.S. dealerships with an MSRP of $24,360 plus $1,170 in destination charges. But customers better snap them up while they can, since the 2026 Impreza lineup drops the base model and opens with the Sport trim that's priced thousands higher.

The good news is that Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel drive is more than just branding. For one thing, unlike the on-demand setup in the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which only operates after it realizes your wheels are already slipping, Subaru's system is always active. The downside comes when you visit the gas station, as the base Impreza has EPA ratings of 34 mpg highway/27 mpg city/30 mpg combined.

The hatchback is also a little light on content compared to the Corolla Hybrid, with a smaller touchscreen, an analog speedometer/tachometer, and fewer audio speakers, combined with no blind-spot monitoring, no Wi-Fi, and no heated mirrors — which would doubtlessly be handy in winter weather. Despite these downsides, the Subaru Impreza is actually ranked No. 2 overall in its class by Consumer Reports, 10 spots higher than Toyota's option.

While Nissan has faced some troubles lately, there are some bright spots in its lineup. The Nissan Kicks, for instance, is a cheap car done right. The company kicked it up a notch for 2026, adding a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Pricing did get a bit higher compared to the previous year, but when you add in Nissan's $1,495 destination charge, the new model's cost only goes up to $25,425. And, yes, that's with an all-wheel drive power train rated at 34 mpg highway/27 mpg city/30 mpg combined.

Also in the mix is a driver's-side heated mirror and 8.4 inches of standard ground clearance that Nissan says is the best in the Kicks' class. It also comes up strong for standard safety features like blind-spot monitoring, a driver-attention monitor, and both front and rear automatic emergency braking. This cheap car doesn't seem to act cheap, either, with J.D. Power giving the 2026 model a "Great" rating for quality and reliability.