The CAR WIZARD shares which All-Wheel Drive cars TO Buy & NOT to Buy! 

Big nono 2:14 Land Rover discovery 1 and 2 1990-2000 4:04 Jeep compasses or patriots 5:20 BMW with x drive all wheel drive system Okie-doky 8:19 Subaru 2005-present 9:40 Toyota Rav-4 all wheel drive 11:14 Honda CRV

Feeling all cozy by the fire with Wizard Claus

Have 170,000 miles on my 2012 Outback and it’s been awesome! Never let me down, goes just about anywhere I need, and is very comfortable and great on long road trips. Easily been the best car I’ve ever had. Absolutely recommend one to people!

I have a 2010 Honda CRV - 230K miles paid $600. It is flawless. I towed my son's pickup out of a snowy field effortlessly with it.

I live in upstate New York where it snows 60 inches a year. More important than 4WD are snow tires. With the right tires you'll do fine with front or rear wheel drive. During the first snow storm of the year all the vehicles in the ditch are 4wd. Drivers think they're invisible. 4WD doesn't help you stop or turn any better.

I have a 04 Land Rover and can confirm everything he said… another quote I hear about them is “Land Rover turning owners into mechanics since 1989 or 79”

This was a great video with excellent information. One thing to remember as an AWD car owner is if you happen to have a blowout on any tire that is beyond wear you may be looking at a complete set of tires you will need to replace instead of just one tire. The reason why is that the diameter of the newer tire may be significantly thicker than the other three tires which can cause excess wear on your AWD system. I drive a 2020 Hyundai Kona AWD that has been worry free for 26k miles but when I had a nail break my tires belt and sidewall, I was forced to get a new set of 4. The stock tires on this car are awful in the winter so I was fine replacing them but my wallet wasn’t quite so happy.

mn guy here. love my 08 crv with 176k, purchased at 89k 5 years ago. sway bar links were pretty bad and replaced at 105k. door locks replaced at 115k other than that - oil changes, fluids and a set of tires. been an awesome ride, saved my rear end on 2 major occasions. Lesser vehicles lost control on freeway during snowstorms and swerved into my lane. crv stayed its course and avoided the accidents. this list is exactly what I tell all my relatives and friends.

Recently bought a 2008 CRV with 265K miles. Runs and drives perfectly.

Got an 08 Acura RDX turbo. The awd is amazing. I’ve taken it to the snow and it is rock solid! Honda really nailed it. 160k on it, and original turbo still going strong! I maintain my own vehicles.

I own a 99 CR-V 4x4. It has 236,000 miles on it and it is still a fantastic car. I just did a timing belt and am confident it's ready to make it to 300,000 miles.

You forgot to mention how the 3rd gen rav 4 had the 3.5 v6 option And it was nuts for that little car. It’s an absolute rocket, especially compared against other cars of its time you could easily give any V6 mustang or Camaro a run for its money

Just bought a 2006 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport last winter for $500, came with snow tires. Haven't had a single problem with it, 216k miles and it dominates the snow

Got a 2019 Forester, bought new, 74,000 miles, zero problems. Great economy.

I can vouch for the CR-V. I had a ‘99 which ran great up until just before Christmas. After 355,000 miles, the transmission kicked the bucket. In all of those miles, she only left me stranded twice. Once when a u-joint failed on the drive shaft, and once when the 2nd timing belt failed prematurely with on 40k on it. I blame myself because I ordered a kit off of amazon that had a counterfeit gates belt. Luckily there was no damage to the top end. Other than that, I did all the regular maintenance and replaced wear items as they wore out. She was great in the snow, even with all season tires. I plowed through a 2 foot snowfall once that had me amazed at how good it was doing. One particularly cold and snowy winter, we were on a Boy Scout winter camping trip. Our cabin was at the bottom of a ice and snow covered two track hill. Only three of us could make it up and down. My CR-V, another CR-V, and an Outback.

