Anywhere in Canada where snow flies for six months or more out of the year—which, let’s be honest, is most of this fine country of ours—all-wheel drive (AWD) is a highly desirable feature. It helps keep us moving on slippery roads, and it certainly doesn’t hurt when we find ourselves on a muddy or gravel-lined road in the summer, either.
For those seeking AWD, it seems SUVs have become the default, and as such we have a separate guide for the best four-wheel-drive SUVs. But you don’t need to buy an SUV to gain access to AWD. If you don’t need lots of ground clearance or towing capability and you want to stand out from the crowd, you have more options on today’s automotive market than you might think.
Here’s a list of the best AWD cars sold in Canada for 2024. Note this list is not fully inclusive: some brands offer standard AWD on most or all of their car line-ups, so we’ve hand-picked some of our favourite new cars here and noted when you have alternative options. (We haven’t included minivans in this list, but the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna both have AWD variants in Canada as well.) All prices shown include destination charges and fees unless indicated and were accurate at time of publication but are subject to change.
It’s also important to point out that AWD helps in low-traction situations but is no replacement for winter tires. An AWD system distributes torque to the wheels that have the most grip, which helps get you going. But an all-wheel drive vehicle does nothing to help you stop effectively on snow and ice. The rubber compound in winter tires is designed to provide better all-around performance in colder temperatures. Both features therefore play an important role in staying safe during winter driving.
Best Cars with AWD in Canada
- Acura TLX
- Audi S5
- BMW 5 Series
- Dodge Charger
- Genesis G90
- Kia K5
- Lexus IS
- Mazda3
- Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-terrain Wagon
- Nissan Altima
- Porsche 911
- Subaru Impreza
- Toyota Corolla Hybrid
- Volvo V90 Cross Country
Acura TLX
Acura’s Super Handling All-wheel Drive system (SH-AWD) is unique to the brand, even under the Honda umbrella. It’s similar to the i-VTM4 AWD system found in the Honda Pilot and Ridgeline, but for Acura it’s tuned for cornering performance instead of off-road capability. If you’re seeking a car with SH-AWD, you’ll need to look to the mid-size TLX, where the feature is standard along with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that creates 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The 2024 Acura TLX with standard all-wheel drive starts at $56,479 in Canada, including destination charges and fees.
Acura TLX Review
Audi S5
All-wheel drive cars can be hard to come by among the mainstream brands such as Ford and Chevrolet, which tend to focus on front-wheel drive or sometimes rear-wheel drive. However, the opposite is true in the luxury space: most luxury cars sold in Canada include standard AWD. Audi is one of the brands that offers its quattro AWD drivetrain as par for the course. In the interest of keeping this a true best-of list, we’ll highlight our favourite from the line-up and suggest the Audi S5 sports sedan. With 349 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque from a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, the S5 strikes an ideal balance between performance and practicality. The 2024 Audi S5 Sportback with standard quattro AWD has a fees-in starting price in Canada of $73,615.
BMW 5 Series
Like Audi, BMW sells just about everything in its line-up with standard xDrive AWD in Canada. For 2024, a new 5 Series is launching in both gas-powered and electric formats at the same time, both with xDrive AWD as standard. If you’re ready to go electric, opt for the 2024 BMW i5 M60. Power output is rated at 590 hp and 547 pound-feet of torque from the pair of electric motors, or up to 605 lb-ft when the M Sport Boost or M Launch Control functions are activated. The 2024 BMW i5 starts in Canada at a price of $98,255. If you still prefer to use gasoline, the launch edition of the 2024 BMW 5 Series in Canada is the BMW 530i, which uses a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine creating 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, increases of 7 hp and 38 lb-ft over the 2023 model. For the 2024 BMW 530i, pricing in Canada starts at $73,755.
Dodge Charger
Get it while you can: the Dodge Charger and its muscle-car coupe sibling, the Dodge Challenger, are leaving us after the 2023 model year so that Stellantis’s Brampton Assembly can be retooled to produce electrified vehicles to compete with Tesla and mainstream models such as the Hyundai Kona Electric. This means dealers are likely to have new stock only for the first few months of 2024. Between the Charger and Challenger, seven farewell special editions are being offered for the final run, though as of this writing you’ll have to stick with the SXT or GT models to drive off into the sunset with AWD. That means you’ll have a Charger with the standard 3.6-litre Pentastar V6, which with AWD produces 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. Pricing on the 2023 Dodge Charger SXT with AWD starts in Canada at $51,890.
Dodge Charger Overview
Genesis G90
Hyundai Auto Group’s luxury division is just eight years old, but it’s turning heads in Canada with its innovative sales model that includes all-in no-haggle pricing, home-based test drives and purchasing, five years of scheduled maintenance with valet service, and more. All Genesis sedans come with standard AWD in Canada, including the flagship G90. Redesigned for the 2023 model year, it comes with a 3.5-litre turbocharged and supercharged V6 engine making 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque, figures that hustle this limo-worthy large sedan around with elegance. Expect the latest driver assist safety features plus a slick infotainment complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 2024 Genesis G90 starts in Canada at an all-in price of $115,000.
Genesis G90 Overview
Kia K5
Although the Hyundai brand itself doesn’t sell any AWD cars in Canada, here’s another offering from a brand under Hyundai’s umbrella. All trims of the Kia K5 mid-size sedan come with standard AWD in Canada except for the performance-oriented GT. This means you’ll opt for either the LX, EX, or GT-Line, where a 1.6-litre four-cylinder makes 180 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. With all these trims priced under $40,000, the Kia K5 is one of the more affordable AWD cars on this list. In Canada, the 2024 Kia K5 with standard AWD carries a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $33,083, including fees.
