What is the best, cheap car/SUV/truck to have in snowy areas?

I currently live in a very hilly area that gets a fair amount of snow during the winter. Currently, I drive an '05 Ford Expedition. It's been absolutely wonderful for driving in the snow (even though fueling it up costs an arm and a leg), but it's at 153,000 miles now, and getting an additional 400 put on it every week. Eventually, I'll need to get another vehicle, and I have no idea where to even start in terms of price. Complicating it further was my recent realization that All-Wheel Drive does not necessarily translate to being good in snow (as a few of my Toyota and Lexus-driving classmates have told me).

What would be the best place to start for affordable (for a college kid) cars/SUVs/trucks that are good in the snow? New or used is irrelevant. Being powerful and/or sporty would be a bonus, but well below affordability and reliability in terms of priority.

I also LOVE the snow and vehicles that save me money on gas lol. I went AOL AUTOS and did a search on SUVS with 28+ MPG (the highest MPG option) and 4-wheel drive terrain obviously. Turns out the Ford Escape is your best bet.
Starting at 22K, you get your 4 wheel drive and with 22 city / 31 highway MPG. All for a price fit for a college kid.