This answer may be late for you but I just saw your question. The car we rented was unlike cars we drive around in cities. The wheels seemed to raise the car higher off the ground because there are potholes and all sorts of problem spots on the permafrost surface. It is not a well drained roadway, so you will encounter big puddles(it rains frequently) and splashes from the supply trucks and other vehicles. We had no flat tire but the car did come with a spare tire and tools. Only thing that was shocking was the high price of gas in the only gas station on the route. I think it was a quite a scenic drive.

We drove up in the summer so the road was a little rough but not too bad. We stopped along the way for pictures but it took us 6 hours to get to the sign, (we stopped at Hot Spot Cafe for lunch), then we continued on to Coldfoot which took another 2 1/2 hours. We spent the night further up at Marion Creek Campground just north of Coldfoot and the drive back to Fairbanks the next day was 7 hours.

It is definitely scenic but dangerous to drive in the summer so the winter must be frightful. Leave it to a professional who do not drive their own vehicles on that road. They rent from a limited supply since many firms will not rent vehicles to use on that road. That should tell you something.

Rental cars will not allow you to drive the Dalton highway any time of the year. Most of the tour companies stop the end of September. There are few service stops (160 miles +) and they don't always have fuel. The large trucks have the right of way. Unless you're an " Ice Road Trucker" I would not do it.

We used a tour company, 1stalaskaoutdoor, and had a great trip. There were just the two of us so it was like having a private guide. Randy was great and i thought the day was worth it for the scenery and the site of the pipeline the whole way.