Are autos manufactured differently for different parts of the country?
Will a Minnesota car be ok if left in Arizona heat all year or should I buy the car in Arizona?
I’ve heard rumors that there might be a difference.
Thanks!
No, they’re all made the same. The climate affects the cars differently though. In MN cars will get eaten up by road salt.
In AZ oppressive heat in Phoenix is rough on a number of things including tires, interiors, cooling and A/C systems, etc.
It used to be that northern cars would get a little bit different undercoating and rust protection package, usually applied by the dealer, so if you drove a car sold in Arizona to Minnesota it would probably rust out a bit faster than every other car did. Nowadays, the factory rust proofing is much better and the dealer-applied stuff is completely unnecessary, so all cars are equally suited.
Another issue is that until the mid-80’s, it could be hard to find an air-conditioned car being sold in a northern state unless it was a high-end model. Similarly, well into the 70’s at least some stripped-down models sold in southern California didn’t come with heaters.
The car itself should be fine. Remember to change your vital fluids to match the warmer climate. It’s in your owner’s manual.