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Old 05-06-2009, 07:39 PM
 
5 posts, read 8,495 times
Reputation: 11

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Here's my situation: I will be moving to Fairbanks in August from Michigan. I currently own a Corolla but it's not the world's most reliable car and I assume I will be selling it.

I know I need to have whatever car I bring or buy 'winterized', fluids changed out, heaters installed, and studded snow tires. I will be driving daily to Eielson from Fairbanks.

Do most apartments have plug ins for the heaters?

Is four wheel drive necessary?

Should I be looking at a bigger car/SUV to get around? I prefer driving smallish vehicles so I'm inclined to select them unless I have good reason not to.

Has anyone had experience with a Prius or a Honda Fit in Fairbanks? I have heard the Prius batteries can freeze.

I appreciate the help! I was more than a little worried about moving up there until I started reading through many of the articles here. Great advice and many helpful people
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Old 05-06-2009, 08:10 PM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
7,308 posts, read 14,693,069 times
Reputation: 6238
Get a newer Subaru Outback or Forester. They are all-wheel drive and not to big. You'll see plenty of them up here.
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Old 05-07-2009, 12:19 AM
 
345 posts, read 1,277,636 times
Reputation: 124
I would never drive a prius here, -60 will drain a fully charged new battery (says the newsminer). I have pulled subarus out of ditches and drifts, good on icy roads but dont get over confident in them, they have no ground clearance. I also never use studs, 4x4 standard is the way to go. But yes you will find an abundance of plug-ins (headbolt heaters) everywhere. I would say you would be crazy not to have a 4x4 or all wheel drive. My preference is smaller 4x4 pickups and SUVs but make sure you keep weight in the back. Sandbags are your best friend.

good luck!
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Old 05-07-2009, 12:21 AM
 
Location: Bethel, Alaska
21,368 posts, read 38,133,538 times
Reputation: 13901
Stiffler, how much you up to now plugging the Ru?
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Old 05-07-2009, 07:16 AM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
7,308 posts, read 14,693,069 times
Reputation: 6238
Quote:
Originally Posted by warptman View Post
Stiffler, how much you up to now plugging the Ru?
Corporate says I'm falling behind. No free oil change this month.
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Old 05-07-2009, 06:19 PM
 
Location: WE MADE IT!!
639 posts, read 1,916,543 times
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Tons and Tons of Prius's around Fairbanks. Plenty of big ole honking 4x4's as well. I live in the bush and drove 127 miles 1 way to Fairbanks WEEKLY. Over some of the worst road in the area all winter long. Only had 3 days I couldn't and that was due to the road not my car. I drive a 1999 Mercury Villager front wheel drive MINI VAN. We had studded tires,never slid once. We bought a full size 4x4 truck and that thing scared the crap out of me. It would slide when you went to stop,spin when you started off. We had several weeks of -60 up here in the bush not just days. Once we bought a new battery and kept the van warm it never failed. The one thing we did have trouble with was the power steering lines froze. So we fixed that issue, went to Alaska rubber got a hose and then went to Sourdough fuel and bought some special fluid Avation something,can't remember but I remember it was $28 per gallon. And we never had a problem after that. Normal power steering fluid freezes and there are no heaters for that. This new stuff doesn't start to freeze till -80.
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Old 05-07-2009, 09:37 PM
 
Location: Not far from Fairbanks, AK
20,293 posts, read 37,189,297 times
Reputation: 16397
Quote:
Originally Posted by fairbanks101 View Post
I would never drive a prius here, -60 will drain a fully charged new battery (says the newsminer). I have pulled subarus out of ditches and drifts, good on icy roads but dont get over confident in them, they have no ground clearance. I also never use studs, 4x4 standard is the way to go. But yes you will find an abundance of plug-ins (headbolt heaters) everywhere. I would say you would be crazy not to have a 4x4 or all wheel drive. My preference is smaller 4x4 pickups and SUVs but make sure you keep weight in the back. Sandbags are your best friend.

good luck!
The new Subaru Forester has a lot of ground clearance, and one of the best traction controls around. But a lot of other Subaru have low-ground clearance. I just bought a 2009 Forester with manual transmission (don't like auto), but only drive it every now and then.

Now, I have driven a 1987 Civic Si since stationed at Eielson AFB in 1987, and for the past 15 years from North Pole to work in Fairbanks and back home, and have never had a problem driving. The odometer reads 275,000 miles already

Most of the automobiles I see stuck in the snow, or in the ditch during the winter months are 4x4's, perhaps because their drivers become overconfident. In some years, I put studded tires on the Civic, but this year i left the all weather tires on.
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Old 05-07-2009, 11:32 PM
 
Location: Not far from Fairbanks, AK
20,293 posts, read 37,189,297 times
Reputation: 16397
This is the way the new Subaru Forester looks. Has a lot of ground clearance, weights around 3,000 pounds, and uses a lot more fuel than a lot of other Subaru models. There is a warning in the manual about high ground clearance. The wheels are 16", but I could also use 17" wheels. But these tires are heavy! This one does around 27 MPG combined (city/highway), and around 30 or more on long stretches of highway. Since I have been driving automobiles with manual transmissions for a long time, I can help the motor save a little fuel
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Old 05-08-2009, 02:43 PM
 
345 posts, read 1,277,636 times
Reputation: 124
Quote:
Originally Posted by RayinAK View Post
This is the way the new Subaru Forester looks. Has a lot of ground clearance, weights around 3,000 pounds, and uses a lot more fuel than a lot of other Subaru models. There is a warning in the manual about high ground clearance. The wheels are 16", but I could also use 17" wheels. But these tires are heavy! This one does around 27 MPG combined (city/highway), and around 30 or more on long stretches of highway. Since I have been driving automobiles with manual transmissions for a long time, I can help the motor save a little fuel
yeah, seems like the ones i pulled out had 4 inches of ground clearance.

I have gotten a suburban stuck in the snow also but megansmom is right about the huge 4x4s... When you drive them downhill they tend to turn around backwards o_0

I drive a chopped up lightweight 87 toyota SR5 4x4 standard with a wooden flat bed. Granted I do keep 6 60lb sand bags in the back I wouldn't trade it for anything. Although it is nearly impossible to drive without the sandbags. I'm looking for a suzuki samuri
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Old 05-08-2009, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Not far from Fairbanks, AK
20,293 posts, read 37,189,297 times
Reputation: 16397
Quote:
Originally Posted by fairbanks101 View Post
yeah, seems like the ones i pulled out had 4 inches of ground clearance.

I have gotten a suburban stuck in the snow also but megansmom is right about the huge 4x4s... When you drive them downhill they tend to turn around backwards o_0

I drive a chopped up lightweight 87 toyota SR5 4x4 standard with a wooden flat bed. Granted I do keep 6 60lb sand bags in the back I wouldn't trade it for anything. Although it is nearly impossible to drive without the sandbags. I'm looking for a suzuki samuri
My wife drives a '94 Suzuki Sidekick, and she loves it because she doesn't like big 4x4's. It has pretty good traction in the winter while on 4x4, but drive it on rear-drive only, and... lookout! I enjoy to spin it around on the ice, but she hates when I do that
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