Top Three Cars For Winter Driving

Winter is a great time to take a family break! You don’t have to worry about all the insects and the manic chaos of the summer holidays.  It also tends to be the time of year where things are a little less expensive too, so you can save some money. To get to these beautiful places safely, it’s a good idea to have a solid car that can tackle the icy roads and long nights without much bother. We’re going to be looking at the top three cars for your winter road trip that will get you where you need to be in safety without losing the style factor. We’ve also included some of our best destinations to visit in winter that may inspire you!

Nissan X-Trail

This Nissan offers great visibility: the rear window is large and the wing mirrors provide good side view so you can see any traffic coming your way. There’s also the E-4orce option – there’s an electric motor on both axles to give 4-wheel drive for extra traction to keep you moving forward. With appropriate winter tyres, this option can drive on icy roads with little problem. The Nissan X-Trail also has an array of safety features to aid your driving in the grey, dark months:

• Cruise control
• Off road mode
• Driver alertness assistance

The sharp design of this SUV puts it quite high in the looks department. It has an aggressive front end with a high bonnet, as well as a rear bumper with silvery skid plate detailing that you’ll be able to show off to all your friends. The high-end design continues inside the car with its open cabin feel, simple lines and chrome effect detailing.

Being the family SUV it is, the Nissan X-Trail offers an abundance of space with plenty of head, leg, and foot space in the rear for three 6-footers. Not to mention, the rear doors open at 90 degrees aiding anyone struggling with mobility or if you have rowdy kids, you can easily get them in their seats. Plus, the rear bench can slide back to create more space for the middle row, or if you’ve just been to IKEA and need to load in your new table, you can slide the row forward to extend the boot space. Speaking of the boot: this car offers 575 litre boot space so you can haul in all your luggage for your road trip.

This is a great car for driving around town. Its refined suspension means it’s smooth over bumps, and the light steering makes it easy to manoeuvre along the narrow streets. Cameras and parking sensors make it easier to park despite its size.

Being a great town car, this car would be a brilliant drive to Edinburgh. This is an ideal city break with its ancient buildings, castle, and cobbled streets.

• Christmas Markets with beautiful lights and music
• Multiple ice rinks (St. Andrew Square and Murrayfield Ice Rink to name two)
• In Scotland, New Years (a.k.a. Hogmanay) is celebrated as a 3 day event with street parties, torchlight processions, concerts and fireworks

Why Get a Nissan X-Trail PCH Lease Deal?

• Great for tootling around cities
• Great safety kit for the dark, cold winter
• Abundance of space for all your holiday cases

BMW X5

The BMW X5 provides the xDrive option. This gives you an all-wheel drive to ensure firm grip for driving in snow. Some key safety features of this car include:

• Active guard plus option: this applies the brakes in an emergency if the driver fails to do so
• Cruise control
• Legal emergency call after collision, even if the driver is unconscious

The interior of this BMW is great for tech lovers! The IDrive feature is easy to navigate with a 12.3-inch screen controlled by either the controller, touchscreen, or your voice. It’s crisp and clear whilst being quick and responsive. If you want to blast out your favourite road trip playlist, the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will ensure you’re kept entertained.

There’s also space aplenty for your family and luggage. There’s a range of storage in the cabin: huge door bins, space beneath the driver’s armrest, and several cupholders. Perfect for all the drinks, snacks, and phones you need for your trip. Plus, the driver gets a supportive seat with full electric adjustment and memory function so they’re comfortable on long motorway slogs and can easily find their sweet spot again after someone else has driven. With the split tailgate, it’s also pretty easy to change your wellies after you’ve been on a family walk.

This SUV has adaptive air suspension that’s great at soaking up potholes and rough roads, both in town and on the motorway. In fact, this is an excellent motorway car as the engines are quiet whilst wind and road noise is kept at a minimum. It also has speedy acceleration whichever engine you go for: the diesel reaches 0-62mph in 5.2s, the petrol in 4.3s, and the hybrid in 4.8s. It’s no slouch on country roads either as sport mode gives more weight to steering and sharper responses from the gearbox and throttle, so you can have fun whipping along the twisty roads with grip and poise.

With its versatility, the BMW X5 is a sturdy car that will get you to plenty of small towns. One that’s  very popular with its rich history is Whitby. There are plenty of shops to buy the Jet jewellery the town is known for, the Abbey (setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and ghost walks detailing the many myths and stories from Whitby’s history.

Why You’ll Love the BMW X5

• Brilliant interior for tech lovers
• Large spread of storage for all your drinks and snacks
• Suitable for driving in all situations from towns to country roads

Audi Q8 E-Tron

The all-wheel drive and dual motors on the Audi Q8 E-Tron provides reassuring traction, plus the batteries weigh the car down enough to help keep it stable – ideal for icy and snowy rural roads. Other safety features that will help you in the wintery countryside include:

• Blind spot monitoring indicators
• Cruise control
• LED headlights

As this is an electric vehicle, you not only get to feel like you’re doing your part for the planet, but you don’t need to pay road tax and can save for a rainy day instead. Both batteries also offer great range with the 50W reaching 283 miles and the 55W 333 miles, so you’ll be able to get where you need to be – just make sure you’ve planned where the charging points are on your route. They’re also quick to charge when the maximum power is used - around 30 minutes. If you’re using a typical home wall box, they can reach full charge in 18 hours so you can charge overnight whilst you’re warm in bed.

The Audi Q8 E-Tron is the largest Audi SUV and as such has an aggressive design, with the grille melting into the headlights. You’ll look like the cat’s pyjamas driving this beast. The quality continues inside with 3 screens and plush materials. It even has heated seats to keep you warm on the sub-zero roads.

This SUV has great features allowing it to drive effectively on the winding country roads. Along with the amazing traction, there’s not a lot of body roll when you want to corner quickly. Plus, both battery options provide enough punch if you want to be more spirited, with the 50W battery reaching 0-62mph in 6s and the 55W in 5.6s.

The off-road aspects of the Audi Q8 E-Tron will ensure that it gets you to some of the most beautiful rural areas of the UK, Brecon Beacons in Wales being one of the most amazing areas. It has a mountain range that will take your breath away and a variety of walks depending on how far you want to push yourself. Some fun winter activities these peaks provide include:

• Winter hay festival
• Christmas shows at Theatr Brycheiniog
• Brecon Beacon is an internationally recognised dark sky reserve and one of the best places in the UK to go stargazing or even see the aurora borealis if you’re lucky

Why choose the Audi Q8 E-Tron?

• Great for off-road trips
• Look sharp in this powerhouse
• Feel confident driving in icy conditions

Check out our top tips for driving in ice and snow to help you when planning your winter road trip.

Now you just need the awesome wheels to be winter road trip ready! Spoilt for choice? Our New Car Consultants are here to help find the right wheels for you. Give them a call on 0113 468 5377 (option 1) or drop them an email [email protected] to start your ZenAuto journey.

Already spotted your dream wheels? Go ahead and order your new car 100% online to enjoy leasing on your terms!