Best AWD Cars for 2024
These are the best AWD cars, SUVs, and trucks based on iSeeCars’ analysis of each vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety.
Best AWD Cars by Vehicle Type
All-wheel-drive has transitioned from a relatively exotic technology for sports cars to a mainstream feature available on today's top-selling vehicles. The popularity of SUVs and crossovers is the largest contributor to all-wheel-drive vehicles going mainstream in recent model years, though automakers like Audi and Subaru have been offering AWD systems on sedans and wagons for decades.
iSeeCars has identified the best all-wheel drive cars, trucks and SUVs below and ranked them by their iSeeCars quality score, which takes reliability, resale value, and safety into consideration. Shoppers seeking AWD vehicles can find them in nearly every major vehicle category, though base models often require either adding AWD as an option or moving up to a higher trim level when it’s not included as a standard feature.
Buyers often assume adding all-wheel-drive results in lower fuel economy, and in many cases that’s true. However, new car drivetrain technology has reduced AWD’s impact on fuel efficiency, with most models stuffing only a 1-2 MPG drop in mileage ratings. That small reduction in fuel efficiency is often worth it for buyers in cold-weather climates, where rear- or front-wheel drive vehicles can be challenged in finding consistent traction and the increased confidence that comes with it.
It should be noted that all-wheel-drive systems are not the same as four-wheel drive (4WD). All wheel drive is typically available on cars or car-based crossovers, while 4WD (also known as 4x4, or four-by-four) is almost exclusively found on trucks and SUVs, most of which start out as rear-wheel-drive before adding a driveshaft that runs to the front axle for improved off-road or deep snow driving. A two-speed or “low range” transfer case is also a common component of 4WD systems while rarely seen on AWD vehicles.
Beyond its slick-surface advantages, AWD is a popular enhancement on sports cars like the Nissan GT-R or luxury sedans like the BMW 3 Series and Genesis G70. Paired with modern turbocharged powertrains, featuring dual-clutch automatic transmissions and limited-slip differentials, AWD delivers enhanced grip on both twisty roads or at a race track.
Like so many of today’s automotive enhancements, ranging from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto infotainment systems to massaging front seats and driver-assist safety features, all-wheel drive improves the driving experience through advanced engineering. If you need the confidence of improved traction in inclement weather, or when navigating corners on twisty roads or at race tracks, all–wheel drive is your best option.
Best AWD Cars
Best AWD SUVs
Best AWD Hybrids
Best AWD Electrics
How We Rank These Cars
The best AWD cars rank vehicles by iSeeCars Score which is based on our proprietary assessment of a vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety (based on ratings from IIHS and NHTSA).
The iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
