What kind of affordable Car/SUV can we buy that will work well in the winter in Fort Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska?

2020-04-27T18:48:59-04:00

I plan on exploring Alaska, so will definitely need a car/truck and we are trying to get something safe for the snow, we are from Los Angeles and we are not used to these snow.

Thank You.

Response by TSgt David Holman made Apr 27 at 2020 7:18 PM

2020-04-27T19:18:22-04:00

Get something that is either 4WD or AWD, and if you are new to driving in snow, I definitely recommend getting snow tires. When looking, I recommend getting something low mileage, and get it from a reputable dealer. Make sure that you have it completely checked out, and before winter hits, make sure to winterize it. They should give you briefings on winterizing, and there will be plenty of people around who have done it. Also, I don't know if they still do it, but when I was there, they had a winter driving course held by base safety on the Elmendorf side, I would recommend signing up for that if they offer it.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Apr 27 at 2020 8:55 PM

2020-04-27T20:55:44-04:00

Please - be very careful. Learn about Snow Tires - studded tires and so on. Then watch some videos of people driving in the snow. It ain’t easy!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2020 8:50 AM

2020-04-28T08:50:59-04:00

Be aware that there is a good chance the roads are treated with salt, you will need to wash your vehicle regularly in the winter to make sure it doesn't turn to rust after a couple years.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2020 10:20 AM

2020-04-28T10:20:55-04:00

For someone with no snow experience a good AWD SUV or cross over is perfect. My wife and I have driven Explorers, Expeditions, and Suburbans with great success.

BUT! A few rules to keep in mind:
1) All wheel drive does not mean all wheel Stop. It takes 5 times the distance to stop! 5x!
2) The 3 second following rule is more like 6-10 seconds. Keep a good gap, always have an escape route in mind, the unthinkable happens.
3) Find a large, unobstructed parking lot and practice losing control. Steer into the skid. If the back end breaks left, you steer left.
4) ABS helps a lot. Wheels lock very quickly and you become a sliding mass of metal at that point.

Remember to plug your car in when you park. It keeps the oil pan and radiator warm enough to not sludge or freeze. Not needed as much near Anchorage but is a must up in the interior, like Fairbanks.

After all of that - relax and have fun!

Denali national Park in the spring! The fireweed hills are a site to behold. Later in the summer in the same park find the crow berry bushes to harvest. Excellent berries and makes a great jam. The Dall sheep are also a great site. Head south onto the Kenai Peninsula and go to Portage Glacier. Walk the trails there. Trees have limbs on one side only. Near Anchorage International Airport is Earthquake Park. Well worth the few hours walking through there. If you can find public access to Campbell Creek (also near the airport), some great salmon fishing. Or head over to the Russian River for King Salmon fishing (seasonal). Don't be surprised to see moose walking about. Look for the Fur Rendezvous Festival in Feb/March.

Response by SFC Quinn Chastant made Apr 29 at 2020 4:23 PM

2020-04-29T16:23:38-04:00

Review the aspects of winter driving that may of been glossed over in some of your training. While many people will recommend All Wheel and Four Wheel Drive, remember those will only get you into trouble faster if you don't understand the basics of winter driving.

Gasoline versus Diesel Engines: Learn what the nominal temperature range can be for the environment. Negative 20 degrees F is harsh on engines and many vehicles in the far northern latitudes have block heaters, radiator heaters, fuel system/fuel line heaters, oil pan heaters. These are all important adjuncts for extreme cold. Parking in a garage protected from the climate helps keep the vehicle ready to start, but once outdoors you may be required to have the engine running constantly.

Diesel Engines and diesel fuel respond differently in the cold; winter fuel is thinner and has different properties from summer fuel. Changing a diesel fuel filter prior to the onset of extreme winter conditions is just practical preventive maintenance. Paraffins in diesel fuel are notorious for gelling in cold. the wax like materials will clog filters and can fuel starve and shut down the engine. Never a safe option.

Modern Gasoline Engines with throttle bodies are less susceptible to fuel freezing issues but contaminated fuels can present another problem.

Also the thinner weight oils recommended in the owners manuals are generally the safer choices.

Tires, and traction aids: Mud and Snow tires may be OK if you only drive occasionally in snow, they are worthless otherwise in heavy snow conditions. Snow tires, are a must, studded snow tires where allowed are preferable. Tire Chains! you want traction, you need traction and V-bar reinforced tire chains are the best for providing traction in snow and on ice. But there is a catch, traditional tire chains work best with tires with stiff sidewalls. Bias Plys usually. Heavy truck tires will work with those as well. lacking that information and knowledge of vehicle you'll have Tire Cables are also an excellent option. Tire cables are available where tire chains are sold and are better suited for Radial Tires for passenger vehicles & light weight SUV. Get familiar with tire chains and how to apply those to a tire well before you need them. They are no fun to put on in 30 degree weather, less when substantially below freezing. Also they need to be checked regularly for wear, broken links, missing pieces. and you are limited to a max driving speed of 30 miles per hour about 50 kilometers per hour.

