Best used snow cars 2024

Used car values are generally significantly higher than they once were but, whatever your budget, the best used snow cars will still take on prolonged Arctic conditions and plenty of snow in their stride. 

Here our road testing experts have picked 10 used cars that will make your life easier in the most challenging conditions, with prices starting at just £2,000. Of course, if you have deeper pockets, you can spend more on a brand-new snow car, but all of these used cars still have one thing in common: they can cope with the slipperiest conditions, especially if they’re fitted with a decent set of winter or all-season tyres.

Best used snow cars

• Fiat Panda 4x4 mk3
• Suzuki Jimny Mk3
• Dacia Duster Mk1
• Land Rover Discovery 4
• Skoda Yeti Mk1
• Subaru Impreza Mk5
• Daihatsu Terios Mk3
• Jeep Wrangler Mk4
• Toyota Aygo Mk1
• Audi A3 Sportback quattro Mk4

Fiat Panda 4x4 Mk3

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• Years produced: 2011-2024
• Price from: £3,000

Some cars punch well above their weight, and the Fiat Panda 4x4 is the proof. Small, light and cheap to buy as well as to run, the Panda can put far more expensive 4x4s in the shade when it comes to covering treacherous ground. The third-generation Panda 4x4 arrived in January 2013 with the more rugged-looking Panda Cross appearing in October 2014. 

The latter was developed more for off-roading than wintry roads, but whichever model you buy, it’ll have part-time 4WD to save fuel. Prices start at £3,000 for a high-mileage early 4x4; the much rarer Cross starts at £6,000. Both editions came in petrol and diesel form (although the latter is unusual), and there was no auto option, so all Pandas had a five-speed or six-speed manual gearbox.

Suzuki Jimny Mk3

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• Years produced: 1998-2017
• Price from: £2,500

The Suzuki Jimny is another one of those giant-killing cars that has capabilities far greater than you’d expect. All editions come with permanent four-wheel drive and a 1.3-litre petrol engine; despite a two-decade production run, there was very little development of this tiny 4x4.

While the Jimny has the ability to cope with bad weather, this isn’t a car that you’d want to take on long motorway drives, because the small engine and poor aerodynamics make such journeys hard work. Despite its small cabin and meagre safety kit, the Jimny is a modern-day cult classic, but you can buy one for just £2,000, or potentially less in a private sale. The newest cars, from 2017, still change hands for up to £15,000.

Dacia Duster Mk1

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• Years produced: 2012-2017
• Price from: £2,000

When it was launched in January 2013, the original Dacia Duster was the cheapest 4x4 in town. Buyers could pick between non-turbo 1.6-litre petrol or 1.5 diesel engines; a 1.2 turbo petrol and 1.6 diesel powerplants would come later. The Duster was never about being the most sophisticated option; it used tried-and-tested Renault running gear, and thanks to keen prices, buyers flocked to showrooms. 

However, while a headline low starting price got people interested, they invariably bought posher editions laden with kit. One in five paid the £2k premium for four-wheel drive and while £2,500 now bags a front-wheel-drive model, those with 4WD are what you need to survive in snow. These start at £3,500 and go up to £8,000 for a late (2018) 1.2 TCe, although most Dusters have diesel power.

Land Rover Discovery 4

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• Years produced: 2009-2016
• Price from: £5,000

Easily the most luxurious car here, the Discovery is also the only seven-seater. Even better, you don’t need to think of it as a 5+2, because there’s seating for seven fully grown adults. Essentially a facelifted Land Rover Discovery 3 (offered between 2004 and 2009), the Disco 4 was on sale until 2017. 

There were 2.7 or 3.0 diesels, or an ultra-rare 5.0 V8 petrol; all came with full-time 4WD, and virtually all of these cars are autos. Comfortable, quick and refined, the Discovery provides luxurious transport that’s bordering on the truly opulent if you buy an HSE, but running costs are high, and many of these cars have led hard lives as workhorses. Prices start at just £4,000, but something really nice is closer to £20k.

Skoda Yeti Mk1

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• Years produced: 2009-2017
• Price from: £3,500

With a name like Yeti, how could it be anything other than adept in snow? Skoda now offers SUVs of every size, but this was the forerunner to them all: a cross between an SUV and an estate car, which bagged a hat-trick of first places in our Driver Power ownership survey (2012-2014), before settling for second in 2015. 

