I have been researching hybrids and plan on buying one in the next 3 months. I believe I have decided on the Prius V wagon. My family consist of 3 adults. I am looking for a vehicle that has amazing gas mileage to get me from Idaho to Arizona and California to visit family, but also one that will allow me to take my family on camping trips. Will the Prius A.) hold 2 tents and 3 back packs, ice cooler, dog, and 3 adults? B.) If carrying all this will it still make it up mountain roads? C.) How does it handle on dirt roads? I would really like to be able to do a plug in version, but worry about how long it would take me to get to Arizona (1800 miles) if I have to try and find a place to plug it in every 300 miles or so. If anyone has experience in this I would appreciate input. I am also worried about what I am reading in regards to how the Prius handles snow and ice. We can have pretty severe winters here. This past winter it froze everything for over a month and lows like we had not seen since the 70's causing a couple inches of ice on the roads that never went away. I do have a four wheel vehicle I can drive on really bad days, but I worry about being out shopping and having a storm hit and not being able to get home safely. I am buying this vehicle with a settlement from a car accident. I need a vehicle I feel safe in other wise I panic. I have looked at hybrid SUV's but I am disgusted at the mpg. Has anyone on here ever gotten in to an accident in a Prius that can tell me how well or bad it did?
Cold is no problem, but Prius has small ground clearance and no 4WD. Snow or dirt roads with ruts too deep to negotiate will stop it. On the plus side note that you never have to plug-in a plug-in hybrid Prius. Plugging it in just improves fuel economy.
My sister from Seattle is a on a 6 week road trip to Ft Myers FL in a 2012 Prius v, via San Diego, Phoenix, San Antonio, Ft Walton Beach, Greenwood MS Guthrie OK and Las Vegas, they are doing fine on the way back and having no car issues. Toyota Prius Habitent turn your hybrid into a sleeper car
It is Front Wheel Drive and, with the appropriate ice tires and an experienced driver, isn't going to be any better or worse than a normal front wheel drive car. As good as a good 4WD? No. Snow/Ice tires will hurt the mileage but don't try ice with all-season tires. Cold will hurt mileage, does on every car. About 8% on the v in my experience in city driving with short trips, not so much on long ones. So I get only get 39.5 ...woe is me. The rear seat folds down 1/3, 2/3 or 3/3 and lots fits in there. I've had a 6 foot Xmas tree or maybe 10 xerox boxes in the back. 3 passengers and gear. Sure. I do 525 pounds of people plus luggage and never feel any real loss. Dog? What size and cage or ??? If cage, cage size? Safety, it crash tests well except for a hit on just the headlight area which is a new test and not all cars have been tested with that new test. So take the hit right on the nose. Alternative: a big Subaru wagon? Give up some MPG for the 4WD? Still need Ice tires.
She is a snowbird (South Bend WA to Yuma AZ) and her husband follows MLB spring training, so they drive a lot.
