Colorado is also a great place to own a car. The state’s roads are well-maintained, but the weather tends to snow all year round. It always snows each month of the year, but the snow is mainly from October – to late April.
Since the weather is always cold, road conditions in Colorado tend to be slippery due to snow. That’s why when choosing a vehicle for use in Colorado, you must focus on a car that performs well through snow, ice, sleet, and rain.
So, What is the best vehicle for Colorado?
A vehicle with AWD or 4WD with good ground clearance would perform well in Colorado. When choosing the best car for Colorado, it is essential to consider the state’s diverse weather conditions and terrain. The state’s roads can be challenging to navigate, so a car with good ground clearance and all-wheel drive is a good choice.
The Subaru Forester, Jeep Wrangler, and Ford F-150 are good choices for a Colorado. These vehicles can handle the state’s diverse weather conditions and terrain. They are also all big enough to navigate the state’s roads comfortably.
Here is a list of cars I recommend if you live in Colorado.
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Subaru Outback
- Class: Compact SUV 5 Seats
- Starting Price: $28,395 MSRP
Subaru Outback is one of the best for many reasons. It has standard all-wheel drive and EyeSight Driver Assist, making it great for off-roading and winter weather.
The Outback is also very reliable, so you won’t have to worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere. It also has a lot of space to fit all of your gear. When winter comes, the Subaru Outback is an excellent choice for a car in Colorado.
The Subaru Outback is a great SUV for families because it is comfortable to drive, has a lot of room inside, and has many tech features.
Under the hood, there is a 2.5 Liter engine that makes 182 horsepower, but if you want more, there is a 260 horsepower turbocharged 2.4 Liter engine that you can get.
This car gets 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. Fuel consumption is also quite good, with 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the roads.
Ground Clearance Subaru Outback is relatively high, about 9.5 inches. With a winter tire, the Subaru Outback can undoubtedly beat the cold weather in Colorado.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Class: Midsize SUV 5 Seats
- Starting Price: $41,530 MSRP
It is a 4X4 SUV that is perfect for off-roading and winter weather.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is also reliable, so you won’t have to worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere. It has a lot of space to fit all your gear. And, the car is comfortable to drive, so you can make long drives without getting too tired.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is an excellent choice for a car in Colorado. It has an excellent ground clearance of 13.3 inches.
For 4×4 systems, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has four proven available 4×4 systems that can tackle all weather conditions.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee’s 4WD system features Quadra Trac II technology, which has been proven to perform well in extreme road conditions such as wet, sandy, muddy, or snowy roads. Just like Alaska, Colorado is a state with relatively high snow intensity, with snow available almost all year round.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has several special driving modes that can be adapted to road conditions.
You can activate the snow mode for a smooth ride on the Denver roads filled with snow. It should be noted that not all models come with a 4X4 drive wheel system. Only the Limited, Limited X, Trailhawk, and SRT models have 4X4 drive systems.
Honda Pilot
- Class: Midsize SUV 7-8 Seats
- Starting Price: $39,950 MSRP
The Honda Pilot is another great SUV choice for Colorado. It has standard all-wheel drive, making it great for off-roading and winter weather.
The Pilot is also very reliable, so you won’t have to worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere. It has a lot of space to fit all your gear. And, the car is comfortable to drive, so you can make long drives without getting too tired.
The Honda Pilot is undoubtedly one of the proper SUVs for Colorado. It’s powered by a 280 Horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine and 7.3 ground clearance, making it reliable in all weather and strong enough to tackle mountain roads.
Honda Pilot is a great choice for a car in Colorado. If you feel like this car is big for you, Honda also offers the Honda Passport, a rugged midsize SUV with a powerful V6 engine, ready for all weather and road conditions.
Hyundai Tucson
- Class: Compact SUV 5 Seats
- Starting Price: $26,900 MSRP
This Korean compact SUV also got a complete redesign last year and came with a masculine style, a contemporary interior, and a long list of safety and driving comfort features.
The Hyundai Tucson is an excellent choice for a car in Colorado. It has an HTRAC all-wheel-drive system that can be very helpful in certain weather conditions.
The 2023 Hyundai Tucson has a 2.5-liter engine with 1187 horsepower. It is also available in a hybrid model.
Remember that the HTRAC AWD system is only available on SE, SEL, XRT, N Line, and Limited trims.
Toyota RAV4
- Class: Compact SUV 5 Seats
- Starting Price: $27,975 MSRP
This is a great car for those who want an SUV but don’t need a big one. The Toyota RAV4 is very reliable, so you won’t have to worry about it breaking down in the middle of nowhere.
The Toyota RAV4 is a great choice for a car in Colorado. It has a very good grand clearance of 8.1 inches. With Dynamic torque-vectoring All-Wheel Drive, The snowy roads in Colorado are no problem for the Toyota RAV4. It is also available in gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid.
Ford Explorer
- Class: Midsize SUV 7 Seats
- Starting Price: $36,760 MSRP
It is a mid-size SUV that is great for those who need an SUV for their daily driving. The Ford Explorer is very reliable, so you won’t have to worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere.
