The Best AWD Luxury SUV for a Long Island Winter: What to Look For

What a Long Island Winter Asks of an SUV

Long Island winters aren't upstate winters. Snow totals are moderate in most years, but the conditions are varied and often awkward. Here is what tests a vehicle between Freeport and the East End.

The Five Things That Matter Most

• 1. Tires, before anything else All-wheel drive helps you pull away and climb. It does nothing to help you stop or turn on ice. Dedicated winter tires do. On any luxury SUV, switching to winter tires from November to March is the single biggest safety upgrade you can make. Our Land Rover tire and alignment guide covers fitment and care.
• 2. A drive system that shifts torque intelligently Modern luxury AWD systems all move power toward the wheels with grip. Land Rover adds Terrain Response, which adjusts throttle, traction control and suspension for snow, gravel, mud and sand.
• 3. Ground clearance Useful for unplowed side streets and plow berms at the end of the driveway. Air suspension that can raise the body helps here.
• 4. Wading depth On the South Shore, published wading depth is a real specification. It tells you how much margin a vehicle's air intake and electrics have.
• 5. Heated everything and good lighting Heated seats, steering wheel, windshield and washer jets, plus strong LED headlights, make the dark 5 p.m. commute home safer and more comfortable.

How the Land Rover Lineup Compares for Winter

Maximum wading depths from Land Rover's published figures. Where two figures appear, the higher one applies to air suspension.

If coastal flooding and unplowed streets are a regular part of your winter, the Defender, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery have meaningfully more margin than the Velar and Evoque. If your winter driving is mostly plowed parkways and the LIE, the smaller models with good winter tires are fully capable.

Rival Drive Systems and Published Figures

We only list clearance and wading figures we could verify from the manufacturer's own published data. Where we couldn't, the cell says so. Check the manufacturer's current spec sheet for those models.

Two practical points for Long Island shoppers. If you're cross-shopping a BMW X5 or Mercedes GLE, confirm the car on the lot is the xDrive or 4MATIC version, because both brands also sell rear-drive variants. And where a manufacturer publishes a wading depth, compare like for like. Porsche publishes 19.6 inches for the steel-sprung Cayenne in its 2024 technical data. Land Rover's 900 mm (35.4 inch) figure applies with air suspension, so ask each brand for the figure on the exact suspension you're buying, and confirm current-model numbers with the manufacturer.

Electric and Plug-In Hybrid SUVs in the Cold

Every battery loses range in cold weather, so plan for noticeably less winter range than the rated figure on any electric or plug-in hybrid SUV. The practical fixes are simple: park in a garage where you can, and pre-heat the cabin while the vehicle is still plugged in so the energy comes from the wall, not the battery. The Range Rover Sport P550e's 51-mile EPA electric range leaves real margin for a typical Nassau County day even in winter. For the new all-electric Range Rover, see our Range Rover Electric price and delivery guide.

Which One Fits Your Winter?

Winter SUV FAQ