If you can contact the command you are going to if you know it or check the base website. The should have some need to know information posted for all newcomers That should also include Vehicle and Road laws for the state of Alaska and maybe down load and read the Alaska Drivers manuals as for myself, I use tire chains in places where people don't think about them and have been able to travel where others were stuck on wet grass with just a two wheel drive Ford E-150 van.

Accelerate slowly a light foot on the throttle is best. look well ahead and allow yourself time to slow to a stop. Southern trained drivers don't consider that, and NASCAR style braking at the last minutes pretty much means you go for a slide. Treat all road surfaces as if they are covered in oil from leaking junkers and you're on a motocycle on top of the epoxy stop line waiting for your light to turn green.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2020 6:19 PM

2020-04-30T18:19:14-04:00

Get a Subaru with a block heater installed, do not do Throttle Body Bypass mod.
https://youtu.be/1iTAFcygLyU

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Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 5 at 2020 10:01 AM

2020-05-05T10:01:00-04:00

Subarus are very popular there if you aren't comfortable driving a larger SUV.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made May 5 at 2020 12:17 PM

2020-05-05T12:17:59-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member, great question. I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB for 4 years and my son lives in the Anchorage area and has for over 20 years. Consider in this order safety, mobility, utility. Price is also a factor against which you'll have to balance the three considerations.

First a few words about the environment. Alaska is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You are right to want to get away from the Post and city to see the "real" Alaska. The weather in summer is great. High temperatures in the Anchorage area are seldom above 80 degrees. Rain about 1/3 of the time. Long periods of daylight. Winter starts about Halloween and lasts till around Easter, sometimes Mother's Day. Winter weather includes snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain, fog, ice fog, and lots of darkness. You can expect to go to work and come home from work in the dark--on day shift. But, Alaskans developed a "just do it" approach to life long before Nike made that their company slogan. Winter sports abound including skiing, ice skating, snow boarding, snow machine travel, indoor hockey, and car ice racing. Ft Rich has a ski slope on Post. Summer activities are fishing, hunting, hiking, four-wheeler trail travel and racing.

Safety. Buy a vehicle with the highest crash safety rating you can afford. Try to get: four wheel drive, anti-skid brakes (ABS), fog lamps, rear window defroster, rear window wiper, passive restraint system (air bags) that surround the driver and passengers. Look to a "tall" vehicle to help avoid or abate moose collisions. (If a standard sedan hits a moose on the highway, it breaks the moose's legs at the knee and the 1500-pound body of the moose comes through the windshield.)

Mobility. Four-wheel drive (full time or on-demand) is a plus for off-road operations and snow. You'll want snow tires with studs for winter operation. Studs are very helpful on ice. Of course you'll need summer all season tires because most cities require you remove the studded tires for summer operation. A block engine heater (in oil pan) or in-line cooling system heater make winter operation easier, especially if the vehicle is kept outside. Most people plug their car in over night during the winter months. High center may be helpful to get over snow drifts. (see tall vehicle safety above)

Utility. Buy with your work and recreational activities in mind. You'll need a vehicle big enough to hold you and your wife with winter gear and emergency gear. Figure equivalent to three duffel bags. If you decide to do skiing or snow boarding, you want a roof rack. Look for a towing package if you think you'll want a snow machine, four-wheeler, or camper trailer. Winch, maybe, if you know how to use one.

As to the brand of vehicle, I recommend looking at various ratings and prices in Consumer Reports or Kelley Blue Book. Subaru and Honda SUVs and sub-SUVs are popular. We had a 4-wheel drive Subaru when we lived there. My son has a large Chevy SUV as his family car (they have three grown daughters). He drives a CR-V to work. He previously got a good deal on a used 4-wheel drive Audi and put over 100K miles on it. I like Honda because of its reliability, so I'd buy a 4-wheel drive Pilot or CR-V. Subaru Forrester would be next on my list.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2020 11:30 PM

2020-05-07T23:30:26-04:00

Just buy studded tires

Response by Tony Webster made Aug 16 at 2023 5:26 AM

2023-08-16T05:26:40-04:00

Exploring Alaska sounds like an incredible adventure! Considering the winter conditions in Fort Richardson, Anchorage, a vehicle that handles snow well is essential. You might want to look into SUVs like Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4, or Honda CR-V. These options offer good traction and reliability in snowy environments.
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