Choosing a car for heavy snow fall (help please) (anchorage ak)

[Tuh]

I like the Subaru Forester, the older Honda CRV (97-2001) and the Toyota trucks. I have an old 4door sidekick sport that's never been stuck in anything, and we have heavy snowfall. It's not always the big trucks you need. Many of the vehicles I mentioned have been used in 3rd world countries under treacherous conditions and they do fine.
Good luck and keep the tires on the pavement

[David223]

I would say that if you need a vehicle that is great in snow a Subaru will do very well. What about your driveway, are you going to clear it or are you going to pay someone to plow it? That is something to think about. A Subaru can't plow snow but a full size 4 wheel drive pickup truck can.

[CoastalMaineiac]

Originally Posted by GarageLogic

The size of the SUV is not what is going to matter. What's going to matter is making sure that you have the right kind of snow tires. You're also going to need to run lightweight synthetic oil in your engine, and synthetic fluid in your transmission. Be sure you have a plug-in block heater.

You're also going to want some cold-weather survival gear.

I'm a Northerner. You can hit me up with a PM if you would like to.

The size may not matter, but ground clearance might. The best 4x4 and snow tires around will have difficulty plowing through a foot of snow if you've only got six inches of clearance.

Look into the Jeep Wranglers. Also check out the Nissan and Toyota pickup trucks. Even the smaller ones usually have decent clearance. I believe you can get either with four doors as well.

And remember, you cannot be too prepared for that kind of weather. Shovels, blankets, emergency radios, a change of clothes (having dry clothes to change into can help fend off hypothermia), sand bags, tire chains, even a winch might not be a bad idea. If you get stuck, make sure you keep the snow cleared away from your exhaust, else carbon monoxide will make its way into the car.

Also, the half-a-tank mark is your new empty mark. Don't even think of letting it dip below that in the winter. You don't want to get stuck waiting for help wondering if you've got enough gas to keep the heat on! Keep that car full of gas and don't slack off in the maintenance. Breakdowns in sub-zero temperatures are not just minor inconveniences, they can have serious consequences to your health!