Winter Cars: 5 rides for that crazy Midwestern weather

IOWA CITY, IA - FEBRUARY 03: A car sits abandoned in the median of I-380 February 3, 2011 between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa. A massive winter storm smashed into a third of the country, from Texas to Wisconsin, on February 1st and 2nd, making travel treacherous. Major highways are now open but a cold snap behind the storm is keeping temperatures hovering around zero degrees in southwest Iowa. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Reporter Images/Getty Images) /

Few cars are as synonymous with off-road control as the WRX

The Subaru WRX and STI are closely related to one of the all-time great rally cars, pictured above and to the right. Symmetrical all-wheel drive and a turbocharged Boxer 4 cylinder engine provide the WRX and STI with the go juice to get started in the snow.

This is the least expensive car on this list when new, the WRX starts at $26,995 for the base model. This still has the features above for good handling in the snow and has plenty of aftermarket support to enhance the cars handling and capabilities.

The company puts their money where their mouth is…

If you were to upgrade to the STI trim, the engine is upgraded to a 2.5 liter Boxer instead of the 2.0 liter in the base model. Brembo brakes are also added for increased stopping power, even though that power doesn’t do much in the snow and ice but helps a ton in dry conditions.

Subaru engineered this car to do exactly what it needs to do to keep itself steady and maintain the driver’s confidence in all weather. The company puts their money where their mouth is by doing demos of the cars doing things never meant for a car to do such as sending one down a bobsled track. It is a chief among winter cars! Subaru even used a minimally modified car to set a lap record at the Isle of Man TT, a race course meant for motorcycles.

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