Rover, unreliable…..? Whatever do u mean? They reliably break down all the time

Another few cars to add for the Don’t Buy section are the Nissan Rogue or Murano (Nissan CVT, pretty self explanatory and it seems like people ignore maintenance on these), any Audi with the Quattro All Wheel Drive (it’s not a bad All Wheel Drive system per se, it’s just you know the drill with Audi, always going to be expensive to fix), and Chevrolet Traverse or equivalent vehicles (GM 3.6 V6, that’s all I need to say, you can figure out the rest)

Great list ! I got a 99 Forester SF5 and love it ! 233k miles and still going strong. We did reseal the entire engine and resurface the heads and everything at 170k and upgraded to multi layer Head gaskets though. Other than that there has been no major issues, and it’s amazing in the rain and snow 😊

My 2003 Forester was BULLITPROOF, I'm very mechanically inclined and was able to upgrade the head gaskets over a week-end, the Forester NEVER failed my. NOT once. The mileage could have been better, but it always worked.

Doing a car living situation by choice, live in Illinois, and I'm so happy with my 2013 Impreza I picked up a few months ago. Today was our first real dusting of snow and it was wet on the road snow was blowing across a little bit but the car was handling phenomenal. Driven it in The heavy rain a few times too I'm more than pleased with the performance.

I would love to see you do a "To buy & not to buy video" about minivans. Think a lot of people might find that useful.

Car Wizard I bought a 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD with 40,000 miles on it 2 years ago and I love it. I put 10,000 miles on it since and I'm definitely getting my money's worth from it. I bought it because of the reliability and plan on having it for many years to come. My friend had a 2004 Subaru Forester and the rear struts rotted through the sheet metal that they were mounted to. He wound up junking it because no shop would fix it, he even tried a few body shops and they said it wasn't worth fixing. The cost of repairs were more than the vehicle was worth.

Winter tires make a HUGE difference as well. Up here in the frozen north I have studded winter tires on my vehicles, never slide through an intersection or get sideways.

Very gratifying to see a car you own on the Wizard's "buy this! short list. I bought a 2007 CR-V AWD last year (2021) with 153,000km (around 95,000 miles) on it. Being in Portugal, mine has Honda's 2.2 liter turbo diesel and 6MT that are renowned for being "bullet proof". This is my daily driver and I am averaging over 35mpg. I have been wondering where you stood Wizard on Honda vehicles (I always hear you speak highly about Toyotas) so I am happy to hear that you recommend the CR-V.

You could add 1st Gen Highlander to the list. Besides the timing belt you have to replace, they are cheap and solid vehicles. Not to mention they are built in Japan.

I live in Minnesota and have owned many 4X4's. I have had better performance with fwd with winter tires than most of the 4wd models I have owned.

So love your calm delivery and USEFUL tips!

The timing for this was perfect. Living in SW Michigan the snow is a huge factor. Thanks Car Wizard!

I can attest to the longevity of the Honda CRV. My Sister has a 1st generation (2000 model) that currently has almost 360000 miles with the original engine and transmission. Burns almost no oil even though she is rather haphazard on oil changes. Only usual wear items replaced such as tires, brakes, alternator, clutch, distributor and timing belt.

live in New Hampshire, snows a good amount in the winter and can confirm, subarus are everywhere. I've owned 2 myself, currently a 2005 wrx. the first time I drove it in deep snow I was very impressed. I thought I was going to get stuck for sure but the subaru said otherwise.

I just moved to Pittsburgh from NYC, and so many people have Subaru's. I couldnt figute it out until Wizard gave the answer. Thanks!

Remember to pair the car with proper tires for the driving conditions. If you need to drive on snowy/icy conditions all the time, get proper snow tires.

I drive in the snowing roads of Canada. I own a 2011 Subaru Tribeca. That car is very capable on the snow and very reliable too, just like the Wizard says. It's also very comfortable and safe. There's a lot of different Subarus down the road here up north.

A good friend of mine has a Honda Accord that has almost 300,000 miles on it. He is doing well financially speaking so I asked him when was he going to change his car. His answer was that he wanted to run this thing to the ground first, but that he is giving up! I know it hurts to admit it but ANY car made in Japan will be a great buy, and it will certainly be reliable.

Thx Car Wizard...good solid advise..what not and what to buy. You talk calm and sensible..no loud shouting or exagerated voice. That I like best..keep up the good work!😀

You are the teacher we all needed as kids man. I really enjoy your videos. Greetings from Lisboa, Portugal 🖖

Have an 07 328xi. Honestly I haven't had many issues. Previous owners took meticulous care of it as well. N52 is a bulletproof engine and the last of the N/A BMW engines.

