Best AWD 2015 cars

When you have to drive on the white stuff—or, worse, a wintry mix—you want to feel confident that you can get where you're going. All-wheel drive or four-wheel drive can give you that assurance. With power directed to all four wheels at the same time, vehicles with these systems provide better traction than two-wheel-drive vehicles.

All-wheel-drive systems may be full-time or part-time. With part-time systems, power is sent to one set of wheels, and the other set is automatically powered when needed for traction. Four-wheel-drive systems are primarily designed for off-road use and may have selectable drive modes for different types of terrain.

In preparation for colder weather, we recommend 10 2015 vehicles equipped with all-wheel drive that offer a shovelful of value—as measured by our annual rankings. We reward resale value, fuel economy, safety and more, so these vehicles are well rounded. All of our picks were either Best in Class or Best New Model winners for the 2014 model year. Six of the 10 were awarded Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.