Vehicle Preference in Alaska?

Question

I'll be moving to Alaska in the next couple of months, and I'm wondering if my little 1995 Audi 90 (FWD) will survive up there. Should I upgrade to an AWD or 4x4 vehicle? I'll be starting out in Fairbanks then moving down to Anchorage.

I'm only interested in answers from people who have lived in Alaska for an extended period of time or live there currently.

Answer 1

Well, since I lived in the Fairbanks area from 1991 to 1995 (I was stationed at Eielson AFB) and in Anchorage from 1998-2002 and 2006-present (my wife is on her second tour to Elmendorf AFB) I hope I qualify to answer your question. :-)

I have driven all four types (FWD, AWD, RWD, and 4WD) up here and while I never had problems with one over the other (it helps to have the right tires) the best bet would be an AWD vehicle (Subarus are real popular up here). If you don't know how to drive on ice the all wheel drive feature will be a big help. Plus an AWD car has a lower center of gravity then a 4x4 SUV so if you loose control on ice you will have less of a chance of rolling over. But if you like your Audi you can make it through the winter with it if you take some precautions. The main thing is buying the right type of tires. We are allowed to use studded tires up here and that helps, especially on a FWD car. The time you will most likely have traction problems will be when starting and stopping. And a FWD car with a good set of studded tires will start moving just as good, if not better, then a AWD car with regular tires. As far as stopping studded tires give you that little extra insurance on ice. And don't rely on anti-lock brakes. While they are nice they will not help you stop just as quickly as you can on clear roads. Always leave extra room for stopping when driving in the winter, regardless of the tires or vehicle you have.

Anyhow, yes your car can survive up here but you have to take certain precautions. If you want the safest way though the best bet would be an AWD car (not an SUV). And if you go with a Subaru get it down there, as Subarus go for top dollar up here.

Since you mentioned Fairbanks I wanted to add one other thing. If you will be coming up at the begining of winter make sure you get your car set up for the cold weather. They have something up there called an HBO (head bolt outlet) that is an electrical outlet to plug your car in to. The outlet is for providing power to block heaters, oil pan heaters, and battery heaters. When it hits below 0 degrees F (which it does a lot in Fairbanks) vehicles can get real hard to start. So the heaters help the engines start easier. Also, if you have the money I would be the best battery there is for that kind of weather. It's called an Optima battery. They aren't cheap (a red top battery is about $120-140) but they work better then any other battery out there when it's 30 below.

Hope this helps. If you need more info let me know.