When the snow and ice start hitting the roads, you can’t hibernate with your family for the rest of the winter. You have to find a way to get around despite the awful road conditions. If you don’t want an SUV, or to break the bank, you might consider one of these best AWD cars under $40,000.
True, a new AWD car is more expensive than your beater Honda Civic or trashed 2002 Chevy Malibu. But when you think about what you’re saving – your insurance deductible, potential injuries, collision repairs, and an “I told you so” from your mother – springing for a new all-wheel drive sedan doesn’t seem that bad after all.
While not as common as SUVs, AWD cars are around. It narrows your shopping scope, yet you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it earlier. Here are our top eight choices for best AWD cars under $40,000.
Leading the pack in notoriety is the 2018 Subaru WRX STi. It’s a dominating rally-racetrack monster, destroying the competition regularly. That speaks to its incredible traction capabilities, almost solely based on the Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) AWD system. It’s standard equipment on every Subaru WRX STi. And for just over $35,000, you can have it for yourself.
We’re talking a 305-horsepower turbocharged BOXER 2.5-liter. A close-ratio six-speed manual transmission makes it even more fun to drive, while Active Torque Vectoring and Vehicle Dynamics Control keep the 2018 STi moving in the direction you point it. The one thing that might not be your cup of tea is the sport-centric interior, including tightly-bolstered Recaro seats.
If you want more space than a compact sedan offers, the 2018 Dodge Charger is a nice option. There’s plenty of space for five people comfortably inside, and there’s decent trunk space also. But amenities are secondary to function when you’re looking for the best AWD cars, so let’s switch gears to performance.
Related Search Topics (Ads)
The 2018 Dodge Charger GT AWD is one of the best AWD cars you should highly consider. Its 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 can be a bit much to control in the winter as a rear-wheel drive. Adding AWD to the Charger is a $2,000 option, but it’s a good investment. You’re not going to be rally racing with the Charger SXT but it will be a safe, secure AWD sedan year-round for $31,995.
Audi has always been known as a premium carmaker with extremely strong AWD systems. The 2018 Audi A3 Quattro is built on that premise. It’s Audi’s entry-level sedan, but it’s definitely not basic. To make the most of a $40,000 budget, choose the 2018 Audi A3 Quattro Premium Plus trim, which includes the S-line exterior appearance package, front and rear parking sensors, Audi advanced key and the Audi smartphone interface. Oh yeah, and all-wheel drive.
The 2.0-liter TFSI engine makes 186 horsepower, so it’s not the fastest car on the list by any means. However, the Quattro AWD system and a dual-clutch six-speed S-tronic automatic tranny give the A3 sedan a surprising pep in its step. At $38,200 for the Premium Plus trim, it’s one of the better values here.
Always on the best AWD cars list, the BMW 3 Series won’t be passed over. But compared to a few of the other models, it’s starting to lose its luster. It comes standard with 17-inch wheels and all-season tires, LED fog lights, and a rear-view camera, but it doesn’t come standard with a heated steering wheel, heated seats, or even power front seats for that matter.
The 2.0-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo inline 4-cylinder makes just 180 horsepower, but with xDrive AWD it still accelerates to 60mph in 7.1 seconds. It rings in at $36,900. If you can spare an extra $10,000, step up to the 330i and add on a few packages to make the BMW 3 Series truly shine.
The Buick Regal gets three different iterations in 2018: a sportback, a wagon and a sports-oriented sedan – the Regal GS. The Regal GS squeaks in just under the $40,000 mark.
The Regal GS comes with an all-new 3.6-liter V6 paired with a standard nine-speed automatic transmission and intelligent all-wheel drive. It’s capable of 310 horsepower. If you want to save a few thousand bucks, the Sportback also comes with AWD.
Get bold about driving, and do it in a full-size car. The 2018 Chrysler 300 Limited is as close to luxury as you can get with the Chrysler emblem on it. Equipped with 20-inch aluminum wheels, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated wood and leather steering wheel, and real wood interior accents, it’s a classy ride.
The 292 horsepower it has comes from a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. They say all-wheel drive is an option, but if you drive in the snow for five or six months of the year, we don’t call that an option. Equipped as such tallies up to $39,095.
The Ford Fusion tends to end up on any list involving sedans. The lineup is all-encompassing, from hybrid and fuel-efficient to all-wheel drive. Its features are decent at the entry level with SYNC connectivity and a host of power options, but if you want AWD, you have to step into the Titanium trim.
In the Titanium trim, you get SYNC 3, heated leather front seats and available driver assistive features. You can also get Ford’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive paired with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine. The 2018 Ford Fusion Titanium with Intelligent AWD starts at $32,020.
Related Search Topics (Ads)
