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Are the 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent all-wheel-drive SUVs the best vehicles in the snow? A survey by Consumer Reports finds the best all-wheel-drive SUVs in the snow ranked by their owners. The Subaru brand, along with Audi, BMW, Volvo, Jeep, and Cadillac is the crème de la crème.
The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey (by subscription) revealed Subaru scored all of its SUVs in the top-ten best all-wheel-drive SUVs in the snow. Subaru scored four models, Audi two, BMW one, Volvo one, Jeep one, and one for Cadillac.
The Top-10 models in order of ranking are the Subaru Ascent, Audi Q5, Subaru Outback, BMW X5, Volvo XC60, Audi Q7, Subaru Forester, Jeep Cherokee, Subaru Crosstrek, and Cadillac XT5.
Consumer Reports based the results on its member experiences with 19,000 vehicles between 2016 and 2019. All survey respondents had driven their cars without changing to winter/snow tires and had faced at least six snowy days during the 2018-2019 winter.
Why are all four Subaru SUVs ranked high in all-wheel-drive capability?
Subaru has offered all-wheel-drive on its cars since the 1970s, and the brand's current Symmetrical AWD system is considered one of the best among automakers.
Subaru offers four different all-wheel-drive systems in its current stable of vehicles. Subaru doesn't have a "one type fits all" approach with its multi-purpose vehicles. The 2021 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, and other models get a "tailored" version to fit a particular powertrain or model.
The four all-wheel-drive versions are what set Subaru's system apart from other automakers that offer all-wheel-drive adapted to its two-wheel-drive models. You can read our detailed explanation of all four here.
A recent CarMax report also says the Subaru brand is the best and scored the most cars and SUVs on the new 10 Best AWD Cars for 2020 list. CarMax based its vehicle data from November 1, 2019, through April 30, 2020.
The 2021 Subaru Outback wagon is ranked number one, Subaru Impreza compact sedan and hatchback number two, Subaru Legacy sedan is number three, and Subaru Crosstrek scores number five best all-wheel-drive cars.
Subaru created the small all-wheel-drive SUV segment, and all its SUVs come standard with its Symmetrical AWD. The 2021 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent are ranked Best AWD SUVs in the snow by their owners.
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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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No better way to get a
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No better way to get a favorable rating than to poll brand loyal owners. Brand loyal owners will rate a mediocre vehicle high because THEY bought it and don’t want to concede that they bought a lackluster brand/model. Consumer Reports is one of the homes for this behavior.