Thursday, February 6, 2014

The 5 best ski cars of 2013 - Snow? No problem ...

The 5 best ski cars of 2013 Snow
Though the days of summer driving are over, winter driving does have its benefits. Here are five cars that are perfectly equipped to annihilate mountain passes, gobble up miles of highway cruising, brush off frigid predawn morning routines, and carry enough ski and snowboard gear for five without batting an eye.


Ford Focus ST

The Ford Fiesta ST may have been nominated for Road & Track's Performance Car of the Year for 2013, but its big brother is still a great bargain hot hatch. Packing 247 hp from its 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, the five-door Focus ST has a healthy 23.8 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats. Though the ST only comes in front-wheel drive, it does have an electronic limited-slip differential and a generous amount of torque to help make those 5 AM midwinter wake-up calls bearable. The Focus is also the first really good hot hatch out of America in a very long time, and that's reason enough for it to be on every winter athlete's buy list.
Audi SQ5
The Audi S4 Avant has been the perennial ski car of choice. Cruise any mountainside parking lot on a given winter weekend and you will find at least one generation of S4 covered in various states of salty winter road grime. Few cars are better equipped to handle long highway stretches, serve up turbocharged power in spades, or handle the twisty, snow-covered back roads of America while keeping your buns nice and toasty. Unfortunately, Audi is no longer offering the S4 Avant in the United States, choosing instead to sell a hopped-up version of the ultra-popular Q5 model in S-trim.


Audi SQ5
Audi


We're not really complaining. We're happy to see Audi continue to offer a stylish combination of performance and utility. Plus, you can't really argue with the SQ5's 354 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque, nor the peace of mind that the added ground clearance provides. Never mind that its supercharged V6 has a howl more akin to a Cayman S than to a luxury crossover loaded down with ski gear. The performance stats back it up, too: 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

Grand Cherokee SRT

The current generation Grand Cherokee SRT finally comes equipped with an four-wheel drive system that's up to the task of making the performance Jeep an all season brawler. Weighing in at 5200 lbs of all-American (assembled in Mexico) muscle, and with more cargo space (35.1 cubic feet worth) and heated seats than anything else on this list, this is the definite choice for any snow bunny with gasoline coursing through their veins. Thanks its Challenger SRT-sourced 6.4 liter V8 that makes 470 horsepower and 465 lb ft of torque, the Grand Cherokee SRT rockets to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and traps the quarter at 103+ mph. Those are huge performance numbers for such a large vehicle. Luckily, the team at SRT fitted the Grand Cherokee with massive 295 Pirelli's tires all around, and colossal 15-inch six-piston Brembo brakes up front.


Grand Cherokee SRT
Jeep


The Grand Cherokee SRT's four-wheel drive system is performance-oriented, sending up to 70 percent of the power to the rear wheels via torque vectoring. Out back, there's an electronic differential keeping things tidy on corner exit. Though a pricey purchase with a base sticker of $63,600, you can find gently used SRT8s for under $50K.

Land Rover Range Rover

Nothing says "posh" quite like a Range Rover. If you're looking for the right pre-ski and après-ski vehicle to pair with your mink-lined boots, then the latest generation Range Rover might do. Despite its reputation as the luxo-barge of choice for the One Percent, the current Range Rover still remains one of the most comfortable rides to waft through quaint ski villages. Why the interior of the Range Rover hasn't won every single styling award under the sun is beyond us, as it manages to effortlessly combine technology, utility, and luxury without being fussy. All four seats can be spec'd to be heated and ventilated. If you forget your gloves one morning, the heated steering wheel will help you avoid tragedy. Cargo space? The Range Rover has that in abundance, as well, with an available 32.1 cubic ft of storage.


Land Rover Range Rover
Land Rover


Speaking of effortless, the top-of-the-line 5.0-liter supercharged V8 now makes a stonking 510 hp and 460 ft-lbs of torque. The 0-60 mph sprint falls in just 5.1 seconds, and improved aerodynamics mean the SUV will happily cruise at super-legal highway speeds without breaking a sweat. There's a good reason its close relative, the Range Rover Sport, was our Best SUV of 2013.

Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Wagon

If you recently made an insane amount of money through a tech IPO and you're looking for the perfect accessory for your chalet outside of Lake Tahoe, then Mercedes-Benz has you covered. The E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic wagon is a mouthful, but what its name lacks in eloquence, it makes up for in understated high-performance luxury. The handbuilt twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 produces 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque by sucking buckets of air through the gills of the E-Class's restyled front fascia. And just how capable is this monster motor? Well, when it's not moving mountains, it can rocket the E63 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and an 11.7 second quarter mile at 120+ mph. Did we mention there's a third row of seating available?


Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Wagon
Mercedes-Benz


There aren't many cars this side of a Ferrari FF that can compete with the E63 AMG S-Model Wagon, at least not until Audi's RS7 comes stateside next year. Until then, the E63 Wagon is really the only weapon you'll need if you're looking to get five (or seven) winter sport lovers to the first lift in supreme comfort. If the 2013 Performance Car of the Year competition had included a winter weather stage, this incredible wagon might have taken the gold.


Source: 

By Thierry Godard November 22, 2013 / Photos by Ford
http://www.roadandtrack.com/features/web-originals/the-best-ski-cars-of-2013#ixzz2sYzrg3LL

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