Which Volvo Is Best in the Snow?

No matter how appealing a vehicle is, it is of only limited use if it isn’t good in the snow. Being from Sweden, Volvo has extensive experience in making vehicles that handle snow well, thanks to the especially long winters in Scandinavia. So Volvo is the natural place to begin your search for a vehicle that handles snow well. But there are a few details to consider when narrowing down which Volvo model is right for you. So we’re taking a look at Volvo’s three most popular models and how they do in the snow.

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	XC40	XC60	XC90
Starting MSRP	$41,295	$51,095	$62,445
All-Wheel Drive	Optional	Standard	Standard
Curb Weight (pounds)	3,670 (B4 FWD) 3,800 (B5 AWD)	4,045 (B5 AWD) 4,649 (T8 AWD)	4,442 (B5 AWD) 4,471 (B6 AWD) 5,104 (T8 AWD)
Seats	5	5	6 or 7

The great thing about Volvo is that all of these vehicles handle snow well, and there’s no going wrong with this lineup. That said, there are a couple of things that give some vehicles an edge. The first of these is all-wheel drive, which is standard on the XC60 and XC90 but is optional on the XC40. While the front-wheel drive version of the XC40 has a slight price and fuel economy advantage, all-wheel drive does give you an advantage in the snow, which is especially important for a vehicle that’s as light as the XC40. This brings us to our next point: a heavier vehicle has an advantage in the snow, with more weight pressing down on the wheels to maintain traction. Extra weight can be an issue for fuel economy, but Volvo vehicles equipped with the T8 AWD plug-in hybrid drivetrain both weigh a bit more, thanks to the battery pack, and also get significantly better fuel economy. There’s obviously a bit more to consider when buying a vehicle, and things like weight and drivetrain layout probably aren’t going to be the first thing that someone considers when buying a vehicle, but they are good things to keep in mind. To that end, the XC90 and XC90 Plug-In Hybrid would be the best choice for snow, thanks to the standard AWD and higher curb weight compared to the XC60 and XC40.

Volvo All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive is an extremely popular option in areas that get a lot of snow. As the name tells us, this is a configuration where power is sent to all four wheels at the same time. With twice as many wheels getting power, AWD systems will generally give your vehicle a better towing capacity than a FWD or RWD version of the same vehicle. An AWD system can also redirect power from wheels that are slipping, say on snow or ice, to wheels that have grip, with the system constantly adjusting as road conditions shift. While a good set of winter tires is always a good idea, especially when you combine snow with hilly terrain, AWD is also extremely useful in poor conditions.

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