My 07 Acura rdx is a great option too. Turbo awd, very peppy. Bought it for 5k over 2 years ago now. Currently at 187k miles, only been in the shop for a new heater core. Really easy to work on.

I will stand by your recommendation Wizard, I've owned a '98 Forester since 2019 and apart from a leaky Cam Seal she's been almost idiotproof! Hope you and the tribe have had a happy holiday and look forward to 2023 content =)

Another excellent video. So, true confession time, I used to make fun of Subarus. I was a Jeep guy and truly only believed they were capable of going anywhere anytime. Then I purchased my first Subaru outback. There’s no comparison. Why yes, my Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee could go over about any Jeep trail in Colorado. However, after having my 2014 Outback out in the wilds of NW Wyoming This past September, and we ended up on some high clearance 4wd roads and it went anywhere my Jeep would’ve gone. Great to see the Subaru love!

My first car was a 2004 Honda Element ex AWD, it was my dads then my moms then mine, still have it with 290k on the clock, has been a fantastic car nearly bullet proof, great AWD system awesome on the snow, my only complaint is the gas mileage sucks but the car makes up for it in personality and reliability, definitely pick one up if u find it, same power train as a CRV, both cars are nearly indestructible

As good as Subarus are in the snow, adding snow tires makes them that much better. You WILL notice a difference.

Hello Sir!Thank you very much for posting this videos as i was ready to buy exactly 20 cars year (2002-2015) I'm so happy that u keep a way that headech and cost...thank you ..God bless u and America (respect from Estonia)

Adding on to what Wizard said about winter driving, when ice and/or snow is on the ground, remember this when driving: NO SUDDEN MOVES Start slow from a stop, start to slow down way ahead of when you would in dry weather to stop (and perhaps gear down carefully to have engine braking help you, especially on hills), and no sudden turns (slow down as much as possible and turn as gently as you can). Do all of this while (as much as you can) leaving much more space between you and other drivers on all sides, being super aware of people on your rear and sides. Inertia and the associated loss of traction and control is a bitch...

Speaking on Subaru’s. Also the 2005 and later years now have very nice interiors. My grandmother got a new outback touring xt and I was honestly taken aback by what you get for the money. A huge touch screen, napa leather, HK sound. Like years aho you had to spend thousands more on a Beemer or a Merc to get features like that!

The 2010 Rav4 Sport AWD has a 4WD button on the dash that they claim will temporarily deliver equal power to each wheel if needed to get out of a jam. Turns off automatically if you forget to hit the button again to return to AWD. Never had to use it, but seems like a nice feature.

You have to be financially responsible enough to *religiously* do proper maintenance, but a XWD SAAB is one of the best AWD cars money can buy Haldex was invented back in the day specifically with the intention of SAAB implementation; the plan was to add AWD to the 900 back in the 1980s. Unfortunately we never saw an AWD 900, but when they finally got the chance in 2008, SAAB got a specialized unique version of Haldex. It has far far higher capabilities than almost all Quattro systems, the sole exception being the R8. It can send 100% of power to either axle, and 85% of power to any single wheel

Thank you Car Wizard, for putting the whole world of "car repair" into "laymen's terms", so that hopefully the average person will understand what it's like to have to repair cars these cars these days. They are SOOOO complicated these days that they're pretty much nothing but disposable vehicles.

With the Subaru Outback, do be careful what tires you buy if traction in snow is important. I had a 2002 4-cyl, stick shift model (a MN car). The OEM types always provided best traction in snow, especially on highway. Yes, it leaked oil. It also repeatedly fouled CATs (after about 180,000 miles) making this car infeasible where vehicle inspections were required.

This past weekend I talked my wife's sister into buying a 2014 Toyota Rav 4 AWD with 140,000k miles. Such an upgrade over her 2011 Chevrolet Equinox that is currently sitting at a local shop with a blown engine. 🤣 I'm gonna do the maintenance myself on it so I know it's done right. Well what I can anyway. Fluids, brakes, bearings, Ect. My wife and I are looking for a older Rav 4 or Highlander as well with third row seating. Honestly Im tied of working on things that break down. 🤣

I 100% agree with everything the wizard said regarding the Disco. If and when it worked I absolutely loved my 95 series 1 but it was a money pit. Each repair I would say "ok if this is the only major repair this year, over a year it will average out, I got the truck cheap". But next month another major repair. Over the 2 years I had it 2005-2007 there were some months it would've been cheaper to be leasing an new Rover lol.

