A dumb question for AA members in Alaska
 

Any Alaskan AA members here?

I'm taking a job in a place called Clear to work on a new advanced radar system, and I'm wondering if it is even remotely possible to drive my Corvette up there and use it if I have it fitted with a block heater. I love that car and I've had 'Vettes for 25 years or so. I would hate to get an SUV I might hate. As far as SUV's go, I'm looking at BMW and Acura.

Thanks, Bob

PS Are there any high end places up there?

Robert,
Full disclosure - never have been to AK. I have spent many years doing subsurface mapping on the North Slope. Have looked and a plethora of USGS Topo maps all along the Dalton Hwy. I believe Clear is near the Denali Natl Park. The avg road conditions will not be suitable for your Corvette plus the 7 mons of poor weather conditions will not bode well for a good weather car. If you are looking at the MDX consider the hybrid model. A higher clearance mode of transportation will serve you much better in the land of the midnight Sun. Either way you will need a block heater and remember not to set your parking brake during extreme cold spells.

A dumb question for AA members in Alaska
 

How well do battery powered cars do in the extreme cold of Alaska?

Bob, I lived in Alaska for 28 years. Been thru Clear over a dozen times. In the summer months you can drive between Anchorage and Clear and up to Fairbanks in a Corvette with no problems. All thru out Anchorage and the surrounding towns as well. Some side roads are dirt and should be avoided, however I lived in the mountains surrounding Anchorage with about 2 miles of dirt road before you hit asphalt. My neighbor owned a Corvette. He just took it slow. Winter months, too much snow and ice for long periods. You have to park the Corvette during those times so you need a second vehicle that is better suited for those conditions.

Having spent a few weeks driving all over AK and the Yukon, the Corvette would not be my choice. Even in good weather on good roads there can often be rocks and other debris.

Having just purchased a Subaru Outback after looking at the BMW, Acura, Ford, Chevy & Nissan SUVs, in what you can learn in 2-3 hour test drive, the Subaru was easily the most comfortable, which was the No.1 requirement for me. Think the quality of all of them are in the "flip a coin" category. Am about 700mi short of rolling over 12,000 on the odometer and the only complaint is the infotainment system is slower than I would like. May have more to do with my preference for analog controls than for digital.

I lived in Anchorage for 2 summers a very long time ago. Can't speak to winter conditions but I'd imagine your Vette would be a no go during that time. The summer, however, well I just hope your Vette is a convertable because that climate is what convertables are made for. :yes:

I’m a convertible guy myself.

Have you considered a Jeep (wrangler or gladiator)?

Seems like you’d get the top down in the summer- but 4wd in the colder times.

I was going to opine... you'll want a Jeep or a Rover. Keep the vette safe. ;)

Thanks everyone! I'm looking at SUV's by Acura, Jaguar, Porsche, and BMW.

As for your choice of SUV, you may wish to consider what you will have available for service support in Anchorage (a fair distance from Clear - especially in the winter) and Fairbanks (not as far as Anchorage, but still a drive) with the ones you've listed. The BMW is made in SC so parts should not be a problem if there is a dealer in Anchorage or Fairbanks. The others are not, so supply chain issues may raise their ugly head even if there is a dealer.

Also, consider how truly "off road" you may want to go. My "off road" friends have all turned to Jeep over the past few years as the availability of factory & after-market options that make a Jeep off-road friendly are truly amazing. The luxo SUV brands are not really designed to be taken in the woods. On my last trip to AK we drove 2400mi and were happy that we did not have a luxo cruiser of any sort. About half the miles were on gravel/dirt roads of various ilk and to maintain any sort of speed (45-60mph) the stones and mud were flying. That was in the previous century, so they may have paved more roads in the last 20yr, but will guess you will still encounter many unpaved roads if you wish to go anywhere "interesting".