If April showers bring May flowers, what do April blizzards bring?
Winter’s largely left the scene for another year across Canada, but not in Winnipeg. As I write this in mid-April 2022, that part of our country is bracing for two more feet of snow.
As the spring of 2022 emerges, it’s time for this writer to look back on the winter test-drive season that was — fresh out of logging about 40,000 icy kilometres of real-world testing, across more than 15 of the market’s latest vehicles, fitted with some of their latest technologies.
So, here’s my annual look back at the winter that was, with a specific focus on the most impressive machines and moments — and a few things I learned along the way.
2022 Ford Maverick
2022 Ford Maverick Photo by Justin Pritchard
The Ford Maverick has been one of my most-requested models for many months, with a huge number of friends, family, viewers, and readers keen to learn about this compact pickup.
During our extended time together, the Maverick and I tackled two separate city-stopping snow-days, wearing a set of Falken Wildpeak tries — a 3-peak Mountain Snowflake rated all-terrain tire, but not a dedicated winter.
Though I’d definitely be installing a dedicated winter tire on my own Maverick for these conditions, my tester proved a treat in the snow. Specifically, the handling, steering, braking and especially AWD system feel nicely calibrated for drama-free wintertime driving — even in severe conditions.
Ford clearly spent a lot of time getting things dialled in, in real-world winter conditions, so that it feels just right at the tips of your fingers and toes. Expert calibration of the stability control and AWD system make for fast extraction of grip from even slippery surfaces, with virtually no wasted wheelspin. The Maverick’s dense and solid road feel work with surprisingly sporty handling characteristics for a winter driving feel that’s stable, planted, obedient, and highly responsive.
The powertrain is smooth and pleasing, and the AWD system can even slow or lock a single rear wheel when you’re steering in deep snow, to make the Maverick much more maneuverable.
The drive on this little truck is full of touches like this. Added up, they make it an easy machine to enjoy when the snow flies.
2022 Mercedes S 580 4Matic
2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580 Photo by Justin Pritchard
Speaking of easy to enjoy, the Mercedes S 580 is one of the most impressive cars I’ve ever visited. Still, on a particularly-frigid test week in the dead of winter, another story started to emerge as I wrote about this car. Detail by detail, the S 580 was demonstrating how its promise of incredible refinement and comfort is still valid even at 35 below.
At those temperatures, many cars struggle or fail to start, creak and crack, vibrate and squeak, idle poorly, take considerable time to heat up, and may even have a louder and less comfortable ride because everything is frozen stiff. Of course, that’s not acceptable to shoppers dropping six figures on a luxury flagship.
At face-shattering temperatures, the S 580’s 48-volt hybrid V8 engine smoothly glides to life with little more hesitation or noise than starting it at room temperature. From there, it settles into a smooth and creamy idle in a second or so, and thanks to a so-called electric ‘booster heater’ powered by its high-voltage hybrid system, warm air starts to enter the cabin in a moment, not an eternity.
Squeaks? Rattles? Panel clicking? Forget about it. A harsher, noisier ride? Nope. Even in the middle of a wintertime cold snap, the S 580 maintains its character as a creamy and quiet cruise — almost like a leather-lined, V8-powered hovercraft that lights up like the inside of a night-club when the sun goes down. By day, it gives occupants a gorgeous place to relax while they take in the winter scenery.
2022 Kia EV6
2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line Photo by Justin Pritchard
Kia’s all-new, all-electric EV6 GT Long Range headed north for a few thousand kilometres of cold weather testing, its 411-kilometre battery (at room temperature) proving good for a comfortable 315 kilometres of driving at a good clip, at ten below, with the heat cranked. That’s more than sufficient for a spirited afternoon drive down some of my favourite icy backroads north of the city. It’s here where the Kia EV6 put the biggest grins on my face.
Combining ‘right-now’ torque with a hair-trigger throttle and an AWD calibration that feels dialled right in, the enthusiast driver can expect this machine to deliver a ton of noiseless fun when the traction is low, and the going gets twisty.
In SPORT mode, the high-torque, high-grip, rear-biased feel to the EV6 on snow and ice reminded me of some of my favourite winter-eating sports sedans. Specifically, that’s thanks to the immediate and very pleasing reactions to driver inputs, especially the throttle.
The sensation of both grip and thrust increasing as you press the throttle and send snow and ice airborne never gets old.
2022 Acura MDX
2022 Acura MDX A-Spec Photo by Justin Pritchard
The morning after a nearly two-foot snowfall blanketed Sudbury, I collected Cameraman James and headed north in the 2022 Acura MDX, in search of some roads that hadn’t yet been visited by the snow-plows. The mission: film the MDX driving in the deepest snow possible.
Our road of choice for this exercise hadn’t yet been plowed (great)– but both cameraman and presenter had our reservations about whether the MDX could tackle the task. With bumper-deep powder in some spots — waist-deep drifts in others — even I was a little apprehensive. “Nah, she’ll be fine” I figured.
We pressed on through thick snow — as deep as the tires in some stretches — meaning that plenty of wheelspin was required to maintain forward momentum and keep from getting stuck.
A key memory from this winter’s driving I’ll never forget is how the MDX performed in this specifically challenging scenario. Tackling this much snow on this particular road often requires disengaging the vehicle’s traction control system fully, managing the throttle for steady wheelspin over an extended period, maintaining momentum at all costs, and otherwise entering into a fairly noisy, high-stress driving environment until you’re clear of the snow.
Too much of this and you’ll probably overheat many AWD systems, which tend to heat up after extended periods of wheelspin. In some cases, this overheating trips a safety measure that switches from AWD to two-wheel drive until things cool down, a stressful proposition in the middle of a backroad in the bush that’s buried in snow and ice.
The MDX takes a more relaxed approach, which helps reduce the stress often associated with deep-snow driving. Here, wheelspin is limited automatically to levels that are sufficient, not excessive.
That means less need for the driver to manage the throttle, less noise and wasted fuel from the engine, steadier acceleration, an easier time steering the vehicle. No sign of system overheating, even after 20 minutes of carefully-meted wheelspin. Mostly, you’re just relaxing in your seat, pointing the wheel, and enjoying the scenery as the machine maintains its composure and does all the hard work for you.
Those trying to power-slide their way to the chalet after a blizzard may wish for something snappier, though drivers after minimized stress and maximized confidence in the deep stuff will find it works just great. Here’s a crossover I’d be happy to take to camp, even after heavy snow, without any second guessing.
Keyword: Here are 4 of the best cars I tested this winter