Prius v snow chains or cables???

"Cable chains" are needed due to the tight clearance between the front tires and the fender. Having used both for many years, I would just get the cable ones. Much easier to install and adjust and unless you plan on going through really deep snow, they work as well as chains. And they aren't going to trash your inner fender wells (plastic) or fender openings if they aren't tight enough.

 

Why do you say that cable chains are required? There's no such mention of that in the car's instruction manual, at least not for the v-three. In fact, they show some dimensions for regular chains, not cable chains. Normally, you can use any type of chain on a car unless they say otherwise. Some cars require "S" chains because they don't have enough clearance for standard chains. I've never heard of a car that requires only cable chains, though I'm sure there must be some that do. But, the v-three should work with any kind of chain and I suspect the v-five would too.

Here are the chains I bought (the $71.99 ones): P205-60R-16 Tire Chains
They meet class "S" requirements which my car's instruction manual doesn't even require, so they should provide more than enough clearance. I've test fitted the chains on my car, though I've never actually driven with them. (They mount very easily and there's a video of the mounting procedure somewhere on the tirechain.com website.) You can even buy sub class "S" chains if clearance is a problem.

I have to admit that I was puzzled to see that Toyota listed dimensions for the chain links in the car's manual, rather than specifying "standard," "class S," "sub class S," or "cable." Nobody is going to buy chains based on a diagramed dimensions. You can always put the car up on a ramp, crank the steering wheel all the way to one side, and then inspect the wheels to see how much clearance you have around them. I'm sure that you'll find plenty of clearance for regular chains.