6 Small Cars With AWD To Consider In 2025

If you're currently shopping around for a small car, you may have noticed that most of them come equipped with front-wheel drive (FWD) systems. The benefit here is that this drive type is lighter and quite efficient, and because small cars typically target budget buyers and beginners, FWD systems help manufacturers to achieve their aim of making these cars as cheap and spacious as possible. Front-wheel drive vehicles also have better handling on loose or slippery surfaces than models with rear-wheel drive. As a result, they tend to be more beginner-friendly and ideal for general everyday driving.

Despite being generally considered better in slippery conditions than rear-wheel drive cars, however, front-wheel drive cars can still get stuck, especially in deep snow, mud, or ice. To ensure a more reliable driving experience, more and more consumers are demanding AWD systems, which sends engine power to all four wheels to make these cars near-unstoppable on all kinds of terrain. 

The good news for you is that small all-wheel drive cars do not need to be expensive, as there are now many mainstream cars and accessible luxury models with this feature. And so we've compiled six small cars with AWD to consider in 2025. Because this list is about new small cars, we've made sure to only include compact sedans and hatchbacks without recourse to crossovers or SUVs.

While the base Mazda3 sedan with the 191-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine comes standard with front-wheel drive, buyers can have standard all-wheel drive by opting for the turbo models, which have a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder good for 227 hp and 310 lb-ft on regular octane 87 gasoline, or 250 horses and 320 lb-ft when injected with 93 octane gas. That output flows to all fours via a six-speed automatic transmission, and so equipped, the 2025 Mazda3 Turbo can sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

Efficiency wise, an AWD-equipped Mazda3 sedan gets 23 mpg (mpg) in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined. That combined return is one mpg better than the hatchback, which gains 23 mpg in city driving situations, 31 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg in combined city-highway driving. But the Mazda3 Turbo isn't just about performance or fuel economy. 

The compact car also offers loads of niceties, namely heated front seats, a heated steering wheel (standard on the Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus), a power driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support and memory settings, a 10.25-inch display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB-C ports, and more. The 2025 Mazda3 2.5 Carbon Turbo starts at $32,100, while the Turbo Premium Plus begins at $35,800.

It wouldn't be a list of the best small cars with AWD if it didn't include a Subaru. All but the rear-wheel drive Subaru BRZ sports car come standard with the Japanese automaker's symmetrical all-wheel drive system, which makes a compact car like the Impreza a prime candidate. The Impreza's isn't just any AWD, but a full-time system that continuously sends power to all four wheels, rather than only when you experience grip loss. This not only ensure safety and stability, but also provides better acceleration, no matter the surface you're traveling on.

The Impreza is also great value, considering it can be had for just $22,995 (msrp). That price gets you dual 7-inch touchscreens, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice recognition, dual-zone automatic climate control, LED headlights, and keyless entry. If you desire more amenities, you can skip both the Base and Sport trim and check out the Subaru Impreza RS, which comes standard with heated front seats, a leather-covered steering wheel, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot, and a wireless device charger. Plus, you get a more powerful 182-hp 2.5-liter engine; the base model has a 2.0-liter mill that makes less power at 152 hp. However, you jump close to $5,000 in price.

The Lexus IS has the reputation of being one of the most successful models in Lexus history. Its comfortable and compliant ride characteristics make it a hit with consumers who want a luxury car that is Toyota reliable. And with this being a small car with a focus on sporty performance, the base model comes standard with rear-wheel drive. However, Lexus does offer AWD in the IS 300 AWD, IS 300 F Sport Design AWD, and IS 300 F Sport AWD. If you're considering the more powerful IS 350, your AWD choice would be between the IS 350 F Sport Design AWD and IS 350 F Sport AWD. In each case, the engines in these cars utilize a six-speed transmission in sending power to the wheels.

Speaking of which, the engine in the Lexus IS 300 AWD is a 3.5-liter DOHC V6 that puts out 260 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. The IS 350 uses the same V6 engine but raises output to 311 hp and 280 lb-ft. This enables it to zoom to 60 mph in a brisk 5.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 143 mph. While IS 300 AWD models are able to achieve a similar top speed, they take a comparably slower 6.1 seconds to hit 60 mph. But what they lack in 0-60 time, they make up in efficiency, with all three IS 300 AWD models delivering 22 mpg in combined city-highway driving, compared to 19 mpg for the IS 350 AWD.

It's not for nothing that the BMW 3 Series is considered by many to be the O.G. sports sedan. The small car has for decades struck a nice balance between ride quality and handling ability, and this contributes to making it a standout choice for consumers who are in the market for a small luxury car. The current 330i xDrive Sedan is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that generates 255 horses and 295 pound-feet of torque, directed to the four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. BMW claims that combination can get you to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, which is some 0.2 seconds faster than a rear-wheel-drive 330i.

But there's more. The higher-performance M340i xDrive and M3 Competition xDrive sedans also come standard with AWD. In the case of the M340i xDrive, the system works alongside a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine producing 386 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque — enough to launch it from 0-60 mph in a mere 4.1 seconds. Choose the M3 Competition xDrive and output is up to a more astounding 523 horsepower, with 0-60 achieved in a manufacturer-estimated 3.4 seconds.

The Audi A4 is set to bow out after the 2025 model year to make room for the new A5 hatchback. So if you want the AWD small car, this is your last shot at purchasing it new. Besides, its offering is fitting enough for a last hurrah. The entry-level Premium trim comes standard with everything from leather upholstery to a heated steering wheel, heated and power front seats, push-button start, ambient interior lighting, tri-zone automatic climate control, and a sunroof. With regard to tech, you get a 10.1-inch touch screen complemented by a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto integration, and a 10-speaker audio system.

Audi also doesn't require you to pay extra for its quattro all-wheel drive system, as the feature comes standard, along with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 261 hp and 273 lb-ft dispatched to the wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. With that, Audi cites the A4 can scoot to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. With the A4 going away, it's also worth checking out the slightly bigger and refined 2025 Audi S5.

The choice for the final slot for the best AWD small car was ultimately between the Volkswagen Golf R and Subaru WRX, but the German car managed to grab it because of its more persuasive output and the fact that Subaru already has a spot on this list. Speaking of performance, the 2025 model is now the most powerful Golf R ever, thanks to a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder direct injection engine that generates 328 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque conveyed to all four wheels by a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic. That's 13 more horses and 15 extra lb-ft over the previous model, which allows the updated Golf R to sprint from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds; top speed is 155 mph.

Volkswagen also claims that impressive performance is helped in part by the fact that the Golf R is lighter, thanks to the standard 19-inch forged alloy wheels, which now weigh 20% less than before. Inside, the 2025 Golf R offers a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 10.2-inch digital gauge display, navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, wireless device charging, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, memory settings for the driver's seat, Nappa Leather upholstery, and many more.

In order to select the models on this list, factors such as performance and the reputation of the AWD systems in the various cars were taken into account. This was achieved by considering SlashGear's own reviews of the relevant vehicles over the years. In addition, we checked each candidate separately on other authority sites like Car and Driver, MotorTrend, iSeeCars, Edmunds, and also combed through forums and discussion sites like Reddit to determine the models that owners are most impressed with in terms of their value, comfort, amenities, and how great they are to drive.