The Yeti was also our Car of the Year in 2010, thanks to its spacious, user-friendly and versatile cabin, reliability and impressive build quality. Also good to drive, there was a wide choice of engines, although most came only with front-wheel drive; about one in three Yetis has 4WD. Those wanting drive to all wheels had to go for a 1.8 TSI petrol or 2.0 TDI diesel, and these now start at £4k for a 2014 2.0 TDI S with 100,000 miles on the clock.

Subaru Impreza Mk5

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• Years produced: 2017-2023
• Price from: £7,500

There was a time when Subaru had a high profile thanks to its enormous success with the Impreza on rally stages around the world. But that was a long time ago, and those early Imprezas are now considered classics. Less highly regarded by enthusiasts, but a very competent car for anyone wanting reliable transport that will make mincemeat of slippery roads, is the fifth-generation Impreza that was launched in 2017.

Available only in five-door hatchback form and with a non-turbo 1.6-litre engine and a five-speed manual or CVT automatic gearbox, Subaru’s high-tech EyeSight safety package was standard. There aren’t many of these Imprezas on the used market, but for £14,000 you can buy a 20,000-mile car from 2018; most of those for sale are low-mileage examples.

Daihatsu Terios Mk2

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• Years produced: 2006-2010
• Price from: £2,000

Japanese brand Daihatsu stopped selling new cars in the UK back in 2013, and the Terios was never the greatest on-road thanks to its limited dynamic abilities. But this pint-sized SUV copes with wintry conditions superbly, and the good news is that you can buy one from just £1,500, although most are priced from £3,000. Even the most valuable Terios is worth just £4,000, but there aren’t that many on the used market to choose from. 

Power came from a 1.5-litre petrol engine, there was a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearboxes, and permanent four-wheel drive came as standard. The problem is that it blunts the performance and increases fuel consumption, which is why the Terios is best suited to more local journeys.

Jeep Wrangler Mk4

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• Years produced: 2018-present
• Price from: £30,000

If there’s one brand that can give Land Rover a run for its money when it comes to coping with extreme driving conditions, it’s Jeep, with the Wrangler its most hardcore model. Unlike Land Rover with the Defender, Jeep hasn’t taken the luxury route with the four-generation Wrangler, which was launched in 2018 in two-door and four-door forms. 

True, it’s a bit rough around the edges, but if you want a car with character that can keep going in even the worst Arctic conditions, buy one of these. Choose between 2.0-litre turbo petrol and 2.2 diesel engines, all with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and 4WD. Prices start at £30k for a 40,000-mile petrol edition from 2019; virtually all Wranglers are four-door editions.

Toyota Aygo Mk1

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• Years produced: 2005-2014
• Price from: £1,000

The only car here that wasn’t available with four-wheel drive, the Toyota Aygo takes a different approach; it’s light weight and narrow tyres help it to slice through snow. Fit a decent set of winter tyres and unless you’re really unlucky with the weather this winter, you shouldn’t be at a disadvantage compared with all of the 4WD-equipped cars here. 

Offered in showrooms between 2005 and 2014, the original Aygo represents economy motoring at its finest, with prices starting at just £1,000 and going up to £8,000; £3k buys a 70,000-mile car from 2012. Toyota offered a 1.4-litre diesel engine, but most Aygos came with a 1.0-litre petrol engine and a five-speed manual gearbox, although a four-speed auto was available.

Audi A3 Sportback quattro Mk4

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• Years produced: 2020-present
• Price from: £25,000

Audi embraced four-wheel drive years before most car makers, with its quattro transmission bursting on to the scene more than four decades ago. Since then, it has become ever more sophisticated and Audi has offered it with at least one engine in most of its model ranges. 

With the latest Audi A3 Sportback, launched in 2020, the quattro drivetrain was packaged with the 2.0 TFSI (petrol) and 2.0 TDI (diesel) engines. Available only with an automatic transmission, A3 quattros are unusual, so you’ll have to hunt to find one. But it’s worth looking, because this is a car that’s sure-footed, refined, frugal and has one of the most user-friendly cabins around. Prices start at £20k for a 50,000-mile 2.0 TDI on a 20-plate.

Ready to make a purchase? Take a look at our guide to buying a used car...