Absolutely agree with your list. My daily is a AWD Skoda Yeti , basically a 2.0L TDI VW Golf with AWD , just with a different body and built in the Czech Republic. It easily does 50mpg and is great in all weathers.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I do have a Landrover Defender if it gets really bad 😂

Got a 22 impreza last year 💪🏻 Had an 06 forester prior to that and it was jaw dropping in the snow storms.

Can't second the Subaru suggestion enough. The only time I got stuck in snow with my 2011, with all season tires, was when there were 13" of the stuff, and I was still able to get it unstuck and back in the garage without assistance. Only regular maintenance items in 100,000+ miles before I traded it for a 2021...

Cool video! I've got an '07 CR-V. Excellent little car! Very good in the snow! You should do a video explaining the cool way that the AWD system on these cars works. As I understand, each axle has a small hydraulic pump, when wheels start spinning, the pump on that axle creates more pressure which then actuates the system to send power to the other axle.

Gotta say I love my work vehicle...2019 Ford Escape "4wd" (really AWD). When we had a massive ice storm last year, it got my family around like a champ, on the stock tires (no traction devices!). It had 16k miles when I was assigned it, and I'm now up to 53k miles.

I loved my Forester. Yeah it was a 2000 but it never had head gasket issues. Right before I decided to get rid of it it developed weird suspension noises and the filler neck leaked since I bought it, but it never needed anything but routine maintenance. Exhaust also rotted through. I got the original service records and it got nothing but fluid and filter changes its whole life, apart from a serpentine belt. Amazing in the winter and very practical in general, I was foolish and ended up in ditches a few times and was able to just drive out. Michigan road salt got to it though, I mean it was already 20 years old when I bought it. Because of that car my mom dumped her unreliable Audi for a Subaru Outback.

Bizarrely, in Australia, the Jeep compass (with the diesel and manual) is about the only Jeep you'd consider buying (except for a TJ or older, Wrangler manual)

I've never owned one, but a Subie guy told me they (finally) *100%* solved their head gasket problem in 2013.

I got my first Subaru in 1977, and have always had one for everyday driving to this day, I also own a 4x4 Chevy pickup. In 2003, here in Colorado, we had a blizzard that dropped 3-4 feet of snow across the city. I got in the Chevy, and wouldn't move more than 3 feet. I put the Subaru in reverse, backed right out of the garage, and drove all over town helping friends get to the stores, if they weren't closed due to the chance of the roof collapsing. And now looking to get another Subie, and so glad they now have not just heated seats, but heated steering wheel!!! Would have been nice to have with the temps last week being at -25 degrees.

I love my BMW E61 the AWD is an absolute beast in the snow and ice. Took it to Utah for off roading and trail driving in the snow. But reliable...not really...mine is in the shop atm for possible transfer case problem. But it's been great for 35,000 miles of my ownership. I've driven mine on thousand mile plus road trips. Take care of it and it'll be reliable

Got an ‘07 Outback up here in Winnipeg…we just got several inches last week. No problems and I’ve never been stuck. Driving past pickups in the ditch!😂👌🏼

Your top choices are on my list of vehicles I'm looking out. Being single and I'm into outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking, camping etc. I wanted something that can handle most basic roads especially since I live out in the country. I'll have to check out the Honda. I've owned two Rav4s. One was a 99 Awd and my current one is 96 FWD, that belong to my mom, then my brother in law and now me. 🐸

I can attest to Subaru's being excellent in the snow. I had a 2005 Outback sedan for 4 years and it was almost unstoppable. I could point the car wherever I wanted to go, even in a blizzard and it would just do it without any kind of hesitation. Even with all season tires on it had little issue in up to a foot of snow

I drove a few BMW E90s in the Canadian winters, it’s actually one of the best cars I’ve winter driven, I ran all weather tires instead of real winter tires. The tread depth always has to be consistent on all 4 tires for the longevity of the AWD system. The reliability of the cars themselves was a mixed bag. The xDrive models are actually harder to work on than a RWD version because more stuff is in the way.

