Prius worst car in history in winter

I'm not even going to read all the posts...

As many of you know...I'm not a huge Prius fanboy. However I will say...the car is very drivable in the winter and in the snow. You loose economy sure...you do in any car but there are things you can do to improve it, engine block heaters, grill blocking, etc. As for stopping...it stops like any other car with ABS in the snow, sure the traction control is a little overzealous but with good tires and a little bit of skill...its very drivable in the snow.

Would it be my first choice if snow driving were a top priority? No, bit if its what you've got I don't see an issue...

 

Got any more?

 

You could do like I have done - keep the '99 suby for bad days!

 

NONE of this matches in any way my experience driving in 20 degree weather and some snow. Your comments/observations are strange.

 

I'm glad we finally found some common ground. Inflate your tires to max sidewall to improve FE & handling. Buy some pipe insulation & block your grill. The retained heat will cause the ICE to run less.

If you aren't happy with how the car handles then either get professional driving lessons or buy something you'll be happy with.

Yeah, the recent weather is a bear. My tanks over the last couple months have been some 2 mpg under average.

 

:thumb:
That is my solution too.

But so far, I haven't had to take to the Suby for anything other than ski outings requiring greater ground clearance or cargo capacity. While I know these aging stock tires (c**p in winter, but still good for plenty more three-season use) are doomed to failure under certain other conditions, Seattle's abundance of winter-phobic drivers with bald tires on ordinary cars and SUVs will first congest and close the roads.

 

I live further north than you, loved it so far in the two big storms of the year.

1. I averaged 57 mpg on my last fillup. Since I just got it in December and have only used it in freezing weather, if that's 8-10mpg less than normal, I'm excited for the summer!

2. Mine stops when I gently apply the brakes, as I drive for snowy conditions, not as if I'm on clear asphalt, and that does the trick. If I slam on the brakes, yeah, my several thousand pound piece of steel does skid to keep the law of inertia happy.

3. It takes mine 1-2 minutes, maybe you should bring it to the dealer to get checked out.

 

If you're not scrapping for a fight ... don't use fighting' words. A title like "worst car in history in winter" just begs for fight from those Prius owners who live in really cold climes and know better.

The tone of the title sets the tone of the discussion.

Just sayin' ... :focus:

 

Agreed. The OP needs to express himself better.

 

hahah

what was your car before the prius?
it also loses mpg in cold climate and because the prius warms up faster! us also uese more fuel to do so to get the exhaust to produce cleaner.
on short trips thats a bit of a problem but its al for the enviroment.

any car with ABS and ASR will give you the idear its not stopping and the prius is in NOW way a heavy car.

 

I live in NY state and have not found the issues you point out.

I'm actually using the OEM all-seasons, too. They are not the best but they are not bad. Traction and stability control are very helpful. I personally think this vehicle is very competent in snow.

It probably takes longer than a regular car to warm up but not hugely. My minivan warms up fast--always has compared to other cars--hitting full operating temp (or at least needle stops going up) in cold weather in 4-5 minutes. I doubt this takes more than a few minutes longer. My main issue is that the fans do not blow very strongly so there is not a lot of hot air thrown at me but it's not a massive complaint. Mileage does drop, but probably not 8-10. I'd guess closer to five.

Lol something is seriously wrong with your car.

I don't think that OP is trolling, BTW.

 

Well, this is my first car w/ VsC and traction control, and I'm pleasantly surprised how it does in snow. No doubt the ground clearance is a limitation, and winter tires would be better, but here in MD we're sort of in that 'in between' belt where we get occasional snow, but it often doesn't justify spending the extra $ on a set of winter tires, (ideally) new wheels, TPS (although you could just ignore the stupid little light and use--remember these--a tire pressure gauge). Usually our city streets aren't plowed (my side street is too small for a plow anyway) and there are so many others driving around on bald tires that they clog up the roads on an inch of snow. Earlier this year I resisted the urge to thumb my nose at a 4wd Suzuki fishtailing all over the place as I passed it going up the hill. I make sure my tires have plenty of tread, and when it gets really bad, if everything isn't shut down like several times last year, I just walk or take the bus

AFA the fuel economy dropping in cold, yes it does. As with every car on the road. Most other cars don't thrust that info in your face with the MFD, and lots of people don't calculate their tank mileage, and think everything is hunkydoryfine.

Lastly, it is about expectations. It's not a Subaru, and won't perform such. OTOH, it buns half the fuel.

 

Wow. I think my 2010 Prius is the best car I ever had in the winter. With snow tires, this car is unstoppable.

 

Clearly, all your points are just plain silly. However, since you are trolling, I'll play along.

As already stated - all your points are null. I'm shocked that you missed a REAL issue with the Prius in winter - the aggressive traction control. THIS IS a legitimate issue ... but your trolling eyes somehow missed it. :twitch:

For the rest of the forum:
Last evening, I disabled traction control for the 1st time. The Prius is a beast in the snow with traction control off. I spun up my snow covered driveway with very little drama. With traction control on - the car didn't make it 15 feet.

Lesson Learned: If you are a good driver, I would consider disabling traction control in order to climb up snow covered steep hills. If you are not such a good driver, you may want to consider another auto.

-Brad

 

Why are you mixing Gen2 (your car) with Gen3 (OP's car)? They have much different TCs.

And where have you seen any instructions for disabling Gen3 TC?

 

1. ok myabe on short trips but going from 52-54 in the summer to 46-49 in the winter is not a big problem at all to me.

2. No car stops good on ice unless you have studded tires. The prius is just like every other car on ice.

3. I have heat within 1-2 miles and the car will fully warm up with in 5 miles or so.

 

Winter is bad mpg time just by its very nature hybrid or not ... good tires or bad ... there's no getting around it. When conditions are barely drivable, the last thing you think of is great mpg ... rather just getting there and being glad you made it.

Oh ... and for the OP ... who thinks he's the first to experience cold weather Prius driving:

So, good luck ... hope you're able to get up to speed. there are numerous tools here to help you.


.

 

my 2010 prius only gets in the high 30mpg granted we live in a cold climate ( saranac Lake ny) is this normal? thanks Al @ [email protected]

 

Whenever someone posts an extreme opinion...and I'd say refering to The Prius as "The Worst Car In History In Winter" I get suspicious about the motivation. But I checked this OP's posting stats history, something I would suggest everyone does before you start accusing someone of being a troll, and given the history of his posts, I don't think this is a troll.

It's someone who really thinks The Prius sucks in the winter.

You can agree or disagree...offer suggestions as to how Prius winter performance can be improved.

But in general, it's an opinion.

I've never driven or owned a Prius in winter conditions. So I cannot really offer an opinion on his contentions.

But I'd say this isn't a troll.

 

Just my 2 cents from Syracuse, New York, where we get a good amount of snow, around 120 inches for an average winter. So far I'd have to say the 2010 Prius, with snow tires, is the best non 4wheel drive vehicle I've ever driven in winter.