Winter Driving Champs: Luxury Crossover Edition

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Luxury crossovers are big business. In my northern locale, I’m asked often by readers and viewers which ones are at the top of my list of recommendations when it comes to winter driving.

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Below, I’m going to highlight the two models I’m recommending most as an answer to that question, and the way each machine’s character and feel imparted a higher-than-average level of confidence when conditions got bad.

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These choices are based on impressions formed from more than 15 years, 800 vehicles and about a million kilometres of vehicle testing in Northern Ontario.

BMW X5

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This machine has long been the first thing that pops into my head when I think of what I’d most like to be driving when there’s really bad winter weather in the forecast. And generation after generation, I keep going back to the X5 as one of the most confidence-inspiring winter driving machines I’ve ever used for the same reason: it feels like a tank.

The X5’s steering feel is calibrated to give drivers a strong sense of feeling locked-on and dialed-in to the surface of the road. Steering slack is minuscule. The effort is heavier than average. The wheel needs a little extra torque from your wrists to break free of centre, and it’s easy to issue steering corrections with very small steering inputs. In all, the steering is heavy and precise, which draws you into the experience like a sports car and imparts a stronger sense of control.

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Add in a commanding driving position and the setup of the ride and handling to perfectly match the feel of the steering, and you’ve got a machine that feels lively and responsive when you’re looking to adjust your position on the road, but also one that feels like it weighs 10 tonnes when you’re just cruising through powder in a straight line.

I suspect this is very much on purpose, and designed by someone who enjoys driving in inclement weather. The setup gives the driving enthusiast the best of both worlds: sporty reflexes, and a big, sturdy feel on the road—even in the snow.

If you don’t mind the fuel bill, the twin-turbo V8 engine will huck snow skywards all day long, and sounds good doing it.

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Or just relax, and cruise—even in a city-stopping snowstorm like the one that arrived on our filming day (stay tuned for that video coming soon). Even with all hell breaking loose outside, drivers are comfortable, relaxed, and feel very well supported by their machine.  It’s that smug sense of satisfaction that comes with comfortably conquering the elements.

Just note that, like all vehicles, certain advanced safety systems that rely on vision or radar are likely to go offline in weather like this as the sensors are blinded by the snow.

Volvo XC40

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I’ve had a long and public love affair with various Volvos because they’re some of my favourite luxury winter driving machines, for where and how I drive.

The Volvo XC40 might be the smallest of the Volvo crossovers, but an extensive winter test including plenty of time in severe winter highway conditions proved that this little machine is seriously eager to please.

You are the boss of the XC40 in the snow.

In a snowstorm, regular drive modes automatically help boost traction and confidence when the going gets slippery. The throttle and steering are both smooth and easy. This makes it easier for the driver to be gentle with the controls, which is vital for safe winter driving . The AWD and traction control systems work away beneath you to turn in a surefooted feel.

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There’s nothing to think about here: just keep your eyes up, focus on your steering, and let the machine do the work. It’s very good at it.

If you’re running good winter tires and being a careful and reasonable driver, XC40 feels more securely fastened to the road than its small stature might suggest.

Or, use the Dynamic drive mode, and the XC40’s excitable side surfaces. My tester’s turbo-four was virtually invisible in gentle driving, but Dynamic mode stirs things up, keeping humorous levels of torque at the tips of the driver’s toes. Other systems are recalibrated to turn in a livelier and more responsive feel, and the XC40 has some downright sporty reflexes that enthusiast drivers will enjoy on snow-covered backroads.

So, whether cautious or spirited winter driving is the order of the day, XC40 drivers are well backed up.

End of the day, the BMW X5 and Volvo XC40 both earn a permanent place in my memory banks as winter driving champs. Largely, that’s because of what feels like some careful attention to how they feel, respond to, and support drivers across a wide range of conditions. The worse the conditions, the more you’ll feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.