This is my first winter with my Prius. So far here in the far frozen north we call Winnipeg, Manitoba, we have had far above normal snow fall. I really don't have any complaints about the way my Prius has handled so far in the snow. I haven't had any traction or handling difficulties. It is as competent as any of my other front drive cars. Neither have I tried to drive it through a foot of snow, as the city has done a great job in keeping the roads cleared all things considered.
When the roads are bad in the winter, I take my Prius with studded snow tires and leave the 4WD Tacoma (also with studded snow tires) in the garage, because the Prius doesn't better in these conditions with a low center of gravity, traction control, and front wheel drive. My Matrix was the same way--a tank in the winter with studded snows, preferred over the Tacoma. Of course, if there are a few inches or more of snow on the roads, the Tacoma gets the job because of clearance. I'd bet that some folks like LazyLeo probably don't know how to drive in the winter. Too many people think that spinning your wheels is somehow a good thing--and they more they can't move, the more they spin. I think one reason the Prius does well in the winter is because ECO mode takes the torque off the wheels and helps prevent spinning.
man I didn't know Prius's are so BAD in snow...this is horrible!! Now I have to go buy good Snow tires for 2 of my 08 Prius's... (more money out the window)
I thought you said you are frugal and like to research subjects thoroughly. You do not appear to have done so if you are jumping to the above conclusion.
Lol... I do "DO" research...i've read like 6 pages and it puzzles me too...most ppl complain & grouch how prius "shuts off" if they hit a patch of ice or if wheels spin a little bit...& OP can't even get inside the garage with 4" of snow ....BUT I saw a thread of "Prius in Snow Pics"...and I was shocked...it's oposite...everyone drives a Prius is HUGE snow...how does that work??
The Prius works fine in regular mild snowy conditions. Even my 2005 works ok in snow but it terrible on ice. The 2006-2010 Prius is much better in snow and ice as long as you have decent tires. Stock Integrity tires are horrid. Most people change them out and have very little problems in snow afterward. If you have the Integrity tires then you should probably change them regardless of snow.
Living 225 miles north of Minneapolis off the side of a side road I have no complaints about the Prius in the winter. I use SNOW tires, (not mud+snow) and take a hit on mileage, but rarely have a problem. The worst problem I have ever encountered was in slush created when it rained heavily after we already had a lot of snow on the ground. The traction control can't see the hills coming and wouldn't let me build speed and momentum. The Nokian snow tires I had the last three years provided better mileage, but seemingly similar traction and control that my current snow tires made by General Tire. The General Tires are significantly less investment up front.
I think I will do that little "mod" with an extra button to turn off my Traction Control in the back...
We have zero problems with our '04 Prius in snow or on ice. It's no different in handling than any other FWD car we've owned. If anything, it's a bit better because it's not as easy to spin the tires, and I'm not specially referring to traction control. My '00 Celica is a 5 speed, and while it has only a small 4 cylinder in it too, it's very easy to brake the tires loose on snow/ice. The Prius is very easy to drive. I am also a HUGE fan of snow tires on ANY vehicle, including the Prius. We run Blizzak WS70's on the '04, and I've run several other sets on other vehicles. I just got my Celica (not the first one I've owned either), and I will be getting a set of snows this week for it too. I will either be going with the Michelin X-Ice Xi2's, or the Firestone Winterforce, or the WS70's. Haven't made up my mind yet. I haven't tried the Michelin's yet, but there is a good rebate on them right now and they are rated at #1 on the tirerack website for the category they are in. The Winterforce is a great performing tire too (I've owned a set before), and the price is unbeatable. We are already at 50+ inches of snow for the season and I don't dare drive the Celi the rest of the winter without snows (and the Celi has a brand new set of all-seasons on it already!).
Upgrading to high-traction all-season tires did the trick for me with my '04 Prius. 6 winters without any trouble. I'm into the second winter with my 2010. Even with the factory tires its handled all the snow just fine. .
I cheat a bit, in that I have my own tire machine/balancer, so I don't mind swapping stuff around out . I also have two sets of wheels so I can keep one set looking pretty in the summertime. You're down by the Twin Cities right? Despite the extra bit of snow we've had this year, we've missed out on a lot of storms so far up North, including yet another one tomorrow that's supposed to hit the Twin Cities. If that's the case, we'll have missed out on 3 of the last 4 most recent storms including the Deflate-a-dome storm (Vikings Metrodome) a week and a half ago. We did not see a single snow flake during that storm! I was rather disappointed (I love snow!).
I've said it before but the traction control is a worthless feature, not just on the Prius. The car should have the option of turning it off. My Prius isn't great in the snow, like most small compact cars.
Calling the Prius a "small compact car" is wrong. Come to think of it, everything before that in your post is wrong, too.
I also am not a huge fan of traction and yaw control when driving in the snow. They are a big benefit to people who don't know what they are doing...but to people who know how to drive in the snow...they actually make driving more difficult IMHO. Unfortunately...they are the law and here to stay now. Funny story, my cousin has one of those little "fake" Jeeps, its FWD but not AWD. He was telling me that he was driving it in the snow the other day...first car with traction control he'd ever seen. He said he saw the light blink and when he hit the button, it just grabbed traction and did great. I reminded him that when he hit the button...he actually turned it off, and the improvement he felt was because it had been deactivated...
American government defines car size class in Federal Regulations, Title 40—Protection of Environment, Section 600.315-82 Classes of comparable automobiles. Passenger car classes are defined based on total interior volume index (passenger plus cargo volume). Minicompact car: under 85 cubic feet Subcompact car: 85 to 99.9 cubic feet Compact car: 100 to 109.9 cubic feet Midsize car: 110 to 119.9 cubic feet Large car: 120 (or larger) cubic feet The total interior volume of a Prius 110.6 cubic feet (96.2 passenger +14.4 cargo) So, "buddy", the Prius is technically a mid-size car by a mere 0.6 cubic feet. That's hardly enough to be getting defensive on either side of this issue but, before "correcting" other posters, you should get your facts straight.
Ok, so barely a mid sized. Edmunds and JD Power and Assoc has it listed as a compact. That's also hardly enough to be getting defensive about, buddy.
The Prius isn't a compact car...its a midsized car. Compact car dimensions on the outside but midsize interior volume.
I used to drive a Geo Metro (damn fine car, too). I know what a Compact is. It certainly isn't a Prius. Also, Traction Control should be required on ALL cars. Thanks to it, the Prius handles GREAT on snowy, icy roads.
