I’m convinced Audi’s Q7 TDI was designed by German powder junkies. What else could explain the combination of features only a ski addict would appreciate? The all-wheel drive that lets you beat the snowplows up the hill on icy mornings. The heated leather seats for you and four buddies, plus a fold-down third row for more troops or gear. The three-liter, turbocharged V6 diesel engine that’s just as powerful up mountain passes as it is descending lowland on-ramps. It gets a respectable 25 miles to the gallon, and 600 to the tank, while burning clean enough to meet emissions laws in all 50 states a rarity among diesels. And it drives the way I snowboard in my dreams: Fast, fluid, always under control. It’s so much fun behind the wheel, you might even look forward to last chair. From $50,900;
