Prius v in snow ?

I got 15" Corolla steel rims for our snows, through a dealership to ensure compatibility. They were $70 each, and I got simple, galvanized open-ended lug nuts (again through the dealership). Basically what you'd find if you took the wheel cover off a 2007 Corolla.

I didn't bother with extra TPM's. Besides the expense, I believe you have to have the dealership reinitialize them every time you switch.

Check with the dealership. Are the v wheels 16" (stock) and 17" (optional) diameter? Someone here was saying there's a 16" Camry steel rim that's compatible, though maybe a bit steeper than $70.

FWIW, even though our (from the factory) Prius wheel is (optional) 17", the 15" (stock) size worked fine for snow tires, and a taller/narrower snow tire is more effective in the snow, and very likely cheaper.

Ah, found that 16" Camry rim link, post #9 here:

Snow Tires with Universal Steel Wheels | PriusChat

(The prices at the above seem steep, especially once you incur shipping charges. Maybe just use for reference; the dealership parts/service department is likely a better bet.)

 

I agree, my v with stock tires has been great as well the past couple days of snowy weather. traction control works beautifully. stability control also does a really good job of preventing understeer/oversteer situations when going round a bend.
i have not experienced the windshield fogging up issues you have though. Just an idea, maybe you already know this, but make sure the external intake for the vents is clear of snow and ice(just below the wiper area). if this has snow covering it, it'll probably get sucked into the vents and create fogging on the inside windows. my windows have been nice and clear so far, no issues using auto climate control, just occasional use of front defogger button when the side window gets a little too fogged up.
I suspect fogging issues might be worse with more than one person in the car. i'm driving alone 90% of the time.

 

I put on studded Nokian snow tires as we have a steep driveway. The traction control light blinks all the way up if we have any fresh snow. IMHO, I wish there was a way to temporarily disable traction control depending on conditions. And it would probably help if I shoveled it off periodically but so far, no issues. The penalty for the studded snow tires is ~10% drop in mileage and more road noise.

 

November 2010 my 08 with Michelin x (not x-ice) successfully negotiated 12 inches of unplowed heavy wet snow. We passed a MNDOT snow plow in the ditch and that entire winter I experienced many unplowed commutes at 2am without incident. Keep in mind that Minnesota isn't vertical and I am a cautious driver. My suggestion to Prius owners who are cleaning their undercarriage with white crap, don't back up or the cheap plastic splash protector up front may rip off ($53). In our part of the world you don't need 4-wheel slide unless you are going off road or have a long driveway in the country. I pass many over confident 4wd drivers in th ditch who have blown by me a few miles before.
On another subject, over inflation of tires may cause premature wear of expensive suspension components. My fuel economy has been stellar without resorting to this problematic practice.

 

I had a 2007 Prius with 15" OEM wheels for my snow tires (which came off a PT Cruiser originally but they are still low enough miles to continue to use.) The bolt holes match my PriusV. Can someone point me to a website that will confirm I can put these on my PriusV (Luxury trim level) and how to calculate the speedometer mental adjustment I'll have to make going from 16" to 15" (I'm assuming the reading will be low.)

On the Prius is the traction control also linked to tire pressure sensor (I just read that is the case on some cars so you do have to buy the fancy valves when putting on snows.)

 

The Prius uses a 5x100 bolt pattern. The Prius v uses a 5x114.3 bolt pattern. The Prius wheels will not work with hub adapters.

 

I wouldn't both spending money on TPMS sensors for the winter wheels. Just let the warning light glow. It's easy to ignore.

 

DANG!

Thanks for the quick answer. I hate to spend the money on OEM wheels for this car (I bought the 2007 used and it came with them because the guy really loved his Pri.)

 

You can find lot's of used wheels that will fit. The 5x114.3 bolt pattern is more common, especially with Lexus.

