When you live in an area with tough winter weather, you need to consider shopping for a winter vehicle that you won’t mind messing up a little bit.

Let the used car you love to drive during the spring and summer have a break and choose a winter ride that will get you where you need to go and won’t make you cry when you happen to slide off on the side of the road or end up in an accident that you can’t control.

Used Cars for Your Winter Drive

2007 Ford Edge

You won’t have to pay more than $5,000 to find this SUV with the mileage you want for the winter drive. Try to find one that gives you the benefits of AWD and the power of the V6 engine that was produced at the time. You won’t have to invest much in this SUV, but you’ll have the ability to drive where you need to on the road.

2007 Mitsubishi Outlander

Spend the same amount on this model as you would on the Edge and you’ll have a crossover model that gives you the roominess you need and the power you’re looking for. The XLS model brings you a V6 engine and you can have AWD to enjoy the drive you’re looking for in the snow and through the wintery mix that’s heading your way for the next couple months.

2004 GMC Canyon

A midsize pickup truck could be right for you when you need something to drive in the winter. With the open bed, you can fill it with sandbags and other heavy items that can help you keep the traction you need. This particular model year will make it easy for you to avoid paying too much and you just might find a 4WD model to enjoy the drive.

2007 Suzuki SX4 Hatchback

This may be a small car, but it was the least expensive AWD model on the market at the time. This could be a used car that you find at a price as low as $3,000 to give you the drive you want in the snow. One benefit is that this could be a car fin for you to take out on the trails during the summer if you choose to take it out of storage before the winter next year.

1998 Subaru Outback

Subaru has been known to give us AWD as part of the standard package for a long time and the Outback gives this to you for the drive. This off-road wagon can be fitted with a set of snow tires and give you the traction you’re looking for when you drive it around in the northern areas throughout the winter months.

1998 Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town and Country

Most of the time, you wouldn’t think of a minivan as the right vehicle for you, but when you need to move your family around during the winter, this pair is the right choice. This is one of the years that the minivan pair was offered with AWD to give you the ability to have the added control you need when you drive.

2004 Mercedes-Benz E320 4Matic

If you’re ready to spend a little more than what you’ve seen with the rest of the models on this list, but you still want to have a car that can give you the winter traction you need, this is the car for you. This car has a large trunk to make it easy for you to fill it with several sandbags when you’re ready to take it out on the snow or through the winter rain.

1991 Toyota SR5 4WD Pickup

There’s no doubt that you can take this truck out on the winter roads and its offered on the market at a low price that will top out at $2,500. You won’t mind if you damage this truck in the snow or on the ice and you can fill it up with several sandbags that can help you have the added traction you need when you drive.

1999 Subaru Legacy Wagon

The wagon size of this car makes it easy to have a back that can be loaded with heavy items to help you with the traction you need. Add a set of snow tires to the Legacy and let it be a car that you truly don’t care about. If it survives the winter driving, you can put it away and have it ready to drive next winter when the weather begins to turn sour once again.