Edmunds: Four fun wintertime vehicles for under $40,000

Driving in the snow isn’t enjoyable for many people. It’s cold, the roads are slick, and city traffic is often slow going. But there are ways to have a bit more fun in the wintertime. To start, it helps to have the right vehicle.

Edmunds’ car experts have four recommendations, including one that you’d never guess could be just as enjoyable to drive in the winter snow as it is on dry summer roads. They’re listed below in alphabetical order and are capped to stay under $40,000. All prices include the destination charge.

Of all the pickup trucks on sale in 2024, Edmunds chose the Chevy Colorado as its Edmunds Top Rated Truck of the year. It raises the bar for midsize trucks, and the Trail Boss version exemplifies why.

Equipped with all-terrain tires, an off-road suspension with a 2-inch lift from the factory, and an automatic four-wheel-drive system, the Colorado Trail Boss is a five-passenger crew-cab pickup ready for almost anything. Its turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine provides 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque is plenty for powering through snow drifts or towing up to 7,700 pounds.

The Trail Boss is decently equipped with features, though heated front seats are curiously unavailable. You can add heated side mirrors and all-season floor mats as options.

2024 Chevy Colorado Trail Boss price: $39,195

The retro-styled Ford Bronco is more than just fun to look at. It’s also a blast to drive no matter the weather. It offers praiseworthy capability and character in equal measure, and its rugged design looks cool without trying too hard. The Bronco also has more on-road appeal than the rival Jeep Wrangler thanks to its smoother ride quality and more stable handling.

The Big Bend trim is the Bronco’s base trim level and it offers surprising comfort and practicality. It comes with a part-time four-wheel-drive system, all-terrain tires, and a hardtop with a rear window defroster and a rear window wiper. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine supplies up to 300 horsepower when running on premium fuel, and a seven-speed manual transmission is standard. Technically, the Bronco is priced below $40,000 to start but adding the destination charge puts it slightly over.

2024 Ford Bronco Big Bend price, two-door: $41,525

No, we’re not joking. Wrap the Mazda MX-5 Miata’s wheels in winter tires, and this rear-wheel-drive sports car can churn through the white stuff with remarkable ease as long as it isn’t too deep.

That’s true of any Miata. The RF version is better for winter driving thanks to its exclusive weathertight retractable hardtop roof to better keep the cold out and the heat in. Only the Grand Touring trim level slides in under our $40,000 price cap, but it’s well equipped with leather upholstery, heated front seats and heated exterior mirrors. Though the Miata’s low-to-the-ground design limits winter drivability during heavier storms, the car’s playful handling can be a delight to experience following a light snowfall.

2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Grand Touring price: $38,195

Subaru has earned a reputation for building vehicles that are well suited for winter. And among the brand’s current lineup, the most fun to drive for the winter is the WRX. This rally-bred sport sedan pairs a 271-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission and standard all-wheel drive to provide impressive traction and acceleration on any road surface.

Most WRX versions are priced under our $40,000 limit. We’d go with the Premium trim for overall value. It comes with cloth upholstery, heated front seats, heated side mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer, and all-weather floor mats are an option. You can also get it with an automatic transmission.

2024 Subaru WRX Premium: $35,755

Whether you prefer a sports car, sedan, truck or SUV, there’s something fun to drive during the winter months. Whatever your choice, we recommend swapping your vehicle’s all-season or performance tires for a proper set of winter tires to provide extra grip in snowy or icy conditions.

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

Christian Wardlaw is a contributor at Edmunds.

This photo provided by Subaru shows the WRX sport sedan. The WRX's standard all-wheel drive helps make it a year-round performance car. (Courtesy of Subaru of North America via AP)

This photo provided by Mazda shows the Miata RF convertible. Even in the wintertime, the Miata has a way of just making you smile all of the time. (Courtesy of Mazda North American Operations via AP)

This photo provided by Ford shows the Bronco midsize SUV. The Bronco has a lot going for it, including rugged-looking styling and a wide range of available configurations. (Courtesy of Ford Motor Co. via AP)

This photo provided by Chevrolet shows the Colorado midsize pickup truck. The Trail Boss comes with features to enhance off-road capability but it also is well suited for wintertime driving. (Courtesy of General Motors via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Target etched out a slim sales increase in the third quarter but profits slumped as inflation-weary customers pulled back on spending and costs related to a dockworker strike in October dragged on results.

The Minneapolis retailer fell short of Wall Street expectations for the quarter and its outlook for the final three months of the year also disappointed industry analysts in an environment in which Americans are still spending, but being more selective.

The most recent quarter at Target stands in stark contrast to rival Walmart, which reported another quarter of stellar sales Tuesday and released optimistic projections for the holiday season.

Shares plummeted 20% before the opening bell Wednesday.

“We encountered some unique challenges and cost pressures that impacted our bottom-line performance,” said Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell.

Target posted net income of $854 million, or $1.85 per share, in the quarter ended Nov. 2, far short of the $2.30 analysts were looking for, according to FactSet, and down from $971 million, or $2.10 per share, in the year-ago period.

Sales rose to $25.67 billion, up from $25.4 billion last year, but fell shy of Wall Street expectations.

Target said that it now expects its earnings per share to be in the range of $1.85 to $2.45 for its fiscal fourth quarter. That’s below the $2.65 per share expected by analysts polled by FactSet.

The retailer reported that its comparable sales — those from stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months — rose 0.3% during the third quarter. That’s below the 2% gain posted in the second quarter. The increase in the April-June period reversed months of declines, including a 3.7% drop in the first quarter and a 4.4% decline during the company’s final quarter of 2023.

Comparable sales of cosmetic products rose more than 6%, while food and beverages, as well as essentials like shampoo, increased in the low single digits compared with the prior year.

There were some bright spots. Target said the number of sales transactions increased 2.4% in the quarter. Digital comparable sales also increased 10.8%, reflecting a 20% increase in same-day delivery powered by its Target Circle loyalty program and double digit increase in its drive up-service.

Still, Target faced a number of challenges. For one, only 23% of Target’s sales come from food and beverages so the company is more reliant on discretionary items like clothing and accessories, according to the company’s latest annual report.

Target executives also noted that the company, like other retailers, had to reroute some merchandise when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for the first time since 1977. That increased operating costs and ate into profit margins, as inventory built up in warehouses.

And Target said shoppers remain cautious as prices on necessities, while abating, are still higher than they were a few years ago.

“They’re being very patient, shopping for promos, looking for great value on those essential items that they need for their pantry,” Cornell said on a call with reporters. “And they’re shopping very conservatively and have been in discretionary categories throughout the year.”

To boost sales, Target has been lowering prices. Last spring, it cut prices on thousands of necessities ranging from diapers to milk. This holiday, it’s featuring thousands of toys, more than half of which are priced under $20.

The retailer also has rolled out programs to make shopping easier as it competes with fellow discounters Walmart and Amazon. Target announced a paid membership program in April called Target Circle 360, which comes with unlimited free same-day delivery for orders over $35 and free two-day shipping for all orders.

FILE - A sign on a Target store in Harmarville, Pa., is shown on Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)