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What's the most reliable small SUV that can cope with snow?

My daughter has just started as district nurse in the wonderful but very hilly area of the Pennines, West Yorkshire. She needs a reliable automatic, probably with a petrol engine as much of the use is stop start. It's likely she will only cover 10,000 miles a year. In her role she will be expected to visit in winter. Are winter tyres or 4x4 better. She accepts new may be out of reach, but if a new option is there we'd be interested to hear.

Asked on 5 July 2023 by Dave Harper

Answered by Andrew Brady
We'd recommend a Toyota Yaris Cross. It's an excellent small SUV that's likely to be a very reliable and dependable choice, while its hybrid engine means it'll be cheap to run. Your daughter might need to stretch her budget to find one with four-wheel drive, although a two-wheel-drive model with a set of winter tyres ought to be surprisingly capable. A petrol Skoda Kamiq would be a good alternative.
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