5 Most Affordable American Cars That Handle All Weather Conditions

Buying a car is always an expensive proposition — and that’s before you factor in things like insurance costs, repair work and upkeep. Unfortunately, no matter how careful a driver you may be, storms and winter weather can, and often do, cause accidents and damage. As such, in additional to an affordable ride, you need one that will survive the elements if you don’t want it to turn into a money pit.

With that in mind, below is a list of rather affordable American vehicles designed to be tested not just by the road, but by the weather as well.

• Price: $29,215

US News & World Report suggested that the Ford Bronco Sport is a compact sport utility vehicle designed to take a beating from the elements in style. It rolls off the lot standard with a four-wheel drive that has a number of different drive modes, including one called “Slippery,” which is meant to take this SUV through “the mix of rain, ice, sleet and slow that builds up during winter driving.”

It was also designed with a solid 8.8 inches of ground clearance. The Bronco Sport was built to handle just about any wild terrain — including city streets during rainstorms or heavy snow.

• Price: $29,490

The Ford Escape is another compact SUV that was designed to comfortably face down inclement weather while looking great, per United Auto of Anchorage, Alaska. It also comes with all-wheel drive for added stability and grip during slick and icy conditions, and is 7.8 inches off the ground to accommodate moderate snowfall on the road.

And for added comfort, the seats and mirrors can be programmed to stay toasty during cold weather.

• Price: $31,995

The Jeep Wrangler was designed for off-road driving, and so handling some wet or snowy roads are a breeze.

It has a solid and durable body, electronic stability control, forward collision avoidance, hill descent control and stands a rather high 9.7 inches off the crowd — all of which allows the Wrangler to handle heavy snow conditions with ease.

• Price: $32,720

The Ford Ranger is another ride designed to be taken off-road with ease, meaning that keeping it on-road during inclement weather is just as easy. It clears the ground by 8.9 inches, comes with all-wheel drive, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and electronic stability control.

In addition to all that, you can spring for an additional Ford Terrain Management System, which comes with a “Snow Mode” for icy and snowy weather.

• Price: $35,325

The Dodge Charger comes with a rear wheel drive — but all-wheel drive trims are available, and this model is loaded with little features like rain-sensing wipers as well as heated mirrors and steering wheel.

Further, it comes loaded with plenty of muscle under the hood to keep you from getting stuck in the snow, and it grips tight against the ice.