5 reliable rides for ski bums on a budget

Cars to take to the mountains

After a long slowdown, auto sales have made a comeback. According to Zacks Investment Research, in September 2012, 14.9 million vehicles were sold, and that was the highest monthly number since March 2008.

If you're looking for a new car and you and your family crave the ski slopes or frequently take trips to the mountains, Bankrate has come up with five great vehicles for you.

Several factors were considered when deciding on these selections:

• Performance.
• Cost.
• Safety.
• Cargo capacity.
• Other winter weather features.

We queried our friends at Edmunds.com, the car experts, for suggestions. Then Bankrate narrowed the list down to five fabulous mountain cars for winter driving.

Here's a secret to keep in mind when shopping: "A good set of snow tires and a dash of driver's common sense will get just about any front-wheel-drive vehicle most places that an all-wheel-drive model will go when the snow flies," says Bill Visnic, a senior editor at Edmunds.com.

Here are our choices listed according to base price, with the least expensive first.