Worried about winter traction

My 2 cents on chains:

They're only applicable in solid snow conditions. For the 95% of Seattle winter you'll be on OEM all seasons. Not bad for brand new, but once they start to wear they can be pretty treachorous. Snow tires on 15" Corolla steel rims works for us

 

Traction is a big issue. Chains or studded snow tires are recommended. Additionally, the Prius is very low to the ground. You will drag on rutted roads.

Don't get me wrong ... I am a very loyal, dedicated Prius owner ... but I bought a CRV for winter driving when there is snow or the threat of snow. I must drive through mountain passes, and did not want the hassle of chains or changing tires. I drive the Prius every day during three seasons, and 8 out of 10 days in the winter. Plus I needed a second car anyway.

 

So instead of dedicated snow tires, you have a dedicated car...

In all the years that I lived in the mountains of Colorado, I never owned a pair of chains (or snow tires.) All season radials always worked well enough to get me everywhere I wanted to go so I never got around to buying chains. (Admittedly, there were times when having chains would have been a good idea...)

Ironically, I finally bought chains when I moved to San Diego. Why? Because the highway patrol (CHP) in southern Cal will enforce chain use whenever there is the slightest amount of snow on the road and I didn't want that to be the reason that I couldn't go skiing...

 

Within Redmond, the fresh OEM tires will be fine the first winter. You will be blocked by other traffic stuck on the road before these tires fail you.

The second winter on them may well be different.

The WSDOT does require chains in the passes at various times, so you do want something that fits. But the chain checkpoints are nearly always on the way up the passes, not on the way down for those who are already up there when the restrictions are initiated.

On very rare occasions, 4/AWD will also be required to chain up. I don't hear of it happening most years.

 

The OEM tires (17" Toyo Proxes') have done me fine through two Chicago winters. Hardly a traction issue at all. If driving on "black ice" or worse then no conventional tire will grab, and you're SOL. I've never bothered with winter tires or chains here.

I am far more worried about the Gen III's ground clearance when large rock-hard frozen clumps the size of small boulders litter the street a day following a big snow. Those could wallop the plastic front end causing serious damage.

 

I lived in Kitsap County for 5 years. Though I am now in Maine.

I would recommend that you go with the standard tires and that you carry chains. If you ever needed chains, you have them. But I expect that you might only need them once every 4 to 5 years.

Once your junky stock tires have gone bald, replace them with high-quality all-seasons.

You will be fine

Btw in Maine we use the stock tires in the summer, and studded winter tires [on their own rims] in the winter.

 

Granted, only experiencing Ohio winters in the Prius, I was pleasantly surprised how well the oem's handled in the snow and on icy roads. Handled, not as in testing the tires to the max, but as in arriving at our destination safely and without incident.

 

I live in the Rockies at 7000 ft. I did not mess around. I bought a 2nd set of rims and mounted them with snow tires. Granted, I still have my Cherokee for deep snow, but last winter the Prius with snow tires provided excellent traction on packed snow and ice.

 

I guess it depends on where in Redmond you are. Once we get off the hill, we're usually fine without studs. But getting up and down the hill soon after it snows, or after the partially-melted snow refreezes, can be sporty. The Gen III car seems to do a little better than the Gen II. I bought a used set of studded snows for each Prius--one came complete with alloy wheels and TPMS sensors. Not too expensive. They usually go on in December.

 

Me too. Some years are nearly snow-free. Others have a bit more. I commute up to Woodinville, and there tends to be more snow there. My wife loves the sense of security offered by the studs, although I don't like what they do to the roads. OTOH, I suspect studs on a big 4X4 do rather more damage...

 

I drove around snowy Seattle with my summer tires (EP100's) and did pretty well. Temps were right at freezing. I put on my Blizzaks this afternoon and climbed a couple of relatively steep hills in Seattle tonight.

Prii do just fine in the snow.

 

Every winter I mount studded now tires on my cars. They REALLY make a difference on glare ice! Two years ago I was driving in IL (illegal to have studded snows there) and using a well worn out 95 Neon with studs I pulled a Police officer and Ambulance back onto the road! They were all shocked that I could do that in a Neon. They could get up to the edge of the road, but the glare ice on the road had them continually bouncing off of the slight 2" berm of newer layer of asphault. I could not pull them out when tying a rope to my rear bumper area, but when I turned the car around and backed them out using my front bumper area to tye on to there was not a problem...essentially turning the car into rwd to get more wt on my driving tires.

My oldest son got stuck in my driveway last year in a glare ice situation with his hemi Dodge crew cab truck....a slight push with the Neon using a spare tire tired to my bumper did the trick...he now has studded snows too.

BTW, we just bought our first Prius Saturday too! The Neon with slight mods gets 46 mpg, a 96 Geo with only aero mods was getting 60...sold it, and currently the Prius is getting "From infinity...and beyond!"

 

Interestingly, road wear is no longer an issue with modern studded tires. Unfortunately, local laws have not caught up with the improved technology.

Tom