I have an Outback and the first time I drove it in the snow it blew my mind. It went right through 6 inches of snow like it wasn't even there.

Subaru with manual transmission is the way to go.... They have the old school 50/50 front rear AWD and none of the catastrophic CVT problems. Subarus are user serviceable and there is some cool after market stuff available for them... My Crosstrek smokes my Wrangler on slick roads and highway snow.

09' Forester X lowered on coilovers and full suspension. Has 18x9.5 wheels. All season Sumitomo tires for winter. Even lowered it has absolutely no problem in the snow.

Love my 2007 Subaru Outback, manual transmission! Does awesome in the snow, very useful and practical. Has a lot of luxury features too

2013 Impreza checking in……only thing I’ve fixed was a rear wheel bearing this past weekend. PIA but it only cost me about 300$in parts and hub tamer. Only 65k miles. Good and obvious list Mr. Wizard.

Compass and Patriot number 1 problem is front and rear sub frame rust, they are covered by a 10 years extended warranty starting from the day of the original purchase, when buying a used one you need to check first if it is admissnle to the extended warranty because in parts alone that's a $1K chunk per subframe

My mom had an 04 Ford Escape and loved it here on our snowy Upstate NY roads. She traded it in for something with more passenger room and traded that vehicle in for a 2019 Ford Escape. It is just about as good as the old Escape. Not sure for the reliability of the Ford Escapes in general, but we never had any real issues with any of ours. And I see TONS of them up here. Seem to be an overlooked car if you ask me

Got a TRD Rav4, besides a little low ground clearance its done very well on sand, snow and gas. Been a great little suv so far.

I had an 18' outback 3.6R and put 96k miles on it in 3 and half years without a single issue. I did all the maintenance myself without a problem. I traded it off for a 21' mazda cx-5 all wheel drive and have almost 18k on it now and zero issues with it as well. I just like trying out different vehicles which is the only reason I didn't get another Subaru.

Good Winter Tires (not mud+snow) will do more for you than all wheel drive (both is obviously better). You can stop faster, turn better and plow through the snow better.

I know the haters gunna hate, but I have a Nissan Rogue with AWD and I love it. Yeah, it has a CVT, but if it is properly maintained and you are gentle with it, it's an excellent car. I DoorDash on the side and you wouldn't believe the amount of times it's gotten me up a super steep driveway or road without any problems.

Thanks for the video Wizard. Happy to see you finally give some love to Honda. Sure, not quite as reliable as Toyota, but way more fun to drive. You know me for my BMW love, but I got Honda love too.

My wife and I have a pair of Outbacks to get us through the winter weather and they work great. I've seen videos where they compare a 2WD car with snow tires to an AWD car with all season tires. In the tests, the 2WD car often wins in acceleration and braking. Certainly an AWD car with snow tires would be the best combination but I don't bother. Where I live in the midwest, they usually have the roads cleared within a day or so of the snow. I don't find snow tires would be worth my time or money considering how little I actually drive on the snow. My AWD is always there and gets the job done when I need it. If I lived in the country, I would probably consider the snow tires on my AWD.

Last year I bought a new Chevy Trax AWD and it does pretty well in the snow, ice, and mud...even with the factory all-season tires. I put 24,000 miles on it in one year...So far so good. The Chevy Trax and its brother the Buick Encore are decent little crossovers.

Thanks Wiz!!!! Huge help here! Please keep videos like these coming!

There’s a lot more cars/SUVs that can go on this list. I know Car Wizard likes 4Runners. Don’t forget the 4Runner Limited has full time awd as well as a transfer case with 4wd high and low. Love mine!

Driving in snow takes practice too, I'm from Canada and it takes a few days to remember every year that the water is stiff! Love the channel.

Living in the northeast, I can confirm the Subaru excellence in snow. I had 2 Crosstreks (I still have one) and these are amazing in snow, it’s almost like there’s no snow. Also unbreakable, all I do is change oil and other fluids occasionally and wear parts such as windshield wipers and tires. My Honda Pilot is also going strong on its 5th year now with a new set of Crossclimate tires for the next few years, I might replace it in one or two years just so I have the latest tech.