 

F8L: Used to ignoring the light. In fact, one day I was startled because I was driving along in June and the light came on. I thought "I don't usually have to ignore the light at this time of year..." and then realized that I shouldn't be ignoring the light, I had a low tire!

 

LOL I hate when that happens.

 

A few people have mentioned their stock all-seasons are doing ok in snow. I've had the same experience, with new all-seasons, they are ok, not great. They tend to have semi-decent sipes and more lateral tread at the surface, and that will help. But with a bit of tread wear the lateral tread and sipes can wear off, leaving only longitudinal tread. So maybe the first winter you can by. But once the tread depth starts getting depleted...

Plus the rubber is just not as grippy at low temperatures, it's a harder formulation.

 

I may have bought winter tires by now, as I've used them quite a bit in the past with success, but I'm actually going to be moving to Vancouver in the spring so I expect this to be my last "real" winter I'll have to deal with in Edmonton. With that said, I decided to try out the stock tires this winter and see how bad they really are. So far compared to my old Honda fit with studded tires in the winter the Prius V with stock tires is equal if not superior in traction and control when the roads get slick.

On a slightly different topic, on my last trip out to Vancouver in the spring it was raining pretty hard one day as I was driving through the city. I was surprised how slippery wet roads can be. Almost as slick as snow covered roads in Alberta. My little Honda Fit was spinning easily from stops on the wet roads with all season tires. Would winter tires help with traction on wet pavement as they do on frozen icy pavement? Or is a proper rain tire better for Vancouver driving?

 

Well, winter is a mixed bag here. The last couple of winters snow was pretty much a no-show, but we did get on-off stretches of subfreezing. It all depends on the cold interior air: if it stays there, or pays us a visit on the coast.

We can get serious dumps though, hangs around for a week or two, and ends up a slushy disaster.

I don't think there is such a thing as a "rain tire", though the Michelin HydroEdge comes to mind. It's ridiculously long wearing (I've read, never had them), but only so-so for rolling resistance, not bad though.

I've got the Michelin X-Ice on ours now, through to spring. I think it actually gives up a little traction on bare roads. Fairly typical for a snow tire, but not that pronounced with the X-Ice: if you're waiting to make a left turn, and then step on it to get through quickly, you need to be a bit more careful to not break traction.

But it seems a small concession for the overall traction benefit.

 

We got some snow here the other day and I parallel parked my V in the street like I'm used to do with my Hyundai Elantra. I managed to get out, but I struggled a little bit on some snow that normally I would get out pretty easily with my standard transmission car (and I got some pretty good Pirelli snow tires). What I disliked is that you do not have any control with the V's transmission. Is there a recommended gear or driving mode for these types of situations? From now on I will be very careful where I park, since I sensed that I could easily get stuck with my V.

 

I drove my Prius V 3 in icy conditions today for the first time and I was less than impressed. My neighborhood isn't maintained by the city so it was a sheet of ice and I slipped around even though I was doing 10-15 MPH in drive. I switched it down to B to try it and it seemed to do better so I road that in almost my entire way to work. I'm on OEM tires (goodyear brand).

Does driving 10ish miles in B hurt anything other than MPG? I wouldn't do it regularly but traffic was driving slow anyway and when I turned it off traction control came on every time I tapped the gas and I started skidding a little. I'm one of the worst snow drivers anyway so anything I can do to adapt my driving style to the new car would be great.

 

Get dedicated studless snow tires before someone gets hurt.

 

Sounds like a plan. I will look for brands in some of the other posts. I may have undersold myself a little but I'm one of the slow drivers that I always read twitter complaining about needing to learn to drive.

 

I'd rather you be slow and safe than fast and reckless.

Look into the Michelin X-ice Xi3 or the Bridgestone Blizzak WS70. Both can be found at Costco and Discount Tire/America's Tire. Costco alternates the $70 rebate everyone month so that could determine which one you should buy. Both are excellent snow tires with great reviews on PriusChat as well as other major publications.