Kia K5 Review
Lexus IS
The Lexus NX and RX crossovers are very popular options in Canada, not the least of the reasons being that both are built in Canada at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge, Ont. But if it’s a Lexus AWD sedan you’re after, check out the Lexus IS 350 AWD. It makes 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque with its 3.5-litre V6, and while that’s not the most powerful figure you can get in a compact luxury sedan, it does come with that Lexus reputation for reliability. The 2024 Lexus IS 350 has a Canadian starting price of $57,936.
Lexus IS Review
Mazda3
When Mazda launched AWD in its Mazda3 sedan and Mazda3 Sport hatchback a few years ago, it was a big deal. Even now, there are relatively few mainstream-leaning compact cars that can drive all four wheels. Two engines are available with AWD in both body styles, but we’d opt for the hatch and the 2.5-litre turbo four, which cranks out 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque if you fill it with 93-octane fuel (or 227 hp and 310 lb-ft if you opt for 87-octane). This does require opting for the automatic transmission, but it’s a trade we feel is worthwhile. For this AWD configuration of the 2024 Mazda3 Sport, you’ll pay $40,403 in Canada.
Mazda3 Review
Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-terrain Wagon
Like other luxury brands, Mercedes-Benz makes its 4Matic AWD standard on just about everything it sells in Canada. That being the case, we’ll stick our necks out and take this opportunity to remind you that wagons still exist and are a fantastic, stylish, and extremely practical way to break free of the SUV mould. The Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-terrain Wagon produces 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet from its 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six, and it also includes cutting-edge Mercedes MBUX touchscreen infotainment system and a highly flexible 640 to 1820 litres of cargo space. Mercedes-Benz is one of the final holdouts still offering wagons in the Canadian market, so please buy this car so the brand will keep selling them. Pricing for the 2024 version hadn’t been released as of our publication date, but a 2023 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-terrain Wagon with standard 4Matic AWD cost $86,000. Note this price is before fees, which the automaker allows its dealers to set individually in Canada.
Mercedes-Benz E 450 Review
Nissan Altima
In a midsize sedan market where it can be hard to stand out, Nissan Canada has found a way. The Nissan Altima has been offered with standard AWD in our market since the 2019 model year, meaning you can get into a roomy sedan that drives all four wheels for just under $35,000. The Altima comes with a single engine offering to go with its dual-axle power, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that makes 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. Sadly, since Nissan’s innovative variable-compression VC-Turbo engine isn’t sold with AWD in the United States, it’s not offered at all in our market. The 2024 Nissan Altima with standard AWD is sold in Canada starting from $34,383.
Nissan Altima Review
Porsche 911
The 911 is a classic sports car that needs no introduction, but did you know that it’s not only possible but entirely reasonable to daily drive one in Canada year-round? A 911 handles the elements exceedingly well when equipped with AWD, a configuration that’s offered on all Carrera models. This gives you access to a range of power outputs, from the Carrera 4’s 379 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque from its 3.0-litre flat-six to the Carrera 4 GTS’s up-tuned 473 hp and 420 lb-ft. For 2024, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 starts at $153,802.
Porsche 911 Overview
Subaru Impreza
Subaru is well known in Canada for its broad AWD offering. Apart from the BRZ sport coupe, everything Subaru sells comes with standard symmetrical AWD. This means the redesigned 2024 Subaru Impreza holds the distinction of being the most affordable AWD car in Canada at a starting price of $29,167 before taxes and fees. Its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with Subaru’s distinctive horizontally opposed cylinder configuration produces 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. Note that as of 2024, the Impreza and the related Subaru Crosstrek are no longer sold with a manual transmission as part of the powertrain, meaning buyers will default to the continuously variable transmission (CVT). Presently, the Impreza is sold only as a hatchback in Canada. If you’d prefer a sedan, the Subaru WRX or Subaru Legacy are alternate options. We also enjoy the Subaru Outback, though whether that’s a lifted wagon (and therefore a car) or a low-slung crossover could be considered up for debate.
Subaru Impreza Overview
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Once upon a time, compact cars were a big deal in the Canadian automotive market. But then SUVs became a hot commodity, and today cars account for just 15 percent, give or take, of all vehicles sold in Canada. If you don’t want to give up AWD but long for simpler days, check out the Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Toyota offers AWD most trims of the Corolla Hybrid for 2024, and it’s standard on the top two trim levels. Plus, with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor producing a combined 134 horsepower and a combined fuel consumption rating of no more than 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres, this combination of dual-axle drive and fuel economy is impressively practical and fuel-efficient. The 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD starts in Canada at a price of $31,205.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid Overview
Volvo V90 Cross Country
Permit us one more plug for the wagons before we sign off. The Volvo V90 wagon is an absolute stunner, and we thought we’d lost it when Volvo discontinued it in Canada after the 2019 model year. But in a surprise twist, we got it back in 2022 when the V90 Cross Country made it to our shores. This is an ideal SUV alternative with its 20.4-centimetre ground clearance, 714 litres of cargo space or 1,517 litres if you fold the rear seats, and a 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine producing 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. And, of course, like most Volvos sold in Canada, AWD is standard. The 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country carries a starting price in Canada of $73,639.
Note: Images may show US models.