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Spoiler alert: Santa Claus isn’t real. OK, now that we just ruined Christmas (sorry about that), we can get down to brass tax. The jolly bearded man has historically been known to drive a sleigh with a bunch of magical reindeer. But we thought it would be fun to wonder what he would drive if he only had a set of wheels to rely on. As such, here are five cars that Santa Claus would likely drive if he were real and traversed the Earth like the rest of us.

A man dressed as Santa Claus driving a car.
A man dressed as Santa Claus sits in a 1959 Cadillac along a street in Tokyo. | Philip FONG / AFP

1. Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

The Dodge Charger sedan is dead, but the Hellcat packed supercharged V8 power, a rare motor for a four-door application.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat | Stellantis

It’s apparent that Santa Claus loves having lots of power to propel him through the night, so if he were Earthbound, it would be no different. Enter the Dodge Charger Hellcat. Not only does it have four doors and a large trunk for gifts, but it also has a supercharged V8 engine that produces a whopping 707 hp. With that kind of power, good ‘ol Kris Kringle should be able to make his rounds in no time.

2. Lincoln Navigator L

White 2023 Lincoln Navigator L in front of a house
2023 Lincoln Navigator L | Lincoln

If Saint Nick would rather have something large and lavish, then we recommend him to get a Lincoln Navigator L. This large land yacht of an SUV has every creature comfort he could ask for, including heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a Revel Ultima sound system, 4G WiFi, and a built-in navigation system to guide him through the night.

In case Mrs. Claus wants to drive, the Navigator even has power-adjustable pedals to dial in the best driving position. There’s plenty of power, too. Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that pumps out 440 hp, which is enough to get Santa around the world quickly.

3. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van

A Mercedes Sprinter on display at the Chicago Auto Show.
A Mercedes Sprinter on display at the Chicago Auto Show. | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

If Santa Claus is all about that #vanlife, he’ll probably love the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. While he wouldn’t live in it as many wayward travelers do nowadays, he can definitely make good use of it. The Sprinter is so tall that a full-grown adult can easily stand up in it, making it easy to sort through gifts. It’s also so wide and long that he could fit whatever he needs in it, including a kitchen sink.

Additionally, if the going gets rough, a Mercedes Sprinter can be outfitted with a four-wheel drive and a lift kit so that those pesky snowy places will be no match for Father Christmas.

4. Ford Bronco Raptor

2022 Ford Bronco Raptor front corner view in the snow
2022 Ford Bronco Raptor | Joe Santos, MotorBiscuit

We recently drove the Ford Bronco Raptor and loved it. We think Santa Claus would love it too. After all, the Bronco Raptor is outfitted with a turbocharged V6 engine that makes more than 400 hp, four-wheel drive, and a series of off-road modes via a G.O.A.T selector. It even has massive all-terrain tires and a host of exterior cameras so he can see where he’s going when driving off-road. It might not be a magical sleigh, but the Bronco Raptor should be able to take Santa almost anywhere he wants to go.

5. Toyota Prius

A white 2023 Toyota Prius driving down the road from an aerial view.
2023 Toyota Prius | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

We live in an eco-conscious time, and Santa is no stranger to saving the environment – considering he typically uses reindeer power. In that case, the Toyota Prius could be a good fit for him. As Autobytel points out, the Prius has “Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive up front, roomy seats in the rear, and a big cargo bay out back.” That’s good enough for millions of Prius drivers around the world, so it should be good enough for the guy in the big red suit.

What car would Santa Claus drive?

If Santa Claus were real and needed to get around the planet on a set of wheels, these are the cars we would likely recommend to him. Of course, there are plenty of others that he could make use of, like a Hyundai Santa Cruz, perhaps. However, we think that these five would likely suit him just fine – if he were real (sorry again!).

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