The Ford Explorer is an excellent choice for a car in Colorado. It has three rows of seating, making it perfect for larger families or groups of people. It comes with an RWD driving system but can be upgraded to 4WD.
The Ford Explorer is one of the most powerful SUVs you can get equipped with 3 engine options, including the 2.3L, 3.0L EcoBoost, and 3.3L Hybrid Engine.
The all-new Ford Explorer features an intelligent four-wheel-drive (4WD) control system. It optimizes engine power and braking system, allowing the vehicle to deliver the right amount of traction to match the driving condition, so you won’t slip on when it snows on a slippery road.
Since Ford Explorer has an RWD drive system as standard, I highly recommend getting the 4WD version because RWD is not good enough in snowy road conditions. To get Intelligent 4WD, you need to pay $2000 more.
Ford F-150
- Class: Full-Size Pickup Truck
- Starting Price: $34,595 MSRP
Ford F-150 pickup truck is a great choice for those needing a truck for work or daily driving. It is very reliable, so you won’t have to worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere. It has a lot of space to fit all your gear.
The Ford F-150 is a great choice for a car in Colorado. It comes with different engine options, making it perfect for those who need a truck for their specific needs. It also has a very good grand clearance of 11.5 inches.
Unfortunately, you must pay a little extra for a 4X4 Drive system, which is required because a 4X4 is more optimal on icy roads, which are common in Colorado.
Honda Ridgeline
- Class: Compact Pickup Truck
- Starting Price: $38,800 MSRP
This is a great car for those who need a truck but don’t want to get a full-size truck. It has a lot of space to fit all your gear.
The Honda Ridgeline is a great choice for a car in Colorado. It has a unique design that makes it stand out from other trucks. And it comes with different driving modes that can be very helpful in certain weather conditions.
It’s agile, spacious, has many features, and has an Intelligent Variable Torque Management™ AWD System as a standard, so you don’t need to pay more to get the AWD system, which is great.
Honda Ridgeline fuel consumption is fairly good, which is 18/24/21. The engine is more than adequate for daily needs but still less powerful than the F-150. Honda only provides 1 engine choice on the Ridgeline, a 3.5L VTEC V6 with 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque.
So, Owners who don’t require the capabilities of a regular pickup truck will be more than satisfied with the Ridgeline.
Chrysler Pacifica
- Class: Minivans 7 Passengers
- Starting Price: $37,270 MSRP
Without a doubt, the Chrysler Pacifica is the best Minivan available today. Along with the Toyota Sienna, the Chrysler Pacifica is one of the minivans available with an All-wheel Drive system.
Of course, it makes the position of the Chrysler Pacifica slightly different from most minivans. Chrysler Pacifica can conquer difficult roads very well, including snowy ones.
Thanks to its comfy interior, typical of a minivan, the Chrysler Pacifica is the ideal family vehicle for folks in Colorado. Going to the office or dropping off children at school is no longer a problem when the streets are covered in snow.
The starting price for a Chrysler Pacifica is $37,095. AWD is offered in the Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle trim levels.
Toyota Camry
- Class: Midsize Car
- Starting Price: $26,220 MSRP
The Camry is a great car for Colorado. It’s comfortable and efficient, with plenty of features to keep you safe on the road. It is a family sedan that can handle snow and ice well. The latest model comes with a selection of fuel-friendly engines to save money on your commute.
How can it handle Colarados’s snowy road?
It takes Colarados’s snowy highway by having an all-wheel drive. The Toyota Camry has some features that make it suitable for Colorado. One of those features is all-wheel drive, which helps with traction on slippery roads.
The Camry is also comfortable and efficient, which can help when you’re driving long distances in the snow. Another feature that makes the Camry good for Colorado is its fuel efficiency. With the new models, you can save money on your monthly gas bill.
One drawback of the Toyota Camry on snowy roads is that its ground clearance isn’t high enough, making driving difficult in heavy snow, although it’s good on light snow roads.
FAQ
Do I Need an SUV For Colorado?
You don’t always need an SUV in Colorado, but it is the best bet. The state’s roads are well-maintained but also curvy and hilly in some areas. An SUV can handle these conditions better than most other types of cars.
So, an SUV is a good choice for a vehicle in Colorado. But, if a person does not need an SUV for their daily driving, they may want to consider a different type of car. The following are cars that are recommended when staying in Colorado.
What kind of car is best for Denver?
Because the roads of Denver are frequently covered in snow, a vehicle with all-wheel drive and adequate ground clearance is the best option. Aside from that, it is critical to consider several other car features for slippery Denver roads due to snow, such as Traction Control, Stability Control, Engine Block Heater, Heated mirrors, Winter Tires, etc.
Do I need a 4-wheel drive to live in Denver?
An AWD or even FWD car will be able to handle the streets of Denver very well. However, if you want to drive further into the mountains for a skiing or snowboarding trip, a 4WD SUV or truck is ideal.
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