Every year, many Americans will have to buy a car that can handle a harsh winter. While those Americans may have it bad, people from other countries will have to deal with an even worse winter. All hope isn’t lost though, and even the people living in the Arctic Circle have many cars to choose from.

What they look for in a car 

Obviously, a well-functioning heating system is an absolute must. It gets extremely cold in the Arctic Circle, and a car that doesn’t have a reliable heating system is simply asking for a disaster. That said, while things such as a reliable heating system and proper snow tires are mandatory, there are other aspects of a car that are also mandatory, too.

For example, the oil and the other fluids in a car can simply freeze in the Arctic Circle. That’s why special fluids are necessary up there. Additionally, as Fortune said, remote start is also a feature that’s practically required for a car in the Arctic Circle.

Remote start may be seen as a luxury feature for most Americans, but in the Arctic Circle, it almost has to be standard. Remote start allows the owner to start their car and heat it up before they actually need to get into it, and this massively improves how comfortable the car is.

And of course, reliability is a must. In the Arctic Circle, not only is it very cold, but there are also not many people around. If your car isn’t reliable and breaks down, then you may have to sit it out for a while before help arrives. That’s why choosing a reliable car is so necessary up there.

The Toyota Hilux is a good option

As Top Gear showed in its Polar Special, the Toyota Hilux is one of the best cars to have in the Arctic Circle. It’s a Toyota, so it’s very reliable and practical as is. That said, the team at Top Gear did modify the Hilux a lot. Additionally, this special was created over 10 years ago, so modern features such as remote start weren’t very common back then.

Some of the modifications that Top Gear did on the Hilux are probably beyond what the average person living in the Arctic Circle can do themselves, but it’s not beyond what companies can do for the Hilux. Regardless if it’s modified or not, the Hilux still remains a tough and reliable truck for driving around in the Arctic Circle.

Teslas are also popular

As the BBC reported, Teslas are very popular choices for people living in Norway, a country that is partially in the Arctic Circle. There are many reasons why Teslas are so popular, and the biggest one might be because of the price.

Norway has simply made it very affordable to buy and own an EV, and as a result, Norway is one of the most popular markets for Tesla, according to the BBC. Additionally, EV owners don’t have to worry about their fluids freezing and Teslas also come with a remote start, which makes it a very convenient and comfortable car to own.

But, as the BBC said, Tesla and EVs in general aren’t perfect for everyone. An EV’s range can get worse in extremely cold places, and if it runs out of juice, then an EV owner may be stuck in the snow. This creates what the BBC calls “range anxiety,” and it’s one of the reasons why not everyone in the Arctic Circle wants a Tesla. 

Regardless, Teslas are still a popular choice up in the Arctic Circle, and as Tesla develops new technologies, more and more people up there may drive an EV in the future.