I on the other hand have a 2005 bmw x5 (diesel) :) 220k miles, no oil leaks, no issues with transfer case and most importantly, minimal rust. My wife had a honda and currently has a 2009 corolla and theyre both extremely rusty from the underside, it's crazy. They salt the winter roads heavily here and it just kills japanese cars, at least the ones pre 2012

I like the fact that the edit puts the cars not to buy right on the fire

Not a popular opinion, but I used to have an 06 Buick Rendvous CXL AWD. Had the updated 3.5 v6 (not the 3.4 in the older models). I would try frequently to test the AWD system during harsh winter snows and I gotta say, that thing could plow through the snow with ease and get out of big drifts with no effort. (Also was very fun to drift around in it too!) Sold it at 213k and that motor still ran strong! Miss that car alot.

Friend had a '98 Legacy Wagon slammed to the ground on coil over suspension. He got a set of Dunlop snow tires and we were able to drive everywhere. The car just plowed through the snow. We eventually had to stop and clean the snow out from in front of the radiator so it wouldn't overheat.

Excellent video!!! I have a 06 Altima that I have 4 snow tires mounted on separate rims that I put on Dec-April here in CT. A few times I got caught at work during blizzard conditions, and I passed SUV's floundering on Interstate 95 on the way home. Snow tires do make a difference if you for whatever reason don't have all wheel/4 wh drive vehicles. But I do like the list that I just watched on this video.

If you can find one that hasn't rusted out and the door handles haven't all broken off; GMC Safari and Chevy Astro vans with AWD are pretty robust and perform very well in snow. The wheel placement is close to the bumpers and the engine location makes for good weight distribution.

Not ALL older Compass/Patriots have a CVT. The 6 speed auto (in later models) and 5 speed manual are also available.

I completely lucked out recently and got myself an 03 WRX with a full set of wheels with snow tires. It’s high mileage with over 200k miles on it but it drives like a dream. I’m the fourth owner but it’s clear that the car has been very well maintained and loved mechanically. Cosmetics on the outside it’s definitely showing signs of its age but inside it’s excellent. And the best part is it’s UNMODIFIED!! So you can find wonderful gems if you know where to look.

I have a '20 Subaru WRX 6 speed. With winter tires it's great, as long as the snow isn't too deep. For the deeper stuff I have a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer with good knobby tires. The Chevy pushed through 2 feet of snow without too much trouble on a few occasions.

Subaru Forester XT Limited from 2006 owned 5 years, stock survivor car. Smooth runner. 206k, original drivetrain and turbo, new timing belt, block heater, x-ice snow tires. I've seen 4 other gen 2 facelift (06-08) XTs in 5 years. 40 service records in 5 years to recondition. No need to plow the driveway ever...😀

Nice list, I have the Honda Element which is a boxy CRV with more available cargo space and also has the picnic table. Over 300k miles with no major issues.

Thank you Wizard and Mrs. As a geezer from the era of lockout hubs, loved my first AWD car 89 Subaru GL wagon, shift on the fly AWD. From Minnesota, Winterize - tires, battery, coolant, oil. Land Rover, dealership garage, the British don't build computers because they can not leak oil

Absolutely love your feedback mate, Thanks!

Had so pay 7k to fix gaskets in our 2014 outback when we found oil in the coolant system. The windshield cracks if you look at it wrong, $450 each time and i have a $500 deductible. Other than that it has been very reliable. Since they had the engine apart we had upcoming scheduled maintenance done like valve adjustment and a few other things. This car has saved our lives many times and its worth it just for that.

My prized possession is my 1999 Honda CR-V picnic table, love that you mentioned it!

I wanted to take a moment to say I love your videos and I have been watching for a very long time. ❤ Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I hope one day you can work on one of my cars! I have a 2001 CRV with a 5 speed. I have replaced the transmission at this point. I learned to drive on it. But the engine has 245+ real thousand miles. The head gasket has been done, the, axle seals, rear main seal, valve cover gasket etc. I am hoping to bring her to well over 300 thousand

Thanks for sharing your experience 🙏🏿😊